"Captain, something's not right…"
The members of the Blackbeard Pirates had also noticed, cold sweat dripping down their faces as they looked around.
At some point, they had already been surrounded by countless pirates.
And every single one of them was glaring at them with hungry eyes.
"Tch…" Blackbeard's scalp tingled.
He simply couldn't understand—Naruto had just broken through Impel Down, so how in the world had he managed to win over so many pirates of the seas!?
These weren't just some small-time nobodies of the ocean. Every single one of them was a once-famous big name of the Grand Line.
"It's this guy…" Blackbeard turned his gaze toward Naruto again.
"The Demon Child, Uzumaki Naruto… It must be because of his feats that so many great pirates were willing to follow him…"
Thinking back on Naruto's deeds—each and every one was an earth-shattering event.
And for pirates, someone who could stir the seas like that was a figure worthy of admiration… someone worth following.
"Captain…"
The Blackbeard Pirates couldn't help but urge. They could feel the surrounding pirates were about to make their move.
Especially Barrett, who was watching them with eyes full of interest. The pressure from him alone was enough to crush them.
"I know!" Blackbeard's face turned grim.
For the first time, regret crept into his heart for ever coming to Naruto for cooperation.
He had assumed they were equals. But now, it was clear they weren't.
"If only I had killed that old bastard first… got the Gura Gura no Mi (Quake-Quake Fruit) powers before coming to Impel Down to recruit…"
Cursing inside, Blackbeard thrust his right hand forward at Naruto.
"Ankoku Mizu (Dark Water)!"
In an instant, a swirling mass of pitch-black liquid appeared in his palm.
The surrounding pirates' faces all changed.
They had already witnessed the terrifying power of the Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit). And they couldn't imagine how Naruto, also a Devil Fruit user, was going to deal with it.
"Could that fat bastard really kill him!?"
Many pirates couldn't help but think darkly.
After all, none of them wanted their lives in someone else's hands. If Naruto died, maybe they could regain their freedom.
But the top-tier monsters like Barrett only revealed amused expressions.
"A power that restrains Devil Fruits… No. If one's Haki is strong enough, even the Yami Yami no Mi can be countered…"
Their eyes turned toward the golden-haired youth.
Just how far had this so-called Demon Child trained his Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)?
Naruto, feeling the pull of that gravitational force, simply smirked.
He raised his right hand forward.
"Kongō… Fūsoku! (Adamantine Sealing Chains!)"
In that moment, four chains of radiant golden light shot out—like four living dragons of light, tearing toward Blackbeard.
"What the hell is this!?"
Blackbeard frowned, glaring at the chains.
But he didn't retreat. In his eyes, it didn't matter what ability Naruto used—once the Yami Yami no Mi grabbed it, all abilities would be nullified.
But while he was still thinking—
Clang! Clang!
The golden chains wrapped firmly around his body.
Blackbeard's face instantly drained of color. He looked in horror at the black swirling substance in his hand, which was rapidly fading away.
"You… you also have a power that suppresses Devil Fruits!?"
Although Naruto's chains didn't feel quite as absolute as the nullification of the Yami Yami no Mi, it was dangerously close to that level.
But that was impossible…
Never had there been talk of another power that rivaled the Yami Yami no Mi!
"You sure you have time to be staring around!?"
Naruto chuckled.
In the instant Blackbeard was distracted, Naruto appeared before him in a flash.
His right fist ignited into blazing fire—and slammed forward!
"Not good!"
Blackbeard's face turned pale.
He hastily pulled at the fading darkness to shield himself.
Darkness and flames collided amidst the icy wasteland.
Half black—half blazing flame.
But the fire completely overpowered the darkness, engulfing Blackbeard's body in an overwhelming inferno.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
A scream, wretched and raw, tore through the battlefield.
Blackbeard writhed and rolled in the flames, desperately trying to put himself out.
All the so-called pride of a powerful pirate was gone.
Now, he looked more like a dying black pig, squealing in its last throes.
"Captain…!"
Burgess' face twisted in horror. He rushed forward to help.
But before he could—
"Wait."
Barrett stepped forward, his eyes narrowing at the championship belt on Burgess' chest.
"So you're some kind of fighting champion, huh?"
His right fist glowed pitch-black with Busoshoku Haki, and he threw it forward.
The punch carried such raw force that it whipped up a violent gale.
BOOM!!!
Burgess was sent flying, smashing through iceberg after iceberg before finally coming to a stop—eyes rolled back, unconscious.
"Captain! Burgess!"
The rest of the Blackbeard crew froze in terror.
They had come here thinking they'd recruit more power before going to Marineford, where they'd claim Whitebeard's Devil Fruit and make their names legendary.
But from the very start… everything had gone wrong.
And before they could even think—
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The rest of the Blackbeard Pirates were struck down.
Crocodile, biting on his cigar, dragged the limp Burgess by the neck. He blew out a puff of smoke, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at the prison above them.
"No point wasting time on these nobodies. Let's head straight to Marineford. The war's probably already started."
"You're right." Naruto nodded with a smile.
"Besides, I don't think Impel Down has any intention of chasing us anymore…"
And just as Naruto said—
From the sixth level of Infinite Hell, all the way to the first level of Crimson Hell, countless pirates stormed their way through.
Not only did none of them die—
They even added a few hundred more to their forces.
(End of Chapter)
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