"Titch…"
Though gravely wounded, Whitebeard still gripped his massive blade, standing tall and unyielding.
Not far away, a strange, guttural laugh drew the attention of everyone present.
"Titch!"
Ace's teeth ground together in fury as his eyes locked onto Blackbeard standing among the ruins.
It was him the man who had broken the iron rule of the Whitebeard Pirates, murdering Thatch, commander of the fourth division, just to steal a Devil Fruit.
It was because of him that everything had come to this.
"Crossfire!"
Ace crossed his fingers and unleashed a blazing cross-shaped flame at Blackbeard.
But Blackbeard simply raised his hand. In his palm, a swirling vortex of darkness appeared.
"Still haven't learned, Ace? Your flames don't work on me at all."
The fire vanished into the swirling void as if it had never existed.
"Damn it…" Ace growled, knowing full well he couldn't harm him. That was the truth.
"Titch… are you here to die?"
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed, his killing intent unmasked. If he had the strength, he would crush Blackbeard without hesitation.
"Die? Come now, Pops, I'm your beloved son!" Blackbeard sneered, his grin twisting with cruelty.
"From the moment you broke our crew's iron rule, you were no longer a son of mine."
Dragging his enormous frame forward, Whitebeard swung a fist. The very air shattered like glass, and a devastating quake surged toward Blackbeard.
"Pops, are you too old to remember? I told you before" Blackbeard lifted his left hand, and the vortex of darkness spread once more, swallowing the shockwave whole.
"Zehahahaha!"
His maniacal laughter echoed as Whitebeard's quake was completely nullified, leaving not a scratch on him.
"What ability is this? Stronger than the Tremor-Tremor Fruit itself?" Sengoku stared in disbelief.
Beside him, Garp frowned and muttered, "Looks like that vortex of his cancels out Devil Fruit powers. That's why neither Whitebeard's quakes nor Ace's flames work on him."
After a long silence, he exhaled heavily. "This is going to be trouble."
On the battlefield, Blackbeard reveled in his dominance.
"Pops, you've grown old and weak! Did you forget? I came here to bury you!"
Both his hands ignited with eerie black flames as he slammed them into the ground.
The darkness spread like wildfire, wrapping the battlefield in a suffocating shroud. From the black flames, a monstrous claw lashed out and gripped Whitebeard's legs, holding him fast.
"Pops!" Ace shouted, ready to charge forward, but Whitebeard waved him back.
Instead, he threw another quake-infused punch.
"It's useless!"
Blackbeard launched himself forward, shouting: "Dark Vortex!"
The quake vanished into the void, and Blackbeard grinned viciously.
"How about it, Pops? My darkness can erase your Devil Fruit powers! In front of me, you'll never quake the earth again!"
His left fist slammed into Whitebeard's wounded abdomen. The veteran's teeth clenched as pain ripped through him.
Seizing the moment, Blackbeard hooked Whitebeard's left fist with his right hand, then drove his other fist into Whitebeard's jaw.
BANG!
The dull crack echoed across the battlefield, freezing everyone's hearts.
"Pops!!!"
"Zehahahaha! Beg for mercy, old man! How pathetic you've become!"
Blackbeard's arrogance filled the air until Whitebeard's hand gripped his great blade, Murakumogiri, and raised it high.
"What?!"
With a single savage swing, the blade tore across Blackbeard's shoulder, spraying blood.
The dark field shattered. Blackbeard staggered, trying to rise, only to feel searing pain as Whitebeard's blade pinned one hand and his boot crushed the other. A massive hand clamped around his throat.
"Titch… you've learned nothing. Arrogance and recklessness those are your fatal flaws."
Blackbeard gagged, unable to speak.
Whitebeard's palm glowed with quake energy, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit ready to strike.
"W-wait! Stop!" Blackbeard cried desperately. His eyes darted, pleading. "I'm your son! You wouldn't kill your own son!"
For a moment, Whitebeard's hand hesitated.
And then, with one clean motion, a figure appeared, blade flashing.
Blackbeard's head toppled from his shoulders.
"You…"
Whitebeard looked in surprise at the one who acted. It was Vincent Fox.
Standing tall, his western blade dripping with blood, Vincent's eyes flicked disdainfully toward Blackbeard's severed head.
"Pops, mercy toward an enemy is cruelty toward yourself."
As he spoke, his gaze swept toward the remnants of Blackbeard's crew, who had already raised their weapons and encircled them.
"You filthy traitors, no better than your captain. Die."
Ace's fury erupted. His flames roared sky-high, ignited by the sight of Whitebeard's wounds.
"Fire Fist!"
The massive column of flame engulfed Blackbeard's men, scattering them like ashes. The weaker among them were burned alive in an instant.
"Wipe out Blackbeard's crew leave no one alive!"
Marco soared forward in a burst of azure fire, his talons slamming into Shiryu of the Rain.
CRASH!
Shiryu went tumbling, unable to even react.
"Kill them all! Destroy the traitors!"
The division commanders surged forward. Vista reclaimed his blade from Vincent and charged to the frontlines.
The Blackbeard Pirates had only just formed their strength was nothing compared to Whitebeard's veteran crew. Within moments, they were utterly crushed.
Vincent raised his hand, conjuring a burst of fire. He cast it upon Blackbeard's body, and in a few breaths, nothing remained but ash.
Even decapitated, even lifeless, Vincent did not hesitate to strike again.
It was the instinct of one who had seen countless betrayals on screen. Never leave an enemy breathing.
"Ahh…"
Watching him, Whitebeard exhaled a long sigh. "So it's true. I've grown old."
"Don't sigh, Pops," Vincent said, his own eyes heavy.
"Blackbeard was cunning. Don't let it weigh you down. The real enemy is still in front of us." He pointed toward the Marines, trembling at a distance.
Whitebeard followed his gaze. Rows of Marines stared back, shivering under the pressure.
SLAM!
Whitebeard drove Murakumogiri into the earth and bellowed, "He's right! The real battle isn't over yet! Sons, forward!"
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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