Vice-captain of Whitebeard pirates

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"Marco, chase him down quickly!"

As Thatch walked out of the tavern, Larson immediately winked at Marco.

Marco looked confused and didn't understand why Larson was so interested in Thatch.

Lowering his voice, Larson said, "He should be a cook."

A cook?

Marco's eyes lit up, and he rushed out in an instant, his movements so swift that they created a cyan afterimage.

Plank had already picked up on Larson's idea of recruiting Thatch to their ship. He wondered, "Don't we already have me as a cook on the ship?"

After he finished speaking, it was clear that both Pops and Larson were embarrassed.

"Well, I noticed you were too tired to handle things alone, so I thought it would be good to find a helper for you," Larson explained, sounding guilty. Pops lowered his head while drinking, pretending not to hear anything.

"Is that so?"

Plank looked suspicious.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that Larson was hiding something from him.

"Of course not! Why would I lie to you?" Larson replied, adopting a righteous tone.

Pops' face flushed with discomfort after hearing Larson's words. For the first time in years of sailing, he felt a pang of guilt.

At that moment, Larson stood up and approached the tavern owner, who was still seated with an expression of despair.

With a smile, Larson said, "Boss, didn't that man just beat all those pirates away? Why are you still so scared?"

Pops also turned to look.

The tavern owner lifted his gaze upon hearing Larson's voice. He looked at him with a bitter smile and replied, "Those people were pirates from the nearby area. The locals here are terrified of them."

"Terrified of them?" Larson couldn't help but laugh as he recalled the way John fought against Thatch just moments ago. "He doesn't seem like much of a threat to you."

The tavern owner sighed, "Of course we're not afraid of him. He and his crew belong to a pirate group called Labelle. I don't know how big that group is, but there are countless pirates—both big and small—affiliated with them, many of whom are wanted by the government. They are the overlords of this sea region, and no one dares to provoke them. We've gotten used to them, but if we decided to fight back, we'd be attacked in retaliation the very next day. Over time, even the Navy has become wary of them and now avoids getting involved. We've been bullied by them so much that it's practically routine. Even if we report it to the Navy, the members of the Labelle Pirates just play dumb, and the Navy doesn't dare to intervene while no one else wants to take them on. I appreciate that your little brother wanted to help me, but he doesn't realize how much trouble his actions could bring. I'm worried they might retaliate, and it could happen as soon as tomorrow."

"Is that how it is...?"

Thatch, who had returned unnoticed, stood at the door with a disappointed expression.

Larson silently gave Marco a thumbs-up next to Thatch. Yes, they had saved the cook.

Thatch stepped up to the tavern owner and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

The tavern owner smiled bitterly and responded, "I don't care. I can't stay here anymore anyway; I'm moving out tonight."

Thatch pursed his lips, feeling very uncomfortable.

He could have continued running his tavern here, but now he had to leave because of him.

Still, there was nothing he could do. He was indeed strong, but he wasn't strong enough to fight against an entire pirate group alone.

"It doesn't matter; it's just a pirate group. I'll help you take him down!" Marco proclaimed boldly, slapping his chest.

"You?" Plank looked at Marco with suspicion.

Marco glared back. "Don't underestimate me; I'm powerful too, you know."

Plank rolled his eyes but couldn't refute Marco, knowing he had just rescued him in their last encounter.

"You can't take on a pirate group by yourself," Thatch said, shaking his head.

"Who said I was alone?" Marco shot back, walking over to Larson and Pops. "pops, Larson, let's help him out!"

Larson laughed and scolded, "You've already said everything; what else do you want us to say?"

Pops smiled and added, "Okay!"

The three of them exchanged glances, and there was an unspoken bond among them.

Alas, it's all for the sake of the cook!

Gangplank, feeling excluded by the triumvirate, suddenly felt redundant and shouted in dissatisfaction, "Hey, hey, count me in!"

However, Larson and the rest ignored him entirely, their focus solely on the new cook.

"Who... are you?" The tavern owner and Thatch were both dumbfounded.

Especially when they heard the conversation between Larson and Pops, their hearts were shaken.

If they were hearing correctly, the four of them appeared to be gearing up to challenge the Labelle Pirates!

"You don't know who we are yet?" Marco seized the opportunity to boast. Standing beside Pops, he said proudly, "Let me introduce you. This is the real king of this sea, a pirate with a bounty of 1.5 billion beli, the captain of our Whitebeard Pirates—Edward Newgate, also known as Pops!"

"W-Whitebeard!!!" Thatch exclaimed, his mouth agape in disbelief.

No wonder, no wonder he felt that these people looked so familiar just now! How had he not realized that this was the famed Whitebeard?

The Whitebeard Pirates—they were genuinely members of the Whitebeard Pirates!

Marco felt satisfied with Thatch reaction. He then turned back to Larson and said, "Let me introduce you again."

"No need for introductions," Plank interrupted, his eyes wide. "You're the vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, Larson!"

With Pops' identity revealed, Larson's identity inevitably came to light.

Being interrupted like this by Thatch made Marco feel uncomfortable; the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat. That feeling was truly frustrating.

Pops approached Thatch, who instinctively felt a twinge of fear in the presence of the pirate with a 1.5 billion bounty. However, Pops suddenly extended a hand toward him, smiling as he said, "Kid, join the Whitebeard Pirates."

Join the Whitebeard Pirates?!?!

Did I hear that right? He actually invited me to join the Whitebeard Pirates?!

"I do! I absolutely do!" Thatch replied hastily, worried that Pops might change his mind at any moment.

Pops grinned and announced, "Then take my name and turn the world upside down!"

Thatch's eyes widened in disbelief. This was no joke; he had indeed been invited in.

While feeling a mix of excitement and disbelief, he couldn't help but think about how extraordinary this was. The man standing in front of him was a powerful pirate who commanded a 1.5 billion bounty—a true terror of the seas. Yet, paradoxically, he did not feel the slightest sense of oppression. Instead, Pops exuded a friendly aura.

The Whitebeard Pirates had just welcomed their fifth crewmember!

"Now, let's officially welcome our new crew member!" Larson said cheerfully. Glancing at the wreckage on the ground, he turned to the tavern owner and added, "Boss, we'll compensate you for your losses as usual. Plus, you don't have to move."

The tavern owner was so stunned he hardly processed what Larson was saying.

The 1.5 billion beli bounty combined with Thatch's 20 million meant they were sitting on a total bounty of over 1.5 billion!

The implications of what Marco just said echoed in his mind. He couldn't help but wonder how much the bounty was for the Labelle Pirates. Did it reach 2 billion combined?

He had no way of knowing; in fact, only a handful of pirate groups in the entire seas could offer such a massive total bounty of 2 billion.

The Labelle Pirates collectively might not even reach 20 million beli in all.

"Bring it on," Pops said as he, Larson, Marco, Gangplank, and Plank sat around a table. Pops was the first to raise his glass. "Let's welcome Thatch to the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"Cheers!" Larson and the others raised their glasses, clinking them before taking a drink.

Marco was the happiest among them.

In addition to Thatch being the cook, he was also relieved that he would no longer be the youngest member of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Thatch grinned and said, "Thank you all."

Pretending to be casual, Pops asked, "Thatch, can you cook?"

Marco eagerly perked up, while Gangplank looked slightly disdainful.

It didn't matter if Thatch could cook; he doubted the other's skills could compare to his.

Thatch was taken aback: "How did you know?"

When Pops heard this, he instantly felt a weight lift off his shoulders. "Hahaha, all good. Let's keep drinking!"

Pops reached for his drink again, but Larson interjected.

"Let's solve this problem first, and then we can go back to the ship and drink at our leisure."

Larson preferred to address issues immediately before indulging.

"Okay," Pops shrugged, looking disappointed.

Only Larson had the power to get the saloon-loving Pops to stop drinking.

Looking out at the sky, Larson noted that it was just noon—the best time of day.

He approached the tavern owner, taking out a bag of gold coins. "This is for your wine and compensation for the damages to your establishment."

"Thank you, thank you!" the tavern owner quickly accepted the money. However, he knew it wouldn't even cover the cost of the wine and compensation. Larson was aware of this as well, but he had other matters to address with the tavern owner.

Larson asked, "Can you take us to find the Labelle Pirates?"

The tavern owner instantly shook his head fervently. "No, no! I can tell you where they are usually located, but please don't make me go with you!"

Larson smiled reassuringly. "What are you afraid of? After today, there won't be any Labelle Pirates left. Why would you still fear their vengeance?"

Nevertheless, the tavern owner continued to shake his head. Although the bounty of 1.5 billion beli commanded by Pops and Larson impressed him, who could guarantee they would defeat the Labelle Pirates?

The tavern owner had his reservations. Even though he despised the Labelle Pirates, if he guided Larson and the others and they failed to eliminate them, he could still be at risk of retaliation.

Larson gritted his teeth in frustration. He had never encountered someone like this before.

"Forget it, Larson," Pops said, patting his shoulder. "We can find them ourselves."

At that moment, Larson told the tavern owner, "Have you thought that if we don't find them, you could still be targeted for retaliation?"

Don't forget, after John was beaten just now, he was likely to call for help. Under normal circumstances, if Larson and the others hadn't intervened, John would indeed seek revenge.

"Let's go," Pops called, and everyone began to head outside, with Thatch following closely behind.

"Wait, wait a moment!" The tavern owner called out.

Everyone halted, and Pops looked back at him. "What is it?"

"You—can you really take down the Labelle Pirates?" The tavern owner asked nervously.

Hearing this, Larson couldn't help but chuckle. He realized that this person appeared to have a misconception about what the 1.5 billion beli bounty represented!

But it was understandable; after all, the tavern owner may not fully grasp the value of a 1.5 billion bounty.

So, Larson took it upon himself to clarify and help him understand.

Stepping up to the tavern owner, Larson smiled and said, "The Labelle Pirates, as intimidating as you think they are, are merely ants that we can crush with ease. So, please don't worry—trust us."

In truth, Larson's motivation to eradicate the Labelle Pirates was not just to help the tavern owner but to prevent Thatch from feeling guilty later.

Because of Thatch's actions, the tavern owner could face repercussions, which would leave a heavy emotional burden on Thatch. Thus, it could potentially become a lingering worry for him in the future.

Everything Pops and Larson were doing was ultimately aimed at keeping the future cook in a good mental space.

They wanted to eliminate the experiences that would cause Thatch to feel guilty about just how terrifying piracy could be.

"Alright, I'll show you the way!" In the end, the tavern owner agreed to guide them. He chose to take a gamble and place his trust in Pops and the others.

This wasn't truly the tavern owner's fault; the consistent intimidation imposed by the Labelle Pirates had instilled too much fear within him. Even though he recognized that Pops and Larson had higher bounties than the Labelle Pirates, he still struggled to believe they would actually defeat them, all thanks to the oppression the Labelle Pirates had maintained over him for so long.

"Lead the way," Larson said, after they gathered the purchased wine. With that, he, Pops, and the others officially set off.

Once they boarded the ship, the tavern owner began directing them.

"How did you know their location?" Larson asked with curiosity.

The tavern owner explained, "I don't know their specific location, but I know the areas where their ships are typically active. If you head there, you might run into them."

Everyone fell silent at this. So, you don't even know their precise location?

"Everyone, let's have some dessert and relax," Thatch announced, returning with a plate of pastries.

It was worth mentioning that Thatch had officially been appointed by Pops as the cook of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Without further ado, Marco snatched up a dessert and took a bite, his eyes lighting up. "Delicious!"

While Thatch had acknowledged his role as a cook, his culinary skills had always been a mystery to Marco.

But with just one bite, Marco felt an immense sense of relief. He was convinced that Thatch could vastly outshine Plank. In comparison, Plank's cooking was merely sustenance to keep one alive.

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