Such a major incident within the Whitebeard Pirates could never be concealed.
Whitebeard simply chose not to hide it at all and allowed the matter to spread freely.
Without his suppression, the news spread across the world like a virus.
Marine Headquarters Marineford
Present at the meeting were Sengoku, Monkey D. Garp, Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji, along with several elite Vice Admirals.
Sengoku looked at everyone below him with a thoughtful expression and said, "I believe everyone here has already heard about the betrayal of Teach from the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Of course we've heard about it," Akainu said with open mockery. "In the end, he's just a relic guarding the gate of the previous era. Even if he's called the strongest man on the sea, what does that matter? Now that he's old and weakening, he can't even protect his own crew."
"We still don't know the exact details," Aokiji said calmly, "but from what we've heard, Teach killed his crewmate and defected from the Whitebeard Pirates for the sake of a Devil Fruit. Teach is already a notorious pirate after all, since he once managed to injure Shanks. If someone like him was willing to risk enraging Whitebeard and being hunted by the entire crew, then that Devil Fruit must be extraordinary."
While those three were speaking, Garp and Kizaru looked much more relaxed.
Garp sat off to the side eating senbei, clearly having no intention of joining the discussion.
Kizaru, on the other hand, appeared lost in thought and seemed completely uninterested in the meeting.
New World Whole Cake Island
Headquarters of the Big Mom Pirates
After swallowing a cake nearly as tall as a person, Charlotte Linlin revealed a gleeful expression.
"So that old man Whitebeard ran into something like this?"
Her eyes were full of ridicule as she continued, "I told him long ago that blood ties are the only real bonds. He refused to listen to me, and now look what happened. Betrayed by his own crew and one of his closest division commanders nearly killed."
New World Wano Country
Headquarters of the Beast Pirates
Kaido picked up a bottle of alcohol and slowly set it back down.
The drunken haze in his eyes gradually disappeared.
"Are you certain about this?"
Standing before him was the towering figure of Jack, kneeling and nodding repeatedly. "We've confirmed it several times. Our people even contacted some of Whitebeard's allied pirate crews. The information is absolutely true."
"Good."
Kaido slowly stood up.
Without the haze of alcohol, he looked terrifying.
The aura surrounding him was so overwhelming that it seemed even more terrifying than Whitebeard's.
"That old fossil is finally showing signs of decline."
After saying that, Kaido picked up the wine jug again and opened it.
"Such a happy occasion deserves a drink!"
New World Aboard the Red Force
Shanks gazed thoughtfully toward the sea.
His hand unconsciously moved to the scar over his left eye.
Unlike others who focused on Whitebeard's declining influence, Shanks was focused on Marshall D. Teach.
"So Teach has finally revealed his true nature."
After muttering to himself, Shanks turned toward Benn Beckman. "Beckman, find out what Devil Fruit Teach stole."
Beckman frowned slightly. "You think that highly of him?"
"Yes."
Shanks nodded without hesitation. "That guy has always given me a chilling feeling. I could never understand why someone like him would submit to another person. Even Whitebeard shouldn't have been someone he'd willingly serve. Now it's clear. His target from the beginning was that Devil Fruit."
Grand Line Near the Sabaody Archipelago
On a deserted island, dark mist surrounded Teach's body.
To avoid capture by the Whitebeard Pirates, Blackbeard had fled nonstop from the New World.
Although the Four Emperors ruled the pirate world, their strongest influence was still mainly within the New World. The Grand Line and the Four Seas were still largely under the Marines' control.
"Perfect…"
The Dark-Dark Fruit, a Logia-type Devil Fruit.
Despite being a Logia, it had a strange drawback.
It could not truly become intangible like other Logia abilities.
More accurately, even if the power was activated, the user's body remained vulnerable, and the fruit's side effect amplified pain dramatically.
But in exchange for those drawbacks, it possessed nearly unmatched power.
Like a black hole, it could generate terrifying gravitational force capable of absorbing anything it touched, even the powers of other Devil Fruits.
"Dark Water!"
Teach flicked his hand.
A mass of black liquid-like darkness flew forward and struck an apple tree.
In an instant, the tree was swallowed whole and vanished into another space.
"It seems I've already begun to master the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit."
Teach looked at his hands and nodded.
He had studied this fruit for years, so after a short time of adjustment he was already able to control its abilities.
"Even though I'm far from the New World now, it still isn't safe."
After gaining a basic grasp of the fruit's power, Blackbeard turned his gaze toward the Red Line.
Just thinking about Whitebeard made him shudder.
"The second half of the Grand Line is still too dangerous. I should move to the first half instead. I can also recruit some companions along the way, because my goal… is to become the Pirate King!"
Aboard the Moby Dick
Whitebeard summoned the division commanders of all sixteen divisions.
Because Thatch was still critically injured, Renji was temporarily acting as the commander of the Fourth Division.
Portgas D. Ace had personally gone after Blackbeard and was not present.
Whitebeard looked at the fifteen men before him.
These were the backbone of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Together with Ace and Thatch, they were the eighteen people he trusted most in this world.
"Today I called everyone here to announce two things."
Hearing this, everyone immediately became attentive.
Meetings of the division commanders rarely happened even once a year.
Yet within a single week, two meetings had already been called.
It was clear that Whitebeard's mind was far from calm.
"The first matter is that Renji will temporarily serve as the acting commander of the Fourth Division."
Hearing Whitebeard's words, the sixteen people present glanced at each other and nodded.
"I agree."