Chapter 272: I'm So Poor

On a ship sailing through the New World, Teach sat inside his cabin, uncertain of his destination or whom he was about to meet. The only thing he knew was that the person he was about to see had to be someone truly formidable. After all, this person was the master of Enel, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

"I never expected Enel to have someone above him. What kind of man could make someone like Enel bow his head and call him 'master'?" Teach wondered as he took a bite from an apple.

When he first approached Enel about acquiring the Dark-Dark Fruit, he had offered him anything in exchange, whatever Enel wanted, Teach would try his best to provide. Surprisingly, Enel hadn't turned him down.

However, just as Teach was about to celebrate, Enel told him that the Dark-Dark Fruit wasn't in his possession anymore. He had already given it away to someone else.

Teach had felt a chill run down his spine at that moment. But fortunately, Enel had also told him that the Dark-Dark Fruit hadn't been consumed yet. If Teach still wanted it, he could arrange for him to meet this so-called "big shot."

As someone who had gambled his entire life on obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit, Teach naturally couldn't just walk away. At the same time, he became deeply intrigued by the man who had earned Enel's loyalty. Without hesitation, he agreed.

Enel had then arranged for a ship to take Teach to meet his master.

That brought Teach to his current situation. It had been half a month since they had set sail, and he had yet to reach his destination.

With each passing day, his suspicions grew stronger.

It wasn't as if he hadn't considered the possibility of a trap. Teach was well aware that there might be some kind of conspiracy at play here. But he had no choice, if he wanted the Dark-Dark Fruit, he had to take the risk.

Finishing his apple, Teach didn't even leave behind the core, he simply swallowed what was left in one bite. Just as he was about to take a drink, there was a knock at the cabin door.

"Your Excellency Teach, we're almost there," a voice called from outside.

Teach's eyes lit up, and then he burst into laughter. "Zehahahaha! Finally, huh? I'll be right there!"

After tidying himself up, he stepped out of the cabin and onto the deck. He scanned the surroundings, still nothing but open sea. There were no islands in sight.

That surprised him. So they're not taking me to some kind of base?

Then he turned his gaze toward the waters up ahead. A massive sailing warship loomed in the distance, large enough to rival a small island. Its enormous sail, which seemed to blot out the sun, bore the emblem of a celestial dragon's hoof.

Teach's heart skipped a beat. The Celestial Dragons?!

As the initial shock wore off, his mind raced with speculation. He muttered to himself in astonishment, "This is the Prometheus… the ship of Claudius, the one they call Donquixote Claudius."

"So… Enel is actually working for him? Looks like I just stumbled upon a major secret. Enel, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is actually part of CP-X?!"

Teach's thoughts were in turmoil.

Of course, he knew about CP-X, the World Government's most powerful and enigmatic organization. No one knew its full structure, and no one knew exactly who its core members were. But rumors had long suggested that some of the Seven Warlords of the Sea were involved.

Donquixote Doflamingo is one of them. And now, even Enel?

"Just what kind of organization is the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Could the others be part of CP-X as well? If that's the case, their potential power might be on par with the old man… No, considering their secrecy, they could be even stronger!"

Teach muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with an unreadable light.

As expected, his ship soon pulled up beside the Prometheus. A ladder was lowered, connecting the two decks.

Teach had assumed that someone would come down to escort him, but to his surprise, the crew members on his ship shook their heads.

"Your Excellency Teach, we are not qualified to board the Prometheus. That lord has only granted permission for you to go up alone. There should be someone waiting for you there."

Teach nodded, unfazed. He had come all this way, there was no turning back now.

Besides, the Prometheus was legendary. People spoke of its grandeur, but no one had ever truly set foot on it.

"Zehahaha! Much appreciated," Teach chuckled before striding up the ship ladder.

The moment he stepped onto the Prometheus, his eyes widened.

This didn't feel like a ship. It was more like a palace, a floating city, even an island. If he hadn't just seen the exterior, he would have doubted it was a ship at all.

The deck was massive, almost like a training ground.

You could ride horses here. There was even a swimming pool.

The cabins above deck were at least four stories tall, with the middle level constructed entirely of glass—an aquarium. From where he stood, Teach could see enormous sea beasts swimming inside.

There weren't many people on board, at least not compared to the sheer size of the vessel. Atop the four-story cabin hung a massive golden pendulum, ancient in design, exuding an air of history.

At first glance, the ship didn't seem to radiate the excessive arrogance typical of the Celestial Dragons. In fact, it even seemed somewhat understated and refined.

But that illusion quickly shattered.

As a veteran of Whitebeard's crew, Teach had seen his fair share of wealth and power. At first, this ship seemed ordinary but upon closer inspection, every detail exuded an unmistakable aura of nobility.

The lawn was perfectly manicured, without a single blade of grass out of place. A faint, calming fragrance drifted through the air.

Teach sniffed and realized, the scent was coming from the wooden planks beneath his feet.

"Agarwood?!"

Agarwood was a luxury one of the rarest and most expensive materials in the world, often used by the most powerful elites to craft furniture or beds due to its calming properties.

"These bastards used this stuff to build an entire deck?!"

Teach's gaze shifted to the ship's railing. He pressed against it, testing its sturdiness, but it didn't budge in the slightest. It was absurdly durable.

"This… this is Treasure Tree Adam?!"

His mind reeled. He had encountered this wood before, back when he sailed with Whitebeard and clashed with Roger. It was one of the toughest materials in the world, used to build only the most legendary ships.

Just as Teach was processing all this, a group of maids approached. Leading them was a strikingly beautiful woman.

"Marshall D. Teach?" the woman asked softly.

Teach flashed his signature grin. "Zehahaha! That's me."

"My name is Nia. Please, follow me—His Highness wishes to see you."

"His Highness?" Teach raised an eyebrow. So it really is a Celestial Dragon?

He didn't stop to dwell on it, instead following Nia toward the cabin.

As they neared the entrance, Teach suddenly noticed that the deck beneath his feet was no longer smooth. Looking down, he saw a path paved with black stones.

At first, he didn't think much of it, until he took a closer look.

His breath caught in his throat.

"What the hell, these aren't stones… They're all black pearls?!"

Each one was the size of an egg, uniform in shape and color.

"Who the hell uses black pearls to pave a walkway?! The sheer extravagance…!"

Meanwhile, inside a grand library, Claudius sat in an elegant posture, glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. A cup of warm tea sat on the table, incense filling the air with a calming aroma.

Nico Robin was perched on a ladder, reading quietly, a book in one hand and a teacup in the other.

Adjusting his glasses, Claudius smirked. "How's my image?"

Robin didn't even look up. "You're just putting on an act."

"You wouldn't understand. Kids don't have a sense of aesthetics," Claudius murmured.

"I'm not a kid!" Robin protested.

At that moment, a knock came at the door.

Claudius smiled. "Come in..."