Hearing Cudius's words, Teach felt a jolt of shock. "Damn… Did he see through me that quickly? Did I expose my ambitions so easily?"

  But he didn't dare to say anything.

  If he de, it might e across as an attempt to deceive Cudius, and Teach wasn't sure about this man's temperame. If he miscalcuted and offended him, wouldn't that be the end of the road? He might not even make it out of here alive.

  If he didn't deny it but didn't know how to respoher, that would just leave him awkwardly stubsp;

  As Teach struggled with how to react, Cudius spoke again.

  "You want the Dark-Dark Fruit?" Cudius asked casually.

  Teach exhaled in relief. This was a ce to shift the versation. He nodded immediately and answered, "Yes, Yhness. I want to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit."

  "A good idea," Cudius replied in the same indifferent tone.

  Teach remained silent, standing respectfully.

  Cudius stroked his , then smiled and said, "But tell me… why should I give it to you?"

  Teach's heart tensed.

  Cudius paused briefly before tinuing, "Or rather, what value do y to me?"

  Lig his lips, Teach quickly responded, "I am willing to serve Yhness. To be your vanguard."

  Cudius suddenly ughed.

  "Hahahahaha!"

  Teach felt uneasy. What's so funny?

  "It seems my instincts were correct," Cudius said with amusement. "That strong stenbition is ing off you in waves, Teach."

  "Yhness has sharp eyes, like a torch illuminating the truth," Teach said, smoothly shifting into fttery. He wasn't about tue.

  Cudius chuckled and tinued, "You're from e's ship, yet you say you want to pledge loyalty to me? Hahaha… That's amusing. A 'vanguard' for me, huh? You do realize that there are tless people on this o who would love to work under me. What makes you think you deserve my favor?"

  "Because I have fideeach said without hesitation. "I won't let you down!"

  "fidence is good…" Cudius mused. He then leaned forward slightly and asked, "Even if I told you to go against Whitebeard?"

  Teach felt an immediate headache at those words. "If I could take on Whitebeard right now, I wouldn't he Dark-Dark Fruit in the first pce!"

  "This…" Teach hesitated, but then steeled himself and replied, "If Yhness wishes to deal with him, I am willing to serve!"

  The w was carefully chosen, he wasn't saying he could take Whitebeard down. He was simply implying that he would be willing to assist in some way if Cudius needed him to.

  Cudius stared at Teach for a long moment.

  Just as Teach started feeling uneasy, Cudius suddenly said, "I appreciate ambitious people. Do you want to take Whitebeard's pce?"

  Teaarrowed his eyes slightly. He then mustered some ce and asked iurn, "Yhness, wouldn't you prefer an obedient Emperor of the Sea?"

  Cudius smirked and nodded. "Very well. I like that answer."

  Teach's eyes lit up. "Then… the Dark-Dark Fruit?"

  "It's in my possession," Cudius admitted casually. "And to be ho, it's useless to me."

  Teach was about to speak, but Cudius raised a hand to stop him.

  "But," Cudius tinued, "words alone mean nothing. Before you prove your worth, it's far too soon for you to ask me for the Dark-Dark Fruit."

  There was no way Teach was getting the fruit so easily.

  Cudius never put sto a man's words alone, especially not in Teach's so-called 'loyalty.' He kly what kind of person Teach was. What if he just took the fruit and ran?

  That's why Cudius had arranged for their meeting in the library—to dangle something eveer in front of him.

  It wasn't just the Dark-Dark Fruit at stake. The Road Poneglyph sitting in this room was another piece of bait, a way to make Teaderstand that there were far bigger rewards in Cudius's possession. If he wahem, he had to prove himself.

  Teach pondered for a moment before responding, "Yhness, how I prove my worth to you?"

  Cudius stroked his in thought, then said, "Enel spoke highly of your abilities. Are you as capable as he cims?"

  "I have fiden my strength," Teaswered firmly.

  He khat now was not the time to be humble. If he downpyed his worth, Cudius might decide he was useless.

  Cudius hen turo Robin and said, "Robin, hahat file."

  Robin, who had been sitting quietly, stood up, retrieved a dot from her books, and walked over to Cudius.

  Cudius took the file but didn't bother opening it. Instead, he tossed it straight to Teach.

  Teach's reflexes were sharp—he caught it midair and quickly flipped through it.

  His expression ged slightly. After a moment, he muttered, "Georia?"

  Cudius picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Yes. Georia. Go kill him. Prove your strength. Prove your worth."

  Teach swallowed. Then he asked cautiously, "But… isn't Moria one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

  The Seven Warlords were, after all, uhe jurisdi of the Wover. Wasn't Enel w for Cudius? How could he just order the death of one of his own subordinates?

  "Yes, Moria is one of the Seven Warlords," Cudius aowledged. "But he's useless now. Keeping him around serves no purpose." His tone was ice-cold.

  Moria had inally been added to the Warlords as part of a gover initiative to ter Kaido. The Five Elders had been eager to challenge Big Mom's growing influence, so they had hastily filled the Warlord positions and pushed for Moria, someoh a personal grudge against Kaido—to be one of them.

  But that pn had failed.

  Even after f the Seven Warlords, even after ung military operations against Kaido, the results had been ckluster.

  And Moria? He had dohing of value. He barely left the Florian Triahese days. His reputation was fading instead of growing.

  To Cudius, a useless asset was a liability.

  So why keep him?

  Better to eliminate him and repce him with someoer.

  Hearing the utter indifferen Cudius's voice, Teach was taken ababsp;

  Damn… This guy's ruthless. He really just disposes of people ohey lose their value?

  …But Teach liked that kind of thinking.

  Cudius's voiapped him back to reality.

  "Are you hesitating?" Cudius asked, his tone now slightly impatient.

  Teach flinched. "ation at all, Yhness. I'll get it done."

  Cudius hen gave him a pointed look before smirking.

  "If you kill Moria and prove your worth," Cudius said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, "then perhaps I might sider making you the new Warlord in his pce."

  Bait the horse with a carrot.

  It wasn't just about Teach to kill Moria. It was about rewards worth chasing.

  Teach's heart stirred.

  A seat among the Seven Warlords of the Sea… That was no small thing.

  He hadn't thought about this before, but now? The Warlord title could serve as a stepping stone—an opportunity for him to build his power, to move freely, to get closer to his real goals.

  Teach made up his mind instantly.

  With a deep bow, he said, "I am honored by yenerosity, Yhness."

  Cudius waved a hand dismissively.

  "Don't waste my time with empty words. Go. Kill Moria. Show me what you do."

  Teach's grin widened.

  "I won't disappoint you, Yhness."

  Cudius simply waved him off.

  "Good. I'll be waiting for the good news."