Chapter 18 / Chapter 19

The three women exchanged another glance. They knew what Chris was like.

Since he had said that, asking any more questions would get them nowhere.

"I'm going to watch closely and see if things really turn out the way Chris said."

Honey Queen still couldn't believe it. How could Burgess possibly lose?

Belo Betty took a drag on her cigarette and said evenly, "If Chris says so, then Lafitte is definitely going to win."

"But I'm curious too. We'll have to watch closely."

Baccarat rolled her eyes at the two of them and chided them.

"You two..."

"Why are you both always looking for trouble? The more you talk about it, the more excited you get."

"We're women. Let's not join in the fuss."

Honey Queen patted Baccarat's shoulder and said with a bright smile, "We're just bored and looking for some fun."

Three hours later.

"Land ho! Land ho!"

"There's an uninhabited island off the port bow! Off the port bow..."

The lookout up on the lookout platform knew what was about to happen too, and he was thrilled.

He shouted the alert at the top of his lungs, putting every ounce of strength into it.

(Coming up next is Burgess and Lafitte's First Mate Challenge. How will it turn out? Aren't you excited? Hehe~~︿(￣︶￣)︿.)

Inside the Training Room.

"Wow..."

Excitement lit up Honey Queen's pretty face as she hurriedly said, "Quick, quick, quick! Let's get out there."

A rare look of interest appeared on Belo Betty's delicate face.

"Let's go see whether Chris was right."

Baccarat watched the figure who kept working away, her eyes curving into crescents as she asked with a gentle smile, "Chris, aren't you coming out to watch?"

"The result is already decided. There's nothing worth watching."

Chris hadn't finished his task yet. He kept swinging Blood Red, utterly focused.

Belo Betty strode toward the door and said flatly, "I knew it."

"Our captain only cares about training. Why would he bother with something like this?"

Honey Queen quickly followed her, adding with a smile.

"Exactly. I guessed Chris would say that too, and sure enough, he did."

Baccarat gave him one last look and smiled sweetly. "We'll come tell you the result later. Carry on."

Soon, the three women left the Training Room and headed for the deck.

"Good luck, Commander Burgess..."

Pato loved having fun more than anything. Bouncing around, it said with a grin, "And you too, Commander Lafitte! Good luck! Hehe~~"

In a rare move, Doc Q stood up and glanced at the two men with an eerie smile.

"Don't get all timid just because of what the captain said."

"If you're going to fight, fight to the death."

"That's how real men do it!"

Burgess glared at him and roared.

"Doc Q, stop saying that shit!"

"If the captain kills you one of these days, don't expect me to speak up for you."

Lafitte adjusted his top hat and said politely, "The captain is clearly a very domineering man. Keep defying him like that, and he really might kill you!"

"I'm certain the captain is capable of doing exactly that."

Honey Queen walked over and said with a lovely smile, "Exactly. That's right."

"Doc Q is always stirring things up. Chris really might teach him a lesson one of these days."

Belo Betty added evenly, "Rest assured, we won't speak up for you when that happens. You should know that very well."

Baccarat rolled her eyes at them and said irritably, "All of you make Chris sound so ruthless."

"Our captain may be a little overbearing, but he wouldn't do something like that. You're overthinking it."

Lafitte glanced toward the Training Room and asked like a gentleman, "Isn't the captain coming out to watch?"

Burgess shrugged helplessly. "I knew the captain would be like this. He has no interest in this stuff at all."

"He cares about nothing except training."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Doc Q smiled, continuing to goad the two men.

"With the captain absent, you can cut loose and really go at it."

"What's the fun if you don't fight until the world turns upside down?"

Burgess couldn't be bothered with Doc Q's death wish. He glanced at Lafitte and burst out laughing.

"Let's head down. Watch me crush you! Wi-hahahaha..."

With that, he jumped straight onto the island, eager for battle.

Lafitte wasn't angry. As polite as ever, he said with a faint smile, "As you wish."

In a flash, he too left the Chris.

Honey Queen looked at Doc Q and asked curiously, "What, aren't you going down to join the fun?"

"I'm frail and sickly. How could I possibly leave the ship?" Doc Q slowly made his way toward the railing.

Belo Betty looked at the other two women and said evenly, "Come on. Let's go over to the railing."

Soon, everyone had gathered at the railing to watch the island.

The little island wasn't large. It was shaded by lush trees and covered in oddly shaped flowers and plants.

It seemed no one had set foot there in a long time.

"Good luck, Commander Burgess! Commander Lafitte! Good luck to both of you~~"

Pato sat on the railing, grinning from ear to ear.

"Commander Burgess, I'm betting on you! Don't lose!"

"Let the storm rage harder..."

"I'm so excited! I want to punch someone! What do I doooo..."

"Commander Burgess! Commander Lafitte! You're both real men! You have my respect!"

"I hereby declare the battle begun!!"

The men admired strength above all else and loved watching this kind of hot-blooded fight.

Every one of them was wildly excited, cheering so loudly their voices shook the sky.

Listening to the tsunami of shouting around her, Baccarat shook her head and said with a wry smile, "These guys really do love a spectacle."

"You know what?"

Honey Queen watched the two men below, her pretty face full of anticipation.

"All their shouting has gotten me excited too. I want to cheer right along with them."

Belo Betty lit a cigarette and said evenly, "It's starting. I want to see just what Lafitte can do to make Chris think so highly of him."

On the island, Burgess and Lafitte stood facing each other.

A breeze swept past. Leaves rustled, and the flowers and grass swayed gently.

It was as though they too were cheering the two men on.

"Lafitte, this is your last warning. There's still time to surrender."

Burgess rolled his neck, warming up.

Lafitte twirled his cane and said courteously, "I would love to surrender, but the first mate's position is calling to me."

"Don't worry, Burgess. I'll hold back just enough not to hurt you."

(This chapter is a little padded with buildup. I hope you don't mind. It won't happen again, I promise. (*￣︶￣).)

"Enough of the yammering. Let's have a proper fight!"

Burgess was a straightforward man who hated pointless chatter, so he came straight to the point.

"If you won't surrender, then here I come."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he pushed off the ground and charged straight at Lafitte, fast as lightning.

Lafitte twirled his cane and said politely, "You're too slow. You should use your Devil Fruit ability!"

With a whoosh, he had already flashed more than ten meters away.

No one could even see how he had moved.

Shock.

Everyone was stunned.

"Did either of you see how he did that?"

Honey Queen looked at the other two women, surprise written all over her pretty face. She couldn't understand it at all.

Belo Betty furrowed her delicate brows and said in utter bewilderment, "I couldn't see it. It felt like he just vanished."

"I've only ever seen one person move that fast."

Baccarat nodded in agreement. "Aside from Chris, I've never seen anyone with that kind of speed either. It's truly frightening."

"You're amazing, Commander Lafitte!"

Pato didn't care about any of that. It simply thought this was great fun and started clapping.

"Not bad. You're pretty fast."

Burgess laughed and called out, "Then it's time for me to get serious."

Roar!

A roar rang out as blue-white light gathered in his mouth, faint traces of lightning flickering within it.

"That does look rather powerful!"

Lafitte adjusted his top hat and said with a faint smile, "You're not the only one who ate a Devil Fruit. I did too."

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a pair of white wings appeared on Lafitte's back.

They gleamed snowy white in the sunlight, strikingly beautiful.

Once again, everyone was left staring in astonishment.

"Wow, wow, wow..."

Pato gasped in wonder, clapping over and over as it said with a grin, "Such pretty wings! This is so much fun! Hehe~~"