Returning to His Homeland

Arcas Island, a small island in the New World, in a relatively remote area.

This island of beginnings is significant to Teach because it is his birthplace and the place from which he began his journey to the sea.

It has been more than seven years since he left the island.

And now, he has returned to the island.

Finding such a small island in such a vast New World took Teach quite a bit of effort.

After boarding the Moby Dick and leaving the island, Teach passed by other nearby islands, some of which he remembered and noted.

Then, after spending some time asking a few people, I learned the exact location of Arcas Island.

Although this island was his birthplace, he didn't feel much connection to it. As a pirate, his home was the sea, his pirate ship, or his own territory.

Even if there are familiar people involved, there isn't much affection involved. Time will erode everything. Besides, their current levels are completely different, like heaven and earth.

Most Great Pirate rarely return to their hometowns. The reasons and processes for becoming pirates vary, and some even come from places whose hometowns have been destroyed.

More importantly, their infamous reputation could bring suffering to their hometown.

If I can't deal with you, can't I deal with your family and hometown?

The fate of Admiral Zephyr is the best illustration of this.

Becoming Great Pirate means making countless enemies, including not only the Navy and the World Government, but also some hostile pirates.

Walking through the peaceful town, Teach had slightly altered his appearance, so no one recognized him.

This familiar town hasn't changed much from what I remember. However, based on some signs of renovation and repair, it's clear that pirates have invaded this island over the years.

The Great Pirate Era has begun, ensuring a large number of pirates. In this world, there is no absolutely safe sea without pirates.

Powerful pirates are only a minority; most pirates cannot stand out in the fiercely competitive seas. Some have bounties of millions, some tens of millions, and many pirates don't even have a bounty.

Simply remove the pirate flag and change their attire, and the entire ship of pirates becomes an ordinary merchant ship.

However, they are likely just small-time pirates, and even with the strength of the town, they could hold off for a while.

Moreover, this small island also has a Swordmaster and a kendo dojo, which has trained countless residents who have become swordsmen.

Teach walked down the street and saw his bounty poster and his picture on some walls.

Unexpected, yet perfectly logical.

There are traces of his life on this island, and some people who knew him will naturally recognize him after he became famous.

As a disciple of Hael, the head of the kendo dojo, he always trains in the mountains. He is somewhat eccentric, and with his strong abilities, he is quite famous in the town.

It's unclear how the townspeople will react after recognizing him.

On one side of the town, there was a clinic that was quite famous in the town. The doctor, Mody, was very skilled, and he also had a very beautiful daughter.

Her gentle nature made her the dream girl of countless young men in small towns.

Night deepened, Teach stopped in front of the clinic. On the door of the clinic, the hours of operation were written.

Teach returned to Arcas Island but didn't come directly here, because he didn't know how to face it; even he felt a little uneasy.

So Teach wandered around the town, but with a purpose—a familiar place where he had left his footprints, evoking memories buried deep within his heart.

The dense forest where we once fought, the open space where we usually trained.

That little house, filled with countless memories, still stands, though it's somewhat dilapidated.

His kendo mentor, Doyle, who gave him the Famous Sword: Purgatory, was Teach didn't know. He only glanced at him from afar as Doyle was instructing young swordsmen, some children learning swordsmanship.

He is still in good health, but he has aged somewhat compared to seven years ago.

Finally, we returned to the clinic, but the door was closed because the clinic had ceased operations.

This is just a small clinic with only two people. There are other clinics in the town, so there's no need to worry about not being able to get treatment when you're sick or injured.

Even if there is a real emergency, they will not refuse to let anyone come here. Doctors are compassionate and will not abandon any patient.

The lights inside were still on, as it was just closing time. Teach looked at the clinic, as if he saw that figure and felt that familiar presence.

Taking a deep breath, Teach stepped forward, unsure of what he was feeling.

Seven years is a very long time, enough to change a person. He is now a Great Pirate with blood on his hands. Even though he has great power, in some people's eyes he is still a vicious pirate, a synonym for fear.

The person I am now is different from the person I used to be, especially after learning about my past experiences.

Inside the clinic, a woman sat in a chair; everything else had been mostly tidied up.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Hello, we are closed now. Is there anything important you need?" the woman asked softly.

He stood up, walked to the door, and pushed it open.

A familiar face came into view; a tall figure stood outside the door.

The woman's heart skipped a beat, her whole body froze, and her eyes trembled as she looked at the familiar face.

I don't know whether to be shocked or pleasantly surprised.

He instinctively covered his mouth with both hands, and his eyes visibly began to turn red.

"Teach... Teach!" Monica said, her voice trembling and almost choked, unable to hide her excitement.

The moment Teach knew that her previous worries were all unfounded; she hadn't changed, she was still the same person.

Those clear and beautiful eyes said it all.

"I'm back, Monica," Teach said softly with a smile.

Everything was so familiar. Teach's voice rang in Monica's ears. She had been looking forward to this moment for some time now.

It was probably around the time Teach started to make a name for herself on the high seas, and she was no longer completely out of touch, leading her to believe that Teach had likely died somewhere in the ocean.

Upon hearing Teach's words, the beautiful young woman finally couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down her face.

After more than seven years of agonizing waiting, I sometimes wondered what if Teach never came back.

However, she remained convinced that Teach would return, a promise Teach had made to her.

With her arms outstretched, Monica took a step forward and hugged Teach tightly around the waist, tears streaming down her face.

Teach didn't speak. In this situation, he didn't know what to say. He had made a woman wait for him for so long, and he did need to vent.

He reached out and placed his hands on Monica's shoulders.

On the other side, Monica's father, Mody, leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette where they couldn't see him.

Monica's unusual behavior couldn't be kept from Mody. After discovering it was Teach, Mody didn't appear, giving the two of them space and time.

They had been keeping a close eye on Teach's whereabouts, especially after the Night Pirates arrived in the New World. Logically, Teach should be in the Saguros Sea right now, so his appearance on Arcas Island was something they never expected.

After all, he had just returned to the New World, and with the goal of completely conquering the entire Sagarros Sea, this was a crucial period that required his presence as captain. If other forces found out, they might take some unusual actions.

Sensing an unfathomable power emanating from Teach, Mody was deeply moved, finding it difficult to reconcile the image of the kid from over seven years ago.

Although he had imagined that Teach might reach this level—after all, he knew Teach had been a monster since childhood—he hadn't expected Teach to grow up so quickly.

After a long while, Monica finally calmed down, released Teach, and blushed slightly on her delicate face, feeling a little shy.

However, Teach and Monica are both adults now, very mature, and they both know each other's feelings; it's a tacit understanding.

Monica gently took Teach's hand. "Come in." They were still at the door, and although it was dark, there were still many people on the street. It wouldn't be good if they were seen.

Monica closed the door, wiped away her tears, and sat down with Teach in the same chairs they had used to sit in. It was as if they could still hear Teach's bold words.

Young girls are always in love and are quite good at chatting. Sitting next to Teach, she rested her chin on her hands and started a conversation.

"Tell me about your experiences at sea over the years," Monica said, also curious about what Teach had encountered on the high seas.

Monica knew most of Teach's experiences after Teach became famous. What Monica mainly wanted to know was Teach's experiences during the period from when Teach boarded the Whitebeard Pirates' ship and set sail until the beginning of the Great Pirate Era, a period that was somewhat blank to her.

"Hmm." Teach nodded, and then began to recall.

This was a very meaningful experience for Teach, and for Monica, her heart also began to change and fluctuate as she recounted Teach's story.

Join the Whitebeard Pirates as they sail and travel the high seas, passing by various unique islands, fascinating sights, and special experiences.

It was told by Teach as if he were telling a story.

It was so captivating that Monica's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. She hadn't expected to have such interesting experiences.

His first life-or-death crisis was a battle with a Marine Vice Admiral. The Marine Vice Admiral's final, life-burning strike nearly killed Teach.

Hearing this, Monica couldn't help but feel a chill and fear.

However, in the end, under the immense pressure from the Marine Vice Admiral and through a breakthrough in the crisis, Teach not only Awakening Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, but also made a breakthrough in swordsmanship, successfully turning the tables and killing the Marine Vice Admiral.

Monica breathed a sigh of relief at this point.

This battle elevated Teach's abilities to a new level.

The clash between the Whitebeard Pirates and Admiral Sengoku.

He traveled to Wano Country alone.

The great battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates.

The Battle of Ai-Devor.

Each major event and fantastical adventure, even just hearing about them, involuntarily conjured up images in Monica's mind, making her heart surge with excitement.

Teach explained it in great detail, but he also omitted some things, some of which wouldn't be of much benefit to know.

Teach didn't mention some less important things either, after all, there's no end to the stories; if he really wanted to, Teach could talk for days and nights.

The two of them continued like this, one talking and the other listening. When they talked about something interesting, Monica couldn't help but laugh out loud, her clear, bell-like laughter ringing in my ears.

Monica didn't feel sleepy at all; she was invigorated and felt full of energy.

By the next morning, Monica finally felt some fatigue; Monica was still just an ordinary person.

Teach was also aware of this; he could sense Monica's condition.

"This is my notebook from the beginning of my trip until now, recording many interesting things that happened on the islands. The contents are more detailed. Now I'm giving it to you. You can take a look when you have time." Teach took out a thick notebook and handed it to Monica.

"I'm a little tired, let's go take a rest," Teach said with a light laugh.

"Okay." Monica nodded, took the notebook, and held it carefully in her hands.

Monica returned to her room, holding Teach's hand.

Lying in bed, Monica looked at Teach, a hint of fear in her eyes, and asked, "Teach, you're not leaving, are you?"

"No, I'll be staying for a few days, don't worry," Teach said with a smile, seeing through Monica's thoughts.

Having received Teach's answer, Monica closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, a slight smile on her lips, as if she were having a sweet dream.

Teach, sitting motionless on the bed beside Monica, watched Monica sleeping profile, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.

Even in her sleep, Monica held Teach's hand tightly, as if afraid Teach would leave.

Teach stayed on Arcas Island for almost a month.

During this time, they also kept track of news from the Sagar Ross Sea, learning about the progress of the Night Pirates in conquering the entire Sagar Ross Sea.

Teach entrusted the affairs of the pirate crew to Mostima and Rediat. Although they didn't know where Teach was or what he was doing, they contacted him several times through Den Den Mushi.

Today, news came from the Night Pirates, Teach knew that he really had to leave.

Because the Night Pirates have completely conquered the entire Sargasso Sea, including all the islands except for those countries.

The Night Pirates' conquest is unstoppable. During this time, several countries have already pledged allegiance to the Night Pirates, willing to pay a fixed amount of money every year, like Heavenly Gold. The remaining kingdoms are in a similar situation, and some are on their way.

The complete conquest of the Saguros Sea signifies that the Night Pirates are about to enter a new phase.

Teach flew into the air, glanced back, and then quickly flew towards the Saguros Sea.

On this deserted shore, two people stood: Mody stood beside Monica.

Monica watched Teach's departing figure, then lowered her head, a gentle smile on her face, and softly stroked her belly.