"Ah, Captain, what are you doing?"
Burgess, the least calculating of them all, was shocked to see Blackbeard blast Shiliew away with a Quake Fist in mid-air.
The others also looked at Blackbeard with suspicion and uncertainty.
Blackbeard wore a cruel smile as he looked around at everyone.
"You heard it on the island. That bastard Shiliew actually regretted forming an alliance with us. That means he's no longer our comrade!"
"But Captain, back in Impel Down, it was Shiliew who gave us the antidote so we could survive Magellan's poison..."
"Burgess!"
Blackbeard barked, cutting Burgess off.
"Once you come to these waters, you bet your life. Everyone has to die!"
"Van Augur, Lafitte, Doc Q—three of our comrades are already dead. If they can die, why can't Shiliew, who no longer sees us as comrades, die too?"
"That mad dog Taro is hot on our heels. If we don't throw Shiliew out, who's going to stop him? You? Or you lot?"
Blackbeard pointed accusingly at Burgess, then at the rest of the crew.
His words silenced the group of maritime outcasts.
"Let's focus on escaping first. Don't forget, there are three Marine warships nearby!"
Finally, Avalo Pizarro broke the silence.
Once someone spoke up, the others quickly accepted the reality. Better a Fellow Daoist die than oneself, after all.
Seeing Shiliew hurtling toward him, Taro simply thought the man had lost his mind.
Anxious to chase Blackbeard, he didn't hesitate, concentrating all his Internal Energy into his right arm.
"Gear Third!"
"Gomu Gomu no Gigant Rifle!"
Pale blue Internal Energy surged wildly, solidifying into substance as a massive phantom of his right fist blasted forward.
Shiliew had been blindsided by Blackbeard; the massive vibrational force from behind slammed into him, hurling his body violently toward Taro.
Despite his efforts to resist, his body remained out of control, and he could only watch helplessly as the enormous fist smashed toward him.
BOOM!
Taro's strike landed squarely on Shiliew. The spinning fist of Internal Energy tore through him with intense power.
boom
An instant explosion followed. A powerful shockwave accompanied by a loud bang sent Shiliew's body spinning through the air like a broken kite before he crashed heavily back down.
Hmm?
Shiliew's body hadn't been sent flying backward immediately; instead, it had stalled for a moment under the impact of the Gigant Rifle before the explosion occurred.
This made Taro wary. He walked cautiously to Shiliew's side, and after confirming he was truly unconscious, he looked toward the direction he had come from.
On the seabed, a familiar crack suddenly appeared.
After a moment's thought, Taro understood what had happened. Dammit, that scoundrel Blackbeard sold out his teammate again!
A fierce wind howled as the tsunami triggered by the Sea Quake finally arrived. Two massive waves, hundreds of meters high, rushed toward Flame Island like the two halves of a closing door.
"Fuck!"
Taro cursed, grabbed the unconscious Shiliew, and flew into the air.
The Blackbeard Pirates' ship had already vanished into the vast ocean.
He hovered in the air for a long time until the tsunami subsided and the sea returned to calm. Only then did Taro land back on the island.
"Goddammit, that bastard Sakazuki actually ran off?" Taro cursed as he dragged Shiliew back to the shore. There was no sign of the warship.
Just as he was wondering if his Internal Energy could sustain him flying back to the nearest Base G1 while carrying a person, a warship quickly approached from the distant horizon.
"Vice Admiral Taro! I have come to collect you on the orders of Admiral Sakazuki!"
The warship's commander, a Navy Captain, saluted Taro. Once he recognized the man lying at Taro's feet as the former Warden of Impel Down, Shiliew, his attitude became even more respectful!
"Where is he?"
Taro sat on the rubble, in a terrible mood.
That guy Akainu actually didn't come to help!
Blackbeard might not be human, but you're a real dog too!
Fuck!
Sensing Taro's dissatisfaction, the Navy Captain tensed up and quickly replied:
"Admiral Sakazuki returned first with the pirates. Because of the sudden tsunami, he wanted to prevent the pirates from escaping while also protecting the warship from damage, so..."
Taro remembered that the tsunami was likely his own doing and felt a bit embarrassed. He waved his hand.
"Forget it. Never mind, I get it."
Then his eyes darted around. "I'm commandeering your ship!"
"Huh?"
"Hmm? Is there a problem?"
"No, none at all!" Remembering Taro's reputation, how could a Captain dare to refuse?...Island, Sphinx, open sea.
"Vice Admiral, this country is not a member of the World Government. The Marines have no outposts nearby. The island is full of impoverished civilians and lawless thugs..."
The Navy Captain briefed Taro on the island's situation.
Taro curled his lip in disdain. Wasn't it just because they couldn't afford the Heavenly Tribute for the Celestial Dragons?
"I know all that. You guys wait here; no need to get closer!"
With that, he grabbed a cloth bag, slung it over his shoulder, and jumped onto the ship's railing.
"I'll be back soon!"
A giant Falcon swept across the sky, casting a bird-shaped shadow on the sea as it flew toward the island.
"Shanks, there's a Marine warship anchored offshore!"
Aboard the pirate ship Red Force, the long-nosed Yasopp shouted to the crowd of pirates on the shore.
"Someone's flying over. Let me see... Hmm, it looks like that guy Taro from Marineford!"
Having just finished the funeral for Whitebeard and Ace, Red Hair and Marco looked at each other, both seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.
The pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates were incensed, drawing their weapons in a defensive stance.
The Red Hair Pirates, however, remained quite calm.
As Taro flew closer, he realized something was off. There seemed to be quite a few ships by the shore, and even more people on land.
After flying a bit further, his body lurched, and he almost fell from the sky.
Holy shit, what are the odds?
He had already recognized Red Hair's ship. Combined with the other ships and all those people, he could easily guess what was happening on the shore.
However, at this distance, the enemy was full of experts who had definitely noticed him. Trying to run now would probably be difficult.
Taro steeled himself and continued flying forward. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a person who comes with a smile. Besides, he was here to deliver a gift today. Peace is precious; surely they could be reasonable!
After landing on the outskirts, Taro dragged the cloth bag. He looked calm, but inside he was panicking as he took one cautious step after another.
"Taro, what are you doing here?"
The pirates lined up on both sides glared at him, questioning him loudly.
Taro felt the soaring anger but remained unfazed. He walked a bit further before looking at the two leaders, Red Hair and Marco.
"Whitebeard was a hero. Though we stand on different sides, as an opponent, I must acknowledge that."
"Please allow me to pay my respects!"
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.