Chapter 442: Stepping on a

As one of the internal welfare benefits of the United Kingdom, the matchmaking grand event to be held at the Holy Land Sky City will have all its expenses personally sponsored by Saint Saint Saint Saiwen.

How could Morgans miss such a grand occasion?

The newspaper's printing power went full blast to cover this event, with Morgans looking as if he were about to break the newspaper's second-highest sales record.

The first was, of course, the grand wedding of Saint Saint Saint Saiwen.

As the number one fan of Saint Saint Saint Saiwen on the seas, Morgans could always find a suitable reason for his flattery.

He wanted more people to know Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's grace, and for everyone to understand the benefits of working for the United Kingdom: food, accommodation, and marriage provided, with status and rank included.

What are you still hesitating for?

Hurry up and take the civil service exam!

Morgans wanted to personally usher in the Great Civil Service Exam Era.

Through the Thousand News Years, news of the matchmaking grand event to be held at the Holy Land Sky City spread rapidly to every corner of the four seas.

South Sea, Kutzke Island.

Inside the Blackbeard Club, Lafitte threw the newspaper onto the table once again, spewing the foulest curses and muttering incessantly.

"Morgans, you suck-up, is this trivial matter worthy of the front-page headline?"

Lafitte's mouth watered with envy.

If he had a choice, he too could, like Morgans, find new ways every day to blow the Captain's grace and praise the Captain's unparalleled great deeds.

Besides, this was the truth!

No matter how the years pass or how the times change, no one can ever cover up the Captain's merit of liberating all slaves and founding the United Kingdom.

And his contribution to this sea.

Even within the Blackbeard Club, many people remembered the Captain's mighty name and grace, spontaneously building living shrines for him and worshipping him day and night.

However, because the grand plan to infiltrate the Black Pirates had not yet succeeded.

For these years, Lafitte could only sit and watch helplessly, watching that bird Morgans find new ways without repetition to flatter the Captain, watching Morgans rise step by step.

Watching hole after hole within the United Kingdom being filled by radishes.

Specifically waiting for Lafitte to vent, Blackbeard stepped on Kobi's head while smilingly comforting his good brother.

"Look on the bright side, Lafitte."

"Back when we were still in the Whitebeard Pirates, I knew Morgans was a suck-up; who could have guessed he bet on the right horse? That bird Morgans is now the esteemed Minister of the News Department of the United Kingdom."

Having spoken, Blackbeard stepped heavily on Kobi.

"Zehahaha~"

"So satisfying."

Stepping on a Celestial Dragon was an ultimate thrill Blackbeard had never experienced in his many years roaming the seas.

"When I first heard that Little Bai Mao slaughtered all the Celestial Dragons, I was sad for a long time; I never expected Heaven to take pity and give me the chance to catch a living Celestial Dragon."

Having left the Whitebeard Pirates and sailed the seas for many years, Blackbeard had suffered countless setbacks and also tasted the flavor of his ambition succeeding.

But there was not a single thing—

that could stir his mind and spirit like stepping on a Celestial Dragon, making him feel so satisfied to the extreme that every pore of his body radiated an indescribable comfort.

Although he still could not confirm whether Kobi's Celestial Dragon identity was true or false.

Judging from the fact that Kobi failed at everything, he was undoubtedly a Celestial Dragon one hundred percent.

Whether commoners, slaves, or even nobles, they would at least possess one skill, but Kobi knew nothing.

He could even knock over the dirty water bucket while mopping the deck.

Precisely because of this, Blackbeard subconsciously chose to believe that this pink-haired brat was indeed one of the Celestial Dragons lost to the world.

Then what was there to hesitate about?

The deep blood feud of the Davy family, Blackbeard's own tragic experiences of being wanted and arrested by the World Government, tortured and modified—all new and old grudges were dumped by Blackbeard onto Kobi.

Beaten ten times a day, every time leaving him with a bruised and swollen face.

Blackbeard wished he could torture Kobi for twenty-five hours a day, then feed him leftovers and make him sleep in a dog kennel.

In short, every method of torture Blackbeard could think of was tried on Kobi.

And naturally, Kobi lived in the most miserable way imaginable.

Originally, Kobi made a living doing odd jobs in the Satsuruso Province of the East Sea; although it was hard, with the various welfare policies of the United Kingdom, he could at least make ends meet.

But after being caught by Blackbeard.

Kobi welcomed a hellish torture of darkness without light; at the very beginning, Kobi would still argue: I really am not a Celestial Dragon.

However, the less Kobi was willing to admit it, the more fiercely Blackbeard tortured him.

Eventually, he had to submit to Blackbeard's tyranny and admit that he was indeed a Celestial Dragon lost to the world.

Since then, Blackbeard became even more excessive.

Beaten ten times a day, then treated by the Blackbeard Club's ship doctor, only to be beaten again the next day once healed.

Sometimes, when beating Kobi alone wasn't enough for Blackbeard, he would call upon Lu Bianyi, Arlong, and Kid; it was a full lineup of villains.

Even Lafitte couldn't bear to watch; one could imagine just how miserable Kobi's life was.

"Lafitte, why don't you try?"

"This pink-haired brat is really tough to beat."

Hearing this, Lafitte slowly shook his head, looking at Blackbeard with deep pain and regret.

"Captain, torturing Celestial Dragons is indeed important, but we must not forget our original intention because of it; with our Black Pirates' current manpower, let alone breaking into the Holy Land Sky City, we can't even break into the Marine Headquarters."

"How can we overthrow the United Kingdom and help you become the King of the World?"

How could Blackbeard not know this?

Alas, recruiting people is just too difficult.

He did not possess the heaven-defying luck of Little Bai Mao; the first person he met after setting sail was Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman.

The second person, Master Tenghu, possessed strength comparable to an Admiral of the Marines and was also a great talent skilled in governance and administration...

As for the third person, Big Bear... it is better not to mention him.

Moreover, the soil that breeds pirates no longer exists; now, taking civil service exams is the trend on the seas, and everyone takes pride in becoming a civil servant of the United Kingdom.

After all, civil servants of the United Kingdom have benefits if they want benefits, treatment if they want treatment, status if they want status, and standing if they want standing...

If it were not for the conflict between him and Little Bai Mao.

Even Blackbeard would want to take the civil service exam, thereby joining the United Kingdom and climbing the ranks step by step; with his strength, which is comparable to an Admiral of the Marines, he would one day reach a high position.

By then, relying on the power he holds in his hands, seeking the Dark-Dark Fruit would be relatively easier.

"By the way, have you found Charlotte Lingling?"

Lafayette immediately slapped his head in frustration: "Look at my memory; I was so focused on thinking about how to recruit people that I almost forgot the main business."

"Lingling is in the Deir Province of the North Sea."

"However, according to Stussy, Kaido's daughter held a grand wedding, and Lingling did not even attend, making the possibility of reaching an agreement low."

Blackbeard stepped on Koby's head again and again, like casually playing with a toy, stepping out a somewhat mocking rhythm.

"Lafayette, prepare the ships immediately."

"Whether we can cooperate or not, we will only know once we go."

Even if rejected by Lingling, the worst that can happen is failure; could it be worse than the current situation?

Additionally, Blackbeard also wanted to know if his strength, which is infinitely close to that of a Marine Admiral, could allow him to subdue Lingling through force.

If possible, the Black Crew would gain a top-tier combatant at the Emperor level.

By the time eight years have passed, he would have the qualification to cooperate with Imu, the former World King.

Therefore, Blackbeard must go.