"How nice it is to be able to meet you so soon. you must be the partner Wilson told me about earlier."

As I laid my eyes on the man and heard him speak in that familiar refined tone of voice, I felt my mind shut down, only to reboot and start processing the situation at superhuman speed and capacity.

"oh, nice to meet you two, Mr...?" I said as I stood up when he started walking in my direction out of both courtesy and caution." Laffite, just Laffite is fine, and you are called johnny, am I correct?" he said again in a friendly, refined tone of voice while extending his hand to me expecting a handshake. "that is correct, you said Wilson told you about me, he didn't say anything bad did he, knowing the big guy it's entirely possible." I answered and shook his hand, trying to fish for what information he knew about me.

"nothing like that, I assure you. he just mentioned you were bounty hunters and said that you and I would find each other interesting for some reason," he said as his pleasant, refined voice seemed to fade as he spoke.

"he also said the same thing about you to me, and meeting you right now, I know he wasn't wrong. You are a monster," I said as I put more strength into my hand that was grasping his own in a firm handshake.

"for a man who just met a monster, you don't seem to be very scared," he said as his elegant demeanour completely vanished, replaced by a sinister, cold one instead.

"That's because I'm something of a monster myself, tell me oh monster hidden in sheep's clothing, Do you know what happens when two monsters meet," I said as I let go of his hands once I noticed he couldn't put more strength into it.

"they tear each other apart or become the best of friends. luckily we are humans before we are monsters, and we don't need to go such lengths." I said quickly, interrupting him before he said anything himself, and took out my whisky bottle.

Lafitte seemed surprised at my change of attitude at first, but he regained his pleasant demeanour quite quickly as he smiled, reached into a cupboard, and took out two glasses which he placed at his desk, then sat behind it.

"so tell me, what is a bonafide monster doing in such a quiet place like this playing Sherrif?" I asked as I started to pour whisky into the glasses.

"oh my, playing sheriff, what a rude thing to say. I take this job very seriously, you know, but to answer your question, let's say that I'm waiting," he said as he picked up the whisky glass and surprisingly drained it all in one gulp without even a hint of caution.

I looked at this and raised my eyebrow, but he continued speaking as if he knew what I was about to say. "like me, you are also a monster, but you're not that kind of monster." he said simply with an assured and confident tone of voice, not that he was wrong, but I digress.

"well, in that case, doesn't that mean you don't have to wait any longer?" I said as I drained my glass and then refilled both of our glasses. "maybe, but then again, maybe not. I'm not the kind of person to follow the first monster I meet and call it a day. Why don't you tell me about what kind of dream drove you to the sea and how you are going to make it come true." he said as he took a small sip from his glass this time instead of draining it.

"my dream is simple. I want to see and experience everything this world has to offer. I want to shake this world and carve a piece of it to make my own." I said with a fiery passion as I spread my arms to my side as Laffite continued to listen attentively.

"I already have a plan for that. I'm currently working to collect enough money to buy a decent ship, and once I had that and a good crew. I intend to enter the grand line as a pirate and then stack as much power as I can by taking advantage of future situations that I will not share with you for now." I said with no passion this time as my voice regained its usual calm, calculating tone.

"oh, are you saying you can see the future somehow?" Lafitte asked with intentional amusement in his voice, but the solemn look in his eyes seemed to indicate that he believed such a thing was possible.

"you don't need to test me like that. I'm not such a narrow-minded person that I'll lash out at the first person to doubt or mock me. When you aim at the top, there are fights simply not worth fighting," I said with a broad smile, not minding his tone while shamelessly quoting Blackbeard and then continued.

"But to answer your question, I'm not capable of something as outrageous as seeing the future. I calculate and predict it." I said as I raised my whisky glass and drained it with one gulp.

"Now, back to the point, once I had gathered enough strength, I would then enter the new world and take on one of the yonko to take their territory as my own," I said. I then lit a cigarette to give the man a couple of seconds to think, as he seemed to be contemplating and organizing his thoughts.

"very well, you have convinced me. I will follow you as a member of your future crew, but if I notice you slipping or losing your edge, I will not hesitate to leave, captain." Laffite said as he stood up, brought his cane behind his back, tipped his top hat, and bowed gracefully.

"hahaha, you've made a wise decision Laffite, welcome to the crew. just remember one thing as long as you don't turn your back on me, I'll never turn my back on you." I laughed in a loud, joyful tone of voice as I started to smack the man on his shoulder hard enough to make him wince.

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