'Another expert?!'
Not just the Blackbeard Pirates… even the other pirates below were astonished now.
They looked at each other, all trying to find out who had made the move.
Not that they planned to challenge them.
But with someone this strong, it was best to stay away right now.
Lest they get caught in a wide-area attack when that person fought Blackbeard.
Over on the other side, Blackbeard looked suspiciously and uncertainly at where the light had faded.
Honestly, his first thought was that Kizaru had arrived.
After all, golden light and super speed… it seemed a lot like that guy.
However, when the light dispersed, what appeared before everyone was just a palm-sized bird.
Simultaneously, its claws held a human over a hundred times its size in a starkly contrasting manner.
"Should be you... the one who helped my crew earlier?"
Karin ignored Blackbeard before her, instead looking down at Cavendish.
'Hmm...'
'Somewhat disheveled, but his clothing clearly distinguished him from the surrounding riffraff.'
"Although your help was unnecessary... thanks anyway for your good intentions."
Nodding, Karin then manipulated the whirlwind, sending the unconscious Cavendish to a safer area behind.
"Now we're even."
She wasn't that easily fooled.
Initially, neither Naomi nor Kalifa had actively mentioned Cavendish's chivalrous intervention.
But after her bath, Karin brought it up again.
Earlier, she just hadn't had time to investigate.
Now, with the two clearly hiding something, how could she, as captain, ignore it?
Thus, under Karin's insistence, Naomi gave an exaggerated account, adding inflammatory details.
She deliberately obscured Cavendish's appearance and demeanor and tried to gloss over his chivalrous act, afraid her captain might take an interest in that pretty boy.
But Kalifa directly spilled everything.
Unlike Naomi's childishness, she fully reported Cavendish's background and actions to Karin.
Whether he was friend or foe should be Karin's decision.
So Karin learned that during her bath, a white knight had appeared trying to send them to safer waters.
How to put it.
Though she didn't really need such help, his intentions were good.
As for why she had waited until Cavendish was almost beaten to death... that was because of the Emeralda.
Watching pirate ships get swallowed by the sea, Karin decisively acted.
After managing with great difficulty to save the Emeralda from the terrifying whirlpool onto Hachinosu, the person matching Kalifa's description in her Observation Haki was about to be killed by Blackbeard.
So, Karin instantly transformed into a golden bullet streaking across the sky, saving him at the last moment.
"You..."
The Blackbeard Pirates were stunned upon seeing Karin's true form, then quickly tried recalling any related information.
Immediately, they all thought of the giant golden bird appearing during the Summit War.
Aside from the size difference and a halo behind her head, Karin looked mostly the same now.
Karin's displayed strength during the Summit War was undeniable.
Though she was once suppressed by the Five Elders-
But those were the Five Elders! Holding her own against them proved her strength.
Thus, Blackbeard's crew all showed faces of facing a great enemy.
Though they had suitable fruits thanks to Blackbeard, they knew their limits.
In direct combat, none could match the other party.
So they exchanged knowing glances, preparing to attack simultaneously.
The Blackbeard Pirates never cared about honor… their motto was achieving goals by any means.
But before Van Augur could fire the first shot, their captain, Blackbeard, stopped them.
"Stop."
"Leave this one to me."
Saying so, Blackbeard's face showed undisguised malice and hatred.
Even his own crew was surprised by his expression.
Karin also sensed this intense emotion.
"Oh? History between us?"
How strange.
She hadn't even sought to settle accounts for nearly sinking her ship, yet the other side looked at her with such deep-seated resentment.
Karin felt her own emotional flow was disrupted.
"Ah, of course."
"If not for you!"
"If not for you restoring Whitebeard's youth!"
"I would've gotten the Gura Gura no Mi long ago!"
This was Teach's true anger.
He saw clearly: After this creature appeared on the Moby Dick, Whitebeard became vigorous again.
Simultaneously, it ruins his years-long plan.
He had an obsession with Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi.
As if only by seizing it could he take everything from him, truly becoming 'the strongest man in the world'.
"Kurouzu!"
Blackbeard directly opened his palm, creating a black vortex that generated a massive pulling force on Karin, a Devil Fruit user.
"Huh? What are you even talking about?"
"I haven't settled accounts with you, and you're acting wronged?!"
Karin first felt instinctive confusion, then sensed her Devil Fruit power seemed to be affected somehow.
Simultaneously, her body started moving uncontrollably toward him.
"This power—"
For any other Devil Fruit user, the Yami Yami no Mi's suppression would be effective.
After 'capturing' another user, it could negate their ability like Seastone.
But unfortunately...
Not just his Yami Yami no Mi… even Karin herself couldn't revert to human form after swallowing the Pure Gold.
His Yami Yami no Mi did affect Karin somewhat, but that was all.
"Got you!"
"Ze ha ha ha!! Just a Mythical Zoan. My Yami Yami no Mi is invincible… urk!!!"
Blackbeard loved celebrating prematurely.
He did it against Ace, and in the original timeline against a dying Whitebeard.
Sensing Kurouzu had successfully caught Karin, he thought victory was assured.
But what greeted him was a claw even larger than the one he had created earlier.
Finding she couldn't break free from the dark force field, Karin decisively enlarged.
'Like a direct clash of force? Let's see who's tougher!'
The pirates below stared dumbfounded as a giant golden bird appeared out of nowhere, cracking the skull rock's eye socket.
Screech—
A soul-shaking cry echoed across the island. The golden giant bird spread its wings, blocking out the sky.
If Blackbeard lifting the island hadn't completely broken the villains' courage, facing this colossal creature eradicated their last bit of resistance.
This made sense.
People's fear of power isn't as bone-deep as fear of form.
For example:
People might be awed by Magneto moving a bridge, but genuine terror isn't that strong.
At least not before directly opposing him.
But change that to a monstrously large creature?
Its mere existence is enough to drive the ant-sized naked apes to panic.
Regardless of its intentions.
This fear is etched into biological instinct, irresistible.
After transforming back, the pulling force on Karin drastically reduced, almost imperceptible unless she focused.
But her first concern wasn't Blackbeard… she directed her Observation Haki toward the Emeralda's location.
'Good, they're safe.'
Sensing her ship and crew were unharmed, Karin relaxed and turned forward.
Wings flapped, a fierce gale dispersing the dust from the collapsing rock, revealing the disheveled and battered Blackbeard Pirates below.
"Bas...tard!!"
Blackbeard clutched his forehead, wounded by falling rubble. Blood flowed down his already ugly face, making him look even more ferocious.