The Final Farewell

Hearing his father's words, Monica looked at Teach. He had already gotten back to his feet, though he was still unsteady, and braced himself against a nearby support to keep from falling.

"Teach, are you all right?" Monica hurried over and steadied him with both hands. "Zehahaha! How could anything be wrong?" Teach laughed, lifting his sleeve to wipe his mouth. "Now that was one powerful punch."

He raised his head slightly and looked ahead, fixing his gaze on Mody. The earlier scene flashed through his mind: that overwhelming strength and speed had been terrifying. On the open sea, Mody could easily have become a Great Pirate.

"Zehahaha! Uncle Mody, that's quite a distinctive way to say hello. Thanks for going easy on me," Teach laughed. "You freeloading brat, get out! Stop bothering my Monica." Mody raised his fist and told him bluntly.

"Come on, don't say that. I brought you a gift this time." Thick-skinned as ever, Teach ignored Uncle Mody's clear desire to kick him out. He went outside and came back with two large bags, filled with the rich scent of herbs. "I picked all these herbs in the mountains. You can put them to use. They ought to be helpful." "Oh, Teach, you shouldn't. These are too precious." Monica opened the bags and immediately recognized the herbs, thanks to her knowledge of medicine. They were all rare and valuable, even at the market, and looked quite old. Dirt still clung to them. They could only be found deep in the mountains, where poisonous insects and wild beasts made the place extremely dangerous. She had no idea how Teach had found them.

"Zehahaha, these things will be put to the best use in your hands. I can't stay much longer. I'll be setting out to sea soon. Thank you for looking after me all these years." Teach laughed heartily and turned to leave. According to the reports, the Whitebeard Pirates had reached these waters and would soon stop to resupply at Arcas Island. That would be Teach's chance to join the Whitebeard Pirates.

Teach wasn't a heartless person. While he still had time, he wanted to say goodbye to everyone who mattered.

Watching Teach's retreating figure, Mody said nothing, but his gaze had softened.

At the Blazing Flame Dojo, two men sat across from each other at a square table in a quiet room. Hael silently took a sip of tea and closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought. A breeze drifted past outside. He opened his eyes. "Have you made up your mind, Teach?" The dojo master, Hael, asked solemnly. "Yes. I've made my decision. When the time comes, I'll board the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, the Moby Dick." Teach nodded without hesitation.

Seeing Teach's determination, Hael sighed. Then a pleased smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "All right. A good man should have ambitions that reach beyond this place. You can't be confined to such a small corner of the world. You're highly talented in swordsmanship. I've taught you everything I can over these past few years. From here on, you'll have to find your own way." Hael spoke slowly.

He stood and went to the back of the room, taking a sword from the wall. It was a long blade, its dark-red surface patterned like flames. Holding it in both hands, he offered it to Teach. "This... this is..." Teach stared at the sword, eyes wide. He didn't know its name, but he had seen it many times before. In his eyes, there was no doubt it was a famous sword. Even through its sheath, he could sense a faint heat.

It was a fine sword Hael had kept treasured, an exceptionally precious one. Teach had a vague idea why Hael was offering it to him, but he could hardly believe it.

"Teach, I'm entrusting it to you. My grandfather was once a Great Swordmaster. Wanting a blade worthy of his Flame Style Swordsmanship, he endured countless hardships, took precious ore to Wano Country, and sought out the finest craftsmen to forge this sword: Famous Sword: Purgatory." As he spoke, his gaze drifted away, full of emotion, as if remembering the past.

"But..." Teach started to say something, but Hael cut him off. "I know what you want to say. If this sword stayed with me, it would only gather dust. You may not be a true swordsman, but it can achieve greatness in your hands. Or you can find it a more suitable owner."

Hael spoke while looking Teach in the eye. Teach nodded. "Thump!" He bent down and bowed deeply. "I'll make the name Purgatory resound across the seas. I'll let it shine with a light of its own."

Hael smiled at Teach's words. "Take it. If you don't make something of yourself, don't come back." "Yes."

Teach slung the sword over his shoulder and left. There was no telling how long it would be before he returned—perhaps five years, perhaps ten, or even longer.

As he walked down the street, someone called out, "Hey, Teach! You look like you've gotten even stronger." "Hahaha, it's Uncle Tom! You look good too. How about having another kid with Aunt Mary? I've got some fresh tiger whip here. Take it, and soak it in liquor."

"Teach, you're looking even more handsome! Want me to introduce you to my daughter?" a burly older woman called, waving at him.

"No, no, Aunt Kali, I'm still young. I'll pass." Teach smiled and jogged away, though the image of Aunt Kali's daughter surfaced in his mind. Putting everything else aside, she was quite pretty.

Teach was something of a local celebrity. At a young age, he could hunt the wild beasts in the mountains, he was a favored student of the Blazing Flame Dojo, and he had single-handedly driven every hooligan out of town.

Teach returned to the place where he lived, a small house on a low hill. It was kept spotless, and though it was small, it had everything he needed. He also kept some things there. He moved the bed and lifted a square wooden panel to reveal a cellar. Beneath it sat a wooden chest containing some of the treasures he'd hidden away.

He opened the chest. Inside were a knife, a sword, a Devil Fruit, a small book, and notes on the Lightning Current Sword Technique.

The small book was the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. It included the Dark-Dark Fruit, and Teach had memorized the names and appearances of every Devil Fruit in it.

The encyclopedia was incomplete. It didn't contain every Devil Fruit, but it included at least half of them.

Teach had stolen one of the swords while taking the Lightning Style Swordsmanship manual. It was also a famous sword: Famous Sword: Thunder Fang. He had found the Devil Fruit and the other sword while exploring the island's ruins.

Centuries ago, there had been a kingdom on Arcas Island: the Arcas Kingdom. For reasons unknown, it had fallen. Over the years, its ruins had crumbled and been swallowed by the primeval forest. Aside from Arcas Town, the island was covered in vast stretches of dense woodland.

The sword hadn't corroded despite the passage of centuries. A little polishing was all it needed to be usable, so it was definitely a fine blade. About one meter and eighty centimeters long, it had a blade forged from deep-blue mineral iron and a dark-purple hilt set with large, dazzling gemstones.

It was the sort of treasured sword many nobles and kings liked to collect—a Sword of Kingship. Its former name was unknown, so Teach had named it Dragon Abyss. The Devil Fruit was an Ancient Species: Night Blood Bat, but Teach had no intention of eating it. He wouldn't eat any other fruit before getting the one he wanted.

There were many dangerous places in the ruins—poisonous fog, swamps, and wild beasts. Teach had also found plenty of treasure while exploring, but he hadn't taken any of it. He'd stored it away. Treasure could tempt people into greed, and those riches could bring disaster.

Arcas Island was a medium-sized island with only one town, Arcas Town, and a population of one hundred thousand. It was in a remote part of the New World and had no precious minerals or other special products, so few pirates took an interest in it. Other than a few regular merchant ships, pirates only came by now and then to replenish their supplies.

The people here were honest and simple. The New World's harsh environment and the pirates who roamed it meant that even ordinary young men were fairly strong and could fend off weaker pirates. Besides, powerful monsters like Uncle Mody lived in seclusion here.

"Zehahaha! After waiting so long, they've finally arrived." Teach watched a gigantic pirate ship appear along the coastline, shaped like a giant whale. He lifted a telescope to look from afar at its fluttering pirate flag. There was no mistake: it was the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the world's top pirate crews. And it was the Moby Dick, the ship Teach had been waiting for all this time.

This was the only harbor in Arcas Town, its sole link to the outside world. Merchant ships, pirate ships, and fishing boats of all sizes were anchored there.

In the original course of events, Teach was still just an ordinary fisherman at this point.

Teach had already packed his things and was ready to say his final goodbyes. Two long swords hung at his waist: Famous Sword: Purgatory and Famous Sword: Thunder Fang. The Dragon Abyss Sword, taller than he was, rested diagonally across his back. A large bundle filled with clothes and other daily necessities was strapped to his back. His collection was tucked into a compartment beneath the chest.

"Teach, are you leaving?" When he approached, Monica was sitting alone by the doorway, apparently waiting for someone. Seeing him dressed for travel with a large bundle on his back, she had already guessed he was leaving. She just hadn't expected the day to come so soon.

"Zehahaha! My chance has finally come. Leaving was inevitable," Teach said with a laugh. "But once I become a Great Pirate, I'll definitely come back."

Monica smiled at his words, feeling a little more at ease. There was no reason to keep a man from going out to sea. "I understand. I'll wait for you." As she spoke, she couldn't help embracing him. She knew she had fallen for him.

Teach left and headed for the harbor.

"Aren't you going to watch him board the ship? Just one last look." As Monica watched Teach go, a voice sounded beside her. "Yes, Dad." Mody had appeared at her side at some point.

"I approve of that kid," Mody said. "Take one last look. Who knows how long it'll be before you see him again?"

He'd already wasted some time. "Huff, huff!" Teach sprinted, panting. The colossal Moby Dick, shaped like a giant whale, was moored in the harbor, growing closer and closer. He had never seen such a huge ship before.

Not long after the Moby Dick had docked, crew members began coming ashore to gather supplies. Teach spotted many familiar faces. The most striking was Whitebeard, six meters tall like a giant, with long blond hair and a crescent-shaped white mustache. Marco and Kozuki Oden were nearby as well.

Seeing them, Teach sped up and ran straight toward Whitebeard. He stood out too much, and his destination was obvious, so Whitebeard and the others noticed him too.