【Chapter 2】: Whitebeard's Test

Upon hearing Blackbeard's words, Marco, Ace, and the others who had just reached the door showed no signs of surprise.

After all, to Blackbeard, Thatch was like a dear friend and brother!!

Moreover, with this life-and-death experience they had just shared, it was only natural for them to have some private matters to discuss alone.

Once everyone had left, Thatch looked at Blackbeard with a puzzled smile:

"Teach, right now the most important thing is for you to rest well. What's so urgent? I still need to rush back to cook for everyone."

"I'm in a hurry, bear with me for a bit."

Teach's mouth curled into a smile as he looked at Thatch:

"Commander Thatch, during the last battle, that Devil Fruit you snatched from the hands of the Big Mom and Beast Pirates, do you still have it?"

"Yeah, Teach, you know me. I'm not too keen on becoming a hammer in the water."

Thatch spread his hands:

"Especially when it's an unknown Devil Fruit."

"Then let me become a hammer in the water, Thatch!"

Blackbeard said with a solemn expression:

"You keep doing what you love to do!"

"Eh!"

Thatch was stunned for a moment, then instinctively nodded:

"I don't mind either way. If you want it, I'll give it to you."

Smack!

Teach grabbed Thatch's hand with a grin:

"Thank you so much, Commander Thatch!"

"Teach, we're like brothers, there's no need for thanks!

Moreover, this time it was you who covered our retreat and saved us, preventing the loss of more of our brothers.

Otherwise, we really wouldn't have been able to withstand the joint sneak attack from those two freaks, Katakuri and Oven!"

Thatch patted Blackbeard on the shoulder, full of emotion.

Success!

Blackbeard secretly rejoiced in his heart.

As a hardcore One Piece fan for twenty years in his previous life, he felt Blackbeard's development of the Dark-Dark Fruit was too superficial.

Such a powerful fruit should have a brighter future!

Of course.

Mainly because he had no other choice now.

The Dark-Dark Fruit was already the best path.

With the foundation this Blackbeard body had left him, plus the Dark-Dark Fruit, his phobia of insufficient firepower could be somewhat alleviated!

Even if he encountered Navy Admiral-level figures on the high seas in the future, he would have a certain level of self-protection.

He couldn't guarantee that his transmigration wouldn't have any impact on this world.

Just as he was pondering over this, Thatch's voice rang out once more:

"However, Teach, you should know the rules of our Whitebeard Pirates, right? Although I have the freedom to dispose of that Devil Fruit, I still need to inform Pops about it."

Upon hearing this, his mind spun like lightning and he immediately had a plan. He nodded with a smile:

"Thatch, of course I know that, you don't need to say it.

Let's go, we'll find Pops right now and clear this matter up."

"So urgent?" Thatch asked in surprise.

"Thatch, after experiencing that incident, I don't want to be that powerless again. I want to become stronger right away!"

Blackbeard looked at Thatch with a solemn expression.

He wasn't lying about this matter.

As a transmigrator, he had always lacked a sense of security.

Especially for him who had always had a phobia of insufficient firepower, at present, in this world where the Navy acted as hunting dogs and the World Nobles destroyed a country every three years, he truly lacked any sense of security!

Now the Dark-Dark Fruit was right before his eyes.

How could he possibly miss this opportunity to become stronger?

Very soon, Blackbeard and Thatch arrived on the deck of the Moby Dick.

Then, Blackbeard saw a scene just like in the anime from his memories. The Whitebeard Pirates were leisurely sitting on the deck, chatting and drinking.

Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Even in such a chaotic world, they could still be so carefree.

Did they really think they could always remain under Whitebeard's wings forever?

Sigh.

Sighing in his heart, Blackbeard felt that he would have to slowly change this lax attitude of the Whitebeard Pirates in the future!

Otherwise, if the Whitebeard Pirates were really targeted by the Navy and World Government in the future, they would truly shatter at the slightest touch!

In his previous life, in Blackbeard's memories, during the Summit War, the Navy's side was practically slacking off collectively, and the Seven Warlords were all just messing around, yet this still caused the Whitebeard Pirates to suffer heavy casualties.

If the Navy had gone all out during the Summit War, even if the Whitebeard Pirates weren't completely annihilated, there wouldn't be much difference.

Although he wouldn't follow Blackbeard's old path in this life, he also didn't want to pin his hopes for survival on the Navy, who had been the World Nobles' country-destroying hunting dogs for eight hundred years!

For eight hundred years, with the World Nobles destroying a country every three years, plus their games of hunting and killing civilians, it ignited a strange flame of hatred in his soul that came from the land of China, evoking extremely uncomfortable memories!

However, he quickly suppressed this uncomfortable feeling.

Now was not the time to think about these things.

Only after passing Whitebeard's test would he truly establish a foothold in the Whitebeard Pirates.

Based on the current situation, training well under the Whitebeard Pirates for a period of time was the best choice.

"Gurararara————, Teach, you brat, why are you running out here instead of resting properly?"

Just as Blackbeard and Thatch had stepped onto the deck, they heard Whitebeard's hearty laughter coming from the huge chair in the center of the front deck.

Hearing this, everyone turned to look in the direction of Blackbeard and Thatch.

"Eh? Teach, why aren't you recuperating properly?"

"Looks like he really doesn't have any major issues."

"What's with you two?"

Seeing Blackbeard and Thatch heading straight for Whitebeard, the other Whitebeard Pirates were quite surprised.

Thatch, on the other hand, looked at Whitebeard with his hands on his hips and smiled:

"It's like this, Pops. Teach just told me that he wants to become stronger and wants that Devil Fruit I acquired some time ago. I agreed, so now we're here to have you witness it."

"Oh?"

Hearing Thatch's words, the smile on Whitebeard's face gradually faded. He put down the wine jug in his hand and frowned as he looked at Blackbeard.

If there was anyone among his sons that he couldn't see through, it had to be this Marshall D. Teach!

One reason was because Teach also had the D. initial.

Another reason was that he could tell Teach was actually hiding quite a bit of his true strength.

And the fact that he could survive the sneak attack from the two Emperor Vice Captains, Katakuri and Charlotte Oven, this time also proved that his judgment was correct.

Although this was nothing to him, Whitebeard, he still felt a trace of unease in his heart.

Now hearing that Teach wanted Thatch's Devil Fruit, he instantly had some thoughts. He looked at Teach with a smile:

"Gurararara————

Teach, since Thatch has already agreed, I won't say much.

But you know the rules of our Whitebeard Pirates, right?

If you want to take another crew member's Devil Fruit, not only do you need their consent, you also need the consent of their division commander, and a test of strength from the commander of their division.

Since Thatch is the commander of the 4th Division himself, he doesn't need to make a move.

So let Ace test your strength then."

Hearing Whitebeard's words, the Whitebeard Pirates instantly became excited. They all viewed this as a friendly spar between brothers.

In their eyes, this was just a friendly exchange between brothers.

"Hahaha, since Pops has said so, then let me do it!"

Ace pressed down on his hat, and when he looked at Blackbeard, his face was full of playful smiles:

"Teach, I won't hold back! You better be careful."

Blackbeard immediately understood Whitebeard's intention upon hearing this.

Fortunately, he had no intention of continuing to play the pig.

At present, Whitebeard's wings were the best protective umbrella for him as a transmigrator.

Realizing this, Blackbeard immediately let out a wild laugh, then looked at Whitebeard and tilted his head:

"Zehahahaha————

Pops, it's not that I look down on Ace.

He's still far from being a match for me!"