Chapter 17: Annie (2)

"Dark Night Pirates, does it hold any special meaning?" Annie asked, unable to comprehend its connection to Teach.

"ha! I can't reveal it yet, but one day you'll understand. By then, I'll be renowned throughout the seas." Teach didnt disclose the secret, so he smiled and allowed Annie's curiosity to linger in her heart.

"Well, how about the name of your ship?" Annie inquired.

"Hmm, It's still early, but deciding on a name shouldn't be an issue." Teach said, giving Annie the space to let her imagination run wild.

Annie pondered, propping her chin on her hand, tilting her head slightly, and gazing at the ceiling. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she turned to Teach. "I think it should align with your characteristics and those of your pirate crew. How about the name Fallen Angel Lucifer, which embodies the essence of darkness? Or perhaps the Twilight Black, reminiscent of the ship of the Roger Pirates, or even something like the Moby Dick of the Whitebeard Pirates, which derives its name from the appearance of the pirate ship. But then again, we don't know how your future ship will look, do we?"

Listening to her suggestions, Teach nodded. "Those are pretty good names. I'll consider them."

"What's with all the questions? Are you eager to set sail as well?" Teach asked curiously.

"How can I embark on a journey to sea? With you? Humph! I doubt you have the courage to keep up with me!" Annie smirked, staring at Teach, oozing confidence. It seemed like she had some kind of support behind her.

I never asked you to sail with me though..

"Trust me, I can handle it. And if you were to get in my ship, no one can touch you!" Teach expressed great confidence and laughed. He opened his mouth, taking a big bite of a cherry pie, and finished it in another bite, savoring the delicious taste.

"Please address me as the Queen!" Annie pointed her finger and declared, exuding confidence. She couldn't help but raise her chest and hold her head high.

"Alright, my queen." Teach found her childishness amusing and laughed heartily. He bowed his head slightly to show respect.

When Annie saw sight of Teach's reaction, a slight smile played at the corners of her mouth. She looked around, making sure no one was paying attention, and whispered, "My dad is a Navy officer."

"Huh?" Teach was taken aback, then chuckled. "So what? He's just a Navy officer."

"He's a Vice Admiral," Annie revealed.

"Puff! Cough cough!" Teach coughed out the black tea in his mouth which he had just taken a sip of, it sprayed out uncontrollably. Thankfully, Teach reacted quickly and turned his face, spraying the tea onto a nearby glass.

"What did you say? Did I hear you correctly?" Teach was shocked, finding it a little unbelievable. He grabbed a tissue from the table, wiped off the tea stains, and turned to look at Annie.

Annie teased. "What's wrong, Teach? Are you scared?"

Teach wasn't scared by her revelation, but he was genuinely surprised. The idea of abducting the daughter of a Vice Admiral to become a pirate suddenly struck him as entertaining.

"That's impossible; he's only a Vice Admiral. But since you're a descendant of a high-ranking Navy officer, Shouldn't you have some sort of protection? Like just look how easily I'm talking to you, if I was a bad person then…"

"I don't know," Annie shook her head. In truth, she had her own doubts. "Daddy is very busy and. We rarely see each other, so nobody knows about our relationship."

"Dad won't let us reveal it. He says it would bring disaster," Annie explained.

"Interesting. Your father must be Vice Admiral Anthony, who holds the position on Seth Island. He must have made enemies throughout his life at sea. If the pirates who hate him find out, they might use you as leverage against Anthony or even harm you to make him suffer," Teach's eyes gleamed dangerously as a smile crept onto his face.

"But it's nice that he doesn't even trust the Navy Headquarters to be able to protect you. After all there are some issues within the Navy."

"What issues?" Annie asked curiously. Teach had nothing to hide about this. "There is many but one that's common sense is the Celestial Dragons, I don't think I need to explain them."

" I guess.. but that doesn't mean everyone in the navy is bad!" Annie replied.

…

…

…

In the area outside the dessert shop, a group of teenagers, led by a snakehead boy named Mobius, stood vigilantly, keeping an eye out for any suspicious individuals near the shop. Snakehead people are a rare race in the first half of the Grand Line, known as the "Paradise," and are not commonly seen in the world. Despite their mixed-race status and the challenges they face, they have formed a strong bond as a group.

"Annie is coming out!" one of the teenagers exclaimed, catching sight of Annie and Teach exiting the shop.

"Really!" Mobius, the leader, shouted, "Get ready to welcome Annie!"

In unison, the group of teenagers hurried over, forming a neat row and bowing respectfully.

"We greet sister Annie," they said in unison.

"Haha, this is quite interesting," Teach remarked, finding their acts amusing. Annie, on the other hand, couldn't help but pat her forehead and chuckle inwardly. She explained to Teach, "These are the orphans from the island. After I taught them lessons about unity among other things, they formed this group. And I couldn't chase them away to stop these acts, so I let them be." Annie smiled.

As a large island in the New World, troublemakers were a common presence. However, the those causing trouble were no match for Annie's guards. Whenever there was trouble, they would step in, defend the shop, and engage in fights. As former orphans and street urchins, they were accustomed to brawls, and their strength was not to be underestimated. Their reputation began to grow on the island as the "Guardians of Annie."

"Annie is the best. She doesn't care about our background. She provides us with food and teaches us how to work and make money. The 'Guardians of Annie' exist to protect Sister Annie for a lifetime," one of the teenagers exclaimed emotionally.

Mobius, the snakehead boy who led the group, stood up and said, "I've been trying my best to protect everyone, but I'm still too weak. No matter how hard I fight, I always end up losing against some gangsters. If it weren't for Big Sister Annie saving me and helping us, we might have died long ago."

Mobius was the leader and had always taken on the responsibility of keeping everyone safe. He often faced bullying and struggled to win fights.

On one occasion, when Mobius was being attacked by a ruffian, Annie intervened and effortlessly defeated the thug. After learning about the teenagers' situation, Annie had provided them with immense support.

Now, under Mobius' leadership, the teenagers had formed a strong bond and established themselves as the "Guardians of Annie."