In the New World, on an isnd under Whitebeard's protection, a pirate ship bearing the Whitebeard Pirates' fg was docked at the port. Teach, along with some crew members from the Second Division, had come here to collect this year's protection fee.

  Pirates of all shapes and sizes were unloading boxes of treasure onto the ship. Teach sat alone on the bow, watching his subordinates work. He wore a bck captain's hat and a dark coat draped over his shoulders, ever since obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit, he'd developed a fondness for dark clothing.

  A thick gold chain hung around his neck, and each of his ten fingers was adorned with rge, colorful gemstone rings. A flintlock pistol rested at his waist, and he held a bottle of rum in his hand. His beard had grown thicker, and his demeanor had become more fmboyant.

  The crew didn't think much of his changed attitude. As far as they were concerned, becoming a Devil Fruit user and a division captain naturally made someone more arrogant. Besides, Teach had always been eccentric, it was just part of who he was.

  Teach took a long swig from the bottle, letting the liquor dribble down his chin into his beard. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, clicked his tongue, and muttered to himself, "How much longer do I have to wait?"

  He prided himself on his patience, but now, with everything seemingly in pce, anticipation gnawed at him. Cudius hadn't contacted him in months. Would the pn ever move forward? If not... maybe he'd just go ahead and act alone.

  Just as that thought crossed his mind, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to ring.

  Teach's eyes lit up with excitement. This Den Den Mushi had been given to him by that butler named Nia. It was special, only Cudius could call through it, and Teach had never once received a call. Until now.

  Teach cast a quick gnce at his crew, gave them a brief nod, then grabbed the bottle and retreated to his cabin. He shut the door, locked it, and closed the windows before answering the call.

  "Your Highness...?" Teach greeted softly. His voice instinctively lowered, his head bowed slightly, and his posture hunched without him realizing it.

  This involuntary reaction startled him. What am I doing? he thought. Cudius couldn't see him anyway. Straightening his back, he forced himself to adopt a more confident tone.

  "Hahaha, Teach," Cudius' voice crackled through the receiver. "How've you been? I heard you got yourself promoted to Division Commander. How about it? Interested in rebelling yet?"

  Teach immediately feigned shock. "Y-Your Highness! What are you saying? I swore my loyalty to you! Just give the word, and I'll act, no hesitation!"

  On the other end, Cudius chuckled. "Ahahahaha! I like loyal subordinates like you."

  Teach forced a smile and continued, "It's my honor to serve you, Your Highness."

  For a moment, Cudius had a strange feeling of déjà vu but he dismissed it. Little did he know that Teach had been reading some of Spandine's infamous books on fttery and mimicry.

  "All right, Teach. Stick to the pn," Cudius said, his tone shifting to something colder. "The target is Thatch, Captain of the Fourth Division. I need you to capture him and deliver him to me."

  Teach's pulse quickened. Here it is. The moment he'd been waiting for. If Cudius was targeting Thatch, that meant the real move against the Whitebeard Pirates was about to begin.

  "Yes, Your Highness!" Teach said eagerly, his eyes burning with ambition. "Leave it to me. I'll get Thatch and deliver him to you as quickly as possible!"

  "Be discreet," Cudius warned. "If Newgate catches on too soon, the pn falls apart. Once we have Thatch, you'll be named the newest Warlord of the Sea."

  The mention of the Warlord title sent a shiver of excitement down Teach's spine. "Thank you, Your Highness! I won't let you down!"

  "I'm counting on you," Cudius said. Without another word, he hung up.

  The abrupt end of the call didn't anger Teach. On the contrary, his mouth curled into a twisted grin.

  "Ze hahahahaha!" he burst out ughing. "Finally! The pieces are moving! Cudius... you arrogant fool. You'll regret trusting me. One day, this world will kneel before me and I'll make you lick my boots!"

  Teach drained the rest of his rum, hurled the bottle against the wall, and stormed out of his cabin. His crew had just finished loading the treasure.

  "Captain Teach! We're done here! Do we head back now?" one of his subordinates asked.

  Teach grinned and held up the Den Den Mushi. "Ze hahahaha! Not yet! I just got word about a big score. But it's too big for us to handle alone, let's get Thatch involved!"

  His crew didn't question it. Teach had always gotten along well with Thatch, and the older commander often helped out the second division. Teach's popurity within the crew made them trust him without suspicion.

  Teach immediately contacted Thatch, spinning a tale about a massive treasure ship ripe for the taking. Thatch took the bait, and the two agreed to meet on a nearby isnd.

  Days ter, Teach and Thatch vanished without a trace. The crew of the second and fourth divisions were confused at first but not overly worried. Thatch and Teach were strong. They could handle themselves. Pirates disappearing for days on end wasn't exactly unusual.

  No one thought to report their disappearance to Whitebeard.

  Meanwhile, a shadow of conspiracy crept over the Whitebeard Pirates. The crew remained blissfully unaware, still basking in the glory of their captain's legendary strength and the prestige of their dominance over the New World.

  Back at Marineford, Cudius and the Marine brass received confirmation: Teach had successfully captured Thatch and was already en route with him.

  Sengoku rubbed his temples in disbelief. "Everything's gone... surprisingly smoothly."

  "Too smoothly," Tsuru muttered. "It feels... unnatural."

  "But it's happening nonetheless," Cudius said, lighting a cigar. He exhaled a plume of smoke and gazed out the window, where the fortifications were nearing completion.

  Smooth or not, the war was drawing closer with each passing day.

  ***

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