Black had never originally thought of recruiting Lafitte.
Not because the man wasn't qualified, nor because Black had overlooked him.
As Imu's enemy and a descendant of the D. family, Teach was fated to play a pivotal role against the World Government.
And within the Blackbeard Pirates, the most important figures were Lafitte, Van Auger, and Shiliew.
Among them, Lafitte served as navigator.
Had Black poached him prematurely, Teach might have perished mysteriously at sea, never rising to the rank of Four Emperors a truly comical thought.
Moreover, without Lafitte's masterful infiltration skills, Teach's negotiations with Sengoku to become a Shichibukai might not have succeeded.
Yet, fate had arranged their meeting in the West Blue.
To ignore the opportunity now would be unreasonable.
Of course, Black hadn't anticipated that his tendency to visit nearly every island would eventually lead him to Lafitte…
Hearing Black's words, Lafitte's smile remained steady, though he muttered quietly to himself.
This fellow appeared here to stir trouble, yet in an odd, deliberate way.
Even the cunning Lafitte felt a flicker of hesitation.
But Mandy had already acted on Black's order.
Gripping her sword in one hand, she lunged at Lafitte's face, a thrust executed with precision.
Lafitte barely raised his cane in time.
Clang! The clash resonated sharply.
Lafitte spun to avoid the thrust, jabbing the cane tip at Mandy's sword-wielding wrist.
Mandy retreated slightly; Lafitte did not pursue, opting to fall back repeatedly, widening the distance between them.
Glancing down, he noted his cane's tip had been sliced off.
The sword had breached his defense almost effortlessly. Without his combat experience, he would have been defeated instantly.
Looking at the faintly black-coated longsword in Mandy's hand, Lafitte murmured,
"It seems this young lady possesses an extraordinary ability"
As a strong figure in the chaotic seas of the West Blue, Lafitte knew of Haki, but had never faced a Haki-user.
Now he saw firsthand the remarkable augmentation Haki granted.
Before he could dwell further, Mandy attacked again.
Dodging her slash, Lafitte swung his cane forcefully.
Mandy twisted her wrist to intercept the strike with her sword's edge.
Lafitte retreated three steps, avoiding direct clash.
Thus, they fought: one displaying full skill, the other constrained by caution.
Black watched, shaking his head.
Mandy had not fully utilized her power.
With Observation Haki, she could land steady hits against Lafitte, who lacked such perception, regardless of his combat experience.
Yet Lafitte evaded her attacks while still seizing counterattack opportunities.
"Has this girl forgotten she's a swordswoman?" Black muttered.
A swordswoman's basic techniques weren't limited to cutting steel they included flying slashes, fully sufficient against someone like Lafitte.
As Black contemplated, Mandy's sword knocked Lafitte's top hat away, tip pressing against his throat.
Lafitte leaned back into a perfect backbend.
Bang! A pistol shot split in half before reaching the faceguard.
Seizing the moment, Lafitte scattered gunpowder into the air, tapping his cane on the ground.
The explosion sent the cane's tip, like a striking serpent, toward Mandy's left shoulder.
Finally recalling Observation Haki, Mandy's longsword intercepted, stopping at Lafitte's chest.
"Splendid" Lafitte relaxed, letting cane and pistol fall.
Raising both hands, he said cynically,
"It seems my waltz… still needs practice"
Mandy silently sheathed her sword, retreating behind Black.
Black clapped.
"To contend with a swordswoman wielding two types of Haki for so long, relying on experience alone, is commendable."
Mandy blushed, feeling she hadn't performed as well as she could have.
Lafitte picked up his top hat, dusted it, pressed it to his chest, and bowed.
"I am merely a defeated man; your approval overwhelms me with favor"
Seeing Lafitte's composure, Black smiled inwardly.
"My name is Hilbert Black; you may call me Saint Black."
The tone was less an introduction and more an imperial edict.
"Saint~" Lafitte murmured softly, bowing further.
"So it is Celestial Dragon Saint Black-sama"
"Allow me to introduce myself"
"I am Lafitte, Captain of the Moonlight Circus Kingdom's Guard; it is a blessing of three lifetimes to serve a World Noble~"
No one had ever been more polite surpassing even Doflamingo.
Black grumbled silently, expression unmoved.
"From now on, your title will gain a prefix: Vassal of the Hilbert family."
Lafitte slowly lifted his cane, buying time to think.
Black observed without impatience.
After a long pause, Lafitte stood, cane at his chest, bowing again:
"Oh my~ This honor quickens the heart~"
"Very good!" Black said, clearly pleased.
For those incapable of submission, Black never bothered recruiting like Moriah.
But those he deemed worthy could not refuse. Otherwise, Black would feel affronted.
Having spent nearly twenty years as a Celestial Dragon, he knew exactly how to judge capable men.
Turning to Stella, Black instructed:
"Fetch a Haki manual from the ship; our Sheriff must also improve his strength."
From his Huai, he retrieved a white transponder snail and tossed it to Lafitte.
"Orders will come through this; follow them. If one day your strength surpasses his, you may also command."
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