One Piece: King of the World

After securing the position of a Shichibukai, Teach quickly left Marineford.

After all, that was Marine Headquarters.

Even though he was now an "officially recognized" pirate with the title of Shichibukai, guilt still weighed heavily on him. He had betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates, and despite his newfound status, he felt like a criminal walking through enemy territory. Staying there any longer made his nerves itch.

With his nameless, flagless ship, Teach sailed from Marineford to the Sabaody Archipelago.

Based on the information provided, there were roughly two months left, forty days at most before the Marines would be ready to initiate public execution procedures and launch their war.

Teach didn't dare wander too far. If he got distracted or ventured too far away, he might miss the window of opportunity. So, he decided to lay low at the Sabaody Archipelago.

Upon arriving, he didn't waste time sightseeing. With clear purpose, he headed straight for the lawless zone, weaving through several islands before arriving at Island 27.

He pushed open the door to a dimly lit, grimy-looking grocery store and found two figures waiting inside.

One of them had an unnaturally pale complexion, as though he'd applied a thick layer of foundation. His lips appeared crimson in contrast to his sickly skin, and his lean figure exuded an air of casual indifference. His clothing bore a faint, dotted pattern.

This man was Lafitte, the infamous "Demon Sheriff" of West Blue.

At some point, he and Teach had joined forces, forming an unlikely but effective partnership.

The other figure sat slumped in a chair, looking half-dead. His complexion was sallow, his body frail, and his breathing labored. Every few seconds, he coughed as though his lungs might give out at any moment.

This was Teach's ship doctor, Doc Q, known as the Shinigami Doctor.

Seeing his sickly appearance, one might wonder how he could possibly treat others when he seemed on the verge of death himself. Maybe he believed doctors shouldn't heal themselves?

The moment Teach stepped inside, he burst out laughing.

"Zehahaha! You two really are here."

Lafitte spun his cane and smiled. "To have left Marine Headquarters in one piece... it seems things went well? Or should I say, Captain Teach now?"

Doc Q didn't bother responding; he simply wheezed quietly.

Teach didn't mind. He threw his head back and laughed. "Zehahaha! Everything's going according to plan. In less than two months, the Marines will go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates. That's when I'll seize the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and become the strongest man in the world."

"But a person who eats two Devil Fruits will explode and die," Poison Q said suddenly, his voice raspy.

Teach grinned, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm aware. But I have a unique body. If anyone can survive it, it's me. And when I do... Zehahaha! I'll become the strongest man in the world!"

"And if you fail," Lafitte said with a faint smile, "you'll become the world's biggest fool."

"Zehahaha! Luck is on my side! Look at how smoothly things have gone so far. Isn't that proof enough?"

Truthfully, Teach didn't know if his plan would work. He was betting on the unique properties of his body, betting that he could defy the fundamental laws of the world.

If he succeeded, he would become the first person in history to wield the power of two Devil Fruits.

Darkness in one hand, earthquakes in the other.

Perfect offense. Perfect defense. Near-invincibility.

If he failed... well, he'd simply die in Marineford, becoming yet another cautionary tale about Devil Fruits.

But Teach was a gambler by nature. His entire life had been a gamble, from joining Whitebeard's crew to patiently waiting decades for the right moment. And his instincts had been right so far.

He'd risked everything to seize it, and now, here he was.

"So, what's next, Captain Teach?" Lafitte asked. "Why was it so important to become a Shichibukai?"

"Zehahaha! It's just a stepping stone. I needed an official status to join the upcoming battle."

"The 'upcoming battle'?" Lafitte raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. The World Government's code name for it is 'The Summit War.' Sounds grand, doesn't it?" Teach chuckled.

Without the Shichibukai title, Teach wouldn't have been able to participate openly. And if he wanted to seize the Gura Gura no Mi, he'd have to get close to Whitebeard during the chaos.

There was no chance of aligning with Whitebeard's side after what he'd done. The old man would tear him apart without hesitation.

So, the only option was to stand with the Marines.

"Is that all?" Lafitte asked, stroking his chin.

"You know me too well," Teach said with a grin. "I also need this status to get into Impel Down. Zehahaha!"

Lafitte's eyes lit up. "To recruit more crew?"

"Exactly," Teach said, his eyes gleaming.

But then his smile faltered, and he shook his head with a sigh. "Unfortunately, that's going to be tricky. That Highness may have granted me this position, but he's not stupid enough to trust me completely. Especially someone like me... someone who betrayed his own crew."

"What do you mean?" Lafitte asked.

Teach sighed again. "They locked Thatch in Impel Down. And that Highness gave explicit orders that Impel Down is to be placed under maximum security until the war ends. Every operation, except those directly authorized by Marine Headquarters, has been suspended. No prison transports, no unscheduled visits."

He rubbed his temples.

"Even if I want to visit, they'll need half a day's notice. If anyone tries to enter without authorization, the guards have full permission to kill them on sight."

Teach had hoped that the war would create an opening for him to sneak into the prison. His plan was to handpick a crew from the most notorious inmates and escape before the war concluded.

But Claudius had anticipated this move, tightening security and closing that potential door.

"That's frustrating," Teach muttered. "It's like he was waiting for me."

Lafitte tapped his cane against the floor. "The world doesn't always cooperate with our plans. But look how far you've come already. And who says we can only recruit from Impel Down? Once we enter the New World, we might find others to join us."

"Zehahaha! You're right. Maybe I am getting greedy. But that's what a pirate's supposed to be, isn't it?"

"Or maybe," Doc Q said hoarsely, "you'll just explode and die. Or get killed during the war. Both are possible."

"Zehahaha! Damn it, can't you ever say something optimistic?" Teach laughed. "Anyway, what's the status of the crew search?"

"There are two promising candidates for sniper and helmsman," Lafitte said, retrieving two photos from his coat. "No contact yet, but they seem like good fits."

Teach took the photos and studied them, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

**

This book is completed so you can read all chapters on: /Blownleaves.