"The World Government will send me a batch of Devil Fruits to pass on to you," Stephanie said with a faint smile through the Den Den Mushi.
She had barely finished speaking with her superior before turning around and relaying the message to Teach, who had only just walked away from her. Stephanie now wore the identity of a double agent like a second skin, and she wore it for no one but herself.
"Is their efficiency really that fast?" Teach raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised that the World Government had acted so quickly after their business on Scorpion Island.
"Of course. Your intelligence is extremely valuable, especially the details about Whitebeard. And your strength, along with your potential, has already caught CP's interest." Stephanie's tone softened into a playful warning. "With me, you are safe for now. But I cannot guarantee others will not watch you from the shadows. The Navy's intelligence network is not to be underestimated, so try not to get caught."
Teach laughed, the Den Den Mushi resting by the window. He leaned against the wall and glanced out at the endless horizon of blue.
"My journey is not ending any time soon," he said. "Have a little faith."
"Do not disappoint me," Stephanie replied before disconnecting.
Teach let the snail drift back into its neutral expression, a faint smirk touching his lips. She wanted initiative, wanted leverage. She believed intelligence and Devil Fruits would be enough to control him.
If so, she was dreaming.
On deck, Kaguya was locked in a sparring match against several crew members at once. Even while surrounded, he fought with relaxed precision. His raw combat intuition surpassed most forms of Observation Haki, and not a single attack landed cleanly.
Bone rods extended from his hands, stripped of their usual bone spikes so she could fight freely without maiming anyone. Even holding back, he controlled the tempo with ease.
Not far away, Wallace fought against Daz Bonez and Clemons. His wrists were bound by handcuffs reinforced with Seastone, suppressing his Devil Fruit powers and draining nearly eighty percent of his physical strength. Even so, he remained on his feet, relying purely on technique, grit and martial arts.
Bonez and Clemons had improved dramatically. Under Wallace's guidance, both had trained relentlessly, sparring with the rest of the crew whenever possible to sharpen their instincts and expand their arsenal.
For Wallace, fighting these two while shackled acted as a brutal form of training. The weakness, the emptiness under his skin, the oppressive sense of powerlessness created a unique crucible.
All three specialized in blending martial technique with Devil Fruit abilities. Even stripped of his own, Wallace's movement and discipline created a spectacle that drew half the crew to watch. Some had even started a betting pool on how long Wallace could endure.
Clemons in particular had grown terrifyingly fast. His body, empowered by the Muscle-Muscle Fruit, had reached the level of an elite combatant among non-executives. His physical growth was monstrous. The fruit granted raw strength superior to many Zoans, and more importantly, allowed him to command muscle growth directly.
With enough understanding of his body, he could force his muscles to swell, harden or erupt with explosive strength. At the moment, he could coat half an arm in reinforced muscle, giving him both crushing power and armor-like defense.
But the ability was dangerous. Improper use could shorten his lifespan or collapse his body outright. Muscle control required precision, or else the entire biological system would fall out of balance.
In contrast, Bonez was physically weaker but equally promising. His Dice-Dice Fruit resembled Barton's Scythe-Scythe Fruit in nature. Teach had seen Barton's monstrous capabilities firsthand. If Bonez awakened his ability under Teach's guidance, he would one day stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest warriors on the ship.
A shout interrupted the sparring.
"Navy approaching!" the lookout atop the mast yelled.
"Oh? Is there a Marine Vice Admiral?" Wallace paused, wiping his forehead.
"Too far, I cannot tell!" the lookout called again.
That alone was enough. Spotting them early was the lookout's job. He possessed excellent eyesight and served as one of the Nightfall Pirates' marksmen.
"No Vice Admiral. Just a standard Marine warship," Van Augur said, lowering his monocular. The long spear in his hand glinted beneath his black cloak.
Wallace rolled his shoulders. "Haven't had a good workout lately. Let's take that warship."
Teach was still training in the depths below the ship, sometimes spending an entire day underwater. He disliked interruption, though he always kept awareness of the ship's condition through Observation Haki. Command fell naturally to the executives.
Nelson tipped his hat. "Captain said we need money. It would be a shame to let a warship delivered to our doorstep slip away."
"Then leave it to us!" Clemons cracked his knuckles, excitement burning in his eyes. "If you executives jump in, the ship will be scrap metal."
It would be his first time facing the Navy directly. Before this, they had only been chased. Vice Admiral Brom had hunted them relentlessly for days, failing every time. His warship had been damaged so often that repairing it probably cost enough to fund two replacements.
"Go," Nelson said. "Do not let them get away."
The Nightfall Pirates adjusted their course. The Marines spotted them immediately.
"The Nightfall Pirates... they are heading straight for us! Turn around, full retreat!" the Marine captain shouted, panic spreading through the crew.
No one protested.
The entire warship erupted in fear.
The West Blue Navy had suffered enough at the hands of the Nightfall Pirates. At Modern Island, three warships meant to delay their escape had been wiped out before Vice Admiral Tsuru even arrived. Later, those same three warships were sold openly at auction.
No one wanted to face them. Only Vice Admiral Brom's forces ever tried, and even he paid for it.
But luck had betrayed this particular warship.
"They are running fast," Nelson remarked. "I will handle their control panel."
He vanished in an instant, streaking across the sky toward the Marine ship.
"You all go fight. Clean them up."
Within moments, screams erupted. Marines stationed around the control panel fell one by one, blood spreading across the deck. The engines stuttered to a stop.
"What happened to the controls?" panicked voices echoed across the ship.
The Marines rushed toward the control room, but the door was already sliding shut.
Nelson stood inside, long sword in hand, adjusting his top hat with a smile. "I said this path is blocked."
The first Marines lunged to stop the door, but Nelson vanished. A silver arc cut through the room, and several Marines collapsed before they registered the strike.
The heavy door sealed shut.
By then, the pirate ships had already closed in.
"Kill them. Take the warship!"
The Nightfall Pirates leapt aboard, crashing into the remaining Marines like a tidal wave. Kos and the other marksmen fired from afar, suppressing anyone attempting to flank or escape.
"Hold the line! Reinforcements are on the way!" the Marine captain yelled in desperation.
His words meant nothing. The Marines had lost their will to fight the moment they saw the Nightfall Pirates flag.
Still, in the last moments of their lives, some Marines burned with resolve. They fought with fading courage, only to be overwhelmed.
Clemons crashed into their ranks, fists moving so fast the air cracked. Every punch targeted a vital point, Marines flying like broken dolls.
Kaguya advanced slowly, twin bone blades dripping blood. His expression was calm, but the Marines trembled. The name White Haired Demon had already spread throughout West Blue.
A Marine fired at her, followed by a volley from the others. But the bone armor that grew across his body blocked every bullet. He walked through the hail of fire untouched.
"Monster… impossible…"
Weapons clattered to the floor as hope died.
Bonez tore through their numbers, turning limbs into hardened blades and slicing through formations like paper.
Within minutes, every Marine lay dead. The captain perished beneath Nelson's sword.
The Nightfall Pirates suffered no casualties. Only a handful bore minor injuries.
Their strength now dominated all of West Blue. Even a small portion of their crew outclassed most pirate crews entirely.
A Den Den Mushi vibrated in the dead Marine captain's coat.
"Reinforcements calling," Nelson said. "Koji, take it."
Koji, grinning, lifted the snail. "Want me to lure them in?"
"Of course," a pirate shouted. "We still have not had enough fun!"
Koji grinned wider.
He was the user of the Mime-Mime Fruit, able to imitate any sound he heard. It was considered a lesser version of the Imitation Fruit, but today, it was exactly what they needed.
The hunt was not over.