Boom!
A clash of thunder and photons created a dead zone on the square, where Adrian and Kizaru's figures constantly collided. Violent energy raged, and the air alone was enough to send ordinary Marine soldiers flying.
"Oh, Brother Adrian, you're fighting so carelessly. Are you trying to stall?" Kizaru asked, a strange premonition gnawing at him as he glanced at the distant wall of fire. Did Fleet Admiral Sengoku get taken down by Blackbeard? No, impossible. That old man is too strong. He's no match for Blackbeard's scum.
"Huh! Are you done?" Adrian ignored Kizaru, his eyes fixed on Blackbeard's position. The light spot that represented Sengoku's life had just vanished from his Observation Haki. "Blackbeard, you didn't disappoint me… now, begin your performance!"
Adrian smirked, and with a violent shake of his right hand, the soaring wall of fire disappeared. The figures of Blackbeard and his crew were revealed, and all eyes immediately fell on the corpse he was holding.
"B-b-but..." "Oh my God, what did that bastard Blackbeard do?!" "Fleet Admiral Sengoku..." "How did he lose to that scum?" "I don't believe it! It must be my eyes. Marine Admiral is Buddha Sengoku! How could he die?!" "The man at the top of the Marines was killed..." "Impossible, absolutely impossible..."
The Marines' faces instantly turned pale, their eyes wide with disbelief and fear. Many collapsed to the ground, sobbing. An atmosphere of despair settled over Marineford, as the soldiers lost all fighting spirit. Even Kizaru was stunned. The dignified Marine Admiral, killed by a pirate crewin the heart of Marineford? It was a great shame, a humiliation they would never forget.
"Sengoku is dead?!" Doflamingo's initial shock turned into wild laughter. "Hey hey hey hey! This is getting more and more interesting! Blackbeard, that piece of trash, actually managed to kill a Marine Admiral. This war is going to spin out of control!"
He then turned to Adrian , a sly look on his face. He soared into the air. "Hey, Corpse Collector, I'm guessing you're behind all this!" He laughed, a superior look on his face. "How about it? Interested in joining my camp? As long as you agree, I can guarantee you'll get out of Marineford alive today, even if Sengoku's death is your doing! I can give you a bigger stage!"
"Okay, I can join if you want!" Adrian's face was unreadable. "Just leave the position of the young master of the Donquixote Family!"
"You really are a guy who doesn't know his place! How dare you refuse my invitation?" Doflamingo's face darkened, his lips pulling into a chilling grin. "Don't you think that just because you have the Shock-Shock Fruit, you can do whatever you want in this world? You don't know how many people in the New World have been eyeing this Devil Fruit! Do you really think you can defeat everyone alone? Even Whitebeard at his peak wouldn't dare say such arrogant words!"
"You're right," Adrian said, nodding. But when Doflamingo thought he had a chance, Adrian smirked and said, "Then, Doflamingo, give me your position of King because are too weak!"
Adrian wasn't trying to belittle Doflamingo. He was stating a fact. Doflamingo, who clamored about destroying the world all day, was more like a rich land baron who only dared to plot in secret. The man who saw a Marine Vice Admiral and ran, who was nearly killed by Aokiji, who trembled at the mention of Kaido—his arrogance was a product of being raised in the Celestial Dragon family, surrounded by sycophants who convinced him he was the best. His "elite" crew was nothing more than a group of second-rate warriors to Adrian.
"Heh heh heh heh, you are really an arrogant and disgusting brat!" A fierce light flashed in Doflamingo's eyes. It was the first time an unknown person had repeatedly ridiculed him. He was furious.
But then, the Empress's voice rang out. "You useless trash! Get out of here! Without Lord Adrian's consent, no one is allowed to come within 10 meters of him! That's my king's exclusive area!"
Doflamingo was shocked. Not this girl again! Is she not tired?
"Brat, you just missed your only chance to survive!" Doflamingo glared at Adrian, then fled back to his original position before the Empress could get to him. I'm not scared of girls… she's just too much trouble!
"Hancock, leave him be. The show is about to begin!" Adrian said, hugging the Empress as he pointed to the other side of the square. He didn't care about Doflamingo's threats. He planned on visiting Dressrosa soon anyway.
At the same time, Blackbeard's arrogant laughter sounded. "Xiehahaha, I really made everyone wait a long time!" Blackbeard, who had finished plundering the Devil Fruit's power, threw Sengoku's body to the ground, stretched out a finger, and roared at the Marines, "Next, you Marines will experience my power!"
An endless black mist surged from Blackbeard's body, forming a "Black Carpet" on the ground that radiated the smell of death. It expanded rapidly toward the Marines.
"What is this?" "Damn it, my body's being dragged down!" "Oh no, I can't move..."
Hundreds of Marines were swallowed by the darkness, as if by a bottomless swamp. They struggled, but it was no use. They, and everything else in the darkness—weapons, corpses, ruins—were dragged into the void.
"See? This is the power of my Dark-Dark Fruit!" Blackbeard said smugly, raising his hands high. "And this..."
Golden light bloomed all over Blackbeard's body, and he swelled to a terrifying height of nearly 100 meters. But unlike Sengoku's warm, peaceful Buddha form, Blackbeard's was wrapped in a malevolent, black mist.
Hum!
A white halo appeared on the front of Blackbeard's giant palm, and he pressed it down hard on the terrified Marines.