One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

The earthquake quickly subsided, but the people in the room were still a little dazed. Only Lindbergh's eyes were heavy with caution. His figure flashed as he darted out of the command post. Gildeo and the others followed closely behind.

As soon as they reached the outside, they encountered a panicked revolutionary running toward them with a report.

"Pirates are attacking!"

The moment they heard "pirates," the expressions of the officers turned grim. Betabo gritted his teeth.

"Good! The Marines haven't arrived yet, and now these pirates are rushing in to claim territory? Do they think the Revolutionary Army has no one to defend it?"

The others echoed his anger, clamoring to teach the pirates a lesson.

Gildeo, however, remained calm. He spoke up, his voice steady.

"Wait! The opposition isn't ordinary. The earlier earthquake was likely caused by one of them."

The informant wiped sweat from his brow and confirmed, "That's correct. The leader of the pirate crew is a burly black-haired man. Our forces couldn't even get close before he knocked them out with a punch from afar. It seems to be the power of a Devil Fruit!"

Lindbergh's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention. He muttered gravely, "A Devil Fruit... A power capable of causing earthquakes... Could it be the rumored Tremor-Tremor Fruit?"

Everyone gasped.

"Whitebeard? Did he escape?"

But the thought was quickly dismissed. This was the Grand Line, and Whitebeard's distinct crescent-shaped mustache and imposing physique made him easily recognizable. Moreover, after the recent major events, it was widely known that Dragon had sought to ally with the Whitebeard Pirates.

The informant quickly confirmed this as well. He was certain the intruder was not Whitebeard.

Meanwhile, Lindbergh's eyes flashed coldly.

"No matter who it is, let's go and see for ourselves."

On the shoreline, a group of Revolutionary Army soldiers, led by the fish-man Hack, had surrounded a band of pirates.

The ground nearby was riddled with cracks, and several watchtowers had collapsed.

Hack was drenched in cold sweat as he stared at the leader of the pirates. The sheer destruction from just one casual attack was enough to make him realize that if the man wanted to kill, they wouldn't stand a chance.

In the center of the pirates stood a man with a boisterous laugh—Blackbeard Teach. Surrounding him were familiar faces: Burgess, Van Augur, and Lafitte. Even Charlotte Chiffon, whom he had taken from Whole Cake Island, stood beside him.

Teach looked at Hack and laughed.

"Oi! Is the person in charge here? Don't keep me waiting too long! Zehahaha!"

Having acquired the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and gathered his crew, Teach was now brimming with confidence. As he bit into a cherry pie handed to him by Chiffon, he looked completely indifferent to the Revolutionary soldiers surrounding him.

Hack was forced to endure the situation, waiting anxiously until footsteps approached from behind.

Turning to see Lindbergh and the others arriving, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Van Augur adjusted the monocle on his face and said calmly, "Boss, we've got company."

Teach finished his cherry pie. Chiffon, ever attentive, wiped the corner of his mouth with a white handkerchief.

He patted her hand before looking toward Lindbergh and the others. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he grinned.

"Ah, so that furry guy must be Lindbergh, commander of the Southern Army. A Mink, huh? I wonder how his strength compares to Inuarashi or Nekomamushi back then."

The mention of Inuarashi and Nekomamushi brought back vivid memories for Teach—of their defeat decades ago at the hands of Carl. That event had left a deep impression, marking one of the rare times the Whitebeard Pirates had suffered a major setback.

Teach's expression darkened slightly at the memory. Noticing this, Chiffon asked with concern,

"Husband, are you feeling unwell?"

Teach waved her off and muttered, "I'm fine. Just remembering someone."

Lafitte tilted his head curiously. "Boss, are you thinking of Fleet Admiral?"

Teach clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Who else could it be?"

By then, Lindbergh and his group had reached the scene. Lindbergh eyed Teach with suspicion before speaking cautiously.

"You're... Blackbeard, formerly of the Whitebeard Pirates' second division?"

Teach folded his arms and grinned widely.

"You're not wrong, but let me correct you. It's former second division commander. Now, I'm Blackbeard, captain of the Blackbeard Pirates! Zehahaha!"

Lindbergh raised an eyebrow.

"Former commander... So you've left the Whitebeard Pirates to start your own crew? Does that mean Whitebeard has succumbed to his injuries?"

Teach's grin widened.

"Zehahaha! You're talking about Pops, huh..."

He raised his fist, causing a translucent shockwave to ripple from it, stunning Lindbergh and his men. Teach dismissed the display with a laugh, slapping his round belly.

"Pops is alive and well, so don't go spreading baseless rumors!"

-----------

+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg