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Chapter 276: The Machinations of a Formidable Man! A Standoff of Hidden Agendas
"Phew..."
Only when that bone-chilling killing intent completely vanished, and only when Gion's oppressive figure walked far away, did Teach, who had been shrinking behind Thatch, finally act as if all the bones in his body had been extracted.
He slid down Thatch's thigh, collapsing into a heap on the ground.
"Oh my mother..."
"Scared... scared me to death!"
"I really thought I was going to die!"
The fat all over Teach's body was trembling. That greasy, large face was written full of the panic of a survivor. Tears and snot mixed together as they flowed down his face.
He looked as wretched as one could look. As cowardly as one could be.
"It's okay, it's okay!"
Thatch quickly crouched down. He patted Teach's back vigorously, his face full of concern and apology.
"It's all my fault!"
"I shouldn't have egged you on to go up there just now!"
"I didn't expect that female Marine's killing intent to be so heavy!"
"Even if I went up against her, I probably wouldn't have had a good time!"
"You suffered, brother!"
Thatch felt genuinely guilty. He felt that he had pushed the honest and simple Teach into a fire pit, nearly costing his brother his life!
"Boohoohoo..."
"Commander Thatch..."
"It was too scary!"
"I never want to watch the fun from the front row again!"
"I want to go back to the ship!"
"I want to eat cherry pie to calm my nerves!"
Teach cried with snot and tears running down his face. That appearance was simply a three-hundred-pound child who had been scared out of his wits.
"Alright, alright, alright!"
"Eat! Eat as much as you want!"
"That whole box of cherry pies is yours!"
Thatch quickly comforted him. Other pirates around them also gathered around. Although everyone held a bit of contempt for Teach's cowardice in their hearts, they mostly felt sympathy for a comrade who had suffered an "undeserved disaster."
After all, a Marine Vice Admiral of that level was truly not something an ordinary crew member could handle.
——————
However, while everyone was chattering and comforting Teach, no one noticed the fat man who had his head buried in his hands, body still twitching slightly.
Beneath those lowered eyelids...
In those eyes that were originally filled with panic and stupidity...
A flash of heart-palpitating cold light flickered past!
Phew...
That was close!
Really close!
Teach's heart was still beating violently.
Damn Red Hair!
Using the motion of wiping his tears, Teach stole a glance at Shanks in the distance.
Deep in his eyes lay a resentment so thick it couldn't be dissolved!
That bastard...
He definitely sensed something!
Those three scars... looks like it's a pain he'll never forget in this lifetime!
Teach sneered in his heart.
Luckily...
My acting skills are good enough!
Luckily...
I'm shameless enough!
Teach gave himself a frantic thumbs-up in his heart.
Dignity? Face?
What kind of bullshit was that?
In front of true ambition, in front of the dream of dominating the world, this little humiliation was nothing!
As long as he could stay alive! As long as he could get that damned Dark-Dark Fruit! Even if he had to eat shit in public, he, Marshall D. Teach, could smile and say it tasted delicious!
Zehahahaha...
The thrill of surviving a disaster made Teach unable to resist letting out a signature wild laugh in his heart.
He had won again!
Once again, right under the noses of these so-called "big shots," like a rat, he had successfully hidden himself in the gutter!
Just you wait...
Red Hair, Whitebeard, and that damned female Marine...
When I get what I want...
When I trample this world under my feet...
I'll let you know... just how ridiculous today's scene really was!
Teach pulled a squashed cherry pie from his bosom. Without even looking, he stuffed it into his mouth, wrapper and all.
That cloyingly sweet taste, in his mouth right now, was unprecedentedly delicious!
——————
Not far away.
Red-Haired Shanks watched the fat man who was wolfing down the pie. His eyes flickered slightly.
"It really looks like it..."
"Looks exactly like a harmless house dog."
Benn Beckman walked over. The eternal cigarette still hung from his mouth. He asked in a low voice:
"Are we really just letting it go?"
"Although that cowardly look just now didn't look like acting..."
"My intuition tells me."
"That guy..."
"Is very dangerous."
Beckman was a smart man. He was also one of the top intellects on this sea. He trusted Shanks' judgment, and he trusted his own intuition even more.
A man who could make an Emperor remember a scar could absolutely not be a simple piece of trash!
"Forget it."
Shanks shook his head. A profound light flashed in his single eye.
"You saw it too."
"That old man Whitebeard protects his calves tightly."
"If we really moved to kill Teach right here and now..."
"Then this Foosha Village today..."
"Would probably be sunk by the quakes."
Shanks turned to look at the massive figure standing proudly at the bow of the Moby Dick.
Edward Newgate.
At this very moment, that man's gaze was also traversing the crowd, landing meaningfully on Shanks.
There was no killing intent. But it carried a warning as heavy as a mountain!
"Family..."
"Is that old man's reverse scale."
Shanks smiled bitterly. He picked up his bottle and threw his head back for a big swig.
"Besides..."
"Now isn't the time for infighting."
Shanks lowered the bottle. His gaze turned toward the center of Foosha Village.
There, a seemingly ordinary tavern stood quietly in the sunlight. The broken wooden sign in front of the door that read "Dungeon Shop" swayed gently in the sea breeze.
Creak... Creak...
The sound wasn't loud. But in the ears of all the top powerhouses present, it was as deafening as thunder!
That was the main point! That was the true core of this gathering of winds and clouds today!
"Compared to a potential hidden danger..."
"That man named Blake..."
"And the powers in his hands that can overturn the world..."
Shanks' expression became unprecedentedly grave.
"He is the monster truly worth our vigilance!"
——————
Whitebeard Pirates' encampment.
Marco looked at Teach, who had finally stopped crying and was eating frantically, and shook his head helplessly.
"This guy..."
"His guts are too small, yoi."
"Looks like it's better to let him show his face less in these big scenes in the future."
Marco thought to himself.
Then, he turned and walked to Whitebeard's side.
"Pops."
"That Red Hair..."
"He definitely did it on purpose just now."
Marco's voice was kept very low.
"Although I don't know what grudge he has with Teach..."
"But the killing intent that exploded from him for a split second just now..."
"It was real."
"Gurarararara..."
Whitebeard grinned. That laugh was filled with insufferable dominance. But in those half-narrowed eyes, a trace of shrewdness flashed.
He was old. He was sick. But he wasn't blind! And he certainly wasn't stupid!
Who was Red Hair? He was an apprentice on Roger's ship! He was the youngest overlord on this sea! Would such a person target an ordinary crew member for no reason?
"That Red-Haired brat..."
"His eyes are poisonous."
Whitebeard murmured softly. His gaze swept over Teach, whose mouth was covered in jam.
His look was complex.
That was his son. Family on his ship.
It wasn't a bad thing for sons to have ambition. The current Whitebeard Pirates lacked a figure who could carry the banner.
As long as Teach still called him Pops... As long as Teach didn't do anything to betray the family...
Then he, Whitebeard... would use this broken body to keep him safe!
This was his principle! And his bottom line!
"However..."
"Since Red Hair has already backed down."
"Then let this matter end here."
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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