31 Chapter 31

"I'm sure you're hungry," Ace squatted down in front of Teach's cell. "Your food's coming in a minute."

Teach didn't stop struggling from his bonds. He was like a chained up wild animal as he used all the strength he could muster to break out and kill Ace.

At that moment, Soma entered the floor where the brig was. He was carrying a tray of food and drink for Teach. Once again, Ace was impressed by how fast Soma can cook up a dish.

The scent of Soma's cooking wafted to Ace and Teach. It smelled like fried seafood rice. Smelling the delicious cooking of Soma, Teach's stomach grumbled more fiercely. He lost his strength to struggle against his chains and relaxed.

Ace stood up and opened Teach's cell for Soma to enter. He stood by the side and watched them closely. The moment Teach even tries to harm his cook, his death would come swiftly.

"You better not do something stupid like attack me. I'm not here to hurt you," Soma said to Teach before entering his cell.

Teach nodded slightly. Soma entered the cell and placed the tray of food in front of Teach. He then started removing the cuffs using the set of keys that Hepha crafted for each of the Royal Aces. It gave them access to all the rooms in the ship except for the others' personal bedrooms.

The moment he could move freely again, Teach started eating the food in front of him. Soma cooked a big portion for Teach seeing how their prisoner was so big. Teach chewed and swallowed big mouthfuls of food. After his third bite, he stopped and turned to Soma who was watching him.

"Thank you. Your food is delicious," Teach said.

"Don't thank me," Soma didn't accept Teach's gratitude. "I'd rather die before cooking for an enemy. Thank my Captain instead. He's the one who wanted me to cook for you."

Soma went out of Teach's cell and turned to Ace. He left Teach to his shock at hearing that Ace ordered his cook to whip up a dish for him to eat.

"Anything else I can help with, Ace?" Soma asked his captain.

"No. Thanks, Soma. I'll take it from here," Ace said to Soma, bidding him to go.

Teach sat there silently for a moment before going back to eating the food in front of him. Right now, he is tired, hungry, and beaten. Eating the food in front of him would get rid of at least two factors that contribute to the weakness he was currently feeling.

Ace watched Teach eat heartily, every bite giving him much needed energy and filling him with renewed vigor. It didn't take long for Teach to finish eating. He put down the spoon in his hand and muttered a silent gratitude for the food given to him.

Then, as Ace expected, Teach immediately got up and charged at him. The cell was left open for that sole reason. It'll be broken by an energized Teach anyway, so Ace didn't close it.

Teach was unarmed. Doppol's Doubles had the foresight to remove the metal claw he was using from his person. It was currently being kept inside Hepha's forge. She loves studying weapons, after all.

Since he had no weapon on him, Teach relied on his fists. He tried pummeling Ace, but the latter easily caught both his hands. Seeing how he can't get his hands out of Ace's ridiculously strong grip, Teach opted to use his head. But not in the way he should've.

Teach reared his head back. It was obvious that he was about to headbutt Ace. Seeing what Teach was trying to do, Ace decided to meet his challenge. Both of them covered their foreheads in Armament Haki. The collision of their headbutt had a metallic banging sound, courtesy of their Armament Haki covering their foreheads.

"When are you gonna realize you stand no chance against me?" Ace asked, clearly amused at Teach's unending stubbornness.

"ZEHAHAHA! When you lay dead beneath my feet!" Teach taunted Ace.

"I'm gonna have fun breaking your will."

Ace and Teach reared their heads back once again for another headbutt. This time, Ace easily won.

Teach was sent flying back to his cell from Ace's headbutt. His forehead was bleeding from the sheer force Ace used. He lay down in his cell as he saw stars. He was clearly disoriented.

"Follow me," Ace said to Teach before walking out of the brig and up the deck.

Teach begrudgingly got up and followed. Ace was surprised he didn't try to attack. Still, the surprise was welcome. Ace walked to the front deck with Teach a few paces behind him.

The Royal Aces, except Doppol, were drinking on the front deck when Ace and Teach got there. A few Doubles were playing music to make the mood merrier. Seeing Teach follow behind their captain didn't disrupt the mood at all. It was obvious that they didn't even see him as a threat with Ace right there with them.

"So, he finally stopped being stubborn?" Terzo asked.

"For now," Ace said before sitting among his friends. "Join us, Teach!"

Ace gestured to a free spot on the round table between him and Hepha.

"Stop fucking around!" Teach was about to smash the round table, but then Ace kicked him away.

"Drink now, fight later!"

Ace poured booze on two wooden mugs. He approached Teach and offered him the one on his left hand.

Teach just looked up at Ace. Then, with a scoff, he took the offered booze. He drank it as he sat on the deck.

"HAHAHAHA! Good man!" Ace laughed and squatted beside Teach to pat him in the back. "Since you drank the booze I gave you, let me make you an offer."

Ace stood back up and went back to his seat among his crew. They were all looking at Teach. The latter had an idea what it was about.

"If this is about inviting me to join, don't count on it!" Teach stood up. "No way in hell am I gonna join a crew that wants to kill my father!"

"Here comes the exciting part!" Ace said, standing up like Teach did. "If you join us, I vow that I won't kill Whitebeard or any of his crew."

"What?" Teach was surprised by what Ace said.

It seems he assumed that the death of Whitebeard was their goal. He watched Ace just casually walk back to his seat on the table with his crew.

"I thought you wanted to kill Whitebeard?" Teach asked.

"It's just a means to an end," Ace said. "Your father is one of the Four Emperors. He's one of the people that stands in the way of my dream."

"And what exactly is your dream?"

"To become the only Emperor of the Seas!" Ace once again declared, but not before downing the contents of his mug.

Teach was silent. He stared at Ace deeply, observing any sign that he could. Instead of the usual reply like shooting his dream down, Ace was surprised to see that Teach was actually taking him seriously.

"ZEHAHAHA!" Teach suddenly started laughing. "It'll be difficult, y'know?"

"I know," Ace said with a smirk.

"The Navy won't let it happen."

"Then I'll destroy them if they wish."

"The World Government won't just stand by and watch as the seas fall under one man."

"Then I'll make them."

"Other pirates won't just welcome you with open arms."

"They're welcome to try and stop me."

"ZEHAHAHAHA! You dream big!"

"Pirates that enter the New World willingly go to one of the Four Emperors to lick their boots and survive in that sea. At least, that's common sense for all the weak-minded ones," Ace stated as he poured booze from a bottle to his mug. "When I subdue the Four Emperors and make them swear allegiance to me, that's when I start achieving what I set out for!"

Teach started drinking from his mug more. Ace was glad that he was at least listening. Teach can be a valuable member of the crew. If he still doesn't want to join, Ace already sees multiple ways on how Teach will still be useful.

"You're crazy."

The Royal Aces laughed at Teach's words. Ace joined in.

"Of course he is," Vash said before drinking.

"That's what I told him the first day I met him," Hepha said after downing all the contents in her mug.

"So? Will you join us, Teach?" Ace asked once again.

"I already gave you my answer. I'd rather die," Teach said, still as resolute with his decision as ever.

"Man, how loyal you are!" Ace drank from his mug in annoyance at Teach's stubbornness. "What's so great about that old man Whitebeard?"

"He's the greatest man there is! That's who my father is!" Teach proudly declared.

"Hmm? How so?" Ace asked. He was curious about this world's Whitebeard. He was hoping it was the same one he knows.

"Why the hell would I tell you? I'm not giving away information you could use against him!" Teach said before trying to drink from his mug, only to find out it was now empty.

Ace gestured to the empty seat beside him after seeing Teach's mug was empty. Teach begrudgingly stood up and sat on the seat Ace beside Ace. Ace and his friends didn't emit any hostile aura at all. At least, they seemed welcoming.

"Finally," Vash simply said after seeing Teach sit down with them.

"Never had any doubts, Captain!" Soma raised his mug to Ace.

"Oi! I'm just joining your table for a drink!" Teach said, immediately not liking the celebratory mood of the crew. It was as if they assumed he was part of the crew now.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Terzo said to Teach as he munched on a meat skewer to accompany the booze.

Hepha was sitting beside Teach as well since his seat was between her and Ace. She wordlessly poured booze from a bottle inside Teach's mug.

"I'm not asking about Whitebeard," Ace said to Teach, continuing the conversation. "I'm asking about your father, Edward Newgate."

"Why do you even want to know?" Teach asked before drinking.

"Curiosity. What's so great about your father for you to be that loyal to him?" Ace asked before taking a meat skewer from the table.

Teach took a meat skewer for himself before answering. He looked like he was thinking about something as he chewed the bite he took from his stick. Ace took a bite of his skewers too, letting Teach think.

"My father is an honorable man," Teach said.

"An honorable pirate?" Soma scoffed.

"There are as many good pirates as there are good marines, so they say," Ace said.

"Who said that?" Vash asked before taking a bite of his own meat skewer.

"Me!" Ace said as he jutted his thumb to point at himself. "So, Whitebeard is an honorable man?"

"He is. Otherwise, how would so many islands offer him tribute without him forcing them to?" Teach said. "My father is a guardian to those under his protection. With him, you can't help but feel… safe."

"I see. So why leave from the safety he provided you?" Vash asked.

"Like I said, I set out to build a fleet. He dropped me off here after pestering him for five years. I was expecting to find some decent rookies to help me make him the king, but then…" Teach stared at Ace. He didn't need to say anything more.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Man, am I that great? Thanks!" Ace laughed before drinking from his mug.

"If he's really as great as he sounds, why would you need to go out of your way and make him king?" Soma asked.

"That…" Teach tried to find the words. "He doesn't want to."

"Come again?" Terzo asked.

"He doesn't want to become the King of Pirates. He always says that."

"Why do you even bother, then?" Hepha scoffed.

"No one else is more fitting to be King!" Teach thumped a fist on the table, but not hard enough to break it or spill the food and drinks on it. "If my father can't be king, no one can be!"

The Royal Aces said nothing at Teach's declaration. For a man to shamelessly say such words, it would only mean that they fully believe in them.

"How about a game, Teach?" Ace offered. Hepha chuckled. She knew where this was going. Still, her face was slightly scrunched up in worry.