On the deck.
"Captain's here. Guess we've struck gold again."
The moment Chris showed up, Doc Q already had a hunch.
Burgess looked toward Conlinia Town and laughed loudly:
"Hope it's a newbie! I've been itching for a fight—Wahahahaha!"
"Let's go."
Chris, a man of few words, leapt off the ship and landed ashore.
"Boss, wait for meee~~!"
Padong jumped down right after, landing on Chris's shoulder.
With that, the whole group headed toward town…
Under a large tree.
A man sat on a chair, and across from him stood a crowd of angry townsfolk.
"Lafitte, everyone's filed complaints. They say you use excessive force and are a danger to the town."
The town mayor glared at him, bluntly declaring:
"As of now, you're officially expelled. You're no longer welcome here."
"Yeah, someone like you shouldn't be allowed to stay!"
"'Sheriff'? More like a thug!"
"He beat someone up just yesterday! It was so bad, I couldn't even watch!"
"Lafitte, leave! Go mess up some other place!"
"Yeah! If we let you stay, the whole town will fall apart eventually!"
Lafitte twirled his cane calmly, still seated, and gave a polite smile.
"Even if you all hate me, I won't get angry."
"If that's how it is... then I'll leave."
He stood up, adjusted his black top hat with grace, and smiled faintly.
"Seems the time has come... to let my name echo across the seas."
The mayor, seeing how well he took it, didn't press further.
"Alright, everyone, let's go."
He waved them off, leading the townsfolk away.
Suddenly—laughter boomed behind them.
"Captain, this is the guy? Doesn't look strong to me—Wahahahaha!"
Lafitte stopped and turned, tapping his cane.
At the front was a young man dressed in black, calm and composed—obviously not someone to mess with. Behind him: several beautiful women, a giant, a sickly man, and a bunch of quirky-looking underlings.
Doc Q coughed and said,
"You'll know how strong he is after a good fight."
"You're always egging Burgess on."
Sweetheart Queen shot him a look, annoyed.
"First it's fight the Captain, now someone else. You just love violence, don't you?"
Chris walked up, stopping just in front of Lafitte, face calm and cool.
"You want to sail the seas? Join us."
"Before long, your name will be famous everywhere—you'll become a legend."
Lafitte leaned on his cane with both hands and asked politely,
"May I ask... who exactly are you people?"
Burgess, ever the straight-talker, burst out laughing:
"Doesn't matter who we are—we're making big moves!"
"Though, with that skinny frame of yours, you're probably bottom-tier on our ship."
Betty shrugged, clearly done with his nonsense.
"Keep talking like that and he won't even want to board."
Sweetheart Queen chuckled playfully,
"He's just asking for a beating. Chris should give him a good one."
Chris looked straight at Lafitte and spoke:
"You could say... I'm a man about to become a Warlord of the Sea."
"If you want to be famous, all you have to do is get on this ship. That's it."
Lafitte spun his cane again and gave a gentleman's smile:
"If joining you helps me achieve my goals, of course I'll come aboard."
"Thank you, Captain, for taking me in. Lafitte is honored."
Chris gave a nod and said confidently:
"Someday, you'll be proud of the decision you made today."
With that, he turned and walked toward the shore.
Baccarat walked elegantly beside him, smiling gently.
"Another new face... things are getting livelier."
Sweetheart Queen blinked mischievously,
"Let's just hope he's not too weak. Or else Burgess will bully him for sure."
"Since you're onboard now, let's throw down later, Lafitte."
Burgess grinned wide, already issuing a challenge.
Doc Q gave a mysterious smile.
"I've waited a long time for this... Finally, the moment's here."
Lafitte politely asked,
"Why do you want to fight me? Aren't we comrades now?"
"You don't get it, huh?"
Burgess raised his voice proudly:
"On this ship, there's only one rule—
Strength rules all!"
"If you've got the power, you can challenge anyone—even the Captain!"
He shrugged with a grin.
"But don't even think about the Captain's seat—that's way outta your league."
"Still, Vice-Captain? Now that's a title you can go for."
"So what do you say? Let's find a place and go all out! I haven't punched anyone in days! I'm itching for it!"
Lafitte's pale face showed genuine curiosity.
"That's a fun rule…"
"And you're right. The Captain… gives off a terrifying aura. I wouldn't dare challenge him."
Lafitte twirled his cane again, smiling like a gentleman:
"Captain's out of reach, but Vice-Captain? That position… it's mine now."
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T/N:
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