A violent eruption of darkness burst outward.
Blackhole.
"Move!" someone screamed in panic, their voice ragged with terror.
A tide of darkness surged outward in a horrendous wave, swallowing the battlefield whole. The instant they saw it, those who could fly, like Marco and Ace, rocketed into the sky. The others sprinted back as fast as their limbs allowed, desperately avoiding the creeping black mist that dragged everything toward its center.
"Behold!" Blackbeard bellowed triumphantly.
The void consumed everything it touched. Weapons vanished, boulders crumbled into nothingness, entire chunks of land fractured and disappeared. The screams of those pulled into the abyss echoed in twisted agony. Even members of the Whitebeard Pirates who had been shoved toward the attack by enemy gunfire were devoured without mercy. Pathetically, several of Blackbeard's own subordinates were caught as well, their horrified cries rising above the chaos.
Of course. A traitor did not hesitate to sacrifice his own.
Ace and Marco wasted not a single heartbeat. Together they shot forward, bodies tense with unwavering resolve. But something made them stop abruptly, a sudden instinctive warning snapping through them.
Bang!
A bullet whizzed past them, narrowly missing. They could both sense it, that Haki was infused into that shot.
Unlike their last encounter, it seemed Blackbeard's crew had grown more formidable. They could wield Haki now.
"Tch," Ace hissed, his gaze narrowing with sharp irritation at Van Augur, who stood calmly perched atop the main ship. The sniper loaded another round with infuriating composure, his eyes cold behind the gleam of his scope.
"That one's gonna be a pain in the ass, yoi," Marco muttered.
With Van Augur's precise cover fire, getting close to Blackbeard had become exponentially more dangerous.
"Stay calm, Marco," Ace urged. "I'll draw his fire and look for an opening. When I do, make sure to land a solid hit."
Marco looked ready to argue, but Ace continued before he could.
"I won't make the same mistake twice."
The meaning behind his words was clear. He was referring to the time he had fallen into Blackbeard's trap—an error that had nearly cost him everything.
Seeing the fierce determination in Ace's eyes, Marco sighed quietly. He knew nothing would stop him now.
"Alright," he said softly with a nod. "Let's finish this."
Without a second's hesitation, Ace launched himself forward at full speed, a fiery blur slicing through the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right before Blackbeard, catching the traitorous man completely off guard. Even Van Augur, with his finger poised on the trigger, was a beat too slow to react.
Blackbeard let out a sharp curse and hastily canceled his Blackhole, instinctively raising his hands to catch Ace's incoming fists, both of which blazed with searing flame. The instant their skin made contact, Ace's Devil Fruit abilities were nullified. He felt the fire in his veins falter, and a draining sensation overtook him as his strength began to fade away.
"Zehahahahahaha! You think a cheap trick like that is enough to bring me down? Foolish brat!" Blackbeard's voice thundered through the chaos, thick with arrogance as he tightened his iron grip around Ace's fists. Pain lanced through Ace's arms, sharp and brutal. Blackbeard's strength was strong enough force to snap bone.
"You never learn, do you, Ace?" Blackbeard sneered, drawing back his massive arm for a punishing blow. His grin stretched wider, malice dancing in his eyes. But just before the punch could connect, a streak of brilliant blue flame plunged from the sky like divine wrath.
Marco, fully transformed into his phoenix form, delivered a thunderous kick to Blackbeard's back, the sheer impact sending the massive man hurtling across the battlefield. The ground fractured beneath his landing with a deafening crack, dust and debris exploding upward in a violent plume.
Ace wasted no time. Even before Marco's flaming wings folded back into his human form, Ace was already on his feet. Igniting his Higan, he unleashed a relentless barrage of flaming bullets at the Blackbeard Pirates, forcing them back and keeping their formation scattered.
Blackbeard staggered upright, clutching his ribs while gasping for breath. Yet Marco did not allow him a single moment of respite. His talons, gleaming with Haki, struck again. This time his powerful kick slammed directly into Blackbeard's ribcage, forcing a guttural, agonized bellow from the Yonko. His earlier arrogance had completely dissolved. What replaced it was fury mingled with the first hints of fear.
Marco and Ace moved like a perfectly synchronized storm. Their cooperation was seamless. Every attack was timed with ruthless precision. One would deliberately bait Teach into touching them, forcing his power to activate. That touch nullified their Devil Fruit abilities for an instant, but also dragged Blackbeard into dangerous openings, allowing the other to deliver a devastating Haki infused blow.
Blackbeard was monstrously strong, but his movements were heavy and sluggish. His combat instincts were nowhere near as sharp as Marco's or Ace's.
They were faster, sharper, and far more ruthless than before. Their movements were calculated and unrelenting. Every second they denied Blackbeard the chance to regain control only heightened his frustration. He was being overwhelmed, unable to properly fight back.
They purposely made use of their speed before Blackbeard could use his power in time to nullify their Devil Fruit's abilities!
More and more openings appeared with each passing moment, created by his desperation and inability to predict their coordinated attacks. Blackbeard barely kept track of his own abilities, the very ones he had boasted about so arrogantly before. He became nothing more than a hulking target being beaten down by Ace's blazing Hiken, each fiery blow leaving him wheezing and panicked.
Acting on raw instinct, Blackbeard lashed out and managed to grab Ace's wrist mid strike, snuffing out the fire around his fist. But Ace did not panic. He bent his knees, dropped low in one smooth motion, and dodged the massive punch that tore through the air above his head with a deafening roar.
As Teach's focus remained locked onto Ace, Marco seized the opening without hesitation. He shot high into the air, his wings blazing with azure fire. His entire body hardened with Haki, feathers sharpening like steel. He launched himself downward like a divine projectile, slamming into Blackbeard with crushing force. The blow knocked the Yonko back several meters, forcing him to release Ace and sending him stumbling uncontrollably across the battlefield.
The impact sent Blackbeard tumbling until he finally collided with one of his own subordinates. Vasco Shot appeared behind him, catching the massive man with a drunken sway, liquor sloshing in his bottle as he steadied his staggering captain with a feral grin twisting across his face.
Marco and Ace did not waste the opportunity. Without even exchanging a glance, they surged forward again, refusing to give Teach any chance to recover. But as they closed in, a sudden barrage of precise gunfire forced them to halt and retreat.
Van Augur stood far in the distance, rifle raised with eerie calm. His eyes were fixed through the scope, completely devoid of emotion. Bullet after bullet cut through the air, each shot so perfectly aimed that it forced Marco and Ace to weave back behind shattered terrain for cover.
"Damn you both!" Blackbeard roared, gripping his head where blood trickled down his forehead. Ace's flames had been swallowed by the darkness, devoured as always. But the brutal wounds carved into his flesh by Marco's talons remained, each gash searing with lingering phoenix fire. Darkness could not erase Haki. Darkness could not erase those divine wounds.
Enraged, Blackbeard unleashed Liberation, expelling everything he had recently consumed. Chunks of earth, shattered rock, twisted metal, dying trees, and remnants of swallowed attacks launched outward like a hurricane of destruction.
But Marco and Ace moved as one, dodging easily through the incoming torrent. Burning rubble flew past them, hitting only the ruined landscape behind.
"I told you, didn't I? Today is the day you die!" Ace declared, his entire body igniting in a blazing inferno. The flames roared with renewed intensity, fueled by his unbreakable determination. "You think your darkness makes you untouchable? You are not fighting the same people you faced last year, Teach!"
Blackbeard glared at him with fury. Then, slowly, his expression twisted into a wide, chilling grin. His shoulders trembled, and a low chuckle spilled from his mouth before erupting into booming, maniacal laughter that shook the battlefield.
"Very impressive," he said in a disturbingly calm tone. "You have actually managed to push me this far. But…"
His grin widened even more.
"Why don't you take a look around you?! Zehahahahahaha!"
Following his gaze, Ace and Marco turned.
And their blood ran cold.
Izo, gravely injured, staggered forward while carrying an unconscious Haruto in his trembling arms. Beside him, Namur limped forward, clutching his weapon despite the heavy blood loss soaking his body. He stood between Izo and the incoming swarm of enemies, fighting desperately to hold them back.
Jozu stood tall, protecting the remaining Whitebeard Pirates after overpowering Burgess. But his massive back was riddled with bloody bullet holes, each one unmistakably fired by Van Augur. Despite the wounds, he stood firm, yet more enemies pressed in around him on all sides.
Vista was still fighting, though visibly exhausted. His once pristine blade bore a long crack along its edge. Even so, he swung it with fierce pride, refusing to back down. Shiryu, just a few steps away, was no better. He clutched his chest where a vicious wound tore into his flesh, inflicted earlier by Vista's strike.
And looming even farther away was Sanjuan Wolf. His colossal form towered over the battlefield, half submerged in the sea. Each time he slammed his massive fists into the ground, the earth shattered, crushing Whitebeard Pirates by the dozens.
Marco and Ace felt sick as they watched their comrades die. Bodies were crushed beneath monstrous fists, scattered across the splintered battlefield.
Yet nothing compared to the horror that followed.
Towering above all else was a massive, snow-white beast with nine flowing tails. The enormous fox moved with chilling precision, each tail slicing through the air like a living blade. Its gleaming fur shone beneath the pale light, and its fangs dripped blood as it tore through enemies without pause.
Ace froze completely.
His breath vanished.
Kurama…?
"You have already lost," Blackbeard announced coldly.
But neither Ace nor Marco could respond. They stood frozen, staring at the overwhelming scene before them. Their comrades, beaten yet unbroken, stood in a final desperate formation. Shoulder to shoulder. Protecting the fallen. Fighting even though they had no strength left.
Marco's heart shattered. Tears slipped silently down his cheeks as he watched his family forced back, huddling near him and Ace, surrounded completely by enemy forces.
He was their captain. And he had failed them.
"Marco… we cannot last much longer," Izo rasped, collapsing to his knees once he reached them. The deep wound carved across his back made Marco's vision blur with grief. Jozu and Vista moved beside them, forming a final protective circle around the injured. Marco forced himself to remain calm as he summoned his phoenix flames and applied them wherever he could. It was not enough. But it was something.
Ace surrounded them with a burning ring of fire, a blazing barrier that created breathing room, making it nearly impossible for enemies to approach without being incinerated. Yet the barrier only highlighted the truth more painfully. They were trapped. Unless they sprouted wings like Marco, there was no escape.
Sanjuan Wolf loomed behind them like a living mountain, and the white version of of Nine-tailed fox towered near Blackbeard, fangs stained red, nine tails swaying with predatory eagerness.
There was truly nowhere left to run.
"You were right, Ace," Blackbeard sneered. He repeated Ace's earlier declaration with mocking delight. "This time, it really is different."
He raised his voice so they could all hear him, his tone dripping with mockery.
"This time, you will all die."
The last remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates glared back at him, defiant to the very end. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, they still refused to surrender. Not a single person bowed their head.
"Zehahahahahaha! Since this is the end, allow me to grant you one final explanation. After all, we were once a family." His voice dripped with poisonous amusement. "Because your foolish sister interfered last year, I failed to obtain the Gura Gura no Mi. Finding it again has been a nightmare. Believe it or not, I am still searching for that old man's power."
Marco's hatred sharpened. "Whatever your schemes may be, that Fruit will never belong to you, yoi."
Blackbeard's eyes glinted with deadly greed. "We shall see. But until I locate it, I am more than satisfied with the idea of taking your abilities instead."
Ace's fists trembled with fury. "Then go dig for them after we are gone," he snapped.
Blackbeard's laughter echoed across the ruined island. It was a cruel, grating sound that made Ace's skin tighten with rage. With a chilling smile, Teach leaned forward.
"I don't even need to search for it anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Ace demanded. The smug look on Blackbeard's face made his stomach twist.
Blackbeard offered no answer. He only threw his head back and laughed harder, his voice shaking the flaming ruins around them. Eventually, he lowered his gaze, eyes gleaming with malicious triumph.
"Have you ever wondered how I take Devil Fruits directly from their users?"
The survivors tensed. The rumors had been whispered for years. People claimed Blackbeard stole Devil Fruits without waiting for them to respawn. The ability did not vanish into the world. It went straight into his hands.
But how?
Why?
Before anyone could question further, Blackbeard sneered, "Too bad. You will only understand once you are dead. Zehahahahahaha!"
The battlefield filled with the sound of Blackbeard's laughter. The once beautiful island they had admired was now a burning grave. Flames devoured what remained of the forest. Cracks splintered through the collapsing terrain. The sea roared violently against the broken shore. Their ship, their last chance to escape, had already sunk into the abyss.
But worse than the sinking island or the burning sky… was the unbearable sight of their fallen comrades strewn across the battlefield.
Some had been crushed beneath Sanjuan Wolf's colossal palms.
Some had been shot through the head by Van Augur with merciless precision.
Some had been ripped apart or stabbed by the white nine tailed fox's bloodstained claws and fangs.
The stench of blood thickened the air. Smoke mixed with ash and saltwater, forming a suffocating haze that clung to their lungs.
Ace lowered his head. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, a physical reflection of the storm tearing through his chest. His heart pounded hard enough that each beat felt like a hammer striking bone. Cold sweat coated his palms, sliding down his fingers in uneven droplets as if his own body wanted to escape the fear threatening to suffocate him.
The sounds around him faded into dull, muted echoes, as though he were sinking beneath deep water. Shouts of pain, the crackle of fire, the rumble of collapsing earth, all seemed to drift far away. His senses blurred, leaving only the hollow silence inside his mind.
There was a single thought left.
Was this really how it would end?
Were they truly going to die here? Were they going to be buried under rubble and darkness without even managing to drag that bastard down with them?
After everything they had endured, everything they had lost, was this truly where the story closed?
Was this how the legacy of their father would disappear, swallowed and forgotten beneath ash and smoke?
A failure. A disgrace. A final chapter that left nothing but regret.
No.
His fingers curled until the nails pierced through his skin. Crimson droplets gathered, running down his knuckles in slow, trembling streams. With each drop that fell to the ground, something inside him hardened.
And then came a silent scream within his chest.
NO!
His head snapped upward with a sharp, almost violent motion. His eyes, once dim with despair, now burned with a ferocious intensity that seemed capable of scorching the world around him. The fury rising within him was palpable, a blistering heat that made even nearby pirates halt in instinctive fear.
"Ace?" Marco's voice reached him through the haze, gentle yet edged with worry. He saw the blood running from Ace's palms, and his expression tightened. He had seen Ace furious before, but this was different. This was a storm ready to tear apart anything in its path.
Blackbeard, naturally, found it all amusing. He threw his head back and bellowed with laughter, thick and cruel, delighting in the growing despair of his enemies. He shook with mirth as if the suffering around them were the finest entertainment. "What's wrong? You don't like hearing the truth? Zehahahahaha! You really are just like that senile old man of yours!"
Ace's head tilted slightly, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "What did you say?"
The Whitebeard Pirates did not look at the traitorous man insulting their father figure. Instead, they all glanced at Ace.
Ace was always the one most sensitive to any slander against their father. Those nearest to him could feel the temperature rising around him even though Ace's body had not shifted into flames. It was the unmistakable warning of an explosion waiting to happen.
Yet Blackbeard continued without fear or awareness, or perhaps he simply did not care. Arrogance blinded him. He pointed at Marco next, grinning with wicked pleasure. "And you, Marco. You are no better than him. You are a failure of a captain!"
The words hit Marco like a physical blow. Instead of raging, he merely lowered his eyes, his shoulders tightening. It was not anger that consumed him now, but guilt, exhaustion, and the ache of a responsibility he felt he had not fulfilled.
"Don't listen to him, Marco," Vista said firmly from his side, his voice steady and grounding. "You have done more than anyone could ask."
"You are a good captain," Haruta added, having just regained consciousness after Marco's earlier healing flames had pulled him back from the brink. His voice was faint but resolute.
Yet Marco only released a soft, bitter laugh, one filled with quiet pain, and his gaze remained fixed downward.
Ace's anger surged higher. He could not stand seeing his family wounded like this. The ache in his chest intensified, and the pain in his hands felt like nothing compared to the burning frustration clawing at his heart.
Blackbeard kept talking. His grin widened even more, showing his sharp teeth as he reveled in the torment he inflicted. "Yes, comfort each other all you want. Because once I wipe out the last pathetic remnants of your little crew, the world will understand exactly how pitiful you all truly were."
Ace growled softly, his voice trembling with fire that had not yet erupted. "Shut up."
Blackbeard leaned forward eagerly. "Oh? Did that hurt your feelings? You should be blaming your sister, Ace. If not for her, I would not even be here. Go ahead, put it all on her."
Ace's voice dropped even lower. "Shut. Up."
The air vibrated with heat, sparks dancing near his feet.
Blackbeard clicked his tongue mockingly, his expression dripping with cruel satisfaction. "If you had joined me when I first offered, none of this would have happened. This, all of this, your people dying, your island burning, your world falling apart, it is all your fault."
"I said…" Ace began, but his voice cracked under the pressure.
Blackbeard pushed harder, eyes gleaming with malicious hunger. "Whitebeard's death. Your crew's suffering. Your hopeless situation now. Every single part of it is because of you. You failed them. You failed everyone."
That was the breaking point.
"SHUT UP!"
The words tore through the battlefield like a thunderclap.
A roar erupted from deep within Ace's chest, a sound filled with agony, rage, sorrow, and an unyielding desire for vengeance. The flames that had been trembling beneath his skin surged outward in a violent explosion.
A blazing wave burst from him like a solar flare, devouring the air around him. The sheer heat twisted the landscape, the ground blackening beneath his feet. His Haoshoku Haki detonated outward in a tremor of overwhelming force, slamming weaker pirates into the dirt as if gravity itself had multiplied. Even Blackbeard's laughter was abruptly silenced as he instinctively stepped back.
This was not merely fire.
This was grief turned into power.
This was fury shaped into an inferno.
This was a man pushed past the breaking point.
"I WILL KILL YOU!" Ace roared, the promise echoing with unrestrained violence.
The flames around him blazed brighter, rising like a pillar of living light.
The battle was not over.
Not while Ace still stood.