Chapter 449: I'm Returning It to the Captain

As for consuming that Devil Fruit? Although Blackbeard has not found the Yami Yami no Mi in these years, he has discovered many rare Devil Fruits.

He can simply choose one from among them.

But once Blackbeard truly made up his mind, he felt a certain hesitation in his heart.

After all, that big-headed Vegapunk never speaks a single truth.

Back when he performed the bloodline modification on him, Vegapunk patted his chest and guaranteed that the Lunarian race was a race of gods, with peerless defense when their flames burned.

And the result?

Blackbeard was first hammered into the sea depths by Loki, then beaten savagely by Aokiji, and finally punched away and sunk into the sea.

When sparring with his wife Charlotte Lingling, he was even caused to vomit blood non-stop by the half-fused Baccania bloodline.

Every single incident proves one thing: Vegapunk is a great liar.

If he truly consumes another Devil Fruit, causing him to be unable to consume the Yami Yami no Mi in the future, he will have nowhere to cry when that time comes.

Thinking of this, Blackbeard immediately suffered a splitting headache.

"Lu Bianyi, call everyone for a meeting."

Since the old method failed to find the Yami Yami no Mi, Blackbeard prepared to try a different approach.

Not long after, inside the Queen's cabin.

Blackbeard sat upright in the main seat of the conference room, with Vice Captain Lafitte and Helmsman Arlong on his left and right, Navigator Lu Bianyi, and the two intern brothers Kid and Killer.

"Brothers, I am preparing to infiltrate the enemy's interior."

Blackbeard's shocking words made several people, including Lafitte, suck in a cold breath.

"Now that the United Kingdom is powerful, if we follow the old method, we will never think of overthrowing the United Kingdom even in a hundred years."

"But if we join the United Kingdom, we will have the possibility of dismantling the enemy from within."

As the words fell, Lafitte asked.

"Captain, if we all join, what about the industries under the Club? The brothers struggled for many years to build this foundation; do we really have to give it all to the United Kingdom?"

Blackbeard nodded slightly, clearly very satisfied with Lafitte's cooperation.

"This problem is actually easy to solve; I have decided to adopt the method of breaking the whole into parts."

Back then, wasn't Little Bai Mao exactly using this method to break the Morning Star Group into parts, thereby deceiving the Five Elders' gaze, and finally overthrowing the World Government in one stroke?

Having spoken, Blackbeard made arrangements.

"Arlong, you go to defect to the former Warlord and current highest governor of the Fish-Man Island Province, Tiger. I remember you were Tiger's little brother before."

Arlong was just about to refute, but his gaze swept past Koby under Blackbeard's feet, and he immediately shut down.

What Blackbeard did to Koby made the Black Crew witness what true cruelty... perversion looks like.

"Lu Bianyi, the Army is recruiting soldiers just now; you go join the Army and try to mix into the Army's high command."

Lu Bianyi's eyes widened, he felt terrible, and pointed at himself in disbelief.

"Captain, me? Mix into the Army's high command?"

You have to have some limits when joking, Captain.

The Army completely copied the Navy's military ranks; from a new recruit to the Army's high command, it takes at least thirty years of struggle, and he is already nearly forty years old this year.

Seeing this situation, Blackbeard said dissatisfied.

"I do not ask about the process; I only want the result."

That Arlong didn't say anything, yet you, Lu Bianyi, only know how to get drunk every day; it's a shame I previously thought you were some kind of expert.

Indeed, the name was not called wrongly.

Lu Bianyi is just Lu Bianyi.

"Alright." Lu Bianyi nodded helplessly.

Koby was simply too miserable; Blackbeard didn't even forget to step on Koby's face with his big foot while holding a meeting, and Lu Bianyi did not want to anger Blackbeard.

Moreover, joining the Army would allow him to escape this den of demons, the Black Crew.

As for avenging his companions?

Better forget it.

He, Lu Bianyi, is just a lucky ordinary person; if he had acted with the captain back then, how could he have survived until now?

Having followed Blackbeard in the Black Crew for these years, Lu Bianyi has completely seen through reality; Blackbeard wanting to overthrow the United Kingdom is simply a pipe dream.

With the Black Crew's misfits, they cannot even pass the Navy's hurdle, let alone have the qualification to stand before the King of the World, Saint Seven.

It would be better to join the Army and, with the secrets mastered over these years, secure a good future.

Regarding the Old Noble Alliance behind Blackbeard, Lu Bianyi remembers every single one clearly.

At this moment, Blackbeard looked at the two interns.

"Kid, Killer."

"You two brothers go undercover in the Navy; within eight years, you must become the base commander of a Navy branch."

The reason for this arrangement is the experience Blackbeard gained from watching news reports over these years—

The King of the World, Little Bai Mao, seems to do nothing, yet the people under his hand can govern the United Kingdom in perfect order.

Little Bai Mao can do it.

He, Blackbeard, can naturally do it too.

The potential of the people under one's hand is always forced out.

Eight years later, when the former King of the World, Saint Imu, returns, Blackbeard must have a territory; a Navy branch is a good choice.

I'm afraid no one would think that he, Blackbeard, would play the game of hiding in the light, infiltrating his own crew members into the Army and Navy interiors respectively.

With the meeting reaching this point, Lafitte had already reacted: where Blackbeard would arrange him.

Where else but the Air Force? After all, only he in the Black Crew possesses the ability to fly.

As Lafitte had suspected, Blackbeard hesitated for a moment, then looked at him with reluctance.

"Lafitte, join the Air Force."

"With your strength, you'll surely secure a place there. We'll reunite in eight years."

After saying this, Blackbeard rose and walked away without looking back; Lafitte hurried after him.

"Captain, what about you?"

"Where are you going?"

Blackbeard naturally wanted to return and keep having children with Charlotte Lingling, but he couldn't say that outright.

"Charlotte Lingling and I raised three hundred boys; by then, our Black Crew will never lack manpower again."

Lafitte clenched his lips.

It's over. All of it's over.

The hope of promotion and raise vanished in an instant—what did these nine years of undercover work in the Black Crew amount to?

Just sunk costs?

Had his recent pressure triggered Blackbeard's rebellion, causing him to simply give up entirely?

To place all hope of toppling the United Kingdom and becoming King of the World on those three hundred fools?

Or on the child Blackbeard and Charlotte Lingling had just conceived?

The descendant fused with Lunaria blood, Ancient Giant blood, Davy blood, and Charlotte Lingling's lineage?

"Captain… take care."

To be honest, Lafitte was tired too. No merit? Fine, no merit.

Even without merit, there should be at least hard work.

Blackbeard nodded, left the crew on Gaya Island, stepped onto his Kobi, and drove the Queen Ship at full speed toward the North Blue.

Thinking of returning to Charlotte Lingling's side, Blackbeard longed to tear open space itself.

Seeing this, A Long bowed his hands.

"Farewell, everyone."

After A Long departed, Kidd and the Kira brothers also chose to leave, leaving only Lu Bianyi and Lafitte.

Just as Lafitte was about to leave, the crewman Blackbeard had sent to Gaya Island to gather intelligence rushed over, carrying a wooden crate.

"Vice-Captain, where's the Captain?"

Lafitte's face was expressionless. "He returned to the North Blue. What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

The crewman carefully opened the wooden crate, revealing a pale purple Devil Fruit. At a single glance, Lafitte's throat went dry, his breathing growing rapid.

The Devil Fruit he had yearned for years was right before him—how could he not be stirred?

Lafitte forced himself to calm his racing heart.

"Give it to me. I'll deliver it back to the Captain."

The crewman didn't think twice and handed the crate to Lafitte; everyone in the club knew Lafitte, the Vice-Captain, was utterly loyal to Captain Blackbeard.

Lafitte lifted the crate and shot into the sky.

Only Lu Bianyi stared at Lafitte's departing figure, thoughtful: Something's off. Very off.

Lafitte was too excited just now.

Could that Devil Fruit mean something?

And Lafitte said he'd deliver it back to the Captain—not deliver it to him. Realizing this, Lu Bianyi pulled out a Den Den Mushi, preparing to warn Blackbeard.

After all, years of friendship mattered—this was his final farewell before leaving.