At the town entrance.
Most of the Marines stood frozen, staring in disbelief at Blackbeard, who knelt before Maude, having suddenly lost all strength to resist.
The battle had ended far too quickly—so quickly that they hadn't even grasped what had transpired.
Only Fujitora and Chaton, as mere spectators, were able to discern some of the nuances, their faces reflecting sheer astonishment.
A battle that ended within seconds may have seemed uneventful on the surface, yet beneath it lay an intense, heart-stopping confrontation.
Even as bystanders, Chaton and Fujitora could perceive the immense danger within. For the ones actually involved—Maude and Blackbeard—the stakes had been infinitely higher.
Fierce clashes and prolonged duels were common in high-level battles, where opponents would trade blows in a test of endurance and skill.
But this fight—
There were no dazzling exchanges of techniques, no earth-shattering displays of power, no overwhelming bursts of aura… only a battle where a single misstep would mean instant defeat.
"The Yami Yami no Mi, the bane of all Devil Fruit users… To be hailed as the most malevolent ability in history is no exaggeration."
Fujitora slowly loosened his grip on his wooden staff, murmuring to himself with grave contemplation.
In a one-on-one battle, if he had faced Blackbeard himself, the situation would have been equally perilous.
After all, without prior knowledge—
No, even with prior caution, the ability to forcibly strip away a Devil Fruit's power and drag the user into a brutal, close-quarters fight would utterly disrupt one's combat rhythm.
The more a user had honed their Devil Fruit abilities over years of combat, embedding them into their very instincts, the more devastatingly vulnerable they became to the Dark-Dark Fruit's negation.
This was the true terror of the Dark-Dark Fruit—the ability to shatter an opponent's natural battle flow and forcibly neutralize their advantages.
"Victory was decided in an instant, Blackbeard."
Maude grasped Blackbeard by the throat and hoisted him into the air.
Mere seconds ago, their positions had been reversed.
Had Blackbeard already acquired the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the outcome might not have been as certain.
Maude had not expected that this arrogant, reckless man—who loved to boast about his powers mid-fight—was, in truth, also a hidden master of close-quarters combat.
After all, in the original timeline, the overwhelming presence of the Dark-Dark Fruit and Tremor-Tremor Fruit had largely overshadowed Blackbeard's fundamental combat abilities.
Moreover, Blackbeard's overconfidence often left him riddled with openings, making it easy to overlook his raw physical strength.
But looking back—
Jinbe, a former Warlord of the Sea, had, during the Whole Cake Island arc, endured a direct Cognac (Emperor Blade) strike from Big Mom herself without suffering injury, relying solely on his Armament Haki.
And yet, this same Jinbe had once fought Ace to a standstill for five days and five nights.
This indicated that Ace, despite possessing a Logia-type Devil Fruit, was not someone who relied solely on his fruit's powers. His physical strength and combat fundamentals were worthy of his title as the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
And yet, Ace had been completely overwhelmed by Blackbeard in hand-to-hand combat.
That alone was proof of Blackbeard's raw strength.
Additionally, before consuming the Dark-Dark Fruit, Blackbeard had already managed to wound a serious, battle-ready Shanks.
Maude had nearly overlooked this minor detail from the original timeline.
Only after clashing directly with Blackbeard did he truly grasp the depth of the man's power, concealed beneath the notoriety of his Devil Fruit.
"Relying too much on preconceived notions from the original timeline isn't always a good thing."
Having emerged victorious in this brief yet perilous confrontation, Maude couldn't help but reflect.
He was human, not omniscient.
It was impossible to perfectly recall every detail from the original timeline.
And in battles of this caliber, even the slightest miscalculation in information could shift the final outcome.
But with the Seastone bullet that Sol had gifted him—one he rarely used—Maude had ultimately succeeded in eliminating one of the greatest threats to his future.
"You've lost, Blackbeard."
Maude gazed calmly at Blackbeard, whose face was turning red, contorted with unwillingness.
The pressure on his throat prevented him from uttering a single word. He could only glare murderously at Maude, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty fury.
"You and I both understand what this battle—lasting mere seconds—truly means for us."
With one hand around Blackbeard's throat, Maude clenched his other hand into a fist and drove it into Blackbeard's gut.
Boom!
Blackbeard's body convulsed, blood gushing from his mouth.
"You must have realized it a few minutes ago…"
Boom!
"I am your greatest obstacle in the future."
Boom!
"So, your desire to eliminate me here outweighs even your desire to obtain the Gura Gura no Mi, doesn't it?"
Boom!
"And I know exactly why you must acquire the Gura Gura no Mi."
Boom!
"It's the final piece in your quest for dominance, isn't it?"
Boom!
"To me, you are also one of the greatest threats, Blackbeard."
Boom!
After seven consecutive strikes, even with his monstrous endurance, Blackbeard's consciousness began to blur.
Maude withdrew his fist and leaned in close, whispering into Blackbeard's ear in a voice only he could hear:
"Back at Marineford, did you ever wonder why I went out of my way to remove Whitebeard's corpse? Because I knew your secret. Oh, and by the way, the Gura Gura no Mi you so desperately sought… I already have it."
"!!!"
Whether due to suffocation or the sheer psychological blow of Maude's words, Blackbeard's eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at him in rage.
But Maude remained unfazed, speaking earnestly: "Also, I find your 'unique body' rather fascinating."
Before Blackbeard could react, Maude delivered an eighth punch.
Boom!
With that final blow—
His body wracked with fury and despair, Blackbeard could endure no longer. His consciousness was swallowed by darkness as he slumped into unconsciousness.
"At least you'll get to take a few more breaths before Law dissects you."
Maude gazed down at the defeated Blackbeard, murmuring to himself.
And so—
In less than ten seconds, the battle between Maude and Blackbeard had officially concluded.
With Blackbeard's fall, there would be no Yonko Blackbeard in the future.
"You've got to be kidding…"
In the distance, Shiryu watched in disbelief as Blackbeard collapsed.
The man he had acknowledged as one destined for the peak of power had been so effortlessly struck down by Maude.
Shiryu could not accept this outcome.
Swish!
With a powerful step, he shot toward Maude at lightning speed.
As long as they could escape Dressrosa, they could still rise again.
Gripping his sword tightly, Shiryu was determined to save Blackbeard.
"Room."
At that moment, Law's cold voice echoed across the battlefield.
His spatial domain expanded in an instant, pulling Shiryu back to his original position.
"Hm?"
Shiryu reacted swiftly, his icy gaze piercing toward Law like an arrow.
Meeting Shiryu's sharp stare, Law remained expressionless.
No one had expected it—
Even when facing the combined might of Aokiji, Fujitora, and Ace, Blackbeard had shown no signs of faltering. He had demonstrated his overwhelming strength without restraint, yet he had been defeated by Maude in the blink of an eye.
The outcome was not only unacceptable to Shiryu and his allies but also completely unexpected for Law and his group.
They had anticipated an intense battle where the strongest from both sides would clash, creating a cataclysmic backdrop before a victor emerged.
But they never imagined the fight would end so quickly.
It was utterly absurd.
Unaware of the Dark-Dark Fruit's specific properties, Law was deeply astonished by this result.
Regardless, Maude's battle was over. Meanwhile, their fight was only just beginning.
"Your opponent is us."
Law's voice was calm as he stared at Shiryu. He raised his right hand before him, palm facing downward. A visible vortex of energy contracted in his palm before vanishing.
Deploying Room consumed significant stamina, so Law had to constantly expand and retract his ability to conserve energy.
"..."
Shiryu remained silent, the gleam in his eyes growing colder.
After being forcibly teleported back to his original position, he realized that unless Law was dealt with first, their movements—whether advancing or retreating—would be severely restricted, making escape nearly impossible.
He had to kill this brat first!
Shiryu rotated his wrist, angling his blade downward.
Boom!
With a powerful step, he shot forward like lightning, his bloodlust locked onto Law.
"So fast!"
Shiryu's sudden assault made Law's expression shift slightly.
"Room!"
A vortex of energy spun from Law's palm, rapidly expanding into a domain.
Seeing this, Shiryu immediately swung his sword, unleashing a flying slash coated in venom toward Law.
"Teleport!"
Law's gaze sharpened as he swiftly scanned the battlefield, swapping the incoming venomous slash with a piece of debris on the ground.
Whoosh!
The venomous slash vanished into thin air, only to reappear midair—hurtling straight back at Shiryu.
A faint red glint flickered in Shiryu's eyes. With the aid of Observation Haki, he accurately parried the unexpected venomous attack, then unleashed three more flying slashes toward Law.
Frowning, Law prepared to burn more stamina to keep disrupting Shiryu's relentless offense with his teleportation ability.
But at that moment, Brook suddenly appeared, positioning himself in the path of the venomous slashes.
"Brook?"
Law was taken aback as Brook stepped forward to shield him.
With his back to Law, Brook's hollow eye sockets locked onto the incoming venomous slashes. His cane-sword exuded an eerie chill from the depths of the underworld.
Soul Slayer—Blizzard Slash!
Brook's sword arm flickered with afterimages as he unleashed three pristine, snow-white slashes, intercepting the venomous strikes midair.
Boom!
The collision of attacks generated an explosive shockwave, sending waves of air rippling outward in all directions.
The venom coating Shiryu's slashes scattered to the ground, releasing faint tendrils of green toxic mist.
"Yohohoho! What a terrifying poison. Getting hit by that would be quite troublesome."
Brook glanced at the venom splattered across the battlefield, his tone filled with caution.
Whoosh—!
Just as Brook's gaze flickered toward the poisoned ground, a venomous hound, controlled by Shiryu, tore through the shockwave and lunged at him with astonishing speed.
"Damn it!"
Having yet to fully master Observation Haki, Brook failed to react in time and was tackled to the ground.
The venomous hound's jaws clamped onto Brook's skull before dissolving into a thick, viscous poison, enveloping his entire skeletal frame.
"One down."
Shiryu coldly declared Brook's demise and turned his attention to his next target—Law.
Just as he shifted his gaze, he suddenly heard Brook's panicked voice.
"Oh no! I've been poisoned! Philo, where are you? Hurry up and cure me!"
Shiryu's thoughts briefly stalled.
Following the sound, he saw Brook—covered head to toe in viscous green poison—rising to his feet like some kind of grotesque swamp monster.
"..."
Shiryu's brow furrowed.
Law, too, was staring at the poison-drenched Brook, frowning. "Brook, you…"
"Law! You're a doctor! Quick, cure me! I feel like I'm dying—even though I've already died once! Yohohoho!"
Brook suddenly turned toward Law, cutting him off mid-sentence. Without hesitation, he began sprinting toward Law, leaving a dripping trail of poison behind him.
"STAY BACK!!!"
Law's face twisted in alarm as Brook charged straight at him, fully coated in venom.
"Huh?"
Brook looked confused but did not slow down in the slightest.
"YOU IDIOT! STAND STILL!!!"
Law barely resisted the urge to slice Brook in half with Kikoku. He roared at Brook to stop before he got any closer.
Brook finally halted, shooting Law a resentful look. He sighed dramatically and said, "Law, as a doctor sworn to save lives, you're being awfully cold. Philo is much kinder—not only is she cute, but she also has a lovely personality. And most importantly, she lets me see her underwear! Yohohoho!"
"I HAVE NEVER SHOWN YOU MY UNDERWEAR!!!"
Philo's indignant voice rang out from afar.
Law's face darkened as he rubbed his forehead. "In any case, your body should be immune to poison. Otherwise, you wouldn't still be standing."
"Eh? Now that you mention it…"
Brook, still dripping with venom, tapped his skull thoughtfully. "I do feel perfectly fine! Yohohoho!"
Shiryu watched this absurd scene unfold, his expression unreadable. His mouth twitched slightly before he abruptly flickered behind Brook, slashing toward his exposed spine.
"Watch out!"
Law's pupils contracted. He immediately expanded his domain, teleporting Brook to safety.
Shiryu's blade sliced through empty air.
"This ability… truly nauseating."
Shiryu's eyes flickered darkly as he glanced at Brook, who had been relocated once again. He then shifted his icy gaze back onto Law.
Law smirked coldly. "Right back at you."
"..."
Shiryu's jaw twitched.
If this dragged on any longer, not only would rescuing Blackbeard become impossible—he himself might not make it out of here alive.
"What about the others…?"
With that thought, Shiryu scanned the battlefield.
Without exception, every one of his allies was being overwhelmed by the Maude Pirates.
The situation was looking grim…
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