Chapter 44 – New Plan: Join Forces to Hunt Down Blackbeard!
Soon, Lu Yu and Ace stood at the bow of the ship, catching up and sharing stories from their recent adventures.
Ace, in particular, talked a lot about the Whitebeard Pirates. It was clear he had only one goal—recruit Lu Yu into the crew.
But in the end, he gave up.
Lu Yu had no interest in joining another pirate crew. He made it clear—he wanted the Dragon Hunter Pirates to rise and stand atop the world.
With a dream like that, how could he possibly join someone else's crew?
Still, Ace wasn't ready to give up hope just yet.
What if Lu Yu met Whitebeard and was captivated by the old man's charm?
Ace thought it was possible.
"Roelki! Go buy out every damn drink you can find on this island!" Lu Yu suddenly shouted.
"We're throwing a party—Ace is officially aboard! Let's celebrate!"
"It's about damn time we had a real banquet, anyway. We've been together this long and haven't even had a proper one!"
As he spoke, Lu Yu tossed out a few heavy boxes.
Inside was a whopping two billion Berries.
More than enough for a legendary party.
"As for the rest, Roelki, you handle it."
"Got it, Captain!" Roelki grinned wide.
"You heard the Captain, boys! Go grab some drinks! It's party time!"
"Hell yeah, Captain's the best!"
"Long live the Captain!"
The crew roared in excitement and scattered toward the island, ready to raid every tavern and market.
Soon, they set up a barbecue grill right on the beach by the port.
They began grilling every type of food they had, with Susanoo and Tsukuyomi taking the lead behind the flames. The rest of the crew helped however they could.
Soon, the scent of roasted meat and spices filled the air.
It had to be said: being a pirate—having the sea as your playground, your strength as your backbone—you could live as freely as the wind.
Of course, only as long as no danger loomed nearby.
But even if you stayed landlocked in some village, town, or kingdom, you weren't necessarily safe. These days, many nations were just puppets controlled by corrupt nobles.
The common folk? They had no rights at all.
That's part of the reason so many people flooded to the seas after the Golden Age of Pirates. Becoming a pirate was often their only shot at true freedom.
And so, the banquet raged on—for three full days.
---
On the fourth day, Lu Yu turned to Ace with a serious look.
"Ace… do you have any intel on Blackbeard?"
"If you're planning to hunt him down, you need to know what you're walking into."
Ace clenched his jaw. "Blackbeard… That bastard wouldn't have stood a chance if it weren't for a sneak attack."
"If I can just find him… I'll take him down. No doubt."
He spoke with confidence.
After all, Blackbeard had always been a background figure in the Whitebeard Pirates. Quiet, unassuming, not someone who ever stood out.
Whitebeard's crew was built on trust. Betrayal was unthinkable.
So to Ace, the only logical explanation was that Blackbeard ambushed Thatch.
Lu Yu, however, shook his head.
"You're underestimating him."
"Blackbeard's way stronger than you think."
"He's got insane Armament Haki, monstrous physical strength, and now… he's got the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit."
Lu Yu's voice was calm but heavy.
"I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but right now? You don't stand a chance against him."
Ace's eyes narrowed.
He wanted to protest. Ace was talented, and he trained like hell.
But Lu Yu continued.
"Don't forget, Blackbeard's been hiding in the Whitebeard Pirates for decades. He's from the same generation as Red-Hair Shanks. The guy's been lurking in the shadows longer than you've even been a pirate."
Ace's fists tightened. "Lu Yu, are you serious?"
"How could someone that powerful stay hidden? I lived with the guy. He's just some average crew member!"
"If he really had all that strength, how come nobody noticed?"
Lu Yu met his eyes.
"Because nobody was looking. The Whitebeard Pirates trusted each other too much. Blackbeard played the long game."
"Plus—your Flame-Flame Fruit? The Dark-Dark Fruit can completely absorb any elemental attack. Your flames won't mean jack."
"Add his physical abilities and potential backup… if you go alone, you're walking into a slaughter."
There was no hesitation in Lu Yu's tone.
Ace stayed silent for a long moment… then exhaled.
"…Damn. I guess you're right."
"Maybe I do need to go back to Dad. Talk to the old man about this."
Lu Yu rolled his eyes. "What, you gonna run back with your tail between your legs now?"
"As my brother, if you embarrass yourself, that's my reputation on the line too."
He smirked.
"Since you've run into me, why don't we handle Blackbeard together?"
Ace froze. Then burst into laughter.
"Lu Yu! Just come with me to meet Dad! You'd fit right in. He'd love you!"
"We could be brothers again under Whitebeard!"
"Hell no!"
Lu Yu snapped.
"You've been brainwashed, haven't you?"
"That old man adopts sons like he's collecting Pokémon. What, you planning to take Luffy to him next?"
"Gonna make him Whitebeard's 'third son' or some crap?"
Ace blinked in surprise.
"…How'd you know?"
Because, yeah. That was the plan.
"You're hopeless," Lu Yu sighed. "Whatever. Let's stick to the plan for now—hunt down Blackbeard. We'll worry about your 'dad' issues later."
He waved his hand dismissively.
Ace, still grinning like a kid, asked, "Alright, but uh… what's for dinner tonight?"
The rest of the Dragon Hunter crew had been watching from the sidelines, completely lost.
The conversation between Lu Yu and Ace had touched on some seriously deep stuff—secrets of the sea, betrayals, power struggles.
Yet they'd come to such a major decision so casually.
Roelki, on the other hand, looked like he'd just seen a god.
His eyes sparkled with admiration.
His captain had just rejected the Whitebeard Pirates.
Whitebeard—the man known as the strongest in the world.
And Lu Yu turned him down without blinking.
From that moment on, Roelki didn't just respect Lu Yu.
He worshipped him.
And of course, he wasted no time spreading that hype to the rest of the crew.
This method? Wildly effective.
Lu Yu's reputation points started ticking upward like crazy.
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