Chapter 452: Leaving Hachinosu
The smoke and dust gradually dispersed. Embers danced on the scorched earth, and the air was still thick with the smell of gunpowder and searing heat.
Ace, Luffy, Zoro, and Kuina were covered in dust and wounds, yet they maintained their battle stances, their eyes filled with vigilance as they stared ahead.
But as their line of sight gradually cleared, their expressions froze simultaneously—
Teach, who just moments ago had been roaring endlessly like a madman, seemingly unkillable, was now lying flat on his face on the ground.
Completely motionless.
That originally ferocious face still carried a residual trace of a smile, but he had completely passed out, even foaming slightly at the mouth.
"..."
The air was silent for three seconds.
"Th-This guy..." Ace stared blankly at Teach on the ground, his entire body stiffening as if he had been struck by lightning.
"You've gotta be kidding me?! He was just jumping around at full health, arrogant to the heavens... and he was just—put to sleep just like that?!" Luffy's jaw practically dropped to the floor, his eyes bulging out of their sockets.
Zoro silently sheathed Enma. His shoulders trembled slightly, though it was unclear whether it was out of shock or him forcing back a laugh.
Kuina gripped the Wado Ichimonji, her breathing slow. She could clearly sense it—the power of that palm strike had far surpassed the limits of humanity.
In the distance, the surviving remnants of the Blackbeard Alliance were also completely dumbfounded.
They had just been cheering for their boss, thinking that with Teach's manic display, victory was secured, they had won, he was invincible—
As a result, a person suddenly flew in from out of nowhere.
Smack—!
A single slap went down.
The entire battlefield became so quiet that even the crackle of burning flames became crystal clear.
Several remnant soldiers screamed at the same time: "Ehhhh—?!!"
"Th-This doesn't make any sense?!!"
"Was that just... Ro—Roy?! That's impossible, right?! Isn't that guy a legend?!"
They were all utterly flabbergasted, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads as their jaws collectively dropped to the ground.
And in the center of the battlefield, that tall, upright figure slowly turned around, illuminated by the blazing flames.
His Justice cape was whipped up by the wind, golden-red light flickering across his shoulders, making him look like a being stepping right out of a myth.
Roy wore a smile on his lips. With a relaxed demeanor, he dusted himself off: "Yo—you guys sure were having a lively time, huh~"
In that moment, the hearts of the four almost simultaneously relaxed.
That oppressive tension was erased in an instant, because they all knew—
As long as Roy was here, the sky wouldn't fall.
"Big Brother Roy?!" Ace finally snapped back to reality, his eyes filled with shock and wild joy. "Why are you here?!"
Roy stretched lazily, smiling and shaking his head: "Why else?"
"Two unreliable little brothers run out to stir up a storm. If I didn't come to keep an eye on things, I'm afraid this sea would be completely flipped upside down by you two~"
Luffy chuckled, scratching his head and showing off his signature grin, while Ace also let out a couple of awkward laughs.
Zoro and Kuina exchanged a glance before simultaneously sheathing their swords and walking forward.
Roy swept his gaze over the two of them and nodded with a satisfied expression: "Hmm... not bad. Your sword intent is much steadier, and your Haki has improved quite a bit."
Zoro lowered his head and chuckled lightly, the corner of his mouth ticking up, while a trace of pride flashed through Kuina's eyes—earning Roy's acknowledgment was more important than winning any battle.
Ace came back to his senses at this moment. Frowning deeply, his cold gaze fell upon Teach not far away.
"Big Brother Roy, something isn't right with Teach!"
His fists trembled slightly, flames flickering between his fingers as restrained fury burned in his eyes.
"That guy's Devil Fruit... there's definitely a problem with it!"
Luffy immediately chimed in, shouting with a face full of indignation: "Yeah! We beat him up so badly! Yet he could stand back up every single time, getting even more excited the more we fought! That's way too unfair!!"
As he spoke, he threw a few punches in dissatisfaction, his puffed-up face writing "not satisfied with the fight" all over it.
Roy's gaze shifted slightly, sweeping a faint look over the still-unconscious Teach.
Cracks crisscrossed the scorched black ground, spreading like a spiderweb, while the black swamp beneath Teach's feet was still writhing slightly, as if attempting to repair itself.
"Mhm... I saw."
Kuina stepped forward at this time. Her blood energy had yet to fully dissipate, and cold light glinted in her crimson eyes.
"Such a dangerous ability must be smothered in the cradle."
"If we let him wake up again, this power..."
Her hand, lightly resting on her sword hilt, tightened slightly. The aura around her caused the surrounding temperature to plummet.
Ace remained silent for a few seconds before exhaling, his eyes reigniting with flames.
"Let me do it."
He slowly raised his palm. Flames gathered, the blazing fire twisting into shape in his hand, condensing into a searing flaming spear.
The tip of the spear was scorchingly hot to the extreme, making even the air vibrate faintly.
However, the very instant he was about to raise his hand and strike—
A gentle yet irresistible force blocked his hand.
Roy's palm rested lightly on his shoulder. The movement wasn't heavy, yet it caused Ace's flaming spear to freeze mid-air.
"Big Brother Roy...?" Ace was slightly stunned, the flames dancing unsteadily between his fingers.
The other three also looked up at him, their expressions confused.
"Keep him alive. He's still useful."
The flames slowly dissipated from Ace's hand, leaving only a wisp of smoke curling around his fingertips.
Although his face was full of reluctance, he simply took a deep breath and nodded heavily: "...Alright."
No matter how upset he felt inside, he would never disobey Roy's words—no reasons needed.
Roy took one last look at the still-sleeping Teach, his gaze profound: "Tsk..."
He murmured softly, a trace of mockery in his tone.
"Don't dare to come out? Then keep hiding."
The wind swept across the scorched earth, kicking up a bit of ash.
In the next moment, a spatial ripple undulated. Roy waved his hand, "Let's go, we're done here."
Before his words even faded, the figures of the five instantly vanished from the battlefield.
The five returned to the warship. The deck was so quiet that only the sound of waves lapping against the hull remained.
Roy stood at the bow. Looking back at the guys behind him who had just experienced a fierce battle yet still possessed undiminished battle intent, a profound smile curled up the corners of his mouth.
"It seems you guys haven't fought enough?"
His tone was relaxed, as if spoken casually, but that smile—no matter how one looked at it, seemed a bit malicious.
Ace wiped away the still-wet blood from the corner of his mouth: "Hmph, not being able to finish off Teach left me with some pent-up frustration."
"Perfect. The doctor has cooked up some new things recently... do you guys want to give it a try?"
"The doctor?" Ace raised an eyebrow.
"New things?" Luffy's eyes instantly lit up.
"How strong?" Zoro had already rested his hand on his sword hilt.
Roy turned around, his smile becoming exceptionally devious.
"I hope when the time comes—"
He chuckled lightly, dragging out his words.
"—you guys will still be able to smile."
"...Huh?"
...
The sound of the wind gradually subsided.
In the distance, the remnants of the Blackbeard Alliance shivered in the shadows of the ruins, no one daring to approach.
It wasn't until half an hour later, confirming that the suffocating aura had completely vanished, that someone carefully poked their head out to look at the battlefield.
"Has... has that person... left?"
"They're gone! They're all gone!!"
"Then hurry—go dig the Boss out!!"
A group of people ran forward tremblingly, carefully digging through the scorched earth and rubble.
Finally, they dragged Teach out of the deep crater—
His entire face was swollen like a pig's head. A clear handprint marred his left cheek, an unknown number of teeth had been knocked out, and white foam still lingered at the corners of his mouth from the slap.
"Uh... Boss?"
"I-Is he still alive?"
The remaining grunts looked at each other, their scalps tingling with dread.
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