The sun sagged low on the horizon, bleeding orange and gold across the sky, and casting long, flickering shadows over the deck of the Moby Dick. The Whitebeard Pirates were as lively as ever — their boisterous voices rising over the crash of waves, drinking, sparring, laughing like men who believed they'd live forever.
But Lupin wasn't in the mood for it.
He sat alone at a table near the edge of the deck, the wood weathered smooth by salt and time, one boot up on the bench, nursing a half-empty bottle of cheap rum. The last month had crawled by, each day as dull and predictable as the one before it. The system kept feeding him the same tedious daily quests: Polish your gun. Talk to a crewmate. Eat a good meal. Check the system interface.
Pointless, mindless chores. A handful of Berries here, an Edit Point there. No new monthly quest, no real challenge. Just waiting. And Lupin hated waiting.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, claiming his latest paltry reward — a few more Berries and a single Edit Point. His total ticked up to 570.
Big deal.
With a sigh, he grabbed the bottle and dragged it to an empty table near the ship's rail, where the night breeze could catch in his hair and carry away his irritation.
He was halfway through the bottle when a long shadow stretched over his table. Lupin glanced up and immediately tensed.
It was Marshall D. Teach.
The man most of the crew saw as harmless, loud, maybe a little strange — but to Lupin, it was like staring down a predator wrapped in a fool's grin. He knew what lurked beneath that grin. The kind of darkness that didn't just kill a man, but broke him apart.
Teach gave a wide, toothy smile and pulled out the chair across from Lupin without so much as a word of invitation. "Yo, Lupin!" he greeted, voice gravelly and too damn cheerful. "Mind if I join ya?"
Lupin gave a casual shrug, masking the twist in his gut. "It's a free table."
Teach laughed and plopped down, slamming a full tankard onto the wood. "Heard from Thatch you got yourself a Devil Fruit. That true?"
Lupin raised his glass, took a long drink, and nodded. "Yeah. Calm-Calm Fruit. Paramecia."
Teach's eyes gleamed like a man who'd just been shown a winning hand in a card game. "Oh? What's it do?"
"Simple," Lupin said coolly. "Creates a field around me. No sound escapes. Footsteps, gunshots, screaming — doesn't matter. Outside that zone, it's like nothing's happening."
For a second, Teach just stared at him — then barked out a booming, breathless laugh that turned a few nearby heads. "Zehahahaha! Now that's a dangerous little trick!"
Lupin didn't bother responding. He just took another sip of rum.
Teach leaned in, dropping his voice as if they were old conspirators. "Y'know… most guys wouldn't be too scary with a fruit like that. But you, Lupin… Number Two gunner on the Moby Dick, sharp as a razor, sneaky as hell — you with that Calm-Calm Fruit? You could be the best damn assassin in the world. Zehahaha!"
Lupin forced a crooked smirk, though his fingers tightened around his glass. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Inside, he seethed. The last thing he wanted was to be compared to an assassin. Especially by him. But he had to play the game.
"Where'd you get a fruit like that anyway?" Teach asked, swirling his drink.
"Family heirloom," Lupin lied smoothly. It was a line he'd rehearsed a hundred times. "Passed down through generations."
Another booming laugh. "Lucky bastard. Guess fate's got a thing for you."
Lupin didn't answer. Instead, his gaze flicked to the system interface only he could see. A thought gnawed at the back of his mind.
I should just edit his wanted poster. Expose him now. Let the world see what a bastard this guy really is.
But when he checked the system's poster registry, the familiar scowl deepened on his face.
No listing. No bounty. Not a single damn thing.
After more than a decade at sea, somehow Marshall D. Teach still didn't have a wanted poster. It was almost absurd. The man was a time bomb, and the world didn't even know his name yet.
Do I really wanna waste a Creation Point just to make a bounty for him? he thought bitterly. It'd be suspicious as hell. Too early. No… it wasn't time yet.
So, he let it go. For now.
Teach kept rambling — about rare Devil Fruits, famous pirates, half-whispered rumors of the Grand Line. Things that would've interested Lupin under different circumstances, but now only made him restless. Still, he couldn't deny it: the bastard had charisma. Even knowing what he did, Lupin understood how people got pulled into his orbit. He could talk his way into anyone's good graces.
Then, without warning, Teach asked, "You ever think about movin' up the ranks?"
Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"Well," Teach grinned, sharp and wide, "Whitebeard's always on the lookout for new Division Commanders. You keep showin' what you can do, maybe one day you'll be sittin' at the top. Zehahaha!"
Lupin gave a noncommittal grunt, unwilling to tip his hand. He wasn't about to tell Teach his ambitions. Or what he knew about the future.
Still, he couldn't resist one shot across the bow. "And you, Teach? You aiming for the top too?"
Teach's grin stayed in place, but his eyes flashed in the dying light. "Nah… I'm a simple man, Lupin. I just like good booze, good fights, and a ship under my feet. Life's good like this."
Liar, Lupin thought. I know what you're after. And one day, you'll burn this world down to get it.
They sat in companionable silence after that. Or something like it. The rest of the crew caroused around them, the sound of laughter and clashing tankards filling the night air. Lupin felt himself relax a fraction, if only because the alcohol dulled the tension.
When Teach finally got up — slapping Lupin's back hard enough to nearly knock him forward — Lupin gritted his teeth and kept his smirk in place.
"Good drinkin' with ya, brother!" Teach roared, vanishing into the crowd.
Lupin raised his glass, giving a tight nod. "Yeah. Anytime."
As soon as the man was out of sight, Lupin slumped back against the chair, let out a slow breath, and stared out at the horizon.
This world's a goddamn mess, he thought, swirling the last dregs of rum in his glass. And I'm right in the middle of it.
Then — a soft chime in his head.
[Daily Quest Completed.] +5 Edit Points. Total: 575.
He was about to close the interface when something new blinked into existence.
[New Monthly Quest Available!]
Quest: Gain the full trust of Marshall D. Teach and become his true brother.
Requirement: Perform a brotherhood ritual with Teach to seal the bond.
Reward: 3 Mystery Chests, 1 Creation Point, +100 Edit Points, and 1 Title Card.
Lupin stared at it.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
He let his head fall against the table with a dull thud, closing his eyes.
Why the hell would the system want me to get closer to that bastard…?
And yet… deep down, a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Fine.
If that's what it took to beat him at his own game, Lupin would play along.
When the time came… Teach would be his.