An Invitation to Battle

"Heh! Since you attacked me with a gun using your hands, and I've already crippled your brother's legs, then I'll punish you by crippling your hands."

Lafitte smiled gently, removing his feet from the man's body. His leather shoes swayed as if he were performing an elegant dance, and he bowed slowly, very Gentleman.

At this point, the man's kneecap was broken, and without prompt treatment, his legs would be beyond saving.

Holding a cane-sword, with the tip of the sword pointing downwards, Lafitte gently pierced the man's left wrist, then flicked it upwards.

"Ah!" The man raised his head and screamed in heart-wrenching pain, blood flowing out continuously, as the tendons in his wrist were severed by Lafitte.

The veins on his forehead were bulging, his face was contorted in agony, and his body was twisted, showing just how much pain this man was in.

All around, residents formed a large circle. People are a group that likes to watch a spectacle. Seeing this scene, some people couldn't bear it and closed their eyes. Some women covered their children's eyes with their hands and turned their bodies to the side.

"Don't move, my punishment isn't over yet! I still have one hand!" Lafitte said with a faint smile. In the eyes of others, this was the devil! They couldn't help but think that Lafitte was gradually earning the reputation of "Devil Sheriff," especially now in front of so many people.

He stepped on the man's writhing body to steady himself, and then precisely thrust his staff-sword down, piercing the man's right wrist. The slender blade pierced through the wrist, splitting the carotid artery in two, and blood gushed out.

The pain from before hadn't subsided under Lafitte's feet, and now another hand was crippled, struggling in agony, but Lafitte firmly pinned it down.

Blood was everywhere on the man's wrists. If he didn't receive immediate treatment to stop the bleeding, he would die from excessive blood loss.

Lafitte squinted, nodded slightly, and smiled faintly as he listened to the man's screams and groans, seemingly enjoying it.

After a long while, the man's screams stopped, and he collapsed to the ground, his hands and feet trembling slightly, indicating that he was still alive.

At this point, Lafitte withdrew his foot, put the sword back on the staff, tapped the ground with his staff, turned around, and walked with strange steps toward one side of the street.

Upon seeing Lafitte approaching, the residents and travelers were startled and scattered in a panic, making way for Lafitte in the middle of the road.

Only after Lafitte's figure gradually disappeared into the distance did some people relax, their eyes turning to the man lying on the ground with his hands crippled. They anxiously shouted, "Quick, save him! Get him to the doctor!"

This man is dying. His hands are beyond repair. If time had been quicker, his broken kneecaps could have been healed. But if it had been longer, all four of his limbs would have been useless. This is too cruel for a young man.

Upon hearing this, many people realized what was happening and took the man to the doctor.

And this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Lafitte's violence is terrifying.

Lafitte skipped forward with light steps, thoroughly enjoying the fearful yet evasive glances he received along the way.

By this time, news of Lafitte's actions had already spread. In this bustling commercial street with such a large flow of people, any major event would spread rapidly.

On the other side, a man was striding towards them. Upon seeing him, the people scattered and ran in other directions.

"How could this be? How did this guy get back to the Nonoak Kingdom?"

"So, the Night Pirates have all come."

"That's too dangerous. Let's go home right away and not go out again until they leave."

The newcomer was none other than Teach, with slightly wavy long black hair, a strong and tall physique, and a black pirate coat with gold trim. Gold and silver pistols were slung diagonally at his waist.

A black obsidian necklace around her neck, gold gauntlets on her hands, a dark green skull bracelet, and rings with various precious gemstones.

His eyes were bright and piercing, and he exuded an indescribable aura of Haki.

Both seemed to sense something, their gazes fixed ahead. The two men, destined to meet, had finally come together!

Facing each other, Teach had a slight smile on his face. Lafitte seemed a little surprised. Seeing Teach, he had a feeling that Teach had come to see him.

They walked slowly toward each other. Although Lafitte was somewhat surprised, he wasn't nervous. He seemed to be thinking about something, his dramatic expression showing a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

Holding a cane in both hands, he swayed slightly as he moved forward.

A gentle breeze swept by, and it seemed as if only the two of them remained in the world, while everything else was shrouded in darkness.

Three meters apart, the two stopped at the same time, staring at each other. Lafitte bent one knee, his cane hanging on the ground, and bowed slightly to Teach with a Gentleman smile.

"Mr. Teach, what brings you here?" Lafitte asked with a smile, looking into Teach's eyes. He raised his cane, twirling it behind his back, his black leather shoes clicking on the ground as if he were doing a light tap dance.

He had a very strong sense of rhythm, but to the average person, he looked like a clown.

"Haha, Lafitte, I'm here to invite you to join us, to join our Night Pirates." Teach laughed heartily, spreading his arms wide as he looked at Lafitte.

"I'm just a nobody on the high seas, yet I'm honored to receive an invitation from such Daimyo pirate as you," Lafitte chuckled softly.

"We're all villains. Someone like you shouldn't be bound by the West Blue. Join me in turning this ocean upside down!"

Looking at Teach, he couldn't help but lower his head. "Then please take good care of me, Captain," Lafitte said with a smile.

He accepted Teach's invitation without hesitation. "It's fate that brought us together. I thought life as Security Officer would bring me some enjoyment, but it has disappointed me somewhat. Sooner or later, I will leave."

"Then welcome to the team, Lafitte." Teach smiled.

The two walked together without any attempt to hide their conversation, which was overheard by many. Surprisingly, Security Officer Lafitte was invited by Captain Teach of the Night Pirates and even joined them.

To witness such a scene unfold before their very eyes, for some reason, they felt a sense of relief. By joining the Night Pirates, Lafitte should be leaving the country, and in such a short time, Lafitte actions had already displeased many.

The blatant and excessive use of violence instilled fear in them; it's best to leave such an extremely dangerous individual as soon as possible.

"Isn't there anything to tidy up?" Teach asked, looking at Lafitte 'Lafitte Security Officer.

"What could there be?" Lafitte shook his head. "Nothing valuable, just some clothes, a few Beli, my gold watch, and my cane."

He smiled, picked up a small package; his belongings were very simple, just this much, and he packed it up in just a few minutes.

"As a crew member I personally invited, you'll be under a lot of pressure. You must gain the recognition of the other crew members in terms of ability; otherwise, it will be impossible to maintain your position as an officer." Looking at Lafitte, Teach sat on the table, one foot on the stool, and laughed.

"Oh, really? Then I'll have to work hard. I'm not very confident about becoming a member of the Night Pirates right after joining!" Although he said that, Lafitte didn't seem worried at all, and the smile on his face didn't fade.

Lafitte was quite confident in his abilities. Becoming a high-ranking officer on the Night Pirates' ship wouldn't be a problem, although he couldn't compare to the top-ranked monsters of the Night Pirates.

He had no confidence in dealing with those top-ranked monsters; with his current strength, he was probably still somewhat lacking compared to them.

He had naturally gathered information about the Night Pirates and paid attention to events on the high seas. The Night Pirates, a star pirate crew that had been active in the four seas these days, were no exception. He hadn't expected that the Night Pirates would come to this kingdom and even invite him.

"You probably haven't eaten Devil Fruit yet, have you?" Teach asked, looking at Lafitte. Lafitte's current strength wasn't particularly high; reaching this level without guidance was already quite impressive, and his strength would increase rapidly in the future.

"Hmm, I have that idea, but I know something about a Devil Fruit." Lafitte took his cane, twirled around, and held it horizontally in front of him.

"In the home of a nobleman in the kingdom, there is a Devil Fruit, Zoan Bird-Bird Fruit, Swan Mode, a rare flying Devil Fruit. It greatly enhances my speed and seems perfect for me. Should we take it? I'm confident I can get my hands on it without anyone noticing," Lafitte said confidently, taking out his gold pocket watch from his pocket.

"Then take it, but don't eat it. I have a better ability. I'll give it to you when you become an executive." Teach shook his head, a mysterious smile on his face. "This is a Devil Fruit I've been collecting for a long time."

This made Lafitte even more excited. He lowered the brim of his Gentleman hat slightly. "The captain's collection? We'll have to wait and see."

The Night Pirates will stay in the Nonoak Kingdom for one night. Because of the addition of a new member, they are holding a grand banquet in the kingdom. Several bars have been booked by Teach. No, the entire street has been booked by the Night Pirates. Food is constantly being served from the bars.

On the street, the crew ate meat and drank wine heartily; the entire street was deserted, the residents all hiding in their houses.

The bar owners were overjoyed. The Night Pirates' banquet was a huge business opportunity. Looking at the glittering treasure before them, the Night Pirates had already paid in advance.

This meal cost them the equivalent of a month's earnings.

Around this street, some guards were gathered. They were specifically sent here to deal with these idlers in order to prevent anyone from interfering with the Night Pirates.

The royal family of the Nonoak Kingdom wanted to cause trouble for such a vicious pirate crew; in fact, this was the unanimous thought of the entire kingdom.

At the banquet hall, all the executives were gathered, along with the newly joined Lafitte. A makeshift stage had been set up in the middle of the street for performances and battles.

With Xiouyapufu's dance moves, Baccarat's singing, and some enthusiastic pirates who had been drinking, a friendly battle took place on stage, while their companions cheered and shouted for their supporters.

"Alright, next up is our newest companion, Lafitte, please come forward." Baccarat, who was temporarily acting as the host, smiled and extended her hand, pointing her fingertips at Lafitte.

Amidst applause from all sides, Lafitte smiled, stood up, gave a Gentleman bow, and walked gracefully towards the stage.

"As a newcomer, I'll perform my tap dance for you." Lafitte looked around at the audience and laughed, holding his cane and tapping his leather shoes on the ground in a strange rhythm, the sounds echoing one after another.

The cane in his hand was spinning, and the sound it made puzzled many pirates. What kind of performance was this? Wasn't it just kicking and stomping?

They were all novices, but the professional, Xiouyapufu, closed his eyes and listened intently. "The rhythm is amazing! Such steps, and for such an unconventional dance style, very few people have mastered it to this level." Xiouyapufu opened his eyes, looked at Lafitte had finished dancing, and smiled.

It hadn't even been a minute, and he'd only heard a few words. The atmosphere seemed a bit awkward, but Lafitte didn't seem affected; as long as he wasn't embarrassed, that was fine.

"Hehe, my performance is over. Thank you for watching." Lafitte smiled.

"No way! What kind of performance is this? Fight me and see what you're made of!" One of the pirates, growing impatient, stood up, shouted, and ran towards the stage.

Here it comes! Lafitte was prepared for this, as Teach had mentioned before, and the other members had been waiting for this moment. When this member jumped out, Teach and the others didn't stop him. The other members watched this scene with interest, wanting to see Lafitte's strength.

This pirate is among the top-tier members of the executive team, making him a perfect candidate to test Lafitte's strength. Since Teach invited him, he must be qualified to become an executive. Defeating him would demonstrate his potential and ability to become an executive.

"In that case, I'm sorry." Lafitte knew this was inevitable, and it was the best way to solidify his position on the ship and integrate into the Night Pirates —to demonstrate his strength.

Drawing his staff-sword, Lafitte smiled; he wanted to end his fight as quickly as possible.

Although Lafitte looks like a clown, a mime artist, with a slender, tall, and not strong physique, this pirate dared not underestimate Lafitte. Even if he didn't believe his own eyes, he had to trust the judgment of their captain, Teach.