Blackbeard hurriedly gave orders to Jesus Burgess.
"Move the ship. Full speed. Our target is that battleship!"
Beside him, Van Augur had already raised his sniper rifle.
"Captain… something about that situation feels off."
Blackbeard paused.
"What is it, Augur?"
"I can see Marines on that ship."
Hearing this, Blackbeard forced himself to calm down and began thinking rapidly.
Even though he did not spot Kuzan or Rosinante, the sheer scale of that battleship alone proved one thing.
Its background had to be extraordinary.
It might even be a gift prepared for Fleet Admiral Sengoku or the Five Elders.
For a moment, Blackbeard hesitated.
After all, he still carried the title of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
If he seized that battleship, there would be no turning back.
His only remaining path would be to challenge the Four Emperors.
But the hesitation lasted only a moment.
A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Zehahahaha! With a battleship like that, why would I ever fear Marine pursuit?!"
"Men! Full speed ahead! That ship is ours!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Meanwhile, aboard the battleship…
Rosinante had already finished guiding everyone through a full tour.
At Kuzan's reminder, he had deliberately avoided teaching anyone how to operate the vessel.
Instead, he planned to wait until Ezra returned and let him decide personally.
The destructive power of this ship was simply too great.
This was not something ordinary subordinates could handle carelessly.
At that moment, a soldier on routine watch suddenly shouted,
"Vice Admiral Rosinante! We've got trouble! A pirate ship is approaching us!"
Rosinante frowned.
"What pirate crew is blind enough to charge straight at Admiral Vale's battleship?"
Kuzan's mouth twitched.
"…There isn't exactly a Marine emblem on this ship."
Rosinante froze, then laughed awkwardly before lifting his binoculars to look into the distance.
"That flag… the Blackbeard Pirates?"
His expression sharpened instantly as he recognized the emblem.
Kuzan also stiffened.
"What is that guy doing at Water Seven?"
But they had no time to think further.
Blackbeard and his crew had already jumped onto the battleship.
"Zehahahaha! This battleship… is mine now!"
Blackbeard's laughter suddenly stopped.
He saw two familiar figures standing before him.
"Rosinante… Kuzan?!"
He inhaled sharply, fear flashing across his face.
He was not afraid of their individual strength.
What he feared was the man behind them.
The strongest man in the world.
Admiral Zanka no Tachi.
Ezra D. Vale.
Kuzan stood with his hands in his pockets, speaking lazily.
"Blackbeard. You just said this ship is yours?"
"So that means you're planning to steal a Marine battleship… and give up your Warlord title, right?"
Blackbeard froze.
Cold sweat began sliding down his face.
This situation had gone far beyond his expectations.
"Ahem… Vice Admiral Kuzan… this is just a misunderstanding."
Kuzan raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? A misunderstanding?"
"I clearly heard what you said. And nobody gave you permission to board."
Blackbeard was sweating heavily now.
"Well… could we pretend I was never here?"
Kuzan's expression twitched.
Was this guy serious?
Where was his pride as a pirate?
"Blackbeard. This isn't something you can just brush off."
A chill began spreading from Kuzan's body.
Seeing this, Blackbeard understood immediately.
There was no easy way out today.
A ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.
"If that guy isn't here… I'll crush you two and take this ship!"
He turned to his crew.
"Kill the Marines around you!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The Blackbeard Pirates scattered instantly.
Kuzan's eyes flashed with killing intent.
"Form up! Stay alert and watch enemy movements!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
As direct subordinates of Ezra, even the lowest-ranking soldiers here were at least officers.
They were far from easy opponents.
While the crews clashed, Blackbeard raised his right hand toward Rosinante.
"Dark Water!"
A strange gravitational force wrapped around Rosinante, dragging him toward Blackbeard.
Just as Rosinante was about to be caught, a lazy voice sounded.
"Ice Spear."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two piercing sounds cut through the air.
Blackbeard's pupils shrank as two ice spears appeared directly before him.
He immediately threw Rosinante aside and coated his arms with darkness to block.
The ice shattered and was instantly absorbed upon contact.
Kuzan's eyes flickered.
"So that's the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit."
It truly was an absurd ability in this world.
Although Blackbeard could not become intangible like other Logia users, his power allowed him to absorb Devil Fruit attacks and even possess multiple Devil Fruits.
Kuzan did not dare underestimate him.
"Rosinante. Go help the others. I'll handle Blackbeard."
Rosinante nodded reluctantly.
His strength was still lacking.
Kuzan pointed toward the nearby harbor.
"How about we take this fight down there? Neither of us wants to damage this battleship."
Blackbeard paused briefly, then waved his hand.
"Men! Draw them onto the island too!"
"Yes, Captain!"
He jumped off the ship first.
Kuzan followed immediately.
The moment they landed, darkness surged toward Kuzan.
"Black Hole!"
Thick darkness spread across the ground, rushing toward him.
Kuzan responded instantly.
"Ice Time!"
Crack! Crack!
The darkness froze momentarily…
Then swallowed the cold itself.
Kuzan's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Using that brief opening, he quickly retreated.
"I didn't expect even that level of freezing to be absorbed…"
"Zehahahaha! Kuzan! Don't underestimate the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
A powerful gravitational force erupted.
Everything near the harbor began getting pulled toward the darkness.
Kuzan frowned.
"Hey… you're not destroying this place, Blackbeard!"
He raised his arm.
"Ice Age!"