Blackbeard successfully escaped from the New World while being pursued by Whitebeard and began recruiting crew members to form his own pirate crew.
As an ambitious man, he had spent decades lurking within Whitebeard's crew, betting his youth on that ship. It wasn't until the appearance of the Dark-Dark Fruit that he revealed his true ambition.
To achieve his goal, having a crew of his own was essential. Therefore, during his escape, he was already searching for subordinates worth recruiting.
Laffitte, Van Augur, Jesus Burgess, and Doc Q were the first core members he recruited along the way.
Although his ambition was evident at this point, his goal was not to become a Shichibukai.
Currently, the Straw Hat Pirates had just arrived at Whiskey Peak, and the Shichibukai positions were fully occupied, leaving him with no opportunity to fill a vacancy.
Under normal circumstances, the World Government would not easily replace a Shichibukai, as doing so would be like slapping themselves in the face. It was not easy to obtain a Shichibukai seat simply by defeating another Shichibukai.
So, Blackbeard had not yet considered capturing a high-bounty criminal to exchange for a Shichibukai position. He was genuinely recruiting Delia.
As an ambitious man, he needed a large number of subordinates to achieve his goal. High-quality officers were in urgent demand, making him somewhat similar to Rocks.
It didn't matter what motives his subordinates had; as long as they were willing to join him, he would accept them. Though this kind of pirate crew lacked cohesion, it allowed him to amass a considerable amount of combat power in a short period.
As for Whitebeard's Quake-Quake Fruit... he had patiently waited for decades just to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit, so he didn't mind waiting a few more years for a better opportunity. At this moment, he had no intention of confronting Whitebeard head-on—otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to flee from the New World.
Recruiting Delia was a spur-of-the-moment decision. He hadn't expected to encounter an officer of a New World's great pirate.
The officers under the Four Emperors were all renowned powerhouses, naturally making them targets for Blackbeard's recruitment. Although the Blackbeard Pirates had an overall low aesthetic appeal, Blackbeard himself had normal taste.
Whether it was Delia or Kikunojo, both were within his aesthetic standards.
The scar on Delia's face did not diminish her beauty, and as for Kikunojo… if he didn't say it himself, no one could guess he was a man. Even seeing him in person, most people would struggle to accept that fact.
"Recruit me? You really are bold. No wonder you dared to kill your own companion on Whitebeard's ship. It seems you don't fear this flag either."
Delia had no intention of using the Beasts Pirates' flag to threaten the other party. Since this guy dared to kill one of Whitebeard's commanders on Whitebeard's own flagship, it was clear that he had no reverence for an Emperor of the Sea like ordinary pirates did.
However, repeatedly provoking different Emperors of the Sea reminded Delia of that brave warrior from a few years ago. Although no one remembered his name, his heroic deeds had been passed down to this day.
"The times are changing. This is a new era. The seas need fresh blood. Those old relics should have stepped down long ago!"
"That just sounds like a great way to get yourself killed. I have zero interest. Plus, you're way too ugly. I refuse to work with someone like you."
If someone had spoken to her like this before she joined the Beasts Pirates, it might have piqued her interest. And if their captain had been handsome, she wouldn't have minded going all-in with them.
She didn't mind joining someone else's crew, nor did she care whether the new captain was a good person or a villain. As long as they were pleasing to the eye and had something worth following, she would make her own choice.
At the end of prosperity, there would always be loneliness. But Delia found pleasure in that loneliness.
Bravely advancing, overcoming obstacles, plundering, and then flourishing.
She loved wealth but never hoarded it, spending money freely. This was her way of life and the reason she was known as the Eternal Moonlight Clan. [TN: The "moonlight clan" is a term for people in China who spend their entire salary before the end of the month. The term is a play on the Chinese characters for "month" and "out of money". ]
Strong enemies were certainly terrifying, but defeating them was also a kind of enjoyment. Failure could mean death, but dying that way would be a perfect ending.
Of course, aside from bad timing, appearance was also a big issue.
She was a sucker for good looks, and Blackbeard's face completely eliminated any possibility of a connection between them.
"Hahaha, Captain, she called you ugly."
"Now that I think about it… she's not exactly wrong, is she?"
Burgess and Laffitte didn't refute Delia on Blackbeard's behalf. Instead, they seemed to agree, which made Blackbeard loudly berate them:
"You ba*tards, enough already! Have you forgotten who your captain is?!"
After silencing his subordinates, he looked back at Delia.
"What a pity. I don't like your personality. Looks like we're not meant to be."
"Not necessarily. If I remember correctly, Whitebeard put a pretty high bounty on you. I just happen to be in a lot of debt lately. Using you to cash in might not be a bad idea."
"You really are a hot-tempered woman. I came here with sincerity to recruit you, and yet you want my life?"
"Is your idea of recruitment pointing a gun at someone's head from the shadows?"
As she spoke, a spherical ball of lightning appeared in Delia's hand, and she immediately tossed it toward a nearby building. At the same time, a gunshot rang out from a distance.
The moment she discovered Blackbeard, she had used her ability. With the effect of X-ray vision, she could see everything around her with absolute clarity—including Van Augur, who was lurking in the distance.
She had never underestimated this man who dared to make a move on Whitebeard's ship. She never thought for a second that he was just here for a casual chat.
Boom!
The building exploded under Delia's attack, and a figure was sent flying from the wreckage. After rolling on the ground in a disheveled state, he quickly raised his gun again and took aim at Delia.
"Not a bad shot. I can definitely feel your 'sincerity.'"
Though she had dodged the attack, the bullet had grazed her, snapping the ribbon tying her hair. Her long pink hair cascaded down her back, revealing her original face instead of the lion-like appearance from before.
"Zehahaha! What sharp reflexes! Since you're refusing my offer, I'll just have to take something else instead—I'll be taking that Mythical Zoan ability!"
From the moment he laid eyes on Delia, he had no intention of letting her leave. Either she would join him, or he would steal her ability. That was why he had Van Augur hiding in the distance.
He had always been ruthless in his methods, so making preparations for both outcomes was nothing unusual. However, the fact that Van Augur in the distance had been discovered by Delia was something he hadn't anticipated.
At that range, ordinary Observation Haki shouldn't have been able to detect him. He attributed it to Delia's unique ability, which only made him even more interested in her ability.
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