Chapter 447: Reckless Ambition

It was precisely based on these two hints that Laffitte was able to escape Ian’s grasp.

Of course, the so-called hypnotic also has weaknesses, since it targeted the subconscious mind, its effectiveness could be diminished if the person being suggested had a strong desire to do something else…

At that time, Ian had a strong desire to kill Teach, and Teach knew this, so when Ian swung his sword, he shouted, “You can’t kill me!” to reinforce the suggestion to Ian and Ace.

As for Ace, he was much less concerned about killing Teach. From the beginning, he wanted to arrest Teach and take him back. So when Teach shouted that sentence, it also prompted him to intervene and stop Ian.

However, despite this, Teach still paid the price of losing an arm, because the suggestion could not completely cancel out Ian’s murderous intent.

Of course, Teach anticipated this outcome, because when they were sucked into the Black Hole, Lafitte had already explained the possibilities to him, and it was also at that time that the Blackbeard Pirates had come up with a plan.

During this time, they had captured an ordinary person near the port, mixed him into the Blackbeard Pirates, and directly cut off his tongue and knocked him out to use him as a Lafitte impersonator.

The real Lafitte flew up into the sky, because he was a key part of Teach’s plan, so he let him escape alone.

Because of the existence of the second hint, Ian and his crew didn’t detect any suspicious behavior, after all, although Lafitte and others were members of the Blackbeard Pirates, their importance in Ian’s mind was definitely lower than Teach’s. This second hint was stronger than the first.

To prevent Ian and his group from discovering the truth, Teach and his crew knocked out the fake Lafitte every time he woke up, disguising him as seriously injured.

Once Marco and his crew arrived, it was even easier. Marco and his crew were not under any hypnotic influence, but Blackbeard’s crew consisted entirely of deserted criminals he had recruited after leaving the Whitebeard Pirates. At the time, Blackbeard’s crew didn’t have much of a reputation, and Marco and his crew didn’t know or recognize any of them. So when Ace told them that Laffitte was in a coma, they believed him and didn’t investigate further.

Ian still felt somewhat suspicious afterward, but it was due to the hypnosis suggestion. This type of suggestion would only gradually unravel when Blackbeard’s crew was no longer in his field of vision.

It was similar to the illusion created by the magician he encountered before, King and his Devil Fruit. Ian had fallen for it before, but the difference was that the illusion could be corrected by the use of Observation Haki, whereas Laffitte’s hints could not. The use of Haki couldn’t record the characteristics of everyone’s aura and features, which meant that he couldn’t determine if the unconscious person was really Laffitte.

In this world, everything had a natural counterbalance. No individual was invincible to everything, as exemplified by the Sleeping Fruit wielded by Matthew. Even a powerful Marine admiral would be forced to sleep if touched by him. But could anyone claim that Matthew was stronger than an admiral?

Teach was a ruthless individual who was willing to sacrifice his own arm to stay away from Ian. He knew that if he kept appearing in Ian’s sight, he might end up like he did back in Whitebeard’s crew and get stabbed again by him…

He had already lost one of his hearts to Ian, and now he lost his arm as well. Teach finally realized that Ian was probably his true nemesis. He was now doing everything he could to stay away from him, including abandoning his plan to steal Ian’s fruit ability.

This so-called “Pay-to-Win” Devil Fruit has now risen to become the strongest Paramecia Devil Fruit in Teach’s mind. However, despite his strong desire for it, he cannot obtain it from its current owner. He can only retreat and find another way since he cannot afford to provoke its owner.

But Teach has been patient for so many years and has finally obtained the Yami Yami no Mi (Darkness Devil Fruit). He has started his own plan and certainly will not let this setback extinguish his ambitions.

Originally, according to his original plan, he was going to kill some famous pirates and establish the name of his own Blackbeard Pirates, and then seek the position of Shichibukai from the Marines and World Government. However, now that Ian and Ace have appeared, this plan is no longer feasible, and everything has been obstructed. Now that he has been caught, he has no choice but to change his original plan and redesign it.

Teach was a peculiar man. Perhaps it was because of his odd body shape and the extra hearts he possessed, but his personality was also quite enigmatic. He could endure years of being under Whitebeard’s crew, displaying great patience. Yet, he was also impulsive and reckless at times, having an unwavering dream but not always prepared to sacrifice his life for it.

He valued power, but was also arrogant. He was a generous, rough and brutal man, cunning and greedy, often displaying traits that contradicted each other.

And now, he has come up with another wild idea. Since he has already been caught, he might as well go back to the Whitebeard Pirates with Ace and see if he can assassinate Whitebeard himself.

This seemingly incredible idea, once successful, would bring immense fame to Blackbeard. It would be more shocking than if he were to kill several high-ranking pirates. Although this plan carries great risks, the rewards are enormous, which stimulates Teach’s desire for it. Especially since Teach has always respected Whitebeard’s strength, but has always looked down on his leadership style. If he could surpass the Whitebeard, the sense of accomplishment for Teach would be incomparable.

Not to mention Ace and Marco, even Ian probably wouldn’t have thought that Teach had such thoughts. Whitebeard’s health has been declining day by day, but as the strongest among the Four Emperors, a few dared to imagine challenging the grizzled pirate. Even the marines, with its vast resources, approached Whitebeard’s crew with utmost caution.

Therefore, it can only be said that the ideas of an ambitious person are always unfathomable to others.

To outsiders, it may seem incredible, but in Teach’s own judgment, he believes that his plan actually has a certain chance of success.

Because he has a special identity, that is, he used to be Whitebeard’s godson!

After being caught this time, the old man will definitely want to see him. Teach only needs one opportunity, one chance to approach Whitebeard alone, and he will have a chance to succeed.

Of course, Teach was not so naive as to ignore the possibility of failure. He knew that if his assassination attempt went awry, the enraged captains of Whitebeard’s crew would tear him limb from limb. Thus, he had a contingency plan in place. He sent Lafitte to the marine headquarters to establish a connection, a means of escape if things went south.

Teach knew that the Marines had long coveted the downfall of Whitebeard’s pirate crew. As a peer of the legendary Pirate King Roger, Whitebeard’s continued survival threatened to preserve the legacy of the bygone era. But Teach was determined to make a name for himself and he would stop at nothing to achieve his lofty goal.

It was precisely because of this that Lafitte was able to sway the Marines to his side.

If he succeeded, Teach would not only gain immense prestige, but also have the opportunity to obtain Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Fruit power.

If he failed, he could still possibly escape with the help of the marines during the chaos of the Whitebeard Pirates. At that time, if they wanted to support someone who could stand up to the Whitebeard Pirates, Teach might just be given a position as one of the Shichibukai.

It could be said that Teach was really fighting hard to get ahead now…

Ace and Marco were escorting the Blackbeard Pirates back, and because of Teach’s interference, he was forced onto the path of seeking the Tremor-Tremor Fruit power ahead of schedule.

As for the ultimate outcome of this matter, no one knows for certain yet. But one thing is certain – the moment Teach makes his move may be the moment the world is thrown into chaos…