Chapter 3: A New Journey

"Who is that kid? Is he here to assassinate the old man?" a crewman said, Marco chuckled and playfully slapped him on the head. "Idiot, who would assassinate such a him?" Whitey Bay, with her long blue hair, said angrily. She looked much younger now.

""No one!"" Everyone yelled.

"Look, he's here," Vista said with a smile. Teach stood before Whitebeard, who was emanating an immense pressure just by his presence.

"What do you want, boy?" Whitebeard asked, looking at Teach.

"Let me join your crew, daddy," Teach laughed and boldly said.The surroundings fell silent, as if frozen in time.

Whitebeard stared into Teach's eyes, who didn't back down from the gaze. After a while, Whitebeard brust into laughter and said, "Gurarara!, come aboard if you want to."

Teach breathed a sigh of relief, followed by overwhelming excitement. It was that simple and easy, as expected of Whitebeard he is a very carefree man! Teach's heart pounded with anticipation, joining the Whitebeard Pirates would undoubtedly provide him with the safest and best environment to grow up in.

Facing the crewmates, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates warmly introduced themselves to him. Which after they left to do there own businesses, just that simply he was part of them now.

Some crew members went to gather supplies, while the rest passed the time on the ship, engaging in various activities. "Hey, Teach, you're a swordsman to right?, why don't we have a little spar?" Vista asked, noticing the swords on Teach's waist and back. From his swordsman's intuition, he could tell they weren't ordinary blades.

Teach was about to agree, but Whitey Bay said, looking at Bista with an playful unfriendly gaze. "Don't bully the newcomer, Vista",. Then, she turned to Marco, who was playing cards nearby. "Marco, since you're weak, why don't you to spar with Teach."

Marco was taken aback. He didn't seek trouble, but he didn't refuse either.And did he just get called weak!?… As an apprentice member on the crew, he was curious to see Teach's strength. After all, Teach dared to join the Whitebeard Pirates, so his strength shouldn't be simple.

Marco stood up and said, "Well, it's troublesome, but sure." He walked in front of Teach, surrounded by pirates forming a large circle, leaving ample space for their battle. Teach and Marco stood in the center.

Teach smiled and unsheathed two swords from his waist. "Don't underestimate me," he said. His breathing changed, and suddenly, the air became hot as they faced each other. Teach and Marco lunged at each other with great speed.

Teach's swordsmanship was built on solid foundation. His footwork constantly shifted, and he attacked Marco from subtle angles. Marco, with his incredible speed, skillfully evaded Teach's onslaught. Teach launched one slash after another, leaving Marco no chance to counterattack.

"Hey, Marco, are you even trying?" someone called out. "You can't let a newcomer push you around."

The members around them laughed. Though Marco was still young and relatively weaker, he possessed great talent and would soon grow stronger with time. And Marco's true rise to power will come after he consumes the Phoenix Fruit.

Some of the strong men were surprised to see Marco being suppressed by Teach's swordsmanship. While others might not have noticed, they could feel the intense heat radiating in the air.

Marco was physically fit and fast, but the onlookers could see that if the fight continued, he would undoubtedly lose, with his energy draining. Then there is Teach on the other hand, not seeming fazed or tired at all.

"This won't do," Marco thought. He tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding another of Teach's attack. Glancing back, he realized there wasn't much room to retreat. "I have to counterattack; otherwise, my reputation will suffer, and they'll mock me for a long time." Knowing the Whitebeard pirates, they will make fun of him for this even years later, we're he to lose. With this thought in mind, Marco focused on his energy. His speed suddenly increased, and he kicked out, aiming for Teach's Thunder Tooth blade. Teach held his ground, but his balance wavered slightly. Marco seized the opportunity and swiftly appeared on Teach's right side.

Teach's body reacted, but as he turned around to counter with Purgatory in his hands, Marco had already closed in on him. He kicked Teach's chest, sending him flying several meters backward. Teach managed to stabilize himself by embedding his sword into the ground. However, he realized that he lacked combat experience, as Marco easily exploited his flaw. Although Teach had a solid foundation in swordsmanship and had fought beasts on the mountain, the sensation of combat with humans was completely different. It wasn't as comfortable as using pure physical power as he is used to against the beasts.

But that was okay. With many strong members on the ship, Teach could use this to improve his swordsmanship. Thoughts flashed through his mind, and a smile appeared on his face. He pulled his sword from the deck and retrieved his renowned blade, Thunder Tooth, sheathing it. He was more skilled in single-sword style than dual-sword style. He was previously using two swords to get some experience under his belt.

Teach transformation was noticed by everyone's eyes.

There were many different types of swordsmen on the ship. Teach, wielding a single sword, displayed a different approach, which also flowed more smoothly.

"Haha, come at me again. I'll push myself this time!," Teach said as the temperature in the air rose dramatically. His hand turned red, as he rushed towards Marco.

Marco couldn't help but wonder, 'Is this guy a using some sort of swordsmanship style?'. The flames engulfed the hilt of Teach's knife and burned his arm, but Teach remained unfazed, not even changing his expression as his sleeves turned to ashes.

The intensity of Teach's flames posed a real threat to Marco, and even the surrounding pirates couldn't help but take notice. No matter how strong one's body may be, facing such scorching flames without flinching was an impressive feat. Of course, individuals like Whitebeard were exceptions. They were true monsters.

Marco felt somewhat helpless, questioning why he had to fight someone like Teach, but he bit the bullet and prepared himself for the battle.

Although the one-sword style was not as fast as Teach's previous two-sword style, each strike was deadlier, and Marco had to be carful.

The two combatants engaged in a fierce battle for over ten minutes, with neither gaining the upper hand. "GURARARARA!, you young folks are really energetic. This spar ends in a draw" Whitebeard announced, breaking the stalemate.

Teach closed his hand decisively, feeling physically and mentally tired. However, he noticed a change in the gazes of the crew around him. It was clear that this spar had gained him recognition among the pirates.

The Whitebeard Pirates didn't intend to linger on the island for long. After collecting enough supplies, they set sail within two hours. The crew members returned one after another, and the Moby Dick was ready to depart. Teach stood on the ship's deck, leaning against the railing, gazing at the town he had called home for twelve years. The port was sparsely populated, with people scared away by the presence of the formidable Whitebeard Pirates, the top of the top in the New World.

Suddenly, Teach felt a familiar gaze on hi, and turned in its direction. In a corner of the town, Monica and Modi stood, bidding their farewells. "Goodbye, Teach. You must come back. I'll always be waiting for you," Monica shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Their eyes met, and Teach gaze filled with joy. He waved to them and said, "I will return!."

Modi clenched his fist and yelled, "Asshole, how dare you make my daughter cry!"

"Hahahaha!" The town grew smaller and smaller until it turned into a black dot in the distance. Teach looked back, but when he turned around, his pupils shrank, and his heart raced. He found himself surrounded by a large group of pirates who stared silently and motionless.

"What the hell are you all doing? You almost scared me to death!" Teach exclaimed angrily, taken aback by the unexpected situation.

However, the pirates paid no attention to his outburst. Marco wore a mischievous expression and said, "Teach, did we hear correctly? That girl said she'll wait for you."

Other crew members also wore mischievous expressions, curious about Teach's romantic endeavors. "Teach, you're only twelve years old and already have a girlfriend," they teased.

Hearing their words, Teach couldn't help but feel speechless at their gossip. He crossed his arms, raised his head with disdain, and replied, "So what? You single guys can't envy this."

The impact of his words hit the crew members like a bolt of lightning, leaving them wide-mouthed and stunned. "Single...single," they murmured in disbelief.

Seeing their reaction, Teach inwardly smiled. Who cared about their gossip? Having a girlfriend was nothing to be ashamed of. In that aspect, he was already ahead of most people.

He smiled but remained silent, seemingly conveying his contemptuous gaze to the crew members. It felt like an arrow piercing their hearts, and their mood became downcast as Teach turned and walked away.

Joking aside, his main focus was on training. He hadn't gone all out in the previous spar, only using swordsmanship techniques and combining them with the Flame Flow Kendo's breathing method.

Teach was truly gifted in terms of physicality, and Marco also found himself somewhat restricted by Teach's relentless attacks. Moreover, both Teach and Marco refrained from using lethal force during their fight.

He retired to his room, a small space that he had made his own. Most pirates preferred to sleep outside on the ship's deck. Teach began his practice, stretching his limbs. The heavy wristbands he wore were specially crafted. Each arm had two wristbands, weighing half a ton each, while each foot had two ankle bands.

Teach had brought these weights with him a month prior, but he still hadn't fully adjusted to them. It would take some time to get used to their effects.

Holding a sword in his hand, Titch swung it with a resounding sound, resuming his kendo practice. His breathing changed, and his body grew hot and dry. His slightly longer hair floated, and electric sparks crackled around his body due to the static electricity.

Teach didn't want to reveal his full strength just yet. Sooner or later, he would leave. He didn't want to spend more than 20 years in the Whitebeard Pirates like in the original story. The Whitebeard Pirates' environment became too comfortable after becoming so strong, lacking the fierce competition of the Beast Pirates or the constant drive for expansion like the Big Mom Pirates.

Feeling the presence of nature, observing and hearing the colors, Teach's Haki covered every corner of the room, constantly expanding its range. Although the range had not increased further, the observation and hearing aspect was continuously improving at a microscopic level.

That's right—it was Haki, specifically Observation Haki. This could be considered Teach's only golden finger. When he arrived in this world and merged with his previous self, his soul and mental strength greatly increased, awakening his Haki. Teach possessed an extraordinary talent for Observation Haki, continuously training and expanding its range.

As the sky gradually darkened, Teach continued his training without pause. A knock sounded at the door. "Teach, the party is about to begin. Come out soon," Marco called from outside.

Teach listened, halted his movements, and smiled. "Just a moment. I'll be there shortly."

He dipped a towel into a bucket of water, scrubbed his body, changed into clean clothes, and opened the door with a smile. Despite the nightfall, the area was brightly illuminated, and the air was filled with the aroma of delicious food and wine.

A new journey was about to commence.