"Stop… stop them…"
Amid the complete silence of the battlefield, Blackbeard, who had been lying on the ground for what felt like an eternity, seemed to regain a shred of consciousness.
Weakly, he directed his words at the owner of the boots visible in his line of sight.
"This…"
Shiryu of the Rain instinctively stepped back.
Up until now, he had truly been afraid.
They had agreed beforehand that once they left, killing would be no problem.
But since leaving Impel Down with Blackbeard, the chaos had only escalated: their ship had been suddenly destroyed, and they faced none other than former Admiral Zephyr!
Luckily, their new captain proved formidable, and together they had defeated Zephyr without too much effort.
But before they could even catch their breath…
Another group of unfamiliar people suddenly appeared.
And what was worse…
One casual strike from that youth had easily knocked the seemingly invincible Blackbeard to the ground!
Shiryu, fighting alongside him, knew full well the terrifying strength of this new captain.
Yet even so, the man now lying on the deck, barely alive, was none other than Blackbeard—whose strength far surpassed his own.
This was an undeniable fact.
To make matters worse, Blackbeard had told him that their plan involved participating in the Summit War, killing Whitebeard, and carrying out a series of operations afterward…
But now, it seems… the plan hadn't even begun, and their pirate crew was already down to only him—still standing.
At this moment, Shiryu of the Rain felt more than ever that he had boarded a truly "cursed" ship.
Clang~
The crimson demon blade slid slowly from Shiryu's hand.
Its blood-red edge seemed to sense its master's fear, no longer radiating the deadly gleam it had just shown.
Yet…
The blade remained unsheathed.
A light, the same color as the blade, flickered in Shiryu's eyes.
Suddenly, his body vanished from the sight of everyone nearby.
The towering figure moved with terrifying speed, faster than anyone could anticipate.
The bloodthirsty blade, now fully revealing its deadly nature under the presence of the great swordsman, shot straight toward the three—Brook and the others.
"Let me handle this!"
Franky, newly joined with the Starry Sky Pirates, immediately handed Koby to Brook, extending his massive mechanical arms larger than ever before.
Clang!
The two metal arms locked together.
Half-pentagrams on each arm aligned perfectly, forming a complete blue pentagram.
With incredible precision, not a single gap remained in the center.
Clang!!!
Shiryu's blood blade slammed into Franky's armored arms.
The sound of metal colliding echoed across the waters, deafening in its intensity.
Waves roared.
The wooden planks beneath Franky splintered into countless fragments.
His massive metal feet, plowing the deck like farm plows, retreated, leaving deep grooves behind.
Yet…
Shiryu's eyes widened in disbelief.
Under his full-force strike, not a single dent appeared on Franky, not even a speck of paint was scratched.
"This… this is impossible!!!"
Panicking, Shiryu withdrew his blade and stumbled backward.
Even against this bizarre pink-haired boy, I gave it everything…!
Even Magellan wouldn't dare to take a full-force hit like this.
What… kind of monsters are they…!?
"Heh heh…"
Franky revealed a sly grin, sending a chill down Shiryu's spine.
He shivered, retreating further.
"Sir…"
"Where… are you going!?"
Whoosh!
A chilling wind suddenly struck Shiryu from behind.
Brook's skull glowed dimly, exuding a sinister aura, whispering into Shiryu's ear like a true specter.
Ah!
Completely focused on Franky, Shiryu hadn't noticed Brook silently positioning behind him.
The moment he sensed Brook's presence, he spun around—only to recoil in terror at the skeletal face.
Shiryu swore he had never been this frightened in his life.
Step! Step!…
The metallic sounds of moving joints and spinning gears came from behind him.
Franky flexed his metal limbs, the joints creaking crisply, his fists grinding together as he approached:
"Today, I'm supper-strong!"
Brook raised his bone sword, exuding a sinister aura that seeped into the deck, turning it an eerie green—like a living purgatory.
"You… you… you guys!!?"
Shiryu swung his blood-red blade wildly, striking at Franky, then Brook, trapped between the "front wolf and rear tiger."
He, the former chief of Impel Down, had nowhere to turn.
"Heh heh heh…"
The two exchanged a glance, slowly cornering Shiryu, showing him the true meaning of "trapped beyond hope."
…
Huff… huff… huff…
Blackbeard, recovering slightly, struggled to regain control of his body, forcing himself to stand.
After several labored breaths, he managed to move his fingers for the first time.
But just as he regained control of his hand…
A pair of canvas boots appeared in his line of sight.
Blackbeard's eyes widened.
He recognized those boots.
The one who had reduced him to this pitiful state!
Sensing danger, Blackbeard thrashed violently.
All in vain.
The injured Koby lifted his terrifying tool, the mop head, high.
The mop's cloth end aimed straight at Blackbeard's head.
Facing the concentrated essence of darkness, Koby shouted:
"Your darkness!"
"Belongs to me!!!"
Boom!!!
With a deafening roar, the Marine ship cracked in half, centered on Koby's mop and Blackbeard's body.
On the tilted half of the ship, Koby held the mop aloft, as countless white strips extended, enveloping Blackbeard completely, forming a massive cocoon.
Suddenly…
Blackness surged over the white cloth, turning the cocoon into a deep, ominous black.
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Completed version available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria