Brom stormed out of the conference room, his fury spilling into the corridors like tangible heat. Marines on both sides of the hallway scattered instinctively, none daring to cross paths with an enraged Vice Admiral.
"Damn it… so you've gained even greater power," Brom growled under his breath, veins bulging on his temples. "But so have I. Power far beyond yours. You will fall by my hand. I will kill you and utterly destroy everything you've built."
As Teach's reputation spread across the seas, Brom, who had remained quiet for years, was dragged back into the spotlight.
In the eyes of outsiders, Teach's rise was the result of Brom's incompetence. If another Vice Admiral had been responsible, Teach might have been crushed long ago. Those whispers stabbed deeper than any blade.
Every surge in the Nightfall Pirates' fame pressed Brom further into humiliation he could never forget.
Driven by that shame, Brom began training in earnest, something entirely out of character for him. He forced his body to its absolute limit, squeezing out even the slightest improvement. For a man who had already reached his ceiling, that small step forward was monumental.
He understood how terrifying Teach had become. That was precisely why he trained with such desperation, pushing himself beyond what he once believed possible.
Sengoku had noticed these changes, which was why he had not intervened.
More than that, Brom had secretly defied the World Government and consumed that Devil Fruit.
Once he made that choice, his fate was sealed. Regardless of Marine Headquarters' stance, he was never going to retire peacefully. The World Government would never forgive such disobedience.
Even so, Brom was determined. He would kill Teach. He would annihilate the Nightfall Pirates.
What he did not know was that without fully understanding Teach's abilities, the nightmare awaiting him would be far worse than he imagined.
"I'll crush everything you hold dear, Teach."
The old Marine clenched his fists. Terrifying power surged outward, leaking beyond his control. With a thunderous boom, cracks split the ground and spiderwebbed across the surrounding walls.
Inside Teach's quarters, a Den Den Mushi rang.
"What's wrong, Stephanie?" Teach asked as he picked it up.
"Hehe, Dark Emperor Teach, how heartless," Stephanie teased from the other end, her voice laced with mock complaint and subtle allure. "You didn't even tell me what you were planning. Maybe I could have helped."
"What do you want?" Teach replied flatly. He knew better than to believe the act.
Stephanie ground her teeth softly. "This bastard…"
"I heard that."
"Hehe, you must be imagining things," she said quickly, her cheeks warming as she changed the subject. "Teach, you'd better keep working hard. Once you enter the New World, CP0 can transfer me there."
"Oh?" Teach raised a brow. "In what role? Still running the madam's side of things? I thought Stussy handled all that in the New World. Or are you just moving straight into the Entertainment District as her sister?"
"Pfft! How vulgar," Stephanie snapped, frowning. "Have some decorum."
She sighed, then grew serious. "You're half right. We'll use the sister identity. We look too similar anyway. Suspicion would be unavoidable otherwise."
"I'll take over part of her businesses. I already have experience managing them, but my main focus will be casinos."
"That's not bad," Teach said, nodding.
"You won't stay in the Four Seas much longer," Stephanie continued. "Are you still planning to push the Dark Council?"
"Of course," Teach replied without hesitation. "Once it's established, the profits will be terrifying. Compared to the chaos of the New World, money flows easily in the Four Seas. Control the Dark Council, and it's like holding half of West Blue in my palm. I can stir chaos whenever I wish."
A low chuckle followed, filled with quiet authority.
"For now, I won't handle it personally. I'll leave it to one of my companions. With him, it'll be more than enough."
Stephanie hesitated. The cadres she knew didn't seem capable of that scale.
Then a figure flashed through her mind. "The man who appeared beside you at the end… Redyat?"
"Mhm."
"He's really that strong?"
"No problem at all," Teach replied calmly. "And Lafitte will assist him. Even if the underground kings of West Blue unite, they won't be able to stop him."
"That's reassuring," Stephanie said. "I'll send you a list. Everyone opposing the Dark Council's official formation is on it. Remove them, and the rest will fall in line."
"Alright."
The call ended.
Teach stepped onto the deck. "Set sail."
Five ships of the Nightfall Pirates departed the harbor as anchors rose from the sea. Their black flag snapped proudly in the wind, cheers echoing across the decks.
Many of the crew had not sailed for over a month. The excitement was impossible to hide.
Among them were hundreds of new recruits. Even Teach had not expected his name to spread this far. In the era of great piracy, countless people refused to live quiet lives, even in peaceful kingdoms like Tirisfal.
The Nightfall Pirates now numbered twelve hundred. Over four hundred were newcomers, all carefully selected from tens of thousands.
Onshore, spectators watched nervously.
"They're finally leaving," someone whispered.
Awe and fear mingled in their gazes. The port had been cleared entirely for the Nightfall Pirates alone. No one forgot the battle that had unfolded here, power capable of erasing towns and slaughtering tens of thousands in moments.
Only once the ships vanished did the tension ease.
Out at sea, Teach experimented with his power.
An unfortunate sea beast served as his test subject.
Its body twisted helplessly in midair, thrashing wildly, yet refusing to fall as if an invisible hand held it fast.
"Gravity."
Teach pulled his palm inward. The creature was dragged toward him, terror filling its eyes.
"Repulsion."
With a push, it was flung backward through the air.
"Weight."
The beast slammed downward, plunging toward the sea, still bound by unseen force.
"Anti gravity."
With an upward wave, it surged back into the air, rising to Teach's level.
Satisfied, Teach released it.
The sea beast hit the water and fled instantly, vanishing into the depths in blind terror.
Too dangerous. Never surfacing again.
Teach flexed his fingers thoughtfully. Gravity could be resisted by powerful opponents, especially those with Observation Haki. Against Devil Fruit users, however, escape was nearly impossible. Once caught, their powers vanished entirely.
This was the true terror of the Dark Dark Fruit.
Black energy spiraled around Teach's hand as he lifted himself into the air. He could not truly fly, only float and maneuver slightly.
Even so, the sight drew cheers.
Teach took mental notes. Gravitational binding. Repulsion attacks. Combat assistance. Anti gravity for movement.
Lifting islands like Shiki was impossible. This was gravity, not weight. The cost far outweighed the gain.
Meteorites were beyond him for now, limited by both power and Observation Haki range. He briefly thought of Fujitora Issho and dismissed the comparison.
"What are you staring at? Get back to training!"
Wallace's bark snapped the crew to attention.
Teach smiled faintly, then raised his hand. Invisible pressure rippled outward.
Crew members staggered as gravity intensified. Some knelt. Others collapsed outright.
The pressure stabilized.
"From now on, you'll train under one times gravity," Teach announced. "In one month, it becomes two."
The field expanded, covering all five ships.
Cadres grinned. This was a gift.
Teach clasped Sea Stone handcuffs onto his wrists.
The sea's curse was absolute, but Sea Stone could be overcome.
True monsters shattered such restraints through sheer strength.
Kaido had done it countless times.
And even now, deep within Impel Down, Red the Aloof Patrick Redfield remained bound not by cuffs, but by Sea Stone nails driven through flesh and bone.
Teach closed his eyes and began training.
The age of the Dark Emperor had only just begun.