Thump... thump... thump...
Teach felt his heartbeat was terrifyingly loud.
The heart that had been shattered earlier, due to not finding Trafalgar Law, had gradually lost its vitality, clinging like a piece of rotten flesh atop his other heart.
But now, even that fragmented lump of dead heart began to beat again.
Following that came a sense of power that seemed capable of destroying everything.
Teach felt the swelling energy being transported throughout his body with each heartbeat.
The previous situation where he could only barely use both fruit abilities simultaneously also began to improve after the heart started beating again.
Of course, all of this was happening within Teach's perception.
But from Karin's perspective, the Blackbeard below was now emitting black aura, his body beginning to stretch abnormally, his pupils turning pitch black.
'This guy...'
Karin felt that Blackbeard's current state looked familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
However, Teach didn't give Karin more time to think.
Woo—
That was the sound of wind blowing through the gaps of Hachinosu as it was reshaped and transformed into a grotesque stone statue.
"Damn you... You'll pay for all this with your life! Black Dwarf: Hecatoncheires!"
As Teach roared, countless dark matter surged from his body, spreading toward the already completely deformed Hachinosu, even covering himself in the process.
Whether due to some influence, this time he manifested his ability far faster than before.
The black substance covered the entire island at a visible speed, transforming it into a bizarre, pitch-black sphere.
Simultaneously, an irresistible gravitational force radiated outward from the giant sphere formed from the island.
Fortunately, Karin had distanced herself in time when the black matter erupted, otherwise she wasn't sure she could escape this power.
She felt the move he unleashed was quite similar to the Chibaku Tensei Momoshiki had used back then.
Only much larger in scope and gravitational force.
'Strike first!'
Karin didn't intend to wait for him to fully transform. Reaching a safe altitude, she decisively turned and attacked.
"Great Virtue—"
"—Ten Thousand Raging Winds, Infinite Reincarnation!"
Like a god of destruction bringing calamity through dance, the Garuda form of Karin wildly flapped her enormous wings at high altitude, endless violent winds blowing toward Blackbeard below from every angle.
Looking closely, countless golden feathers shimmered within the winds.
At that moment, the wind was also a blade, the feathers were also blades.
Everything between heaven and earth seemed imbued with infinite malice, as if truly intending, like the move's name, to send all life below into reincarnation.
Whatever stood between Karin and Blackbeard… clouds, gravel… was instantly reduced to nothing.
The terrifying wind of extinction directly struck the giant black sphere. The dark matter capable of devouring matter and transferring it to another space seemed to reach some limit at this moment, even showing distinct 'ripples' on its surface.
Those were ripples in the formless 'space' itself under the overwhelming destructive force.
However—
"Roar!!!"
An inhuman roar suddenly sounded. An aura wrapped in black-red lightning instantly erupted from the black sphere's core, sweeping outward.
The extinction wind struggled with this aura for a moment before ultimately being dispersed.
The storm dissipated, countless debris falling from the sky.
Amidst this scene, a giant pitch-black 'demon' spread its arms.
One arm, two arms... countless arms formed from dark matter extended from the sphere, combined with the round spherical body, resembling a swaying black sun.
Though looking closely, this sun was slightly... unsettling.
Those black arms unconsciously grasped at everything in mid-air… whatever matter they captured merged with the black sphere.
Blackbeard's form emerged from the sludge-like dark matter, but his lower body was completely connected to this black planet.
And when his figure was fully exposed to Karin, she finally understood where she had seen a similar scene before.
Goat-like curved horns, a pair of Rinnegan-like ringed pupils, plus skin as black as if sun-baked for decades.
Kaguya!
No, more precisely, the one who had influenced Kaguya back then.
That mastermind named Imu!
The moment she realized this, Karin had already manipulated countless faint, ethereal chains winding downward.
She wasn't trying to 'save' Blackbeard, but to prevent him from becoming stronger.
Earlier, that Kaguya had become incredibly troublesome after obtaining Imu's demonic power. Back then, she had used every trick she had just to barely separate him from Naruto's body.
Of course, Karin also knew his trouble-making ability wasn't necessarily all Imu's own doing, and Kaguya herself was originally an extremely powerful, even terrifying opponent.
And judging by the situation then, even this Imu hadn't gained the upper hand over Kaguya… instead, she had taken some of his power.
'So this guy had been hiding here all along?'
Though unsure of the reason, Karin immediately made a decision.
She had to stop this guy here.
Even Blackbeard could be set aside, but this Imu… she absolutely could not let him escape again.
Swish swish swish—
The ethereal, transparent [Purity Chains] pierced into the demonized Blackbeard's body without resistance. But what happened next didn't develop as Karin had initially anticipated.
Because her power had greatly increased, the [Nirvana Purity Chains'] binding strength had correspondingly increased, enhanced several times over.
But the chains, which should have been able to separate and draw out the aberrant power within, entered Blackbeard's body and vanished like stones dropped into the ocean, eliciting no response.
"...Useless."
The Blackbeard below… no, Imu suddenly looked up, explaining in an extremely calm tone.
"Although I dislike this sinner's son, even I must admit his power is indeed very useful."
Imu raised his arm… several coils of transparent Nirvana Purity Chains were wrapped around it.
But where those chains touched his skin, they were faintly being tainted by 'blackness'.
"The Yami Yami no Mi complements my power quite well, too."
Saying this, Imu clenched his fist. Karin suddenly felt those Purity Chains severed from connection with her spirit.
"Speaking of which, if that guy Rocks knew his son chose to surrender to me..."
As the first ruthless person to ever intrude into the Room of Flowers and threaten Imu, Rocks left an impression on Imu no less than Joy Boy or Naruto.
"Tsk, I'd really like to see his expression."
Originally just a casually placed piece, Imu had planned to give up after failing to control Blackbeard initially.
Who would have thought this guy would actively open his mental defenses, allowing his power to invade.
"The [D] he represented... ends here."
Imu spoke these words in a tone that could be called 'light'.
Perhaps that guy himself didn't realize that once he yielded on a spiritual level, he could never take back his body from Imu's grasp.
Now, this body possessing two Devil Fruit powers was entirely his.
"Speaking of which, it's been quite a while since we last met."
"You annoying beast... and those two scums who dared defy divine authority."
Imu's ringed eyes stared at the divine bird above, showing no fear.
As if the sky-covering figure meant nothing to him.
"I'm not used to looking up..."
"So... fall!"