Chapter 274: "Go Kill Moria for Me and Prove Your Worth, Teach!

Hearing Claudius's words, Teach felt a jolt of shock. "Damn… Did he see through me that quickly? Did I expose my ambitions so easily?"

But he didn't dare to say anything.

If he denied it, it might come across as an attempt to deceive Claudius, and Teach wasn't sure about this man's temperament yet. If he miscalculated and offended him, wouldn't that be the end of the road? He might not even make it out of here alive.

If he didn't deny it but didn't know how to respond either, that would just leave him awkwardly stuck.

As Teach struggled with how to react, Claudius spoke again.

"You want the Dark-Dark Fruit?" Claudius asked casually.

Teach exhaled in relief. This was a chance to shift the conversation. He nodded immediately and answered, "Yes, Your Highness. I want to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit."

"A good idea," Claudius replied in the same indifferent tone.

Teach remained silent, standing respectfully.

Claudius stroked his chin, then smiled and said, "But tell me… why should I give it to you?"

Teach's heart tensed.

Claudius paused briefly before continuing, "Or rather, what value do you bring to me?"

Licking his lips, Teach quickly responded, "I am willing to serve Your Highness. To be your vanguard."

Claudius suddenly laughed.

"Hahahahaha!"

Teach felt uneasy. What's so funny?

"It seems my instincts were correct," Claudius said with amusement. "That strong stench of ambition is coming off you in waves, Teach."

"Your Highness has sharp eyes, like a torch illuminating the truth," Teach said, smoothly shifting into flattery. He wasn't about to argue.

Claudius chuckled and continued, "You're from Newgate's ship, yet you say you want to pledge loyalty to me? Hahaha… That's amusing. A 'vanguard' for me, huh? You do realize that there are countless people on this ocean who would love to work under me. What makes you think you deserve my favor?"

"Because I have confidence," Teach said without hesitation. "I won't let you down!"

"Confidence is good…" Claudius mused. He then leaned forward slightly and asked, "Even if I told you to go against Whitebeard?"

Teach felt an immediate headache at those words. "If I could take on Whitebeard right now, I wouldn't need the Dark-Dark Fruit in the first place!"

"This…" Teach hesitated, but then steeled himself and replied, "If Your Highness wishes to deal with him, I am willing to serve!"

The wording was carefully chosen, he wasn't saying he could take Whitebeard down. He was simply implying that he would be willing to assist in some way if Claudius needed him to.

Claudius stared at Teach for a long moment.

Just as Teach started feeling uneasy, Claudius suddenly said, "I appreciate ambitious people. Do you want to take Whitebeard's place?"

Teach narrowed his eyes slightly. He then mustered some courage and asked in return, "Your Highness, wouldn't you prefer an obedient Emperor of the Sea?"

Claudius smirked and nodded. "Very well. I like that answer."

Teach's eyes lit up. "Then… the Dark-Dark Fruit?"

"It's in my possession," Claudius admitted casually. "And to be honest, it's useless to me."

Teach was about to speak, but Claudius raised a hand to stop him.

"But," Claudius continued, "words alone mean nothing. Before you prove your worth, it's far too soon for you to ask me for the Dark-Dark Fruit."

There was no way Teach was getting the fruit so easily.

Claudius never put stock in a man's words alone, especially not in Teach's so-called 'loyalty.' He knew exactly what kind of person Teach was. What if he just took the fruit and ran?

That's why Claudius had arranged for their meeting in the library—to dangle something even greater in front of him.

It wasn't just the Dark-Dark Fruit at stake. The Road Poneglyph sitting in this room was another piece of bait, a way to make Teach understand that there were far bigger rewards in Claudius's possession. If he wanted them, he had to prove himself.

Teach pondered for a moment before responding, "Your Highness, how can I prove my worth to you?"

Claudius stroked his chin in thought, then said, "Enel spoke highly of your abilities. Are you as capable as he claims?"

"I have confidence in my strength," Teach answered firmly.

He knew that now was not the time to be humble. If he downplayed his worth, Claudius might decide he was useless.

Claudius nodded, then turned to Robin and said, "Robin, hand me that file."

Robin, who had been sitting quietly, stood up, retrieved a document from her books, and walked over to Claudius.

Claudius took the file but didn't bother opening it. Instead, he tossed it straight to Teach.

Teach's reflexes were sharp—he caught it midair and quickly flipped through it.

His expression changed slightly. After a moment, he muttered, "Gecko Moria?"

Claudius picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Yes. Gecko Moria. Go kill him. Prove your strength. Prove your worth."

Teach swallowed. Then he asked cautiously, "But… isn't Moria one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

The Seven Warlords were, after all, under the jurisdiction of the World Government. Wasn't Enel working for Claudius? How could he just order the death of one of his own subordinates?

"Yes, Moria is one of the Seven Warlords," Claudius acknowledged. "But he's useless now. Keeping him around serves no purpose." His tone was ice-cold.

Moria had originally been added to the Warlords as part of a government initiative to counter Kaido. The Five Elders had been eager to challenge Big Mom's growing influence, so they had hastily filled the Warlord positions and pushed for Moria, someone with a personal grudge against Kaido—to be one of them.

But that plan had failed.

Even after forming the Seven Warlords, even after launching military operations against Kaido, the results had been lackluster.

And Moria? He had done nothing of value. He barely left the Florian Triangle these days. His reputation was fading instead of growing.

To Claudius, a useless asset was a liability.

So why keep him?

Better to eliminate him and replace him with someone better.

Hearing the utter indifference in Claudius's voice, Teach was taken aback.

Damn… This guy's ruthless. He really just disposes of people once they lose their value?

…But Teach liked that kind of thinking.

Claudius's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Are you hesitating?" Claudius asked, his tone now slightly impatient.

Teach flinched. "No hesitation at all, Your Highness. I'll get it done."

Claudius nodded, then gave him a pointed look before smirking.

"If you kill Moria and prove your worth," Claudius said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, "then perhaps I might consider making you the new Warlord in his place."

Bait the horse with a carrot.

It wasn't just about ordering Teach to kill Moria. It was about offering rewards worth chasing.

Teach's heart stirred.

A seat among the Seven Warlords of the Sea… That was no small thing.

He hadn't thought about this before, but now? The Warlord title could serve as a stepping stone—an opportunity for him to build his power, to move freely, to get closer to his real goals.

Teach made up his mind instantly.

With a deep bow, he said, "I am honored by your generosity, Your Highness."

Claudius waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't waste my time with empty words. Go. Kill Moria. Show me what you can do."

Teach's grin widened.

"I won't disappoint you, Your Highness."

Claudius simply waved him off.

"Good. I'll be waiting for the good news."