Teach, it's this guy, Teach!
This fact, though surprising enough for Roa—to so casually encounter a candidate for the final boss in the original story, as simple as having breakfast and the guy slurping porridge with kimchi next door turning out to be the future Demon King of Destruction—was overshadowed by what truly shocked Roa: Teach's appearance!
It must be noted that the appearance of characters in the manga and real people in this world differ greatly. Without sufficiently distinct features, Roa wouldn't be able to recognize someone immediately. That's why the first time Roa saw his old captain, although he felt a sense of familiarity, he didn't find anything particularly amiss.
Until now. Until now, he saw Teach!
Damn it, they're carved from the exact same mold! It's just that the captain's face was much more weathered and thinner, so at first glance, the difference was significant. But how could Roa, who was intimately familiar with his captain, not recognize him? No wonder Teach tried so hard to hide himself in the original story! He actually had this layer of identity!
So, what were the Marines thinking in the original story, letting Teach become a Warlord? Was it because after he became thoroughly fat and dark, the difference from the captain became even greater?
Also, Captain, you old rascal, when did you have him? If he remembered correctly, Teach was ten this year, and the year he was born was exactly when Roa joined the Rocks Pirates! In the two years that followed, he never heard the captain mention having a child! Could it be that he didn't even know himself? Or, was the captain, who always claimed he didn't need an heir, actually a good father who cared for his children, and hid his wife and son out of fear of being persecuted by the "Tier 0" of this era? If that were the case, Captain, your character would be completely ruined!
Furthermore, Roa distinctly remembered that, according to the setting, this kid Teach also had two younger sisters! Were they the captain's too? If so, then Roa felt he was truly too contradictory; secretly having children, if he liked having children, he should have said so earlier, wasn't Auntie Linlin still available?
If not... Ehh...
As Roa stared intently at Teach, sweat began to bead on Teach's forehead.
What's going on? Why is his reaction so extreme? Has his identity been exposed? Damn it, do I really look that much like him?
Teach tried hard not to show any unusual expression. When he learned that the Calamity Company was coming here to resupply, he knew that the best opportunity had arrived! He was only two years old when that man died, and he knew nothing. Moreover, that man constantly said he didn't need any heirs, so if he had to say, the only thing he inherited from that man was ambition. And to achieve that ambition, Teach had already planned his future! He absolutely had to get that fruit! But he alone would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Therefore, he needed the help of others.
In this New World, there was no one more suitable than Roa! This guy was exceptionally strong, and being under his command would provide excellent protection. The Calamity Company's influence spanned the entire world; besides the World Government, they were the most likely to find that fruit! So Teach decided to take a gamble! He gambled his future on Roa!
"Simply incredible," Dylan exclaimed with emotion. It was truly hard to imagine that the domineering and unrestrained Rocks would actually have a child! And, by such a coincidence, they just happened to encounter him.
Dylan suddenly had a thought. Is this destiny? Ten years ago, the orphaned Boss was recruited into the Rocks Pirates. Ten years later, Rocks' biological son asks Boss to recruit him into the Calamity Company.
"Boss?" Bullet, however, seemed confused. "Is there something wrong with this kid?" King was equally bewildered. They couldn't help it; by the time they debuted, the Rocks Pirates had long since vanished. Rocks' wanted poster was already out of print. Although they had heard the name, they had never seen the man's face.
"Nothing, just seeing this guy reminded me of an old friend." Roa's smile deepened at the corners of his mouth. Captain, is this destiny guiding us too? Interesting.
In the original story, your son stepped on Whitebeard's corpse to reach the pinnacle. So this time, will I be his stepping stone? Roa's lips curved high.
Teach's heart instantly leaped to his throat. He really guessed my identity! Indeed, I look very much like that man! And this man is acknowledged by everyone on the sea as Rocks' heir! It would be strange if he didn't recognize me! Then...
"Teach, right?" Roa said with a smile, "I accept your request. Starting today, you are an intern at the Calamity Company."
Teach was instantly overjoyed, snot bubbles even appearing, bowing repeatedly to Roa. "Thank you so much! Roa-sama! I will definitely repay you well in the future!"
Repay? While saying that, why don't you first suppress the malice in your heart? Are you even eyeing my abilities now?
Roa raised an eyebrow. "Call me Boss."
"Yes! Boss!" Teach was extremely obedient. Regardless of whether this deference was real or fake, it felt great to see that face show such an expression! Wait, was this why Whitebeard in the original story was willing to accept Teach?
At this moment, the other two interns, Doflamingo and Bege, were somewhat startled. What's this guy's background? Roa was never someone easy to talk to. How did he join so easily? And among the two, Doflamingo was even more startled. D? This guy is a D? He recalled the legend circulating among the Celestial Dragons: D's were the natural enemies of the gods! This guy is hindering me! Thinking of this, behind his frog glasses, Doflamingo's eyes instantly became dangerous. He had to make this guy understand who the top dog was, just like Bege!
"Excellent! Our team has grown stronger!" Roa clapped his hands with a smile. "Since that's the case, let's go back and hold a banquet! To celebrate Teach becoming one of us!"
"Boss, there's no need!" Teach looked flattered, as if trying to play the role of an honest man. "There's no need to go to such great lengths for me."
"No, of course, there is," Roa raised the corner of his mouth. "Otherwise, when I meet the other uncles and aunts later and they learn about this, where would I put my face?"
Teach's expression subtly changed. He was very jealous of Roa. Everything Roa possessed should have been his! Being personally tutored by that man! Forming deep friendships with the Rocks Pirates' cadres! Being considered by everyone as that man's successor! But, this bit of jealousy was nothing compared to his ambition!
Teach instantly calmed his mind. Until that fruit appeared, until he seized the opportunity to realize his dream, he would be one hundred percent loyal to Roa! To become the most loyal and devoted hound under this man's command! Only in this way could he gain Roa's trust and get closer to his dream! Since he had gambled his dream on Roa, he should bet everything!
So, Teach lowered his eyes submissively. "Yes, Boss."
Roa raised an eyebrow. The malice in his heart was instantly suppressed to its lowest point. This guy, it has to be said, was indeed top-notch in emotional management at such a young age.
And so, the banquet began.
Well, the Calamity Company's banquet was not boisterous like the Roger Pirates' at all. There was basically no horseplay among the cadres; everyone simply ate on their own. Teach, being new, dared not utter a single word, carefully maintaining his honest persona. But one thing he was truly curious about. Holding a large chicken drumstick in one hand, vigorously tearing at it, Teach, who hadn't had an easy life these past few years, timidly watched Roa, who simply sat on the throne, lazily taking deep breaths.
Why isn't this guy eating?
"By the way," Roa's half-closed eyes suddenly opened, as if noticing his gaze. "Teach, I have a gift for you."
"A gift?" Teach swallowed the chicken meat in his mouth with difficulty, a little bewildered.
"Dylan." Roa raised an eyebrow. The butler nodded, retrieved a small box that had already been prepared, and placed it in front of Teach. Even the Boss had a deep affection for Rocks. To directly give this fruit to Teach.
"Boss?" Teach looked down at the box, then back at Roa, bewildered.
"Take a look. I just happened to not find a user for it," Roa said with a smile.
Teach eagerly nodded, opening the box with a yank. The moment he did, his pupils suddenly constricted, and the muscles in his face stiffened. Lying in the box was a Devil Fruit!
Damn it!
"Animal-type, Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Cerberus Form." Roa said with a smile, "I've kept it for a long time. It won't disgrace you."
A Mythical Zoan! This guy is really generous! Teach's heart was in turmoil at this moment! Although his body was unique and could withstand more than one Devil Fruit, in his plans for the future, there was no slot for this fruit!
So, Teach immediately spoke carefully, feigning embarrassment. "Boss, this is too valuable. I just joined; I can't possibly accept it! Please take it back!"
"So," Roa's smile remained unchanged, "Teach, are you refusing me?"
Teach instantly felt the temperature in the palace drop sharply. Did I say the wrong thing?
"Newbie! Do you want to die?" The guy named Bullet was glaring at him, an invisible aura radiating from him, pressing down on Teach, making it almost impossible to breathe. "In front of Boss, you only need to obey!"
Teach suddenly realized that almost everyone was staring at him, their eyes cold. The air almost solidified, making his breathing nearly stop. This is really bad! Is his plan going to be shattered right at the start? But if he refuses... he'll die! Roa is indeed a lunatic, just as the rumors say! One second he's smiling and offering a gift, the next he's ready to kill you! If he refuses, he might actually make a move!
"Yes, I understand, Boss!" Teach took a deep breath, finally nodding heavily.
"That's more like it," Roa said, smiling, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately became lively again. "When an elder gives, one does not decline. Come, let us see what kind of power this fruit possesses."
It seems there's no way to fool him anymore. But when did you become my elder?
"Yes!" Teach replied, picking up the fruit from the box and taking a bite without hesitation. At this moment, his heart was bleeding. Should he not have joined Roa? Whitebeard's power was much smaller, but at least the rumors said that man wasn't so troublesome.
It's no use saying anything now. A Mythical Zoan isn't bad, is it? It will still be incredibly powerful when combined with that other fruit!
As he comforted himself, Teach gulped down the incredibly awful-tasting flesh. Almost as soon as the fruit went down, Teach felt the change happening.
"Doffy, clear the area. Let Teach have a good performance." With Roa's command, Doflamingo instantly released a purple glow, covering the entire area. In an instant, all the tables, chairs, and food were moved away, leaving a large empty space.
"Power, it's surging up!" Teach groaned in a low voice. At that moment, his body began to swell. Black fur grew out from his body, his body hunched forward, and two lumps of flesh began to protrude from his shoulders. Within a few breaths, a monster over five meters long appeared before everyone's eyes.
A large dog covered in black fur, with three grotesque heads extending from its shoulders. Invisible black mist coiled around its four paws as it stood on the ground. Roa observed him. He looks a bit different from Shamrock's "Dog-Mouth Sword" in the manga.
Is it one Devil Fruit?
"What a strange feeling!" The three dog heads spoke simultaneously. "I feel like I've split into three..." The three heads turned in different directions, and the three pairs of eyes simultaneously looked left, right, and forward. "The perspective has also become three-fold."
Unlike Orochi, who had eight heads and eight distinct consciousnesses, did these three heads share one consciousness? Roa nodded. "How is it, Teach?"
"It feels amazing!" Teach's voice was filled with elation. This time, he wasn't acting. After unleashing this ability, he could clearly feel that he had become significantly stronger! Is this a Mythical Zoan? It seems it's not a loss at all!
"Physical augmentation is secondary," Roa said. "The true power of a Mythical Zoan lies in its unique abilities."
"Let's see, what kind of ability do you possess?"
"Oh! Good! Boss!" Teach was in high spirits at this moment, not even needing Roa's urging. He himself was eagerly trying to sense this newly acquired ability. If it was the Cerberus of Hell, he had seen this fruit in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia that man left behind. Its ability was—
On the great dog's black fur, equally black flames suddenly began to dance!
"Huh?" Roa twitched his mouth. Another flame-controlling ability? Why is there no novelty at all? There are already too many flame-controlling abilities in this world!
However, truth be told, these black flames were pretty cool. Then, when these black flames fell onto the ground, they instantly began to spread.
"Hmm?" Roa raised an eyebrow. There was no carpet on the floor.
The flames quickly spread across the floor, but strangely, no one felt the slightest heat. Instead, a biting cold spread! The ground outside the flames even began to frost over.
"So cold!" Bege was already rubbing his arms. "What's going on with this guy's flames?"
"Is it because it's the Cerberus of Hell?" Dylan guessed. "So these are flames from hell, completely opposite to the flames of the human world."
"Look! The stone floor is on fire! I don't remember stones being able to burn!" Judge pointed at the marks left by the spreading flames on the floor. "And, the ground isn't being melted; it's being corroded!"
"Not only is there abnormally low temperature, but there's also extremely strong corrosiveness!"
"Not bad," Roa praised. If even stones could burn, did that mean other non-combustible materials could also be directly ignited? It had the feel of Amaterasu. Among Mythical Zoans, it could be considered upper-mid tier, at least stronger than Yamato's Okuchi no Makami.
"How about it, Teach," Roa asked with a smile, "are you satisfied?"
"Of course!" Teach nodded repeatedly. "This fruit is truly amazing, Boss! I don't know how to thank you for your generosity!"
Roa smiled meaningfully. "Then don't disappoint it, and certainly don't disappoint me."
"Yes!"