#5 The Plan to cause Chaos

"…Who did you say? Fire Fist Ace?!"

Blackbeard froze, looking utterly shocked by Carlo's words.

"Oh, I forgot. Teach, you came from the Whitebeard Pirates too. You were on the same ship. You and Ace must be pretty close, right?"

"My bad, my bad. I misspoke. Don't take it the wrong way!"

Carlo slapped his thigh, acting like he had just realized his mistake. His exaggerated performance was almost comical.

"Uh... not really."

"Don't blame yourself, Carlo. Ace was my captain back on the ship."

"Zehahaha, I did admire the kid, but we were never really on the same page. So, don't worry about any relationship between us."

Blackbeard walked over and patted Carlo on the shoulder, signaling it was no big deal.

Of course, you weren't on the same page!

Carlo kept his inner snark hidden behind his acting…

"But brother, why target Ace? He's incredibly strong, and that old man really values him."

"Catching him would be much harder than finding several guys worth 300 million berries each!"

The old man Blackbeard referred to was, of course, the legendary Emperor, Edward Newgate.

Blackbeard couldn't understand why Carlo would target the old man's most cherished son.

"Oh, no problem, then."

Carlo's acting was seamless, his sudden shift leaving Blackbeard speechless.

"The reason is simple. If we use Ace's capture to secure your Warlord title, it will cause the biggest stir since Roger's death!"

"In this massive wave, our names will instantly rise to the top, becoming famous across the seas!"

"Plus, the benefits and opportunities we'll gain from this uproar will be enormous!"

Three sentences left Blackbeard stunned!

This was on a whole new level!

Blackbeard never imagined Carlo's ambition could be so vast, even surpassing his own!

Carlo wanted to shake the entire world and reap the benefits from the chaos!

The pinnacle of ambition. Even Blackbeard, who dared to kill and steal from Whitebeard, hadn't thought this far!

He didn't yet know how Carlo planned to achieve this, but the sheer audacity of the idea left Blackbeard in awe…

"I'm also from the East Blue, like Ace, so I've been following this 'senior' super rookie."

Seeing the confusion in Blackbeard's stunned eyes, Carlo continued, "I know quite a bit about his exploits."

"Whitebeard's special treatment of Ace is almost like grooming a successor. You know this better than I do, right?"

Blackbeard, still in shock, nodded instinctively.

"And Whitebeard values family above all. If we hand over Ace, the most important person to him, to the Navy, what do you think will happen?"

"Will the Navy let him go? Or will Whitebeard just stand by and watch his beloved son die on the execution platform?"

"Neither!"

Carlo's persuasive tone led Blackbeard to realize everything, and he shouted immediately!

Excitement, extreme excitement!

Blackbeard was now breathing heavily, filled with intense exhilaration, looking at Carlo as if he were a genius!

He initially thought he'd found a gem, a combat genius.

But now he realized Carlo was operating on an entirely different level!

This wasn't just finding a gem; it was like destiny had given him the ultimate advantage. With Carlo by his side, how could he not conquer the seas?!

Even though Carlo hadn't explained his plan fully, Blackbeard's intelligence pieced it together.

To not understand at this point would make him a fool unworthy of such an incredible partner!

Having hidden in the Whitebeard Pirates for over a decade, Blackbeard never intended to stay. He was waiting for an opportunity.

The Dark-Dark Fruit was that opportunity, something he waited ten years for, during which he played the role of a simple, harmless crew member.

Blackbeard was always aware of the sea's political landscape. The Navy and World Government's current stance was crystal clear to him.

If they captured Ace, the Navy would never let him go. They'd use this opportunity to assert their power!

Destroying or suppressing an Emperor crew would end, or at least mitigate, the chaos since Roger's execution.

Thus, Ace's capture would lead to his certain death.

And Whitebeard, knowing Ace's fate, would undoubtedly lead his forces to rescue him!

The strongest Emperor crew and the Navy Headquarters, each with their reasons, wouldn't back down.

As Carlo said, this would create a massive, world-shaking event!

And they would be the ultimate victors in this chaos!