Chapter 412: Reclaiming the Meaning of Going to Sea

The fact that his archenemy had become King of the World once plunged Blackbeard into utter despair.

He even sank into self-destruction.

After all, after all these years at sea, apart from his first mate Lafitte, he had almost nothing.

Viper—better not mention him.

Blackbeard had no doubt: once Viper got the chance, this sole intern of the Blackbeard Crew would surely flee again, just like last time, baggage and all.

True loyalty reveals itself in times of crisis.

Lafitte's unwavering loyalty gave Blackbeard the courage and determination to raise sail again, to grow and strengthen the Blackbeard Crew, and to forge new glory.

Fuck fear—it's just death, nothing more.

Blackbeard had been at sea for years and had nothing to begin with, yet he constantly suffered persecution from the World Government and the Five Elders.

Now the World Government has been overthrown by Whitehair, the Five Elders have been publicly executed, and Vegapunk has been absorbed...

It's as if they've solved his biggest problems for him.

As long as he stays careful and never gives Whitehair a reason to fly into a rage, with this vast ocean before him, wouldn't he be free to ride the winds and waves?

"Lafitte, you're right."

"Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen rose to King of the World in seven years at sea—we can't do it in seven, then we'll take seventeen, twenty-seven, thirty-seven!"

Blackbeard finally regained the meaning of going to sea.

"As long as we never give up, never abandon."

"One day."

"We will stand atop the pinnacle of the world!"

Lafitte nodded firmly: "Captain, I believe you can do it—but right now, our ship is still short of a ship's doctor, shipwright, cook, navigator, helmsman, intelligence agent..."

"First, set up the framework, then expand our grand vision."

Blackbeard suddenly felt a pounding headache.

Since leaving the Whitebeard Crew and setting sail again, he had invited three crew members and intern Viper aboard: Aroun, Lu Bianyi, and Lafitte.

But Aroun is now trapped in Impel Down, and Lu Bianyi has vanished without a trace.

With the current manpower of the Blackbeard Crew, storming Impel Down is impossible—and doing so for Aroun would not serve the crew's interests.

Seeing Blackbeard fall silent, Lafitte spoke up with a suggestion.

"Captain, you spent so many years in the Whitebeard Crew—do you have any close brothers there, or any pirate crews under Whitebeard's command? Could we recruit some of them?"

Hearing this, Blackbeard shook his head.

"It might be difficult."

Two and a half months ago, Blackbeard and Lafitte had specifically sailed near Impel Down and Enies Lobby, trying to snatch crew members during the chaos before the United Kingdom had stabilized.

But Whitebeard and Gold Lion went there instead.

If Blackbeard hadn't knelt down fast and shouted at Whitebeard before Gold Lion moved: "Old Man, they're about to be captured!"—they might already be in Gold Lion's hands.

All the remaining goodwill from the Whitebeard Crew has been used up.

"Old Man is preparing to retire—he'll spend his days in Sky City. The rest of the Whitebeard Crew will likely take positions in the United Kingdom."

Blackbeard was filled with regret.

If he had known this would happen, why had he ever left the Whitebeard Crew to go to sea? Staying in the Whitebeard Crew, then slipping into the United Kingdom would have been far better.

With Whitebeard's relationship to Whitehair, he could have held a key post in a major department of the United Kingdom—and used his power to search for the Yami Yami no Mi.

"Huh?" Lafitte was stunned.

"Is the Whitebeard Pirates disbanding?"

"Not exactly disbanding," Blackbeard muttered, his expression twisted: "It's been renamed the Whitebeard Club—they won't be pirates anymore."

Following the Morning Star Crew's redemption and landing.

Everyone who followed Whitehair into Mary Geoise had shed their identities as pirates, revolutionaries, rebels... and transformed overnight into founding heroes who overthrew the World Government and established the United Kingdom.

Who, then, would still want to remain a pirate?

Only those like us—without connections, without power—would continue chasing dreams (wandering) across the sea...

I'm afraid only those with nothing to lose and no power, like them, would continue to chase their dreams (wandering) on the great seas...

Only those like them, with no connections and no power, would continue chasing dreams (wandering) upon the open sea...

Blackbeard had no choice but to remain a pirate.

Lafitte, meanwhile, had to stay by Blackbeard's side to fulfill the captain's crucial mission: find and bring back the Yami Yami no Mi.

Only then could he return to the Morning Star Crew.

With the merit of finding the Yami Yami no Mi, he could shed his intern status, become a full crew member of the Morning Star Crew, and eventually hold a key post in the United Kingdom.

Thanks to finding the Dark-Dark Fruit, he shed his intern status to become a formal crew member of the Morning Star Crew, and subsequently took on a key position in the United Kingdom.

Leveraging the merit of finding the Dark-Dark Fruit, he shed his intern status, became a full crewmember of the Morning Star Crew, and later assumed a key post in the United Kingdom.

Whenever Blackbeard sank into despair and prepared to give up, Lafitte would frantically pump him up, pushing him to suffocate for his dream.

At least until the Yami Yami no Mi is found, Blackbeard absolutely cannot stop moving forward.

After all, it concerns Lafitte's future.

"Captain, I have a good idea."

Hearing this, Blackbeard's eyes lit up instantly.

Upon hearing this, Blackbeard's eyes immediately lit up.

Upon hearing this, Blackbeard's eyes instantly lit up.

Throughout this period, Lafitte had proven himself the Blackbeard Crew's idea master, always finding a way out at critical moments.

Looking back over this period, Lafitte has been the idea king of the Blackbeard Pirates, always finding a way out for the crew at critical moments.

Throughout this period, Lafitte had been the Black Crew's mastermind, always finding a way out for them at critical moments.

Under Blackbeard's expectant gaze, Lafitte slowly revealed the other mission the captain had entrusted to him.

"The United Kingdom has abolished the former World Government's member and non-member states, and unified all nations on the sea into provinces."

The United Kingdom abolished the member and non-member states of the original World Government, and unified all nations on the sea into provinces.

"Think about it," Lafitte continued to coax.

"A king vanishes overnight—those people are used to wielding power; how could they possibly accept it?"

"The reason those people dare not rebel is solely out of fear of Saint Saint Saiwen's supreme might."

Blackbeard's eyes instantly gleamed with sudden brilliance.

"You mean?"

"Let's go speak with those people," Lafitte shifted tone. "We act as the vanguard; they only need to provide funding, manpower, and Devil Fruits for the Black Gang's growth."

"Hss." Blackbeard sucked in a sharp breath.

Although he was unwilling to confront Bai Mao head-on—at least not until he possessed sufficient strength—he must not anger Bai Mao under any circumstances.

But those people don't know any of this.

By tricking that group of old-era remnants, we profit and allow the Black Gang to grow stronger… this is not an unbrilliant idea at all.

"This idea is good."

At that moment, Blackbeard's heart cleared suddenly—he realized his own Mihawk had always been beside him, never far away.

"Lafitte, what should we do?"

Lafitte smiled faintly, flipped over the earlier newspaper, and pointed to an inconspicuous corner.

"Besides Morgans and Umit, who have defected to Saint Saint Saiwen, all other kings of the underworld have been executed by the United Kingdom—but one person escaped."

Blackbeard's breath quickened.

"Who?"

"The new queen of Joy Street, Stussy."

Saying this, Lafitte continued.

"Captain, if we contact Stussy and find a way to make her believe us, we can gain the trust of those old-era remnants."

"Then we'll have money, we'll have people."

"The Black Gang will surely grow powerful and reclaim its glory."

Thinking of the life path the Captain had laid out for Blackbeard, Lafitte felt nothing but admiration—and deep confusion.

The Captain wanted to eradicate the old-era remnants entirely; Lafitte understood that. Those decaying old nobles truly obstructed the development of the new era.

But what had Blackbeard done to anger the Captain?

Why had the Captain gone to such lengths, setting up this vast net, waiting for Blackbeard to lead the old-era remnants into a fatal trap?

The Captain intends to wipe them all out in one stroke.

Of course, the most important point is—

Under no circumstances whatsoever must you anger the Captain; Blackbeard's predetermined life path is the best proof of that.