Teach desperately wao grab the Dark-Dark Fruit and devour it on the spot, but he khat this recisely the moment when he o remain calm. Losing trol now would be the worst mistake he could make.

  Suppressing the greed burning inside him, he forced himself to look away.

  Cudius observed the se with amusement, his evaluation of Teach risi again.

  "I never hold back when it es to rewards," Cudius said with a smirk. "You've proven your worth through strength, and in my eyes, you're someone worth cultivating. So, do you want the Dark-Dark Fruit?"

  Teach didn't hesitate for a sed. "I want it."

  "Then it's yours." A wicked grin curled on Cudius' lips as he sigo Nia with his eyes.

  Nia nodded and stepped forward, handing the small box to Teach.

  Teach's heart pounded with excitement. He wao toss the fish in his hands away and snatch the box immediately. But even now, he didn't fet to ftter Cudius. Instead of discarding the fish, he shoved it into his mouth and devoured it whole bones, scales, and all swallowing it raw in just a few bites.

  Nia blinked in disbelief.

  "What the hell... This guy's sug up so hard, even Spandine's kid might lose to him."

  That's right—Spandam, son of Spandine, had beeo serve under Cudius as a bootlicker. However, Cudius rarely let the idiot show himself, knowing full well that Spandam was nowhere near as petent as his father. If left unchecked, the fool might cause trouble or spill cssified information.

  For Spandine's sake, Cudius wouldn't dispose of Spandam ht, but he certainly wouldn't trust him with anything important. The only times he let the brat appear were on trivial, non-essential occasions.

  Watg Teach swallow a live fish without hesitation, even Cudius was briefly stunned.

  "Damn, this guy really is willing to do anything to curry favor with me."

  Holding the small box close to his chest, Teach didn't say a word. Instead, he dropped to his knees again and knocked his head against the ground three times in gratitude.

  "Thank you for yenerosity, Yhness. Teach will never fet this kindness!"

  "Finally!" Teach screamed internally. "The Dark-Dark Fruit I've been dreaming of for decades is finally mine! I've spent over twenty years groveling, pying the fool, hiding in the shadows… I even swallowed a damn fish whole! But now, all the suffering has paid off. With this power, bined with my own unique abilities, I'll bee the stro in the world! Everything will bow beh my feet!"

  As these thoughts raced through his mind, Teach's gaze briefly flickered to Cudius' polished shoes.

  A vicious determination burned in his heart.

  "One day, I'll make you kneel before me, just as I am now. I'll have you lig my boots, Cudius!"

  Of course, Cudius had no way of knowing Teach's inner ambitions. But even if he did, he wouldn't care.

  To him, Teach was nothing more than a useful pawn, oeo unleash upon the New World. A tool to disrupt the ba down the Whitebeard Pirates, to serve as a stepping stone in his rger pns.

  If necessary, he could eveeach bee an Emperor of the Sea.

  Of course, that was only if Teach remained under his trol.

  And could Cudius trol him?

  Absolutely.

  Even if Teaehow obtaihe Tremor-Tremor Fruit ter and became a dual Devil Fruit user, what could he possibly do? By that time, Cudius would be far beyond anything Teach could reach, he might even be going toe-to-toe with the Wover itself.

  And if, by some impossible ce, Cudius fell… well, the entire Marine force would still be around to up whatever mess was left behind.

  Teach?

  If he behaved, he could tinue lig boots.

  If not, killing him would be as easy as squashing an ant.

  And if all else failed… well, worst case sario, Cudius could always sider moving to the moon.

  "You don't o thank me," Cudius said zily. "This is just a business deal. The transa is plete. Now that you've proven your worth, I won't forything upon you. You have a choice, do you want to return to the Whitebeard Pirates, or would you rather tinue serving me?"

  Teaew better than to believe a single word of that so-called "choice."

  If he so much as uttered the words "return to the Whitebeard Pirates," he doubted he'd even make it out of Mariejois alive.

  He might see himself as the one using Cudius, but that didn't mean he uimated him. This was a man who had killed Roger and Golden Lion, figures who oood at the pinnacle of the pirate world.

  Only an absolute fool would take him lightly.

  Besides, Teach had no real loyalty to Whitebeard.

  His ultimate goal was to obtairemor-Tremor Fruit. But if he tried to take it by forow, he'd get crushed in an instant.

  With the Dark-Dark Fruit finally in his hands, he couldn't afford to be reckless.

  No—his best option was to keep pying the game.

  Cudius had already hi his iions toward the Whitebeard Pirates. That meant chaos was ing.

  And where there was chaos, there portunity.

  Teach had always believed ihing: never set sail without a storm to ride.

  And if Cudius was about to stir up a hurrie, then Teach was more than happy to ride its waves.

  So, the choice was obvious.

  Before Cudius even finished speaking, Teach had already responded.

  "I have already sworn my loyalty to Yhness," he decred. "Even though I have received the Dark-Dark Fruit, I humbly request to remain at your side to serve you with unwaveriion."

  Cudius raised an eyebrow.

  "Huh. Aren't you just a crude, uneducated pirate? Where'd you learn how to be this eloquent all of a sudden?"

  What Cudius didn't know was that Teach had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

  Knowing he'd have to navigate the world of the Celestial Dragons, Teach had spent his free time reading every book he could find on manipution aude.

  Among them articur title: The Ultimate Guide to Bootlig.

  The author?

  Spandine.

  Of course, Teach hadn't expected that o pop up, but he had to admit the book tained some valuable teiques.

  And so, watg Teach's ever-improving sycophantic skills, Cudius couldn't help but chuckle in satisfa.

  "Very well," Cudius said, nodding approvingly. "I didn't misjudge you. Get up, Teach."

  Teach stood swiftly, his face full of peared to be unwavering loyalty.

  Cudius leaned back slightly, him with i.

  "I mentioned before that I io deal with the Whitebeard Pirates," he said. "Perhaps you could be of some help in this matter?"

  Teach bowed his head immediately. "I would be hoo serve, Yhness. Please give your and."

  Cudius tapped a finger oable thoughtfully.

  Then, after a pause, he asked, "I have my own pns, but as someone who has been on Whitebeard's crew for years, perhaps you have some ideas of your ow's hear them."

  Teach was ing just like Cudius, just like Sengoku. He uood that the best way to win favor wasn't just to follow orders, but to tribute valuable strategies.

  And so, instead of waiting to be instructed, he took the initiative.

  "If we capture one of Whitebeard's division anders," Teach suggested, his eyes fshing darkly, "then we'll have plenty of opportuo shake things up."

  A grin spread across Cudius' lips.

  "Iing," he mused. "Tell me more."