Teach had not expected such an ability to exist.
This was likely its first appearance on the high seas.
The Ghost Cry Tree was an extremely peculiar existence. No wonder Liszt possessed such terrifying spiritual power.
According to legend, Ghost Cry Trees inevitably withered and died on their own. As time passed and the tree grew, its spiritual wails became stronger and spread farther, until the tree itself could no longer withstand its own power. In the end, it would collapse from exhaustion and perish.
Liszt's condition was the direct result of this.
If his physical strength continued to stagnate, his body would keep weakening until it eventually collapsed completely.
Spirit-related Devil Fruits were universally acknowledged as both powerful and extremely rare. Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit, the Revive-Revive Fruit, and the so-called Spirit-type abilities all fell into this category.
In the New World, there was even an infamous example.
Akane Rexter, the Trickster of the Weird Pirates, was a Paramecia-type Mind-Mind Fruit user. He was an overlord-level pirate whose position was supported almost entirely by that Devil Fruit.
Without it, Akane's raw strength would barely reach that of an elite Marine Vice Admiral. His physical talent was mediocre, and his physique was far from monstrous. However, he possessed top-tier Observation Haki and a terrifyingly abnormal Devil Fruit.
The Mind-Mind Fruit was nearly impossible to defend against. It was an extension of spiritual power, granting the ability to interfere with and even control the minds of others. Because of this, very few people dared to provoke the Trickster.
More importantly, Akane's mastery of his fruit was so profound that it heavily restrained Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit. Against him, Big Mom's abilities were largely ineffective.
At the same time, Big Mom's own powers and monstrous body granted her significant resistance against Akane's mental interference. As a result, although the Weird Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates rarely clashed head-on, their relationship was notoriously hostile.
The reason went deeper.
Akane Rexter was a member of the Three-Eyed Tribe.
It was an extraordinarily rare race, with an unknown population that might not even exceed a hundred individuals worldwide. Among the Weird Pirates alone, two other Three-Eyed Tribe members served as Akane's left and right hands.
Big Mom had long set her sights on that bloodline.
Even though their territories were far apart, she repeatedly attempted to seize members of the Weird Pirates. After her marriage proposal was rejected, she openly tried to capture Three-Eyed Tribe members to force them into bearing children, or at the very least extract the tribe's hidden location.
Naturally, Akane Rexter could never accept this.
That was how the conflict between the two sides began.
The legends surrounding the Three-Eyed Tribe were not unfounded. Their third eye granted them extraordinary perception, allowing them to see trajectories and movements with extreme clarity, giving them frightening combat awareness.
Although Akane lagged far behind other overlords in physical strength, his combat power was unquestionable. His fighting style relied not on brute force, but on the Mind-Mind Fruit itself. Enemies often fell without even realizing how they had been defeated.
There were even rumors that Akane had awakened the tribe's most mysterious ability.
Prophecy.
Unlike Observation Haki, which only glimpsed the immediate future, this power was said to allow him to perceive events that would occur over a longer span of time. Combined with the Mind-Mind Fruit, its effects were nothing short of terrifying.
Compared to that, Liszt's Ghost Cry Tree Fruit clearly possessed immense potential, especially in terms of spiritual damage. But before any of that could be realized, his body needed to be properly conditioned.
The initial recovery would be slow.
But once balance was restored, his ability would no longer suppress him.
"Since you've joined our crew as the ship's musician," Teach said with a smile, "take a look at this score for me. I wrote it, but it still needs polishing."
Under Liszt's surprised gaze, Teach pulled out his manuscript.
Before Liszt could speak, Pouf quickly added, "Captain's composition is already high quality. What it lacks isn't inspiration, but refinement. It needs someone truly top-tier."
He said this deliberately. After all, he himself had once underestimated Teach's music.
Liszt grew curious.
From Pouf's demeanor alone, he could tell that the man's musical understanding was solid. Someone like that would not offer empty praise.
He accepted the manuscript and began to read.
First came Teach's notes.
They clearly described the theme and emotional direction of the piece, pirates, the sea, freedom, and passion. The entire melody had already been written. What Teach wanted Liszt to refine was the orchestration, the way multiple instruments would combine to create something grand and overwhelming.
Teach did not even attempt to write out every detail. Remembering the full melody alone was already impressive.
In his mind were countless melodies from his previous life. Whether or not he gained the reputation of a world-class composer meant little to him. If it happened, so be it.
The sea was wild and unrestrained.
A pirate ship sailed across the boundless ocean.
A sudden gale erupted. Giant waves roared as they smashed onto the deck. The sound was hoarse, primitive, and savage, like the cry of untamed wilderness. There was no softness, no concealment, only raw impulse that made one's blood boil and nerves tighten.
Close your eyes, and all you could see was a massive vortex in the endless sea, devouring everything, time, space, and towering sprays of water. You were soaked through, exhilarated to the core.
Passion. Desire. Senses stretching outward.
That was the feeling.
The pirate ship surged forward.
Pain and joy intertwined. Reality and fantasy overlapped. Indifference clashed with fervor. Escape and pursuit twisted together, spinning, colliding, condensing, erupting, and finally sublimating within a relentless rhythm.
For Liszt, it was undeniable.
This was a masterpiece.
The full composition exceeded ten minutes. What Pouf had performed earlier was only a fragment. Teach had fused multiple themes together, dividing them into stages to form a complete piece.
"He's a Pirate."
After reading Teach's conceptual notes for each section, Liszt finally understood what Teach meant by perfection.
The piece demanded many instruments. Teach had written parts for only three or four, and merely listed several others without detailing their roles. Even more instruments needed to be added to fully realize the vision.
Liszt felt warmth surge through his chest.
Passion he had long thought extinguished reignited. His heart, once cold and resigned, burned again with creative fire.
He forced himself to calm down.
"Captain," Liszt said earnestly, "this will take time. I'll need my grandfather's help, and my teacher's as well. This isn't a small undertaking."
Teach raised an eyebrow.
From those words alone, it was clear Liszt's background was extraordinary.
"No problem," Teach replied with a grin. "We're not short on time. Let's go together."
He then turned to Baccarat. "Notify the crew. Have someone bring the ship's band back and settle them properly. As for instruments, let Liszt handle the purchases later. We don't understand them well enough."
"Understood, Captain," Baccarat said. She took out a Den Den Mushi and began issuing instructions.
Before long, crew members scattered across Venus rushed over. They were surprised by the sight of the children, but said nothing. Under Baccarat's guidance, they escorted the children away.
Teach and the others followed Liszt toward the core district of Venus.
Along the way, they learned about his past.
As Teach had guessed, Liszt came from a prestigious musical family. His grandfather was a world-renowned musician. His father had been a famous singer. His teacher was also a master of the craft.
However, as Liszt's condition worsened, his control over instruments declined. Despair drove him to leave behind a letter and disappear from his home.
He had once been dazzling.
From a young age, his talent was astonishing. He composed music early, radiating confidence and brilliance. But as his body weakened, his performances deteriorated. What was once powerful and rhythmic slowly became gentle and subdued.
His family believed he had left Venus.
In truth, he had never gone far.
He hid in a forgotten corner of the city.
Now, he was returning.
The Franz family manor stood proudly in the central district, opulent and dignified. Several instrument shops in Venus were properties of the Franz family. As a musical lineage, they had also been granted noble titles by multiple countries.
"Young Master Liszt?" The guards at the gate recognized him instantly.
The butler hurried out, visibly shaken when his gaze fell on Teach and the others.
"They are my friends," Liszt said calmly. "Take me to see my grandfather."
The butler hesitated. Recognizing Teach, he knew he could not make that decision himself.
"Please allow me to inform Count Franz first," he said apologetically.
Liszt nodded. "Go ahead."
Not long after, an elderly man in exquisite attire emerged. His bearing was elegant, refined by decades of prestige.
"Liszt," Count Franz said, emotion thick in his voice. "You've finally come back."
"I'm back," Liszt replied softly. "I've found a way to solve my physical problem. I can't stay long, but I need your help, Grandpa."
Count Franz trembled slightly at those words. He barely spared Teach and the others a glance. Though he recognized Teach, fear did not touch him. As a world-class musician, he had performed before kings and nobles alike.
"What do you need?" he asked. "I'll do everything I can."
"This piece," Liszt said, gesturing toward Teach. "The Captain composed it. It's already complete in spirit, but it needs refinement. It's a massive project, and I need your help."
Count Franz frowned.
A pirate composing music?
He doubted it instinctively.
But he trusted his grandson.
Taking the score, he glanced at it briefly, then froze. His eyes sharpened as he continued reading, quickly becoming absorbed.
"Come inside," he said at last. "This isn't a place to talk."
Within the manor lay a grand concert hall, filled with instruments of every kind.
Teach and the others stood aside as Liszt and Count Franz began refining the piece.
The melody was complete. The vision was clear. What remained was orchestration, guided entirely by Teach's conceptual framework.
Even Count Franz could not handle it alone.
Before long, several other master musicians were summoned, followed by a full symphony orchestra.
Teach's composition ignited their passion.
For them, this was not just work.
It was a challenge.
A new musical frontier they had never imagined.