The sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon, casting a warm glow over the deck of the Moby Dick. The Whitebeard Pirates were lively as ever, laughing, drinking, and sparring among themselves. But Lupin, perched alone at one of the ship's tables near the edge of the deck, wasn't in the mood for any of it.
For the past month, the system had been handing him the same boring daily quests: Polish your gun, talk to a crewmate, eat a good meal, check the system interface. Day in and day out. Yet not a single new monthly quest had appeared since he completed the last one. It was starting to wear on his nerves.
"Damn it," Lupin muttered, accepting the system's tiny reward for his latest daily task — a handful of Berries and a single Edit Point. He now had 570 Edit Points saved up. But no interesting targets, no thrilling quests. Just waiting. And Lupin hated waiting.
With a sigh, he grabbed a bottle of rum and made his way over to an empty table near the ship's railing, hoping to drown his irritation in a drink.
The bottle was halfway empty when a shadow fell over his table. Lupin glanced up and immediately stiffened.
It was Marshall D. Teach.
A man Lupin despised. Not because of how he acted now — no, at this point in time, Teach was nothing more than a cheerful, talkative, and seemingly harmless crewman. But Lupin knew who Teach really was, what darkness lurked behind those teeth-baring grins, and the betrayal that would one day shake the crew to its core.
Still, Lupin forced a neutral expression.
"Yo, Lupin!" Teach greeted in his gravelly voice, pulling out the chair across from him without waiting for an invitation. "Mind if I join ya?"
Lupin shrugged, masking his unease. "It's a free table."
Teach laughed heartily and plopped down. "Heard from Thatch ya got yourself a Devil Fruit power. That true?"
Lupin took a slow sip of his drink before answering. "Yeah. Calm-Calm Fruit. Paramecia type."
Teach's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Oh? What's it do?"
"Simple," Lupin said coolly. "It creates a field around me where no sound escapes. I can make everything dead silent — footsteps, gunshots, screams… whatever. No one outside the area hears a thing."
For a moment, Teach's grin widened, and he let out a booming laugh that turned a few heads. "Zehahaha! Now that's a dangerous power in the right hands!"
Lupin didn't respond.
Teach leaned in, his grin toothy and conspiratorial. "Ya know… most guys with a fruit like that wouldn't be too scary. But you, Lupin… Number Two gunner on the Moby Dick, sharp as hell, sneaky bastard… you with that Calm-Calm Fruit? You could be the best assassin in the world, Zehahaha!"
Lupin's eyes narrowed slightly, though he kept a smirk on his face. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Inside, he was seething. The last thing he wanted was to be compared to an assassin. Or to hear praise from the very man he knew would betray Whitebeard one day. But he had to play along.
"Where'd ya get a fruit like that anyway?" Teach asked, swirling his drink.
"Family heirloom," Lupin lied smoothly, a well-rehearsed line by now. "Passed down through generations."
Teach let out another laugh. "Lucky you. Guess fate likes ya."
Lupin took another slow sip, then glanced sidelong at Teach, a thought creeping into his mind.
'I should just edit his wanted poster… remind the world what a bastard this guy really is.'
But then his expression soured slightly.
'Damn… after more than fifteen years as a pirate, this fool still doesn't even have a wanted poster.'
The system's poster list confirmed it. No listing for Marshall D. Teach anywhere. It was absurd — a man this dangerous, even before gaining the Yami-Yami no Mi, somehow hadn't earned one.
Lupin scowled to himself. 'Do I really need to burn a Creation Point just to make a damn wanted poster for him?' He weighed it over for a second. Teach hadn't done anything publicly worth a bounty yet. It might even draw suspicion if a random bounty for him appeared now.
'Tch. Not worth it yet. I'll wait.' He'd save his Creation Points for something better. There'd be a time, and when it came, he'd make sure the world saw Teach for what he really was.
For now, he set the thought aside and focused on playing along.
For a while, the two of them drank in relative silence. Lupin watched the ocean while Teach rambled on about rare Devil Fruits, famous pirates, and the Grand Line. Typical things that would usually interest Lupin, but now only made him uncomfortable in the man's company.
And yet, he couldn't deny it. As much as he hated Teach, the man had charisma. There was a reason people were drawn to him. Even now, before his true colors showed, he could talk his way into anyone's good graces.
"You ever think about movin' up the ranks?" Teach asked suddenly.
Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"Well," Teach said, flashing a grin, "Whitebeard's always lookin' for strong 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. He wasn't about to reveal his ambitions — or his knowledge of the future — to this man.
Still, Lupin couldn't resist one jab. "And you, Teach? You aiming for the top too?"
Teach's eyes gleamed, but his grin didn't falter. "Nah… I'm a simple man, Lupin. I just like to sail, drink, and find a good fight now and then. Life's good like this."
Liar. Lupin thought bitterly. I know exactly what you want. And one day, you'll make your move.
But for now, Teach was still just another pirate on the crew. And Lupin had to stomach it.
The evening wore on. The rest of the crew was in high spirits, drinking and sharing stories. Lupin found himself relaxing a little, despite the company. Even if he hated the man, it was… interesting, in a way. To talk with someone he knew would one day change the world.
When Teach finally got up, slapping Lupin's back with enough force to nearly knock him forward, Lupin barely managed to keep his composure.
"Good drinkin' with ya, brother!" Teach roared. "We'll do it again sometime!"
Lupin raised his glass, offering a tight smile. "Sure."
As the large man disappeared into the crowd, Lupin leaned back in his chair and sighed.
This world's a mess. He thought, swirling the last of his rum. And I'm right in the middle of it.
The system chimed softly in his mind.
[Daily Quest Completed.]
+5 Edit Points. Total: 575.
No new monthly quest appeared… until a moment later.
[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 Crreation Point, +100 Edit Points, and 1 Title Card.
Lupin's eyes widened slightly, the rum forgotten in his hand.
'You've gotta be kidding me…'
He groaned and let his head fall against the table with a soft thud.
'Why the hell would the system want me to get closer to that bastard…?'
And yet, a part of him grinned.
'Fine. If that's what it takes, I'll play this twisted little game. But when the time comes, Teach… you're mine.'