As his mood shifted, Teach's eyes darkened, a dozen schemes already taking shape in his mind.
"Perfect," he muttered to himself. "Everything Straw Hat Luffy did in Alabasta made him famous and sent his bounty skyrocketing. This is the perfect opportunity."
Then, Teach began outlining his grand plan.
"First, we capture Straw Hat Luffy. Then, we hand him over to the World Government in exchange for a position as one of the Seven Warlords. That way, we'll gain their recognition, and our ambitions will be much easier to achieve."
At this point, his tone grew fervent.
"With the title of Warlord, nothing will be able to stand in our way!"
Lafitte stood quietly nearby, admiring his captain's cunning mind.
He knew that following Teach meant a future of limitless possibilities, a belief that had only solidified after learning he possessed the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Burgess and the others were equally energized by their captain's promises.
"Weehahahaha! Captain, let's go get him now!"
"Right! We can't let them get away!"
"Captain, my apple bombs are ready!" Doc Q wheezed.
Teach grinned, his tightly clenched fists betraying his excitement.
"Let's move! Capture Straw Hat Luffy alive!"
*****
Water 7, Dock One...
"One hundred million Beri is all we have! Isn't there anything you can do to fix her?" Nami pleaded, locked in a fierce negotiation with a foreman from the Galley-La Company.
The rest of the Straw Hat crew watched from the sidelines, completely unaware that they were now the target of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Because their journey had not taken them to Sky Island, they had no legendary golden treasure to fall back on.
After a series of disasters at sea, they had arrived at the "City of Water" with a battered ship and empty pockets.
Their only hope was to use their remaining funds to repair the heavily damaged Going Merry.
The head shipwright, a square-jawed man named Kaku, sighed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, miss, but it's not a question of money. The keel is broken beyond repair. This ship... she'll never sail again."
"What did you say?!" Luffy and Usopp shouted in unison.
"You can't just give up on her!" Usopp cried, his voice trembling. "The Merry has been with us through everything!"
The shipwrights looked on with grim sympathy, but their diagnosis was final.
Faced with this devastating news, the crew was left in stunned silence, their hopes of a quick repair shattered.
The journey ahead seemed more uncertain than ever.
****
The Florian Triangle...
Far away, in the Florian Triangle, an unnatural, perpetual gloom held sway.
The air was cold and still, and the dense, ghostly fog muffled all sound, creating a world of eerie silence.
"Katakuri," Charlotte Perospero said, his sing-song voice a strange counterpoint to the oppressive atmosphere.
"Mama has met with the Whitebeard Pirates. She confirmed the deal with that Ron fellow and wants us to deliver the blood of a Devil Fruit user as soon as possible."
To verify the authenticity of Ron's technology, Big Mom had decided a test was in order.
Their target: the Warlord Gecko Moria, whose fortress, Thriller Bark, drifted somewhere within this misty sea.
Nearby, the subject of Ron's other request, Capone "Gang" Bege, was bound tightly in sticky candy ropes, a lit cigar still clenched defiantly in his teeth.
"Hey! You candy-freaks!" Bege snarled, his voice a low growl despite his predicament.
"You really think you can hold me? When my men find out what you've done, the whole Big Mom crew will have a price on its head!"
Upon hearing the update about Moria, Katakuri's crimson eyes turned even colder.
"Understood," he said, his voice a low rumble.
"I didn't expect Mama to take an interest in Moria's abilities."
"Perorin!" Perospero chirped, sensing his brother's dark mood. "Yeah, who knows what's so great about that guy's power? Eating it would just mutate your body, turning you into a freak... uh, well, you know." He caught himself just in time, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.
If he had actually used the word "freak," even he would not have escaped Katakuri's wrath.
Katakuri didn't even glance at their captive.
To him, the struggling Supernova was nothing more than noisy cargo.
He merely snorted in response to Bege's empty threats, a sound of dismissive contempt.
He closed his eyes, and a ripple of unseen power expanded from him, his Observation Haki seeming to pierce through the dense fog itself.
A moment later, his eyes snapped open, having foreseen their path.
He waved his hand and commanded coldly, "Move out. We're heading for the fishman island."
"Yes, sir!" his subordinates responded in unison, no one daring to question his decision.
******
Ron had just safely escorted a happy and hopeful Shirahoshi back to her residence and was letting out a sigh of relief.
When he returned to his own quarters, however, he found Enel already waiting, a wide, eager grin on his face.
"Ron!" he said excitedly, holding out a large, sloshing bucket.
"This is that guy's blood—the 'Dad Fruit' you mentioned!"
Ron paused for a moment, a bemused look on his face, before correcting him.
"...It's the 'Mark-Mark Fruit.'"
"Same thing, same thing," Enel chuckled sheepishly.
He then stared at the bucket, which contained a surprisingly small amount of dark, viscous liquid.
"That scumbag deserved to die, but this is all the blood we could get from him—only seven pounds! Pathetic, really!"
Ron nodded in agreement.
"It is indeed a bit lacking." He then clapped Enel on the shoulder. "Go handle your business now. Keep a close eye on Big Mom's movements. Don't let them cause any trouble here."
With a solemn, determined salute, Enel vanished in a flash of lightning, finally feeling like a valuable, contributing member of the crew.
....
The very next day, Perospero arrived.
Big Mom, with surprising speed, sent word for Ron to meet them, instructing them to hand over Capone Bege directly.
After all, she had reasoned, the blood was best when it was fresh.
Outside the Ryugu Palace, the tranquil atmosphere of the previous day was shattered.
"Ron, they're on their way," Enel reported, his voice tight with tension.
Just then, the three princes rushed in, their faces pale with panic.
"That crazy woman's subordinates are coming!" Fukaboshi panted. "And this time, they've brought a lot of people! Especially that one with the scarf... his gaze feels like he can read your mind!"
As he spoke, Perospero and his entourage stepped through the grand gates.
But it was the figure walking silently among them that drew every eye and made the air grow cold: Charlotte Katakuri.
"His Observation Haki is strong," Marco murmured to Ron, his expression turning grave.
"They say he can even see a glimpse of the future. Be careful."
Ron, however, remained perfectly composed.
"It's just a blood delivery," he said calmly, his voice a steadying presence.
"Even if a fight breaks out, we are not afraid."
As the Big Mom pirates approached, Perospero began with an ingratiating smile.
"Ron-sama, we have worked tirelessly to fulfill your request." He then stepped aside, gesturing dramatically to a figure bound in glowing Seastone chains.
"This is the fresh blood you specifically requested. Mama thought it would be better to deliver the person directly, so you can inspect the goods yourself."
It was Capone Bege, his expensive suit disheveled, his expression a mask of cold, suppressed fury.
Ron's gaze shifted to him, a flicker of cold, analytical light in his eyes.
She actually did it, he thought, a sense of grim admiration for Big Mom's absolute ruthlessness washing over him.
Meanwhile, Capone Bege kept his eyes tightly shut, already aware of his fate.
He was no longer a captain, no longer a mob boss.
In this moment, he was just livestock, a lamb being led to the slaughter.
----------------------------
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