"Captain, don't!"
Ye Chen's demand was outrageous. Blackbeard's crew would never agree to it.
Blackbeard's face had gone purple with rage. He glared through clenched teeth, his fists cracking as he squeezed them, but Ye Chen remained at ease. He even offered a helpful reminder. "You can get so angry your stomach bursts, but it won't change a thing. We're at sea. Don't forget that."
Ye Chen turned to Kizaru. "I know you're a Logia user. Even if the ship sinks, you might be able to escape. But let me remind you: you've only just found yourself a backer. Think carefully. If you run off alone, Blackbeard won't let you off either."
Kizaru's face went pale, then red, as though he were desperately trying to hold something in.
Truthfully, the thought of slipping away on his own had crossed his mind. Ye Chen's demand was simply too much. He had only just joined the Blackbeard Pirates, and now he was supposed to kneel to Ye Chen? He couldn't bear the humiliation.
"Captain!"
Lafitte's eyes were bloodshot. He shook his head hard at Blackbeard. "You mustn't kneel to him."
Ye Chen was in no hurry. He had plenty of time. More than five hundred people were packed aboard Blackbeard's ship. It was the only vessel left, and many crew members from the other ships had transferred onto it if they hadn't fallen into the sea.
Even so, many people were still struggling for their lives in the water. Some kept trying to climb aboard, clinging to the ship's rail like bunches of grapes. The deck was already packed, yet more people kept scrambling up. Amid the chaos, Ye Chen was sure Blackbeard and Kizaru wouldn't disappoint him.
"Ye Chen, don't get too cocky!"
Lafitte roared and beat his wings, flying at