Chapter 1596 Blackbeard, the one caught in the middle, is confused.

Blackbeard's eyes gleamed with an intense desire for wealth, yet he also harbored an almost obsessive resistance to any attempt to extract money from him.

Teach spread his hands, adopting a shameless and frank demeanor: "Since the Duffield Consortium is so rich, why don't you lend me 10 billion Berries to spend? The interest rate is negotiable, you name it, I don't care."

Kakuzu's lips twitched almost imperceptibly beneath his mask. He had lived for nearly a century and met countless clients, but he had never encountered anyone as brazen and shameless as Teach, who asked for 10 billion dollars with such an air of superiority, acting as if lending him money was a favor.

Leaving aside the 10 billion principal, what collateral can Teach offer given his current impoverished state?

Is he going to pursue his dream of becoming the world's king, a dream he hasn't even achieved yet?

Even if Kakuzu were willing to use his own shares in the Duffield Consortium as collateral, does Teach seem like the kind of person who would repay the money? It's likely that even the principal would be gone forever.

Furthermore, the Du Field Group might dare to lend money at exorbitant interest rates or even use armed force to collect debts from certain forces, but would they dare to do that to Teach?

Going to the territory of a future tycoon with unfathomable power to collect debts is tantamount to suicide; the debt collection team will likely end up as new crew members or sea fodder.

Kakuzu's voice was steady, but with a hint of barely perceptible helplessness, "Mr. Teach, that's not a very good joke you're making."

"Given your personality, I'm afraid the Duffield Group will have to file for bankruptcy after lending out a few loans."

Instead of getting angry, Teach laughed, a laugh tinged with cold rage. His smile vanished, replaced by a scrutinizing, serious expression. "If you won't lend me money, what kind of business can we discuss?"

"Besides money, what else can you offer?"

In his view, Kakuzu, this businessman, had nothing to offer Teach except money.

“Mr. Teach, I know you are determined to get the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Don’t you want the Buddha Fruit inside Fleet Admiral Sengoku?”

Teach leaned forward slightly. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit and the Buddha-Buddha Fruit were both god-level fruits at the pinnacle of Devil Fruits. The former was the strongest Paramecia-type, possessing the power to destroy the world.

The latter is a rare Zoan-type Mythical Beast, possessing both immense power, regenerative abilities, and the sacred attributes of Buddha. If one could possess both of these powers simultaneously...

The thought, like a devil's whisper, instantly ignited the deepest greed and ambition in Teach's heart, but he quickly calmed down. It was impossible now; it was too difficult.

"So what are you trying to say? Sengoku is a naval admiral; his life can't be bought with money."

"The Warring States period is very healthy. I don't have the patience to wait for him to die of old age and for the fruits to reappear in the sea for twenty or thirty years!"

Teach thought that Kakuzu meant that after Sengoku died of natural causes, the conglomerate would search for the reborn Buddha fruit and sell it to him. While this was possible, it would take too long and there were too many variables.

"Waiting is the most foolish choice, Mr. Teach. Why don't you think about it differently?"

"Why don't you go back and talk to your old man from the past, and discuss cooperation again?"

Teach's body jolted, and he stared wide-eyed at Kakuzu as if he were a madman. "What did you say?"

Cooperate with Whitebeard, the old man who wanted to tear him to pieces?

"In order to rescue his most beloved adopted son Ace, do you think that loyal and righteous Whitebeard would temporarily put aside his prejudice and hatred towards you and choose to join forces with you, his unfilial son, to deal with the Marines together?"

This is utterly absurd and outrageous!

But Teach's calculating heart began to pound uncontrollably. He had never thought about things from this perspective before; he was trapped in the habitual thought patterns of escaping, betraying, and seizing.

However, from an outsider's perspective, from the standpoint of a pure businessman, Kakuzu believes that Blackbeard's cooperation with Whitebeard is an important foundation.

Teach muttered to himself, his eyes flashing intensely, "Whitebeard would really cooperate with me for Ace?"

Yes, he killed Thatch and betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates. He was an absolute traitor and enemy. Blackbeard was the one who orchestrated Ace's execution.

But how will Whitebeard, the man who values ​​his family more than his own life, choose between saving Ace and killing Teach, in the face of the Navy, a larger and more common enemy?

Teach couldn't be sure, but once the possibility was raised, it grew wildly in his mind like a poisonous seed.

"Your identity is very special. You are Rocks' son, and I think Rocks and Roger were about the same level of importance in Whitebeard's heart, right?"

These words struck Teach like a thunderbolt, piercing the depths of his mind. All expression vanished from his face, and his suddenly contracted pupils revealed an extreme killing intent.

How did you know that?!

A chilling darkness, seemingly capable of swallowing everything, surged forth from his body like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the area where he stood and Kakuzu opposite him.

This is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, capable of devouring light, sound, and even the power of Devil Fruit abilities. "You'd better give me a reasonable explanation, or I can't guarantee you'll leave here alive today."

Enveloped by the dark acupoints, Kakuzu instantly felt a weakness emanating from his very soul. The ground beneath his feet seemed to turn into a viscous swamp, and the power provided by his five hearts began to stagnate, subjected to invisible suppression.

The Dark-Dark Fruit is indeed strange. If he were to fight Teach in this state, the power of his ninjutsu would likely be greatly reduced, and he might even be in mortal danger.

Faced with this overwhelming killing intent and eerie darkness, Kakuzu showed no sign of panic. His green eyes remained calm as he gazed at Teach in the darkness.

"The answer is actually quite simple: I was one of the survivors in God Valley back then."

The surging darkness around Teach abruptly stopped, and his murderous eyes stared intently at Kakuzu, as if trying to see right through him.

God Valley, the name completely erased by the World Government, the earth-shattering battle that determined the course of an era—how is it possible that this strange man covered in stitches is a survivor of that great battle?!

But if not, how would he know Teach's biggest secret?

The resolute determination to kill in Teach's eyes slowly began to waver, replaced by a deeper scrutiny and weighing of options.

An old monster who survived from God Valley, a high-ranking member of a conglomerate with unimaginable wealth, a ninja with unfathomable strength, and someone who knows his greatest secret—Kakuzu's value seems to far exceed previous estimates.

Teach needed to re-evaluate the man in front of him. His suggestion seemed plausible. Would the sentimental Whitebeard, in order to save the son of the Pirate King, reluctantly cooperate with the rebellious son who was suffering from the pain of being a powerful figure?

Blackbeard's hypocritical behavior repeatedly hit the Whitebeard Pirates' sore spots, and for some inexplicable reason, I felt a sense of satisfaction.

With the Blackbeard Pirates' current size, and leveraging his status as Rocks' son, most people can no longer do anything to Teach. Besides, Im won't personally intervene every time.