At the harbor, aboard the Dragon Emperor, White Ghost glared furiously at the bruised and wronged-looking Zango.
"Boss, listen to me! I really don't know how this happened!"
Zango secretly glanced at White Ghost's expression, his face swollen with bruises.
The moment he saw his captain's dark expression, he immediately lowered his head again.
Everyone around them watched with amused smiles.
The reason was simple:
Zango had led White Ghost's beloved pet Lapahn astray.
White Ghost looked helplessly at the Lapahn struggling nonstop in Nami's arms and let out a long sigh.
This pet was beyond saving.
Too lazy to say anything else, he turned and walked toward the dragon head, already wondering whether he should find another pet somewhere.
This one was ruined.
Seeing their captain leave, Zango scooped up the Lapahn after it broke free from Nami's grasp and walked away laughing.
The little Lapahn clung tightly to Zango's thigh and squeaked excitedly.
Everyone immediately turned toward Chopper.
After all, no one else could understand it.
Chopper honestly translated,
"Lapahn says, 'Master, I want to become as strong as you too!'"
Hearing that, Zango rolled up his sleeves and flexed dramatically.
"Listen up, little Lapahn! If you want to become as strong as me, then you need to eat more and train every day!"
The Lapahn looked at Zango's muscles with eyes full of admiration and nodded desperately.
Everyone fell silent.
Was he really not afraid of getting beaten up by the captain again?
White Ghost ignored those two idiots and seriously considered where he could find another pet.
Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
The Kung-Fu Dugongs of Alabasta.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Those little guys were cute, sure...
But they were also martial arts fanatics.
If he brought them aboard, they'd probably immediately join those muscle-brained fools in training.
White Ghost covered his face in pain.
"Damn it... I just want a cute fluffy pet. Why is that so difficult?"
Too lazy to keep thinking about it, he decided to leave it to fate.
If he happened to find one along the way, then so be it.
Raising his head, he looked into the night sky.
Two figures were flying toward the ship.
The corner of his mouth slowly curled upward.
"He's here? One of the original Blackbeard Pirates' brains."
Kuro landed on deck together with Lafitte.
Lafitte folded his wings, removed his hat, and gave everyone a graceful bow with a false smile on his face.
"Good evening, everyone."
The others nodded back.
When Kuro had left, the captain had already said it clearly:
If he could bring this man back, he would be a companion.
If not—
Kill him.
Ain stared thoughtfully at Lafitte's wings, seeming to realize something.
Lafitte was extremely satisfied with the strength aboard the ship.
His Zoan instincts told him something very simple:
Every person here could kill him.
That only made him look forward even more to meeting the great figure waiting ahead.
The others looked at the smiling man and, for some reason, felt a chill in their hearts.
Was this another scheming bastard?
"Come on. I'll take you to meet the captain," Kuro said as he walked ahead.
"I'm looking forward to it," Lafitte replied with a smile.
Watching them leave, Zango rubbed his chin.
"Looks like our ship has another guy with something wrong in his head."
Señor Pink drew on his cigarette and looked away.
"Every team needs a few strategists. We can't solve everything with brute force."
Akin, who had grown up aboard pirate ships, nodded.
"Everyone has their own role. The captain isn't omnipotent."
Kontena twirled the golden Desert Eagle in his hand, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"My lord only needs to stand in the light and bask in the sun.
"As for the darkness... I will bear it."
Enel and Urki nodded in complete agreement.
Sai and Boo looked around in surprise.
It felt as if, despite spending so much time aboard, today was the first time they had truly seen the people around them.
The moment Lafitte stepped onto the dragon head, an overwhelming aura crashed into him.
Despair.
Absolute despair.
His entire body trembled with excitement.
"That's it... that's it!"
"This is the great figure I've been waiting for!"
Kuro sat beside White Ghost with a smile and watched Lafitte's increasingly twisted grin.
After a while, the terrifying aura suddenly vanished.
Lafitte's body relaxed instantly.
Only when a cold chill spread across his back did he realize that his clothes had already been soaked through with sweat.
He quickly straightened himself and knelt on one knee.
"Lafitte reporting in, Captain."
White Ghost narrowed his eyes.
He liked dealing with smart people.
It saved saliva.
Pouring a glass of red wine, he handed it over.
"You had a hard journey, my future strategist."
Lafitte raised his head and stared at White Ghost's young face.
His hand trembled slightly as he accepted the wine.
The feeling of being recognized made his entire body shudder.
White Ghost watched him drink, then a Devil Fruit appeared in his hand.
He looked faintly regretful.
"I should've gone to find you earlier."
Lafitte set down his glass.
"This is fate's choice, Captain.
"Things were always meant to happen this way."
White Ghost put the Devil Fruit away and turned toward Kuro.
"Take him around the ship first. You two should have plenty to talk about."
Kuro nodded and began introducing Lafitte to everyone aboard.
The more Lafitte learned about White Ghost's crew, the more excited he became.
This was a group destined to accomplish something extraordinary.
Eventually, the two went down to the lowest level of the ship.
The moment Lafitte saw the full structure of the vessel, his conviction deepened even further.
This truly was fate.
Finally, the two sat together in the control room and began drinking.
After listening to Kuro explain the plans, Lafitte nodded in complete agreement.
You couldn't become fat in a single bite.
Everything had to be done step by step.
Meanwhile, atop the dragon head, White Ghost received a call from Morgans.
The moment the Den Den Mushi connected, Morgans' signature birdlike laughter rang out.
"Wahahaha! Lord White Ghost! I found the person you asked me to investigate! He's still in the West Blue, though it seems he's joined some mysterious organization."
White Ghost tapped his fingers lightly against the table.
"Good. Send me his location. If I miss him afterward, keep updating his movements."
"Wahahaha! Lord White Ghost, are you trying to recruit more talent? But why are they all insignificant people?
"Will people like this really be useful once you enter the New World?"
White Ghost narrowed his eyes.
"You'll understand when the time comes."
"Wahahaha! Then, Lord Dragon Emperor, could you tell me your true plans? I'm dying to report it!"
White Ghost lit a cigar.
"If you really want to know, I'll tell you right now."
"Really?"
The Den Den Mushi copied Morgans' shocked expression perfectly.
Leaning back comfortably, White Ghost replied without hesitation,
"Really. I'm not lying. If you want to know, I'll tell you immediately."
The Den Den Mushi's expression instantly became awkward.
"Wahahaha! Forget it, Lord Dragon Emperor!
"I don't want a giant dragon hunting me down. I'll fax over that person's location immediately!"
Click.
The call ended.
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