Fujitora's gravity field bore down heavily on Blackbeard.
Yet, despite the overwhelming force, Blackbeard struggled to rise from the cratered ground.
As the Emperor who succeeded Whitebeard in the original story, Blackbeard's strength was not solely reliant on his Devil Fruit abilities.
His physical endurance, combat skills, and battle techniques—
After spending over twenty years in the Whitebeard Pirates, Blackbeard lacked nothing. However, his arrogant and reckless demeanor often obscured his true capabilities.
Blood trickled down from his forehead, streaming across his face before dripping onto the ground.
Despite enduring several consecutive heavy blows, Blackbeard's condition showed no significant decline.
This resilience was not only due to the damage mitigation of Armament Haki but also a testament to his formidable physique.
At their level, it was common to possess monstrous endurance.
"Dark Vortex!"
Blackbeard's face contorted with ferocity, his bloodshot eyes gleaming. Thick darkness erupted from his shoulders, rising against the gravity like billowing smoke.
The rising darkness silently nullified Fujitora's Infernal Voyage technique.
Blackbeard then shot a quick glance at Fujitora, his gaze cold and calculating.
This Admiral—hailed by many as a monster—had deliberately positioned himself at a key passage into Dressrosa's town, choosing to preemptively intercept rather than engage in direct combat.
Such an action effectively crushed certain malicious intentions Blackbeard harbored.
Originally—
Blackbeard had planned to use his [Dark Vortex] ability to swallow Dressrosa's buildings and its people while searching for Vergo, either as an offensive maneuver or to hinder enemy pursuit.
As for the casualties? He couldn't care less.
But now, acting on that thought would undoubtedly provoke Fujitora's wrath.
At the town's entrance—
The abrupt severance of his ability's connection caused Fujitora to raise an eyebrow in mild surprise.
It was as if a signal had been suddenly cut off—a strange and unprecedented sensation.
At the same time, a deep sense of foreboding settled in.
"What an unusual ability…"
Fujitora murmured, his expression growing heavier as he met Blackbeard's fleeting, icy glance.
Meanwhile, in his Shadow Demon Form, Maude also observed the sudden surge of darkness from Blackbeard with a calm demeanor.
In the original story, even without relying on the Flame-Flame Fruit, Ace demonstrated formidable combat prowess.
Yet despite this, he had been utterly overpowered by Blackbeard and eventually captured.
This outcome was not merely due to Blackbeard's own combat skills but also his unique ability to pull Devil Fruit users toward him with his gravitational darkness.
Maude vaguely recalled that when Blackbeard used this ability against Ace, the latter failed to react effectively and was caught.
Whether it was due to Ace's slow reaction or an inability to resist was unknown.
What was certain, however, was that Blackbeard's pull was precise enough to drag a Devil Fruit user directly into his grasp.
"This needs careful attention."
Armed with this foreknowledge, Maude made a mental note.
Confirming that Fujitora would not make the first move, Blackbeard repositioned himself with foresight, striding directly toward Maude.
By adjusting his direction and closing the distance, he aimed to prevent himself from being sent flying toward the town again should Maude strike.
Otherwise, he'd have to endure another round of Fujitora's wrath.
"This guy…"
Maude narrowed his eyes, easily discerning Blackbeard's intentions. This highly cunning and patient schemer could be quite amusing at times.
Without overthinking it, Maude adjusted his own position.
With that subtle shift, he, Blackbeard, and Fujitora remained in a straight line.
Blackbeard's maneuver instantly lost its purpose.
It was as if he had become a helpless soccer ball between them—Maude the precise kicker and Fujitora the steadfast goalkeeper.
"???"
Blackbeard's mouth twitched violently at Maude's infuriating response.
Maude beckoned with a finger.
"What's wrong? Is your 'darkness' just for show?"
"Tch… Laugh while you still can, Bacardi Maude."
Blackbeard sneered, his eyes flashing with a savage glint.
"I'll make sure you truly understand… just how terrifying darkness can be!"
As he spoke, the dark mist emanating from his shoulders rapidly engulfed his arms and hands, expanding at an alarming rate.
Above, the sky churned with storm clouds, flickering with lightning along their edges.
A cold wind howled from the distance, growing more ferocious with each gust.
The powerful winds lashed at Blackbeard's cloak, but the ominous black mist remained unmoved.
"Watch closely!"
Blackbeard stretched out his right hand toward Maude.
Dark Vortex!
A gravitational pull erupted from his palm, warping the darkness into a swirling vortex.
Even at a distance, Maude felt the immense pull seize him.
In an instant—
The shadow enveloping Maude's body peeled away like a discarded husk, drawn toward Blackbeard's Dark Vortex. Immediately after, Maude himself was pulled forward.
"Oh? Even my 'shadow' gets absorbed, huh? That makes my earlier precaution of anchoring my shadow to the ground seem rather pointless."
Suspended midair, Maude remained calm as he observed Blackbeard ahead.
Despite anticipating this technique, his countermeasures had proven ineffective.
"Zehahaha… See that? The shadow you take such pride in is nothing before the infinite gravity of darkness!!!"
Seeing Maude's shadow get absorbed first, Blackbeard, in his overconfidence, burst into triumphant laughter—before the vortex had even fully ensnared Maude.
Ignoring Blackbeard's arrogance, Maude gripped his gun tightly, leveling the barrel at Blackbeard before rapidly pulling the trigger.
Bang! Bang!—
Two Haki-infused bullets shot straight for Blackbeard's vital points.
Yet even these Armament Haki-coated bullets could not escape the pull of darkness, vanishing into the vortex.
"It's useless!!! My darkness can pull in everything—bullets, blades, flames, lightning, any attack imaginable!!!"
Blackbeard roared in laughter, certain of his victory.
The Dark-Dark Fruit, feared as the most dangerous and unique of all Devil Fruits, had finally bared its true fangs!
As the distance between them closed, Bailey's shape-shifting weapon ability also faltered under the gravitational influence, gradually reverting to its original form. Fortunately, Maude had a firm grip on it, preventing it from being drawn in.
"Boss…"
Now forced back into his original form, Bailey cast a panicked glance at Maude. Seeing his captain remain composed, he felt a flicker of reassurance.
But the crisis was far from over!
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