Dark Island

Lafitte took Nangong Yan around Lightall Island to eat and drink for an entire night. With their strength, staying awake for one night had no effect on them whatsoever.

Early the next morning, Nangong Yan left Lightall Island with Lafitte and flew toward the New World.

Lafitte did not say goodbye to anyone. He simply vanished without a sound. Most of the people on Lightall Island welcomed Lafitte's departure. Although public order had remained good under his rule, his brutal methods had always made him unpopular with the so-called kindhearted citizens.

Since both of them could fly, traveling was quite convenient. They crossed the West Blue and the Red Line before finally returning to Fragrant Rice Island. Though they had not rushed along the way, the monotonous flight still left them somewhat weary.

When Nangong Yan returned to Fragrant Rice Island, he found that it had changed drastically. Although some traces of the Big Mom Pirates remained and the renovations were not yet complete, most of the buildings already looked quite pleasing.

Nangong Yan's residence was a three-story pavilion. Following his instructions, it was built in an antique style, with upturned eaves, white walls, red tiles, and carvings of all kinds of rare and exotic beasts. Some were creatures from the world of One Piece, while others were mythical beasts from ancient Chinese legends.

Nangong Yan was very satisfied with Pike's performance and decided to make him a core crew member in the future, one of the captains of the Demon Emperor Pirates.

After ordering his subordinates to summon Pike, Nangong Yan sat in a black-and-gold grandmaster chair and introduced Lafitte to him. "This is Lafitte, a core crew member I specifically recruited from the West Blue, just like you."

Pike was delighted. Just like him—didn't that mean the captain had already acknowledged him and that he was qualified to become a core crew member?

Although Pike currently felt that Lafitte was somewhat weaker than himself, the other man was very young and had great potential. No matter how poorly he developed in the future, he would at least be on par with Pike.

After weighing the matter briefly, Pike understood what attitude he should adopt.

"Hello, my name is Pike. We'll be serving the captain together from now on, so please guide me," Pike said with a smile.

"You're too polite. Brother Pike is powerful and experienced. I hope you'll take good care of me from now on," Lafitte replied with a smile on his pale face. Since he had decided to join the Demon Emperor Pirates, he naturally had to act the part.

"Enough with the polite talk between you two." Nangong Yan paused briefly, took out a pure white cigarette and placed it between his lips. A pale golden flame appeared in his hand. After lighting it and taking a puff, he continued, "Pike, tell me, approximately how many intelligence agents do we have in the New World?"

"Excluding those we lost, there should be one hundred and twenty-five left," Pike answered without hesitation. It seemed he had prepared thoroughly.

"Then have them change their mission. I want them to focus all their efforts on finding the whereabouts of Dracula Piero, one of the big shots of the Funeral Society in the New World."

"Oh, and Lafitte, describe your enemy's appearance clearly to Pike so he can pass it on to the people below."

"Yes, Captain." Lafitte looked somewhat excited, then began describing his enemy's appearance to Pike.

"Pike, go make the arrangements. Inform Lafitte and me immediately once there is any news. Also, arrange a place for Lafitte to stay while you're at it." Nangong Yan waved his hand.

"Yes, Captain. Then we'll take our leave."

For half a month, Nangong Yan remained on Fragrant Rice Island. Most of his time was spent training, though he occasionally gave Pike and Lafitte some pointers. When he was in a good mood, he would even instruct the ordinary pirates under his command. That excited those ordinary pirates immensely.

As the captain of the Demon Emperor Pirates, he stood at the very top of the entire organization. Yet he was willing to lower himself to teach ordinary pirates combat techniques and training methods, which undoubtedly raised Nangong Yan's prestige to another level.

In the strength-first world of One Piece, most people treasured any method of improving their own strength. Without a relationship, who would teach anyone else?

Aside from the protagonist's halo, Luffy's background had also played a major role in Rayleigh's decision to teach him. Rayleigh, despite having retired, was not ignorant of the world. So many pirates passed through the Sabaody Archipelago every year—why had he chosen to teach Luffy alone?

It was fairly normal for a captain to instruct core crew members, because they were the pillars of the Demon Emperor Pirates. But ordinary pirates were, to put it bluntly, cannon fodder. There was no shortage of cannon fodder. If a captain was willing to teach even cannon fodder, was he not worth pledging loyalty to?

Nangong Yan had not expected that his casual guidance, offered when he was in a good mood, would create such a huge stir and raise both his prestige and reputation to another level.

Nangong Yan had always been rather free-spirited, doing whatever came to mind. When he was unhappy, even the emperor himself would receive only indifference; when he was happy, he could drink himself senseless with ordinary pirates, beggars, and anyone else.

Nangong Yan had named his pirate crew the Demon Emperor Pirates! As the Demon Emperor, he should stand high above all others, do as he pleased, defy all laws and rules, and act without restraint! Following his heart, he could dominate a region or rule the world; he could also roam the ends of the earth with a sword in hand, cast aside that sword for a hoe, and plant rice among the fields and ridges!

In short, he would do whatever made him happy!

At the end of the month, Pike came to report that his intelligence agents had uncovered information about the big shots of the Funeral Society and Lafitte's enemy.

Nangong Yan summoned Lafitte, and the two immediately set out for a famous island within Golden Lion's territory—Dark Island!

What was Dark Island? It was an extremely chaotic island, a place where one could catch a glimpse of every dark aspect of human nature!

Dark Island could be considered an island of sin, a paradise for evil men and a hell for good people! Here, one could act without restraint and use all manner of despicable means to obtain whatever one wanted.

Dark Island had three masters. They cooperated in running the island. One was Dracula Piero, a big shot of the Funeral Society and one of the rulers of the underworld; another was Giberson, also one of the rulers of the underworld and the world's largest organ trafficker; the last was Du Feld, the king of loan sharks!

Among the seven rulers of the New World's underworld, these three were the most notorious. Their businesses were closely connected, and no one knew how many families they had destroyed or how many wives and children they had torn apart!

Dark Island was under Golden Lion's protection. It feared no ordinary force and even welcomed attacks! But if it encountered the Whitebeard Pirates, Roger Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, or Beasts Pirates, it would be powerless to resist!

Other than a handful of forces in the New World, no one truly dared set their sights on Dark Island, jointly operated by three rulers of the underworld!

This time, Lafitte's enemy was staying on Dark Island. Nangong Yan intended not only to help Lafitte take revenge, but also to establish his authority!

After all, hearing about something was far inferior to seeing it with one's own eyes. He would use those three to give the people of the underworld a warning, lest they think the Demon Emperor Pirates were easy to bully and all come looking to take a bite!