Bege slung the Cursed Sword Hannya to his left hip, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "Looks like I'm on my way to becoming a dual-wielding master swordsman."
Although the Cursed Sword Hannya was a Supreme Grade Sword, Bege had no intention of abandoning his Fire Cloud Sword. The Fire Cloud Sword had been with him through countless battles; he'd grown attached to it and couldn't bring himself to discard it so easily. Besides, the Fire Cloud Sword itself represented the pinnacle of Skypiean craftsmanship and possessed astonishing destructive power. Giving it up would be far too regrettable.
Perhaps becoming a great swordsman of the dual-wielding style would make him even stronger.
Once his men had laid Master Konghai to rest, Bege personally offered incense and paid his respects before finally departing Broccoli Island to resume his voyage.
The weather in the New World was as fickle as a woman's mood, changing in an instant. Bege once again found himself caught in devilish weather. Gale-force winds and torrential rain, maelstroms, and raging thunderstorms plagued them for an entire day. Their luck ran out when they encountered a rapidly forming super-maelstrom. Their ship was destroyed. Bege immediately used Geppo to sprint through the air, escaping the massive vortex. He was then forced onto a small Waver, speeding across the open sea in hopes of finding an island to rest.
The downpour was like a colossal curtain of rain obscuring the sea, reducing visibility to a mere twenty or thirty meters. Suddenly, a bright light pierced through the rain curtain, and the faint silhouette of a large ship became visible.
Bege immediately steered his Waver towards it, finally drawing close to the large ship.
He stowed his Waver and, with a few swift Geppo leaps, vaulted onto the ship, landing on its deck.
"What wretched weather," Bege muttered, soaked to the bone and feeling thoroughly uncomfortable.
"Who are you?" The moment he landed, a pair of sharp eyes locked onto him. A well-built man with orange hair approached, demanding sternly.
A group of pirates on deck immediately surrounded Bege, their expressions wary, swords and guns aimed at him.
Bege looked at the burly man leading them and said with a composed smile, "No need to be alarmed. My ship was destroyed at sea; I'm just looking for some shelter from the rain."
"Zehahahaha! Captain Thatch, our guest is none other than the infamous 'Demon Dragon' Capone Bege, captain of the Fire Tank Pirates! We'd best not make any rash moves." Suddenly, a peculiar laugh echoed out, and a rugged-looking young man with a burly physique and thick body hair strode out, laughing heartily.
Bege smiled as he looked over, his gaze suddenly sharpening.
"Blackbeard Teach. What an interesting encounter," Bege murmured.
The rugged-looking man before him, with that distinctive laugh, a few missing teeth, a head of messy black hair, and a bandana tied around it. He wore two necklaces, gold bracelets on both wrists, and various jeweled rings on all ten fingers. Tucked into his left sash were three flintlock pistols.
This appearance, this getup… wasn't it none other than the future infamous Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach?
"'Demon Dragon' Capone Bege, with a bounty of 950 million." The orange-haired, burly man leading the group blanched, his expression turning grave.
Bege looked at this man again and then remembered: he was Thatch, the 4th Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. The very same unlucky commander who would later be killed by Blackbeard. But isn't Blackbeard Teach a member of the 2nd Division? Bege wondered. Why is he with the 4th Division? Could it be because of that Dark-Dark Fruit?
"Well, well, well, fancy meeting the Whitebeard Pirates here," Bege chuckled.
His gaze fell upon Blackbeard Teach, a hint of malice in his eyes. Teach's expression shifted slightly, wondering inwardly what he could have done to provoke Bege's killing intent, certain he hadn't offended the Fire Tank Pirates.
Bege, however, was actually contemplating getting rid of Blackbeard right then and there. This man was a ruthless opportunist, destined to replace the Whitebeard Pirates and become one of the Four Emperors. He would undoubtedly be a future rival to Bege. Should he seize this opportunity, while Blackbeard's foundation was still shallow, and eliminate such a major threat?
However, he quickly dismissed the thought. The reason Blackbeard had ingratiated himself with the Whitebeard Pirates was precisely to use their might and prestige as a shield. If he killed Blackbeard now, given Whitebeard's character, Whitebeard would definitely come after him. He was already preparing for war with the Fear Pirates. He couldn't afford to make more enemies without reason.
"Indeed, I can't kill you," Bege mused. "But since we've crossed paths, I should at least teach you a little lesson."
Bege suddenly grinned, then looked at Thatch and said with a smile, "I've heard that all the Division Commanders under the Whitebeard Pirates are exceptionally powerful. Since we've met, how about a little spar?"
The words had barely left his lips when he struck. His figure moved like a phantom, closing the twenty-meter distance between them in an instant, as if it had been violently compressed. In the blink of an eye, they were face to face.
Thatch's expression changed, and he threw a punch at Bege. Bege met it with a punch of his own. The two fists collided with a ferocious impact that slammed into Thatch almost instantaneously. The sheer, overwhelming force was indescribable, unstoppable, like being hit by a mountain. Without even a moment's pause, Thatch was sent flying backward, crashing into the ship's cabin.
"The Commander… sent flying in a single blow?!" Blackbeard Teach's face contorted in horror.
Then, Bege's gaze fell upon Teach. Blackbeard's pupils contracted, but he forced a laugh. "Captain Demon Dragon, you win."
"Win? Heh. I think your strength isn't half bad either. Let's see you handle a couple of moves from me," Bege said, not waiting for a reply, and lunged forward in a blur.
He raised his right leg and brought it down in a savage axe kick aimed straight at Teach's head. Teach's face twisted. He instantly hardened his arms with Armament Haki and raised them above his head to block.
CRACK!
A dull thud reverberated as the heavy kick met Teach's desperate block. Black lightning crackled at the point of impact. Immediately after, the deck beneath Teach's feet fractured with a snap, spiderweb cracks spreading outwards. Teach's expression was extremely ugly. Bege's kick was incredibly heavy; the Armament Haki on his hands was crumbling.
"Not bad. You actually blocked one kick." A savage grin spread across Bege's lips. A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki instantly washed over Teach. Teach's face filled with immediate terror, and the Armament Haki protecting his hands shattered completely. His legs gave out, and Teach crumpled to his knees, his impact gouging two deep depressions into the deck.
Bege swung his leg again. Teach gritted his teeth and once more raised his hands to defend, but he was still sent flying, slamming hard against the ship's railing. Teach collapsed to the deck, clutching his arms and howling in pain. "Agh, it hurts! It hurts so damn much!"
Even as he cried out in pain, an astonishing aura surged from him, his savage gaze locked on Bege. "Interesting. Come on, show me that hidden strength of yours." Just as expected, Teach was hiding his true power.
Bege's words made Teach's expression change yet again, and the aura around him vanished without a trace. "Not willing to reveal it, huh? That's not up to you." Bege's face turned cold. He took a step forward and threw another punch. The ferocious fist carried lethal destructive power. Failing to block this punch would be fatal.
Teach's face was contorted. With a low growl, he instantly imbued his right fist with Armament Haki and met Bege's iron fist. The two fists smashed together. Dark lightning flashed through the torrential rain as a powerful shockwave blasted the downpour away from them.
"See? You blocked it just fine, Marshall D. Teach," Bege said, gazing into Blackbeard Teach's eyes with a smirk that didn't quite reach them. Teach's expression was incredibly ugly and complex. He was inwardly reeling, wondering how Capone Bege could possibly know his full name, let alone his other secrets.
Just then, an astonishing presence rushed over. Thatch, radiating a fierce aura, charged forward explosively, his longsword slashing towards Bege like a bolt of lightning.