The Revolutionary Army… actually chose to retreat.
That decision surprised Marshall D. Teach.
He had expected a brutal, life-and-death battle.
After all, they had Silvers Rayleigh—and their leader, Monkey D. Dragon, was certainly no ordinary figure either.
Taking Baltigo should not have been easy.
And yet—
They withdrew.
Blackbeard didn't understand it…
But he welcomed it.
Right now, what he needed most was time to build strength—not bleed in a pointless war.
So he let them go without pursuit.
However, one person stayed behind.
The Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff—
Sabo.
The moment Sabo saw Blackbeard, his eyes burned with hatred.
Before Blackbeard could react—
Boom!
A Dragon Claw strike slammed into him.
"Gahhh!!"
Blackbeard screamed in pain.
Sabo gritted his teeth:
"Blackbeard… one day, I'll settle Ace's score with you!"
Only then did Blackbeard realize—
This was about Portgas D. Ace.
He burst into laughter.
"Zehahaha! I'll be waiting!"
Once the Revolutionary Army fully retreated—
The smile faded from Blackbeard's face.
His expression turned dark.
"Captain?" Jesus Burgess asked. "Are you afraid of that Sabo guy?"
Blackbeard sneered.
"That brat? He's nothing—maybe as strong as Ace, at best."
"Then what's bothering you?"
Blackbeard clenched his fist.
"I'm thinking… about how to get the power of the Gura Gura no Mi."
The Gura Gura no Mi.
The power to destroy the world.
Even now—
He hadn't given up.
The Yami Yami no Mi was powerful…
But it had limits.
Against someone like Luo Xing—who relied on pure haki—
Its advantages meant nothing.
And the drawback of taking double damage?
Deadly.
That was why Blackbeard had run every time he encountered him.
He lacked a way to counter non–Devil Fruit monsters.
But the Gura Gura no Mi—
That would change everything.
"But Whitebeard is dead," said Laffitte. "Who knows when the fruit will reappear?"
Blackbeard grinned darkly.
"We don't have to wait."
"If we get his body…"
"I can still take the power."
His darkness could extract abilities from the dead.
That was his true trump card.
And once he succeeded—
He would build an army of Devil Fruit users.
Then—
He could rival both the World Government…
And the Beasts Pirates.
"Where would his body even be?" Laffitte asked.
Blackbeard laughed.
"I know exactly where."
"His hometown."
"That was the place he cherished most."
"Others might not know…"
"But I lived on the Moby Dick for decades."
"They can't hide that from me."
He had guessed correctly.
Whitebeard had indeed been buried in his homeland.
"Burgess, Van Augur, Doc Q—you stay here and recruit."
"Laffitte, you're coming with me."
This mission required secrecy.
Too many people would only get in the way.
Meanwhile — Wano Country
7
Back in Wano Country—
Luo Xing had already returned for several days.
With Germa's clone army sweeping through North Blue…
There was no need for him to stay.
More importantly—
He had already recorded key island coordinates into the Anywhere Door.
That meant:
Instant troop deploymentImmediate reinforcementAbsolute battlefield control
In war—
This ability was practically cheating.
Even the World Government had realized it.
That was why they no longer dared to act rashly.
The World Reacts
The tension was reaching a breaking point.
The Marines launched a worldwide draftNew monsters like Issho and Aramaki joinedThe World Government mobilized over 200,000 troops
A storm was coming.
This was only the calm before it.
Luo Xing's Thoughts
Despite overwhelming victories—
Impel Down destroyedSabaody occupiedNorth Blue collapsing
Luo Xing remained cautious.
The World Government had ruled for 800 years.
That kind of foundation—
Could not be underestimated.
There were still unknowns:
The Five EldersImuPossibly even Ancient Weapons
Any one of these—
Could overturn everything.
His Next Goal
He needed more power.
Much more.
Specifically—
He needed to upgrade the system.
Level 10.
Because at that level…
He could create:
God-level Monster Cells.
And once—
Kaido consumed it—
The result would be terrifying:
Strongest creature in land, sea, and airCombined with god-level evolution
That would be…
A true world-ending force.
At that point—
There would be no more hesitation.
He would lead his army—
Straight to Mary Geoise—
And drag Imu into the light.
System Upgrade Begins
After spending some time with Yamato—
Luo Xing entered his laboratory on Onigashima.
His eyes were calm.
His thoughts clear.
His points…
Were finally enough.
System Upgrade — Level 8.
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