The first day of the event was undoubtedly a success. It further stimulated the audience's satisfaction for that kind of desire to see fists strike flesh.
Business on the island became even more booming.
At the same time, the basic information booklets on each contestant, officially compiled by the Thunder God Pirates, also began selling wildly on the island.
Every contestant even became famous overnight because of it!
And so, under this atmosphere, betting pools naturally emerged as well. The hidden bookmaker behind them was none other than Raijin Island's official side.
The current main betting pool was mainly about guessing who would become the final winner of this match. There were also many smaller branch wagers and ordinary bets, all of which were very lively.
At this moment, inside an underground betting house on the island, a middle-aged man with a cane, blind eyes, and scars on his face was also rolling dice.
"The Thunder Emperor's aura has grown much stronger than it was back then. I already couldn't see through him before, and now he has probably become even stronger. Perhaps the Thunder Emperor truly can overthrow the World Government…"
At the same time, in the waters of the New World.
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard sat in the main seat. He was not drinking deeply from the fine wine in his cup. Instead, he looked at the man in front of him with an especially complicated gaze.
Marshall D. Teach.
"You've already decided?"
Whitebeard asked Teach in a low voice.
Although he had already expected this, he had not expected this day to arrive so quickly.
Whitebeard understood every one of his sons very well.
As an overlord of the sea, he had known clearly from the very beginning that Teach had ambitions and no weak physical strength. He had also known Teach's flaws: recklessness, arrogance, and conceit.
But when Teach first came to him, sought refuge under him, and acknowledged him as Oyaji, the sincerity and worship in his eyes had not been fake. That was exactly why Whitebeard had accepted him.
As time passed, more than ten years went by, and the ambition in Teach's eyes was gradually worn away. Whitebeard had even thought that he had completely given up. He had not expected Teach to have kept it hidden in his heart all along.
"Yes, Oyaji. I've already decided to leave."
Kneeling in front of Whitebeard, Teach kowtowed once before speaking.
The resolve on his face made it clear to anyone who saw him that this fellow was dead set on leaving.
Back then, he had joined the Whitebeard Pirates and acknowledged Whitebeard as Oyaji. Aside from his desire for the Yami Yami no Mi, his worship toward Whitebeard at the time had also come from the bottom of his heart.
However, what he worshiped was not Whitebeard as a person, but the title of the world's strongest carried by Whitebeard, and that unmatched peak-level power!
And now…
"Go."
Whitebeard sat in his seat and waved his hand without asking why.
"Oyaji, I'm leaving!"
Teach was also very decisive. After saying that, he directly stood up and walked toward the ship's side.
"Teach, why?"
Whitebeard might not ask, but that did not mean Marco and the others would not ask.
"A dream that was hard to realize in the Whitebeard Pirates has found new hope. Do you think someone like me, who has waited more than ten years, would keep waiting?"
Teach did not even turn his head. He only continued forward while speaking.
"You think you can realize it in the Thunder God Pirates?" Marco said, somewhat furious.
"Zehahahaha! I can! As long as the Thunder Emperor is willing, he can help me."
This time, Teach stopped walking. Then he turned around and answered Marco seriously.
After gathering information during this period, Teach had already confirmed it.
The Thunder Emperor, Roy, absolutely possessed a method that could accurately identify and locate Devil Fruits.
Moreover, the Thunder Emperor was very enthusiastic about collecting Devil Fruits. The fact that he had stationed forces on Fish-Man Island to collect Devil Fruits as tolls already proved this point!
In addition, the Thunder Emperor was not stingy when rewarding his subordinates, and he had both methods and boldness!
In order to expand his influence and recruit stronger crewmates, he had actually taken out such a rare Mythical Zoan Fruit.
In the past, aboard Whitebeard's ship, Teach had the highest chance of obtaining the Yami Yami no Mi.
But now, no matter which aspect he considered, Teach felt that the Thunder God Pirates were the most correct choice for him at present!
Most importantly, unlike the Whitebeard Pirates' rule that any Devil Fruit obtained belonged to whoever found it, the Thunder God Pirates had recently established a contribution system. On the Thunder God Pirates' side, one could make achievements, hand over acquired treasures or Devil Fruits, and then have them converted into corresponding contribution points to exchange for desired supplies and Devil Fruits.
He had heard that at the very top of the Thunder God Pirates' contribution ranking was the Logia-type Pika Pika no Mi!
No matter how he looked at it, the Thunder God Pirates had the highest chance of producing the Yami Yami no Mi!!
This was also the reason Teach had made up his mind.
"Willing? How do you know the Thunder Emperor will be willing? For help that you don't even know whether you can get, you're just leaving directly without caring about Oyaji's expectations for you? Don't you know that the reason the Second Division has never had a commander is because of you?"
With Teach's physical strength, he could completely serve as the captain of the Second Division.
"How could I not know? But I had already determined long ago that my dream could never be realized in this pirate crew, so I would leave sooner or later. That's exactly why I never wanted to become the Second Division commander."
After saying that, Teach walked to the ship's side without looking back, then directly jumped into the sea and rapidly swam away into the distance.
"That damned bastard!"
"Marco, let him go."
After saying this, Whitebeard did not speak again. He only picked up the wine jar beside him and began gulping down mouthful after mouthful.
The wine flowed down along his beard and chest before falling onto the deck. No one would feel worse than Whitebeard over the departure of one of his own sons!
At this time, Teach was swimming rapidly across the surface of the sea. After confirming that no one behind him had come to chase him, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Zehahaha! The Thunder God Pirates are the ones best suited for me! Hm… Should I go to the Grand Line first and destroy Drum Island? Forget it. Now that the secret of the two-Devil-Fruit constitution has been completely exposed to the world through the Thunder Emperor's announcement, the World Government will definitely conduct a strict investigation into the Thunder Emperor's Atlantis, his ship, and his sailing route.
"If I go destroy Drum Kingdom now, it might draw the World Government's attention instead. I should first join the Thunder God Pirates and obtain the Yami Yami no Mi, then make plans afterward!"
Having made up his mind, Teach no longer hesitated. He directly swam toward the distance.
(End of Chapter)
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