The recruitment of Slada went far more smoothly than anyone expected.
Even the villagers of Hunting Island had no intention of stopping him. The island was simply too small now. It had already become a restraint on Slada's growth. With his talent, he belonged on the open sea, carving out a name for himself.
They stayed only one day. There was little to linger over.
Early the next morning, Slada followed Teach and the others as they left Hunting Island, returned to the small nearby island, and set sail once more.
"Slada, this is the gift I prepared for you," Teach said with a grin.
Black mist poured from his palm, forming a dark vortex that connected to the shadowy space within his body. From it, a specially crafted box emerged and landed neatly in his hand. Teach produced a key from somewhere unknown, inserted it into the lock, and turned it.
Click.
The box opened.
Inside lay a Devil Fruit.
It had been carefully preserved. Teach possessed more than one Devil Fruit, but each was stored separately. This one stood among the top tier of his collection.
Among his reserves were the Ancient Zoan Pig-Pig Fruit, Model: Ancient Gator, the Ancient Zoan Giant Kraken Fruit, and the Ancient Zoan Giant Hawk Form Fruit from the Kraken Kingdom. There was also the Crush-Crush Fruit taken from the late Vice Admiral Brom.
From the Battle of Urso Island, he had acquired the Logia Miasma-Miasma Fruit, the Ancient Zoan Titan Python Fruit, and the Sonic-Sonic Fruit.
The one in the box now was a true apex predator of ancient times, capable of ruling both land and water.
The surrounding crew members and executives leaned in with curiosity.
"This Devil Fruit," Teach said calmly, "was obtained five years ago. It's the Ancient Zoan Croc-Croc Fruit, Model: Emperor Crocodile. I prepared it specifically for you. Eat it, and let's see what it can do."
The moment the name was spoken, eyes lit up.
It fit Slada perfectly.
The Titan Python and Giant Kraken Fruits were strong, but the Emperor Crocodile Fruit matched Slada far better. He was a pure power-type fighter, and the overwhelming physique of the Emperor Crocodile, combined with Slada's own body, would produce terrifying results.
Some of them were genuinely surprised. They had not realized Teach still held such a top-tier Ancient Zoan.
All eyes turned to Slada.
Slada stared at the Devil Fruit, barely restraining his excitement. He understood Devil Fruits well and had never been opposed to eating one. What he rejected were mediocre abilities, especially those that clashed with his nature.
Now, a rare, top-tier ability with near-perfect compatibility was placed right in front of him.
There was no reason to hesitate.
Mythical Zoans were rarer still, but rarity did not guarantee compatibility. In raw physical enhancement, this Ancient Zoan could even surpass many Mythical types.
Compared to Kaido's Azure Dragon Fruit, it was certainly weaker. But Slada had absolute confidence.
In his hands, this fruit would shine.
Without hesitation, Slada took the Devil Fruit, opened his mouth, and swallowed it whole. He already knew how Devil Fruits tasted and had no interest in savoring it.
He stood still, fists clenched, feeling a new power surge through his body.
"Let's see the strength of the Emperor Crocodile," Teach said with a satisfied smile.
"Mm."
Slada nodded.
In the next instant, his already massive body grew another half meter. Muscles swelled visibly, thick and powerful. Tough scales spread across his skin, and a row of saw-like teeth emerged as his face shifted.
He entered his human-beast form immediately.
With Slada's solid foundation, mastering the transformation came naturally. He could already shift freely.
A far more ferocious aura erupted from him, pressing down on the surrounding crew. His original strength had already been frightening. Now, enhanced by the Ancient Zoan, it became monstrous.
His pupils turned into golden vertical slits, cold and merciless.
The pressure he emitted was different from Conqueror's Haki, yet similar in effect. It was the instinctive dominance of a ruler over lesser beings. As an Emperor Crocodile, this authority was innate.
At this moment, Slada looked like a walking disaster.
A humanoid tyrant.
A cold-blooded king of violence.
"Good," Teach laughed, nodding in satisfaction. "Train hard. You still have plenty of room to grow. Your Haki, your physique, and your overall strength all need improvement."
His eyes gleamed as he studied Slada, like an artist admiring a masterpiece.
Slada truly pleased him.
Like Gar, Slada was young. Gar was nineteen. Slada was only a year older, yet already possessed such terrifying strength. His potential was undeniable.
"Mm."
Slada nodded.
He could feel the invisible gravity pressing down on his body. Twenty times normal gravity.
Even some of the executives struggled under it.
This was the result of Teach's progress with his abilities. He had learned to layer gravity, creating zones of different intensity within a single space.
At present, Teach could divide gravity into two layers. It was a breakthrough. One level was suitable for ordinary crew training, while the heavier layer was reserved for executives.
Of course, not everyone trained under twenty times gravity. Baccarat, for example, did not focus on physical combat and remained in the lighter zone.
Those aspiring to executive positions, like Clemons, occasionally challenged the heavier gravity. His age limited him, and even with the Muscle-Muscle Fruit, he could not endure it for long.
Still, the pressure trained both body and Devil Fruit control.
Ideally, the crew should have multiple gravity tiers. But with Teach's current mastery of the Dark-Dark Fruit, two layers were the limit. Creating a third or fourth would require much deeper development.
The arrival of a new powerhouse injected fresh vitality into the crew. It also raised the bar.
Everyone trained harder.
"Next, we're heading to Mock Town," Teach said, gazing at the sea with a booming laugh. "There's a path to Skypiea there."
Skypiea.
The legendary island in the sky.
Excitement spread instantly. Since Teach said it, then it must exist.
They were going to the sky.
Cheers erupted across the ship. On the high seas, nothing was more thrilling than the unknown, or experiencing legends firsthand.
Soon.
The New World.
After more than three years away, Teach was returning. Many people were waiting for him there. That was where he could truly unleash everything.
Suppressing his excitement, Teach entered the training room once more, resuming his daily routine under crushing gravity, massive weights, and Sea Prism Stone restraints.
At this stage, only one thing could rapidly elevate his combat power.
Advanced Conqueror's Haki.
Everything else required time. Strength, Haki, and fundamentals all demanded accumulation.
Consuming another Devil Fruit would only be a loss. Power without control was meaningless. Exposing too many abilities too early would make him a target of the entire world.
Until his position was truly secure, he could not afford that.
As for Conqueror's Haki coating, Teach knew he had already made progress. He could roughly reinforce attacks with it, but true coating, fully enveloping his body or weapons, still required time.
Time was his greatest shortage.
Compared to the monsters of the sea, his foundation was still catching up.
Meanwhile, Marine Headquarters was in chaos.
Their focus had shifted to internal purges.
With the rapid expansion of their intelligence network, corruption surfaced everywhere. Marines colluding with pirates were the worst offenders, but many others had allied with local gangs, powerful families, and even allied nations.
The deeper they dug, the more shocking it became.
Entire chains of interest had formed. Even high-ranking officers were implicated.
Marine prisons filled rapidly.
Many cases were not capital crimes. Most offenders were branch leaders or their deputies, guilty of corruption rather than treason. They were sentenced to detention and forced labor instead. Feeding them for free was too costly.
And these were only the visible ones.
Some corruption ran far deeper. In certain West Blue branches, from the commander to the cooks, the entire unit belonged to a single dark faction.
In such places, nothing could be uncovered.
The Inspection Department operated semi-openly. Once their presence was known, preparations could be made. Scapegoats were sacrificed. Evidence vanished.
Marine Headquarters was massive. One month was only enough to inspect branches in the first half of the Grand Line. The Four Seas relied mostly on public reports.
Still, the Marines announced arrests publicly, restoring some of their reputation.
Internally, panic spread.
The losses shattered old interest networks, triggering chaos, riots, and power struggles. Marine manpower was stretched thin. This strain would last for years.
At the same time, other factions moved quietly.
More spies. More agents. Deeper infiltration.
The battle for information had only just begun.