Chapter 17

"Let's go."

Chris never wasted words. He leaped off the ship and landed on the island.

"Boss, wait for me!"

Pato hurried after him and landed on Chris's shoulder.

The group then headed toward town...

Beneath a large tree.

A man sat in a chair, facing a large crowd.

"Lafitte, everyone has complained to me that you use excessive force and threaten the town's safety."

The mayor looked at Lafitte and said bluntly, "I'm formally notifying you that you've been expelled. You're not welcome in our town."

"That's right. Someone as wicked as you shouldn't be allowed to stay here."

"Sheriff? You're nothing but a thug!"

"He beat someone up again yesterday. It was so brutal I couldn't bear to watch..."

"Lafitte, leave this place. Get lost!"

"Exactly! If you stay, you'll destroy our town sooner or later. Please leave!"

Lafitte leaned back in his chair, twirled his cane, and offered a polite smile.

"Although none of you like me, I won't take offense."

"In that case, I'll leave."

Lafitte stood, adjusted his Black Top Hat, and said with a faint smile, "It seems the time has come for my name to spread across the seas."

Since Lafitte had agreed, the mayor had nothing more to say. He waved a hand.

"Come on. Let's go back."

With that, he led the townspeople away.

Suddenly, booming laughter came from behind Lafitte.

"Captain, this is the guy? He doesn't look strong to me at all! Wi-hahaha..."

Lafitte twirled his cane and turned around.

A young man led the group. Dressed in black from head to toe, he looked calm and levelheaded—and clearly difficult to deal with.

Behind him stood several women, a huge man, a sickly man, and a few underlings.

Doc Q coughed. "Fight him later, and you'll find out how strong he is."

"You keep egging Burgess on."

Honey Queen shot him an annoyed look. "First you wanted him to challenge Chris, and now someone else. Do you like watching fights that much?"

Chris approached and stopped before Lafitte, his expression calm.

"If you want to sail the seas, come with us."

"Before long, you'll be famous across the Four Seas—a name everyone knows."

Lafitte planted his cane before him and rested both hands on it. "May I ask who you people are?"

Burgess was a straightforward man. He laughed. "Does it matter? We're going to do big things."

"But with that scrawny build of yours, you'll probably be at the bottom once you're aboard."

Belo Betty shrugged, looking exasperated.

"Keep talking like that, and he won't come aboard at all."

Honey Queen smiled and teased, "He's asking for a beating. Chris ought to give him one."

Chris looked at Lafitte and gave him an answer.

"You can think of me as a man who's about to become one of the Shichibukai."

"If you want fame, get on this ship. It's that simple."

Lafitte twirled his cane, his smile warm and gentlemanly. "If joining you will help me achieve my goal, then I certainly will."

"Thank you for taking me aboard, Captain. You have my deepest gratitude!"

Chris nodded and said with confidence,

"One day, you'll be glad you made this decision."

Then he turned and headed straight for the shore.

Baccarat walked with elegant strides and smiled. "Another person aboard. The ship will be even livelier now."

Honey Queen blinked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I hope he isn't too weak, or Burgess will definitely pick on him."

"Since you've decided to join, let's have a fight later, Lafitte."

Burgess looked at him and issued the challenge without hesitation.

Doc Q gave a mysterious smile. "I've waited a long time for this day. Is it finally here?"

Lafitte held his cane behind his back and asked politely, "Why do you want to fight me? Aren't we comrades?"

"Ah, you don't know yet."

Burgess raised his voice. "This ship has a rule: the strong call the shots!"

"If you're strong enough, you can challenge anyone—even the Captain."

Burgess shrugged and gave a strange laugh. "Forget the Captain Challenge. That's too difficult, and you're not qualified anyway."

"But you can enter the First Mate Challenge."

"So how about it? Let's find a place and have a proper fight. I haven't thrown a punch in ages, and I'm itching to hit someone."

Interest showed on Lafitte's pale face. He nodded in agreement.

"That Ship's Rule is fascinating!"

"You're right, though. The Captain feels far too formidable. I certainly wouldn't dare challenge him."

Lafitte twirled his cane and smiled warmly. "I can't be Captain, but as for First Mate, that position is mine."

(Lafitte has arrived, so the Division Commander Challenge can begin next. Looking forward to it? Of course you are. (*￣︶￣))

"Chris, aren't you going to stop them?"

Honey Queen glanced behind her, worry showing on her pretty face.

Belo Betty said coolly, "Why stop them? This was bound to happen. There's nothing strange about it."

Baccarat shook her head and smiled wryly.

"I don't like fighting and killing, but with our Ship's Rules, there's no avoiding this."

Chris looked ahead. "The fittest survive. The weak don't get a say."

Before long, the group returned to the Chris.

The ship set sail, heading into deeper waters.

"Captain, find an uninhabited island. I want to go all out."

Burgess looked at Chris, brimming with confidence.

Leaning against a chair, Doc Q showed a rare flash of excitement. "It's finally happening. I've been waiting for ages."

Lafitte twirled his cane, ever polite.

"Captain, if Burgess wants to challenge me, please allow it!"

"I won't hand the First Mate position to anyone else."

Chris nodded and warned them, "You can fight, but watch how hard you hit."

"If either of you goes too far, don't blame me for killing him."

With that, he headed straight for the Training Room without another glance at them.

Honey Queen rolled her eyes at them. "I just don't understand why you all love fighting so much. Hmph!"

Baccarat waved a hand and smiled. "Come on. Let's watch Chris train and leave them to it."

The three beautiful women chatted as they followed Chris away.

"Lafitte, I'll tell you in advance. I'm a Paramecia-type Sound Wave Fruit user. I can fire a Laser Cannon from my mouth."

Burgess shrugged and grinned. "If you're not confident you can win, just surrender."

"After all, if I cripple you, the Captain will probably kill me."

Doc Q turned uncharacteristically serious. "You're right. The Captain isn't someone you can reason with."

"If you really cripple Lafitte, a year from today will be the anniversary of your death."

Lafitte adjusted his Black Top Hat and replied politely.

"Don't worry. I'm not as weak as you think."

"And I'll be careful not to hurt you."

Inside the Training Room.

Honey Queen sat in a chair and asked with a smile, "Who do you think will win?"

Belo Betty lit a cigarette. "Burgess, obviously. Do you even need to ask?"

"His Devil Fruit is ridiculously powerful. How could he lose?"

Baccarat looked at the two of them and smiled gently.

"Why guess? We can just ask Chris."

Honey Queen giggled and nodded. "You're right. We should leave a question like this to our Captain."

"Chris, can I ask you something? Who's stronger, Lafitte or Burgess?"

All three looked at the man ahead of them, waiting for his answer.

Chris swung the Blood Red Saber and answered without a moment's thought. "Lafitte is stronger."

They froze.

The three women exchanged looks, unable to believe it.

"What did Chris say?"

Honey Queen looked baffled. "He said Lafitte is stronger? Did I hear that right?"

Belo Betty exhaled a plume of smoke and frowned, thoroughly confused.

"How could it be him? No way!"

"He looks like a stage actor, with skin so pale he could be a pretty boy."

"How could he possibly beat Burgess?"

Baccarat shook her head with a wry smile. "We won't figure it out ourselves. Let's hear what Chris has to say."

Chris kept swinging the saber. He offered no explanation, only a simple answer.

"You'll know when they fight."

Lafitte was a powerful fighter who kept his strength hidden.

At a Shichibukai meeting, he had dared to barge into Marine Headquarters...

At Impel Down, he had hypnotized the Marines and opened the Gate of Justice...

When Blackbeard fought Ace, Lafitte had easily dodged Ace's flame attack...

There were plenty of examples proving just how strong he was.