Teach's Request

"Oh, so this kid Teach has been hiding so much! Guhahahaha! As expected of my son!" Whitebeard felt quite surprised in his heart as well. He knew Teach's strength was certainly not weak, but he never expected him to instantly kill a pirate with a bounty of over 100 million. I'm afraid Teach's strength was already on par with the commanders of the twelfth and thirteenth divisions! If he wanted to, with his strength, he would have promoted him to a commander-level figure long ago!

"Gyahahahaha, Pop, you're really flattering me! As the vice commander of the Second Division, I certainly can't bring shame upon you, right?" Teach looked at the man before him hailed as the strongest man in the world, a flash of fiery intensity sweeping across his eyes.

If he could receive Whitebeard's guidance, his own strength would probably undergo a qualitative transformation!

"Pop, you have no idea! This guy Teach is actually a Logia Devil Fruit user! I heard him say it's some kind of Dark-Dark Fruit?" Ace's words made Whitebeard's gaze turn solemn.

"A Logia Devil Fruit user? Excellent! It seems we have gained yet another powerhouse on our ship!" Whitebeard was in high spirits, and then he waved his large hand. "Someone! Pass the word down! We're having a banquet!"

"Got it, Pop!" Upon receiving the news, the crew members outside quickly spread it down. Before long, enthusiastic laughter rang out across the ship.

"What's going on, Pop? What good thing happened? We're having a banquet again!"

Just then, a man with a pineapple head walked in. On his chest was the prominent tattoo of the Whitebeard Pirates, and a dagger was tucked into his waist. Furthermore, his eyelids were half-closed forever, giving people the impression that he was never quite awake.

The newcomer was none other than the ship doctor of the Whitebeard Pirates, as well as the commander of the First Division, with a bounty as high as 1.374 billion beli! A user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Phoenix form! Whitebeard's right-hand man, the Phoenix Marco!

"Huh? Ace and Teach are here too!" Marco's small eyes carried a trace of puzzlement.

"Marco, you'd never believe it! Just how strong this guy Teach is!" Ace eagerly wanted to tell Marco about Teach's strength with an excited expression.

"Teach? I know, this guy has always been strong!" Marco's reaction exceeded Ace's expectations. "This guy joined our Whitebeard Pirates a long, long time ago! Back when we fought the Roger Pirates, his opponent was Red-Haired Shanks! What's more, the scar on Red-Haired's face right now was actually caused by Teach!"

"Ah?" Ace froze. He turned his head to look at Teach, a hint of questioning flashing in his eyes, while Teach just smiled and nodded.

"What? Teach, you're that amazing!" Ace grew completely excited. You must know that Red-Haired Shanks was one of the current Four Emperors!

"Gyahahaha, I've always been under Pop's protection, so naturally my strength couldn't be all that weak!" Hearing this, Ace turned completely envious.

"Alright, my dear sons! Next is banquet time! Marco, go get Pop two jars of wine!" Whitebeard interrupted everyone's discussion, stood up, and strode toward the deck.

"Wait for me, Pop!" "Pop, you're not allowed to drink!" "Cherry pie! Cherry pie!"...

As soon as Teach thought of the taste of cherry pie, his saliva became a bit unstoppable. He ran swiftly toward the kitchen and found Thatch.

"Thatch! I want to eat cherry pie!" Teach sat before Thatch, looking at him with eager eyes.

"Yo! Isn't this Teach?" The moment Thatch laid eyes on Teach before him, a surge of anger welled up in his heart. As a chef, his sense of taste was exceptionally sensitive! Therefore, the damage the Devil Fruit had brought him far exceeded ordinary people's imagination.

"No way, my dear Fourth Division commander is still angry with me, the Second Division vice commander?" Teach chuckled foolishly. "Thatch, you wouldn't be so petty, would you?"

"Humph! I am the best chef on this ship! Would I lower myself to bicker with a mere Teach?" Thatch gave a cold snort, and finally pulled out some cherry pies. "Day in and day out, all you ever think about is eating cherry pie!"

Yet Teach's eyes held only cherry pie! He didn't take a single word of what Thatch said to heart. Attacking from both sides, he couldn't wait to dig in heartily.

"As expected of Thatch! This cherry pie tastes way better than what anyone else makes!" Looking at Teach's ravenous appearance, a flash of irrepressible pride appeared on Thatch's face! As a chef, a guest's praise was the greatest honor!

"You have no idea, Thatch! This guy Teach actually gave me a vicious beating just because of a few cherry pies!" Holding a large chicken leg, Ace arrived in the kitchen at some unknown point. He looked at Teach and said with grievance.

"What? You dared to snatch Teach's cherry pie?" This time the role of freezing fell to Thatch. "Even I, a chef, wouldn't dare snatch Teach's cherry pie! As expected of you, Ace!"

The atmosphere among the three of them was extremely harmonious, and laughter rang out unceasingly. Several hours later, the banquet came to an end...

At night

Whitebeard's room

"Pop, can I come in?" Teach's voice sounded. Mistaking him for Marco, Whitebeard nearly dropped the wine flagon in his hand onto the floor.

"Phew! I mustn't let that bastard Marco find out! As the captain, I'm actually not allowed to drink at will! It's simply too outrageous!" Whitebeard let out a long breath of relief, and finally he said toward the door, "Come in!"

Receiving Whitebeard's permission, Teach immediately pushed the door open and entered. "Pop, I have something I want to talk to you about!"

Seeing that the person standing at the entrance was Teach, Whitebeard was also stunned. Teach had been on the ship for many years, and this seemed to be the first time he had come to see him alone.

"Pop, I, I have an unteasable request!" After careful deliberation, Teach still decided to carry out his plan! Whether for himself or for the future Whitebeard Pirates!

"What is it? Teach, speak your mind without hesitation!" Whitebeard looked at Teach with a puzzled expression.

"I, I want to go out and temper myself! Please grant my request, Pop!" To Teach's surprise, Whitebeard's face revealed an expression of as I expected.

"As your father, ever since you and Ace went out on a mission, I've had a vague feeling that you might be planning a major undertaking!" Whitebeard's tone was extremely solemn. "More than 20 years ago, you boarded the Moby Dick, and back then you actually gave me a rather bad feeling! But not long ago, this ominous premonition mysteriously vanished!"

Hearing Whitebeard's words, Teach trembled all over. He never expected Whitebeard's perception to be this sensitive!

"However! Since you are my son and bear my flag, do whatever you wish to do boldly!" Whitebeard laughed heartily.

"Thank you for your support!" Teach was thoroughly won over by the bearing of the man before him. When watching this anime, he had merely felt a heartfelt fondness for this character, but now, that fondness had turned into a deep admiration!

"However! My dear son! Venturing out into the world requires a certain level of strength! Can your strength convince Pop?" Whitebeard's gaze turned sharp.

"Well, I wonder if Pop might test the results of my training tomorrow?" In the gaze Teach cast toward Whitebeard, a thick fighting spirit emerged. "Pop, who is hailed as the strongest man in the world, I've always wanted to know just how terrifying your strength truly is!"

"Guhahahaha! As expected of my son! Very well! Tomorrow I shall see where your confidence lies! I hope you won't disappoint Pop!" Whitebeard said expansively, his heart harboring not a shred of displeasure, but instead feeling a profound sense of gratification.

"Rest assured, Pop! You mustn't underestimate me!" Teach also gave a hearty laugh, and then he stood up, retrieving the wine flagon from behind Whitebeard. "But Pop, with your body, you mustn't drink too much alcohol! I'll be taking this! Get some good rest!"

"Wait..." Just as Whitebeard reached out his hand, Teach vanished swiftly inside his room.

"Darn stinky brat! My treasured fine wine!" Whitebeard wore a heartbroken expression. A long while later, the expression on his face transformed back into a smile, and he muttered to himself: "Marshall D. Teach, could you be that chosen 'D'..."