In a refined bamboo pavilion on the edge of the Royal Forest.
Aeridar and Dimitri walked in. From a distance, they saw two people in the pavilion: Andy, and a tall, slender, pale-faced man.
Aeridar immediately recognized the latter as the navigator of the Blackbeard Pirates, the former West Blue policeman known by the epithet "Demon Sheriff" Lafitte. He had seen him before at Marineford, but now Lafitte was wearing a white cloak with a feathered collar.
"Blackbeard Pirates' Lafitte greets His Majesty Aeridar and Dimitri-dono!" Seeing Aeridar and Dimitri approach the pavilion, Lafitte humbly took off his hat and bowed slightly.
"Demon Sheriff Lafitte, the former policeman of the West Blue. I have heard your name," Dimitri said, examining him for a few seconds, recognizing him.
Lafitte was slightly startled but quickly recovered, saying, "I am deeply honored."
Lafitte dared not show any contempt toward the man before him, the commander of the Chris Pirates' Third Division. After all, Dimitri was also the Minister of Military Affairs for the Clifford Kingdom, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops in the country. His tactical brilliance in troop deployment was renowned worldwide.
The Marines had even secretly extended an olive branch, saying that if he joined them, all his past crimes would be pardoned, and he would be given the rank of Vice Admiral and a position of real authority.
"Are you a mime or a tap dancer?" Aeridar looked at Lafitte's attire and the black tap shoes on his feet, asking mockingly.
Lafitte straightened up, put on his black top hat, and smiled. "If His Majesty Aeridar wishes to see it, I can perform both."
"Hohohoho. I think I'll pass," Aeridar said, waving his hand with a laugh. "I'm more accustomed to watching beautiful women perform for me."
"That's a pity. I've actually done some research into mime and tap dancing," Lafitte shrugged.
"Have a seat."
Aeridar gestured.
The three men sat around the bamboo table, and Andy immediately served three cups of clear tea.
"This is South Blue Cloud Mist Tea, a tribute offered to the Celestial Dragons. It's truly rare," Aeridar remarked casually.
Sure enough, Lafitte uncovered his cup. The tea inside was shrouded in rolling mist, yet the clear liquid was still faintly visible. A pure aroma wafted over, instantly clearing his mind. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Excellent tea!"
However, after speaking, Lafitte immediately realized his mistake and felt an inward shock. This top-tier tea, a tribute to the Celestial Dragons, was being casually used by his hosts to receive a guest. This display of wealth and influence was enough to know the whole picture from just a single glimpse.
It was well-known that the World Government controlled this premium Cloud Mist Tea. Besides the batch specifically delivered to the Celestial Dragons, only a few top-level officials with immense actual power were able to taste it. It wasn't something money alone could buy.
This tactic of establishing dominance without raising a fuss, a subtle show of force, was exceptionally brilliant. Lafitte quickly suppressed his internal shock, striving to maintain his composure.
He took a small sip. Lafitte felt the clean fragrance silence his mind, clearing all distracting thoughts. He even sensed a slight opening in his soul.
"Excellent tea!"
Lafitte couldn't help but praise it again.
Watching Lafitte's reaction, Aeridar's lips curled into a smile. This top-tier South Blue Cloud Mist Tea was known for its ability to clear the mind, calm the spirit, and remove distracting thoughts. It was extremely beneficial for the meditation undertaken by strong warriors after intense training, and it was no exaggeration to call it priceless.
"The tea's been drunk. Tell me, what business does Blackbeard have in sending you here?" Aeridar said, fiddling with his white jade teacup and looking directly into Lafitte's eyes.
"His Majesty Aeridar, are you familiar with Roamer Crimson Malha?" Lafitte countered with a question.
"Roamer Crimson Malha? Stop beating around the bush and get to the point."
Hearing that name, Aeridar and Dimitri raised an eyebrow, prompting Aeridar to demand an answer directly.
"Some time ago, this most low-key emperor of the underworld approached the Blackbeard Pirates, claiming he could help us deal with the Chris Pirates and help Captain Teach secure a spot as a Yonko!" Lafitte stopped hedging.
"Hmph. Laughable!" Aeridar snorted, scoffing. "An underground rat. That's quite a boast!"
"You wouldn't believe him based solely on Malha's power. He must have been honest about the person backing him, right?" Dimitri stared at Lafitte.
"Indeed. The World Government and the Celestial Dragons, that's what he claimed," Lafitte said, shrugging with a hint of sarcasm on his face.
"He certainly knows how to flatter himself," Aeridar sneered.
"So, the negotiations broke down. Captain Teach personally attacked and sank one of Malha's ships. Unfortunately, we didn't anticipate that Malha has a Fish-Man subordinate who managed to sneak him away under the sea," Lafitte admitted frankly that the talks had collapsed. He regretted that, having broken ties, the best course of action would have been to eliminate him completely, but they failed to do so.
"You're being surprisingly honest." Aeridar narrowed his eyes and asked, "But you still haven't stated the purpose of your visit. You didn't come all this way just to tell me this, did you?"
"Of course not. This is simply our sincerity," Lafitte said serenely.
"Heh. Sincerity?"
Aeridar and Dimitri both curled their lips in skepticism.
"There are certain things Captain Teach hopes to discuss with you alone," Lafitte said, meeting their gaze.
"Nani?"
Aeridar and Dimitri's eyes widened.
"Meet me? Here?"
Aeridar pointed unbelievably at the ground beneath his feet.
"Precisely. What do you say?"
Lafitte smiled and lightly sipped his tea.
…
On a certain island in the New World.
Since the defeat at the Paramount War and the death of their captain, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, the deterrent power of the Whitebeard Pirates had plummeted completely. Their territory had severely shrunk, being carved up and contested by countless opportunistic pirates.
The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and their affiliated fleet had retreated and converged here.
Bang!
The massive round table shook.
"We absolutely cannot let this stand! We must avenge Pops, Ace, and Thatch!" Vista, the Fifth Division Commander, glared at everyone present, the fury in his eyes almost turning to flame.
"We have to slaughter Blackbeard and wipe out the Blackbeard Pirates! Otherwise, everyone will see us as a piece of fat meat that anyone can take a bite out of!" Rakuyo said through gritted teeth.
"That's right! We can't continue like this!"
"Since when did the Whitebeard Pirates fall to this point? No matter what, we have to show the world that we still have enough strength!"
"Vengeance! We'll make that bastard Teach pay for the blood debt!"
"Marco, you're the First Mate. What do we do?"
More than ten Division Commanders and dozens of pirate captains were highly agitated, filling the hall with noise.
Marco on the main seat raised his head expressionlessly. He looked at the raging crowd and slowly stood up.
"Gather every person we can, consolidate all our supplies, and once everything is ready, we take our revenge!" A savage look appeared on Marco's otherwise expressionless face.
"Vengeance!"
"Vengeance!"
"..."