Teach Makes a Move, The Queen's Request

The pirate slowly walked forward, stopping before Mobius. "No!"

"Hahaha!" he cackled evilly, holding his sword with the tip pointed at Mobius's neck. A slight downward press would pierce Mobius's throat.

He turned to the despairing youths, a gleeful smile on his face. "Hahaha, all of you watch closely."

"No!" everyone watched, eyes wide.

The pirate acted decisively, thrusting the sword downward.

"Clang!" A metallic collision echoed. "Huh?" A figure suddenly appeared beside the pirate. It was Teach. Teach extended his right foot, easily blocking the strike with the top of his foot.

"Fufufu! Bullying the weak isn't the act of a strong person," Teach chuckled.

"Who, who are you?" He felt a sense of dread from Teach, a feeling he'd only experienced from Captain Barton.

"Fufufu, who knows?" Teach had no intention of revealing himself. In his eyes, this pirate was already dead.

"However, you made my Queen cry!" Teach's expression grew serious as he spoke. "Teach," Anne, not far away, murmured upon hearing his name.

Teach's eyes widened, unleashing Conqueror's Haki. An invisible aura radiated from him, spreading outwards. It was the pressure of a superior upon an inferior.

In the eyes of the other pirates, their bodies seemed to freeze. Then, their eyes lost their luster, and they all lost consciousness. Their bodies relaxed, and their weapons clattered to the ground.

One by one, the pirates collapsed, lifeless.

"You, you, you..." Only one captain-level pirate from the Blood Scythe Pirates remained conscious, trembling uncontrollably. His eyes were wide as he stared at Teach, seemingly wanting to say something. His weapon had fallen to the ground, his limbs numb.

"Conqueror's... Conqueror's Haki!" He wasn't weak and had encountered many with such potential. After all, their captain, Barton, was also a user of Conqueror's Haki.

"Sss!" Teach vanished from his spot in an instant, reappearing before the pirate. His right hand transformed into a claw, piercing straight through the pirate's chest. He was powerless to resist, his gaze fading as shock and regret filled his face.

The remaining pirates stared at the scene in stunned silence. What had just happened? Teach had effortlessly dealt with the pirates, incapacitating all but one before instantly piercing the last one's chest.

Too... too strong, was the thought in their minds.

Anne was also greatly shocked. She might have guessed Teach possessed some strength, but she never imagined he was this powerful.

"Conqueror's Haki! That's Conqueror's Haki!" Mobius exclaimed internally, his voice filled with excitement. Enduring the pain, he slowly got to his feet. Although the pirate had struck them hard, it had only rendered them temporarily unable to resist. While painful, they would recover quickly and could still move normally.

Mobius was closest to Teach. Although Teach hadn't directed his Haki at him, he still clearly felt the immense pressure. Teach's figure seemed to grow incredibly imposing at that moment.

And though the last pirate leader's words were faint, Mobius clearly caught them. He had heard them before. Because he was weak, he was often bullied. Thus, Mobius desperately yearned to become strong, to become a powerful individual.

In his free time, he enjoyed collecting stories of the strong individuals who roamed the seas, mostly through newspapers. He also frequented taverns, listening to pirates boast about their glorious pasts and important information from the seas.

Among these were tales of Swordmasters, the three types of Haki, and Devil Fruits. Mobius was most deeply impressed by the three types of Haki, especially Conqueror's Haki.

At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to five years ago. Mobius, then only eight years old, was drinking plain water in a tavern. Sitting beside him was a retired pirate nearing sixty, a regular at the tavern. He often drank there until he was drunk. Mobius didn't know his name, but everyone else in the tavern called him Old Jack. Rumor had it he had roamed the seas for thirty years in his youth before returning home to Sess Island when he felt tired.

He was incredibly experienced. The tavern patrons often listened to Old Jack share interesting tales of the sea, holding him in great respect.

That day, Old Jack was talking about Conqueror's Haki. Mobius, curious, asked, "Old Jack, what is Conqueror's Haki?"

Old Jack paused, already quite drunk and seemingly disoriented. His face was flushed, his beard stained with wine, his eyes unfocused, and he swayed as if he might fall at any moment. But no one worried; Old Jack was often like this.

"You're asking about Conqueror's Haki?" Old Jack seemed not to have heard clearly and asked Mobius again.

"Mm!" Mobius nodded earnestly.

Old Jack shook his head as if clearing his thoughts. He slowly put down his wine cup, tilted his head slightly, and looked upwards, seeming to ponder or recall something.

Mobius and the others remained silent, not daring to disturb him. Everyone knew this was how Old Jack behaved when he was recalling something important. They were all curious. In the New World, everyone had heard of the three types of Haki, but no one had a clear concept of what Conqueror's Haki specifically was. They only knew it was something very powerful, and only Old Jack could explain it.

"Conqueror's Haki..." Old Jack seemed to have remembered. He took a slow sip of his wine, a hint of emotion in his voice, his gaze clearing slightly. "It's an innate ability. It cannot be learned later, nor inherited. It is determined solely by one's destiny."

Seeing their confused expressions, Old Jack shook his head. "Destiny is too abstract for you. Let me put it another way: only one in a million people will possess Conqueror's Haki. The top Great Pirates on the seas today all possess Conqueror's Haki. Even Sengoku, the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, possesses Conqueror's Haki."

"Therefore, it has another name..." Old Jack smiled, his expression serious. "The potential of a King."

"The potential of a King!" The surrounding patrons gasped. Such a grand title.

Mobius's eyes widened. The potential of a King.

"As for how Conqueror's Haki manifests, I've roamed the seas for so many years, and I've only seen it a few times," Old Jack said. "I can't describe it precisely."

"It seems to be an invisible aura that knocks others unconscious." Old Jack took another drink, then suddenly spread his arms wide and slammed them onto the table, startling those around him. His eyes widened. "I remember now! I experienced it firsthand. One moment you glare, and everyone around you faints simultaneously, like a king."

Teach's hand withdrew from the pirate captain's abdomen, blood flowing down his fingers and dripping onto the ground. In less than three seconds, his hand was clean, devoid of any bloodstains.

He turned and slowly walked towards Mobius, smiling. "You've got some courage, kid." Mobius, enduring the pain, straightened his back, looking at Teach with respect and admiration.

Teach found it a bit strange, assuming it was admiration for his overwhelming power.

"Mobius, are you alright?" Anne hurried over, looking at Mobius with concern.

"Haha, I'm fine. A little rest and I'll be good as new," Mobius chuckled. The feeling of surviving a near-death experience had greatly relaxed him. At the same time, everyone had grown.

"Don't do that again next time," Anne said, still worried. Her gaze shifted towards the port, where the commotion was immense. The sounds of battle could be felt from afar.

"I wonder how Dad is doing?" Anne worried. Her father, Vice Admiral Anthony, as the head of the Marine branch guarding Sess Island, would surely be on the front lines against the Blood Scythe Pirates. Anne could imagine him fighting there right now.

"Anne," Teach said gravely. Hearing his voice, Anne felt a sense of foreboding.

"Vice Admiral Anthony isn't doing well. His aura is weakening. Blood Scythe Barton is slightly stronger than him. If this continues, Vice Admiral Anthony might..." Teach didn't finish, but Anne could easily imagine his implication.

"How could this be?" Anne couldn't believe it. She didn't want to lose her loving father. Although Anthony spent little time with her, he always tried to make time for her, appearing by her side during crucial moments to offer care and joy.

She knew her father's job was a noble one, responsible for the peace of hundreds of thousands, and for protecting her and her mother.

Anne's mother, standing beside her, couldn't help but shed tears. She was a gentle woman, but also fragile, and couldn't bear the blow of losing a husband who loved her and also loved their daughter.

"Teach, you're so strong, you can definitely help my dad." Anne looked at Teach, a little excited, but also hesitant, "But, but."

But Teach was a pirate, and her father was a Marine, a Vice Admiral at that. How could he possibly agree to help him?

At this moment, Anne's mind was a mess, and she didn't know what to do.

"Anne, Anne."

"Hm?" Teach's voice brought Anne back to reality, and she looked at Teach.

Teach's gaze was fixed on her. "Anne, the Anne I remember wouldn't be so indecisive. She's lively, cute, and decisive."

"Remember I told you, today, you are my Queen. I can take you all over the amusement park, accompany you to eat all over the food street. You can ask me for anything you want," Teach said softly.

"Really?" Anne asked, large tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them away with her hand, and the memories of meeting and getting to know Teach that day seemed to flash before her eyes.

"Of course, it's true, my Queen," Teach nodded with a smile. At this moment, Anne was just a fragile little girl.

"Alright then." Anne looked at Teach, wiped the tears from her face, lifted her chest, and raised her head. At this moment, Anne returned to her Queenly demeanor, that confident, lively Queen.

"Teach, I beg you to help my dad, don't let him die." Anne said, sniffling and holding back her tears.

"Yes, my Queen Anne," Teach said, lowering his head like a knight, looking at Anne, and smiling. "Anne, can I consider this a request from the future First Mate of my pirate ship?"

"First Mate?" Anne's eyes sparkled when she heard this. Teach nodded.

"Yes!" Anne nodded decisively, without any hesitation.

"Then wait for good news!" Teach's voice echoed through the air. He flickered and had already disappeared from his spot.

Meanwhile, on Sess Island's port.

"What a monster!" Vice Admiral Anthony's body lay in the ruins, panting. He looked quite battered, his justice coat long gone, his brown suit tattered, and his blue tie ripped and hanging off his shoulder.

His body was covered in bloody gashes, all inflicted by Barton's scythe. The powerful attacks, even his Armament Haki, couldn't completely block them.

However, as a veteran Vice Admiral, only forty-five years old, Anthony was in his prime. Although Barton's ability was troublesome, his overall strength was only slightly superior to his. Barton's condition was naturally not good either, but he was fighting more fiercely as the battle went on.

Anthony took out a golden pocket watch from his pocket. When he opened it, it revealed a photo of a woman with a gentle smile and a little girl – his wife and daughter.

Anthony closed the pocket watch and slowly climbed out of the ruins, his body seemingly filled with renewed strength. "I won't surrender, Barton!"

Anthony roared and charged towards Barton, who was slowly walking towards him.

Barton's current state also looked bad, but the aura emanating from him was exceptionally strong. Anthony had inflicted three bloody holes in his abdomen, and he had also taken a punch to the head. There were other injuries, large and small. Despite such severe wounds, they were already beginning to scar.

"Anthony, I'm going to kill you and chop off your head." Barton roared back when he heard Anthony's voice. His hands, transformed into scythes, had become true blood scythes. Although the Scythe Fruit's ability was relatively simple, in Barton's hands, it had developed the function of absorbing blood. It was slow, but he could use it to recover from his injuries. Barton's epithet, "Blood Scythe," wasn't just because he enjoyed slaughter and his scythe was stained with blood; this was a crucial reason.

"A bounty of seven hundred million completely underestimates you," Anthony said. After another hundred rounds of intense fighting, Anthony's pressure grew. He began to fight desperately. While inflicting serious injuries on Barton, he himself was starting to falter. He had used Life Return multiple times to heal his wounds. To injure Barton, he fought to the death, and his stamina was almost depleted. Finally, Barton seized an opportunity, and a flash of blood streaked through the air.