"Captain!" Laffitte looked at Blackbeard, noticing something off about his expression but refrained from voicing his thoughts.
"Zehahahaha, Laffitte, it's nothing serious. As long as I'm alive, becoming the Pirate King is inevitable!" Blackbeard's eyes burned with ambition.
Having hidden on Whitebeard's ship for twenty years, he was not someone who could be easily defeated.
"Captain, are we still going after Straw Hat?" Burgess asked from the side.
"That's right. As long as we capture Straw Hat, we can use that accomplishment to gain the title of Warlord of the Sea. Then, my plan can proceed."
Blackbeard understood that becoming the Pirate King required more than just his own strength.
He needed more power, which was why he had targeted Narberal.
However, after provoking an unfathomable entity, they had been driven off Jaya.
According to his original plan, the criminals in Impel Down were his true objective, but to gain access to the prison, becoming a Warlord was a crucial step.
Van Augur, seeing the terrifying ambition still burning in Blackbeard's eyes, silently felt fortunate to have followed the right man.
"I wonder what kind of upheaval these new forces will bring to the seas. But as long as I obtain the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit…"
Blackbeard glanced toward Jaya with apprehension in his eyes, his desire for Whitebeard's power growing even stronger. However, he knew he still needed time before he could seize it.
"Albedo, summon Cocytus and Demiurge." Back in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz gave his order to the love-struck Albedo.
"Yes, Lord Ainz."
Before long, Albedo returned with Demiurge and Cocytus, entering the Throne Room on the tenth floor.
"Lord Ainz."
"No need for formalities." Ainz looked at the three before him and nodded in satisfaction.
Nazarick had four supreme melee combatants.
With Shalltear and Sebas currently deployed outside, the remaining two—Albedo and Cocytus—stood before him.
Meanwhile, Demiurge's strategic mind was unparalleled in Nazarick, and his assistance would be crucial for what was to come.
"This is knowledge I have obtained regarding the unique powers of this world, most of this information comes from my battle with humans of this world."
Ainz extended a hand and gestured in the air, releasing an intangible magical force that contained information which drifted toward the three guardians.
"You three, attempt to awaken this ability called Haki."
"Yes, Lord Ainz."
Following the knowledge transferred by Ainz, the three began attempting to use Armament Haki.
"What have you discovered?" Ainz observed the three, noticing the dark, unknown energy manifesting on their arms. It was clear they had grasped the fundamentals of Armament Haki.
"Lord Ainz, after using this Armament Haki, my basic attributes—excluding mana—have increased by nearly 1%."
"The same goes for me. However, my enhancement is closer to 2%," Cocytus replied with a bow.
"I've also gained about 2%. This so-called Haki is truly fascinating!" Demiurge adjusted his glasses, intrigued.
Ainz nodded in satisfaction.
A mere 1–2% boost might not sound like much, but for max-level Floor Guardians, even such minor increases were only achievable through divine-class gear or World Items.
Moreover, Haki's power was not a fixed enhancement—it could grow stronger over time, just like a piece of evolving equipment!
Not to mention, there were still Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki to explore.
"Albedo, any news from Shalltear?"
"Lord Ainz, Shalltear has reached an island called Sable Island. She has already transported back a large quantity of minerals, gold, and various human corpses."
"Demiurge, Cocytus, you two are dismissed. Begin disseminating this ability among the others."
"Yes, Lord Ainz."
"Albedo, come to my side." Once the two had left, Ainz gestured for Albedo to approach him.
"Yes, Lord Ainz." Albedo blushed and walked toward him slowly.
[Could it be…? Is Lord Ainz finally going to claim me right here? My first time… in this very place? But if it's for Lord Ainz, it doesn't matter where! I wonder if I can bear Lord Ainz's children…]
Before Albedo could spiral further into her fantasies, Ainz grasped her arm and used his guild ring to teleport them to the third-floor storage vault.
"Albedo, are these the human corpses Shalltear transported back?" Ainz examined the bodies before him and nodded approvingly.
From their lingering auras, he could tell they had been around level 50 in life—far superior to the previous human corpses they had obtained.
"Yes, Lord Ainz. Additionally, the second-floor storage contains more human bodies, but their levels are similar to those from before."
Albedo snapped out of her delusions, regaining her professional composure.
"No need, this will do." Ainz's eyes glowed red. The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown materialized from the void and landed in his grasp.
"High-Tier Undead Summon." As his magic enveloped the corpses, nothing happened.
"So, these bodies still aren't sufficient?"
"Mid-Tier Undead Summon." This time, as Ainz's magic activated, skeletal undead soldiers began crawling out of the corpses.
"Not bad." Ainz was pleased.
Though they weren't at the highest mid-tier level of 70, these undead still retained level 60 strength.
Considering that he could only summon a limited number of mid-tier undead per day, this was a promising start.
"Albedo, have Shalltear continue collecting the corpses of strong humans and gathering more resources. Also, ensure she receives the training methods for Haki."
Just as he was about to leave, Ainz recalled Blackbeard's unique Devil Fruit ability and added, "And also, information on an item known as a Devil Fruit."
"Understood, Lord Ainz."