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The blade's power tore the heavens apart, triggering an explosion so massive it blanketed the battlefield in blinding white.
Countless marines were swallowed by the blast. Only after long minutes did the fury subside, smoke thinning until Whitebeard's battered form appeared again.
He panted heavily—clearly even that strike had drained him.
Then a chilling laugh cut through the air.
"What… what the hell is that?!" the marines stammered.
From behind Marineford rose a colossal figure.
"So, you've noticed at last!"
"And who's that on the execution platform…?"
A cold voice replied, "So you finally realized."
Sengoku's face hardened. He knew.
"You bastards… how did you get here?"
Whitebeard's grip tightened on his weapon.
"They're the worst of the worst—monsters whose existence was erased from history!"
The names echoed like thunder:
"Sanjuan Wolf, the Giant Battleship!""Vasco Shot, the Drunken Beast!""Catarina Devon, the Crescent Hunter!""Shiryu of the Rain, former Impel Down warden!"
"And the King of Corruption… Avalo Pizarro!"
"Blackbeard's crew!!!"
Blackbeard's mad laughter filled the battlefield.
"Long time no see, Pops. Who'd have thought I'd get to meet you again… right before your death?"
Whitebeard's gaze froze over. "Teach…"
Sengoku roared at the traitor. "Shiryu! You scum! What happened to Magellan?! What of Impel Down?!"
Shiryu exhaled smoke from his cigar, smirking. "Isn't our being here all the answer you need, Fleet Admiral?"
He grinned. "If you want details, go see for yourself."
"And as for me—looks like I'll be working with these guys from now on. So… let's get along."
A marine rushed up. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Report just came in— the Gate of Justice reopened. An unregistered battleship forced its way in!"
"So it was you…" Sengoku muttered darkly.
"But the engine room's manned by marines. No reports of irregularities—how did you slip past?"
Blackbeard chuckled hideously. "Oh, that? Easy. Before sailing to Impel Down, I hypnotized the engine room marines. Any ship at the Gate? They let it through without question."
"Guess we even helped some other folks sneak in, too!" one of his crew snickered.
"The Straw Hats, maybe?"
Blackbeard's vile laugh rang again. "If you're a pirate, the Navy won't open the Gate of Justice for you. And you can't sneak into Impel Down. That's why I accepted the Warlord title in the first place. But now? That title's useless to me."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
Whitebeard raised his fist, fury boiling. "It doesn't matter anymore, Teach!!"
The air cracked as his punch tore reality apart, a tidal wave of destruction aimed straight at Blackbeard.
"Captain, look out!!"
Terror crossed Teach's face. The devastating quake ripped through everything in its path, consuming marines and collapsing the already-ruined headquarters further into chaos.
"Hahh… close one! Nearly crushed me!" Teach scrambled away, still laughing. "Guess you don't care about old bonds at all, Pops!"
"You were never my son," Whitebeard's voice thundered. "You broke the only iron rule of my ship—you murdered your own brother!"
His voice dropped, cold as the grave. "Saatchi's will… let me fulfill it by ending your miserable life."
"Pops!!" Marco transformed into a blue phoenix, ready to fly to him—only for Whitebeard to roar, "Stay back! None of you interfere!"
"Pops!!" Marco's cry was raw, filled with anguish.
"Come, Teach. Let's settle this once and for all."
Teach grinned, his body shrouded in a writhing darkness.
"Exactly what I wanted."
The battlefield dimmed as black smoke poured from his body, swallowing the light.
"What the hell is that coming off him…?" marines gasped.
The smoke engulfed everything, spreading like a storm until the battlefield itself turned into a sea of night.
"Dark Vortex!!"
Shadows surged under Whitebeard's feet. Blackbeard twisted into a cyclone of darkness, waves of distortion rippling outward.
"This is the fruit I stole after killing Saatchi… the strongest of them all. The Dark-Dark Fruit!"
He sneered. "Saatchi is gone. Ace is gone. Pops, I once admired you—respected you—but you're too old now. Too old to save even one son from execution."
"And to think… I even spared Ace's life back on Banaro Island."
"That bastard!!!"Huajian roared and tried to charge forward, only to be yanked back by a crewmate.
Whitebeard's face twisted with fury. He raised his massive fist, raw power rippling around it like a storm ready to explode.
The Pirate King World – Reality.
"Blackbeard Teach, that scum! He killed Thatch, handed Ace over to the Navy… what a shameless piece of trash!"
The Whitebeard Pirates shouted in rage, voices shaking the air.
"Bring Teach to me!" Marco's voice cut through their anger, sharp and cold. "I'll kill him myself, before he brings more disaster on us!"
But by now Teach had already vanished into the night, taking the Dark-Dark Fruit with him.
The crew rushed below deck and found Sabo lying unconscious on the floor.
"Damn it—we're too late?!"
"Bastard!"
"I'll chase him down!" Marco growled, ready to leap after him.
But Whitebeard's deep voice stopped them."Calm yourselves. You saw it too—Teach's power has grown terrifying with that Devil Fruit. None of you are to throw your lives away. If you do, the tragedy we saw in that video will only happen again."
The crew slammed their fists into the deck in frustration, powerless to resist their grief and rage.
Unnoticed by any of them, Ace had already slipped off the ship, chasing hard after Teach's trail.
"Teach… wait for me. I won't let that video come true. I'll kill you before it happens!"
On the Screen
"It's useless," Blackbeard sneered. "In front of me, no ability works."
Whitebeard's fist blazed with crushing white energy as he swung it down toward Teach.
"Dark Water!"
Blackbeard's hand turned pitch black, shrouded in a sinister energy. His darkness clashed with Whitebeard's quake-filled fist—and shockingly, the white energy dissolved into nothingness.
"How's that, Pops? My darkness!" Teach bellowed, eyes wide with manic glee. "I can suck in Devil Fruit powers and strip them away! That means you can't cause earthquakes anymore!"
His fist slammed into Whitebeard's gut.
Blood burst from Whitebeard's mouth.
"He actually landed a clean hit on Pops!"
Dark tendrils wrapped around Whitebeard's arm. Another blow smashed into his jaw, sending the giant's body flying.
But Whitebeard landed with a thundering step, ripped free of the darkness, and raised his fist again. The white energy gathered once more.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
Again, Teach's Dark Water devoured the quake energy, leaving Whitebeard's fist empty.
"See? My power!" Blackbeard's laughter rang loud and ugly.
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. He swung again. The energy appeared, and again it was swallowed by darkness.
"Useless! Pathetic, old man!" Teach mocked.
Whitebeard didn't answer. He pulled his great bisento free and charged, his blade flashing with impossible speed. One strike cut deep into Teach, blood spraying across the ground.
Teach howled, thrashing and sobbing in pain."Damn it! It hurts, it hurts so much!"
Whitebeard slammed his weapon against Teach's arm, seized him by the throat, and lifted him.
"Arrogant. Reckless. That's your weakness!"
"..."
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