Hurriedly, Blackbeard raised his arm, and a dense black mist—thick as oil—spiraled chaotically around his hand. The darkness pulsed, alive, as he unleashed the power of the Yami Yami no Mi.
Whitebeard's titanic fist came crashing down like the hammer of fate—but the instant it collided with Teach's palm, the expected impact never came. Instead, an invisible force swallowed it. The air trembled.
Whitebeard's eyes widened. His Haki, his seismic power... it was being absorbed!
"Zehahahahahaha!!" The grotesque laughter echoed across the plaza.
Teach gripped his former captain's wrist with both hands, his twisted grin of euphoria distorting his face. "I did it, Pops! I've already surpassed you! This power... it chose me!"
Then, in a sudden motion, he grabbed Whitebeard with his left hand, pulling him close, and with his right, he landed a brutal punch to the old titan's abdomen.
Thud!
The sound was dull and muffled, and Whitebeard bent slightly forward. His legs, for a brief moment, lost their strength.
"Zehahaha! Darkness devours everything! This is the power of the Yami Yami no Mi! With it, no ability can escape—not even yours, old man!" Teach continued, landing punch after punch with manic force. "I didn't choose to kill Thatch, he just... stood in the way of my destiny!"
Crashes. Blows.
With each hit, the plaza shook. But then, with a sharp metallic clang, Whitebeard let go of his legendary naginata—the Bisento fell to the ground, making the earth tremble.
With a calloused hand, he grabbed Teach's fist mid-attack. His eyes burned, intense like the fire of a thousand battles.
"You really are a fool, Teach," Whitebeard muttered, his voice low but carrying the weight of a lifetime of combat. "You've always been... a dazzled idiot, chasing after the first power that fell into your hands."
Blackbeard's expression crumbled. He tried to break free, but the old man's grip was crushing—and then came the counterattack.
Whitebeard yanked him violently forward and, with his other hand now coated in Conqueror's Haki, delivered a devastating punch to Teach's face.
Crack!
"Wait! Wait! POPS!!" Teach screamed in panic, blood spilling from his mouth, eyes wide. "I... I'm one of your sons! I was wrong!"
But Whitebeard showed no mercy.
His arm rose once more, ready for another blow—until suddenly, an explosion of Conqueror's Haki burst across the battlefield, clashing with Whitebeard's aura.
A swift figure shot in like a bullet, striking both Whitebeard and Blackbeard, sending them flying in opposite directions like broken dolls.
BOOM!!
"Hm?" Whitebeard furrowed his brow, regaining his balance.
Luffy looked surprised from the crowd, his brow furrowed. "That's... Douglas Bullet."
The air seemed to harden.
One of the most powerful members of Roger's former crew, known as the Demon Heir, was there. But... under Teach's orders?
On the ground, Blackbeard writhed in pain. "That hurts!!"
Beside him, Douglas Bullet spat blood and slowly stood up. "Don't scream, you idiot... I took the brunt of the hit. And don't forget... you made me a promise, Blackbeard."
Meanwhile, atop the execution platform, Sengoku watched everything with sharp eyes. In seconds, he reassessed the entire situation.
"It doesn't matter why those prisoners are here," he said firmly. "Let's neutralize them all at once!"
"Strategic retreat!" he ordered authoritatively.
Below, Vice Admiral Tsuru picked up a special den den mushi, her words quick and precise: "Use the distraction. Everyone fall back to the inner chamber!"
The marines, obedient, began regrouping under the command of their superior officers.
But amidst the chaos, a roar shook the field.
"Aceeeeee!!"
The giant, Oars Jr., charged with all his might toward the execution platform, determined.
"Ace!! I've come to get you!!"
But he didn't see it. He didn't see the shadow stretching beneath his feet. The darkness projected like a spear, molding into a deadly thrust.
Shlunk!
The spear pierced Oars Jr.'s chest, slicing through his body like paper.
"Kishishishi... I'll be taking your body!" Moria sneered, his smile twisted.
THUD!!
Oars Jr. collapsed with a colossal crash, just meters from the main plaza.
"OARS!!" Marco shouted, his eyes ablaze. "Damn Warlord!!"
Hope seemed to be fading. The Seven Warlords were all present... and the noose was tightening.
"Father, the Marines have started to move!" Vista approached Whitebeard, as the other commanders began to gather as well.
And then... a new threat emerged.
From the ground of the inner bay, pillars began to rise, forming a colossal wall. The battlefield was being enclosed.
At the same time, Akainu stood tall. His gaze was pure judgment.
"Pirates... traitors... prisoners... all of them are trash. And trash must be incinerated."
His arms transformed into steaming magma, and he raised them to the skies as if summoning hell itself.
Luffy, still in the crowd, watched. A smile spread across his face.
"Finally... he moved."
He then quickly turned to Hancock, who was still immersed in her fantasy.
"Hancock!"
"Yes~!" — She responded instantly, snapping out of her daze.
"Did you get what I asked for?"
With a proud sparkle in her eye, the empress pulled a key from her cleavage.
"Of course... this is your brother's key, Luffy."
Without hesitation, Luffy took her hand and, at the same time, discreetly pulled a healing fruit from the system.
"I've only got one of these. Give it to one of your sisters. This place is about to turn into real hell, and you need to stay safe."
She nodded with a serious look.
Luffy then turned, eyes locked on the platform where Ace awaited his fate.
It was time to act.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."