Whitebeard was finally dead.
Yet even in death—
His body remained standing, unyielding.
Blackbeard stood there, heart pounding, waiting for a long moment. Only after confirming there was no breath, no movement left—
Did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Zehahahaha!"
"You damn monster… finally dead! You scared the hell out of me—I almost thought you'd kill me!"
Grinning with his missing teeth, Blackbeard stepped toward Whitebeard's corpse.
From behind, Fleet Admiral Sengoku roared:
"Blackbeard! What are you trying to do?!"
Blackbeard burst into arrogant laughter.
"What am I doing? Of course—I'm about to put on the most spectacular show you've ever seen!"
Behind him, Lafitte pulled out a black cloth.
All it took—
Was covering both Blackbeard and Whitebeard beneath it.
And Blackbeard could steal the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
This secret—
Aside from Moria, who had been ordered by Luo Xing—
Was unknown to everyone present.
Sengoku felt a sense of unease.
His instincts screamed—
He couldn't let Blackbeard succeed.
But the distance was too great.
It was already too late.
On top of that—
He had to keep an eye on Garp, who had completely lost control after Ace's death and was even shouting about killing Sakazuki.
Meanwhile—
Akainu, who had been smashed underground by Whitebeard—
Was not dead.
He had melted a tunnel through the earth with magma—
And was climbing back up.
Step by step, Blackbeard approached Whitebeard's body, his excitement trembling through him.
The power to erase everything—the Dark-Dark Fruit.
The power to destroy the world—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
If he possessed both—
He would become the strongest in the world.
Unstoppable.
His dream—
Years in the making—
Was about to come true.
But just as he stepped into position beside Whitebeard—
Something strange happened.
His body—
Wouldn't move.
"…What the hell?!"
Blackbeard froze, confused.
He tried to lift his leg—
But it wouldn't budge.
"Are you kidding me?! Why can't I move?!"
His mentality collapsed on the spot.
His long-awaited goal—
Ruined at the very last second.
Blackbeard erupted in fury:
"Which bastard is messing with me?! Let me go!!"
"Shihihihihihi!!"
A mocking laugh echoed.
"Little Black brat, are you stupid? Luo Xing ordered me to watch you—did you really think I'd let you succeed?"
The one restraining him—
Was none other than Gecko Moria.
Blackbeard roared:
"Burgess! Van Augur! Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on Moria?!"
Burgess and Van Augur looked completely innocent—and confused.
"Captain, we were watching him! Didn't take our eyes off him for a second!"
"Then why the hell can't I move?!"
"…We're wondering the same thing!"
Blackbeard nearly exploded from anger.
"If you don't know, then hurry up and kill him!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Burgess and Van Augur immediately charged at Moria.
Moria's expression changed slightly.
His Shadow Bind couldn't be interrupted.
"Forget it… I'll just take him for a run."
Without hesitation—
He turned and ran.
Dragging Blackbeard along with him.
Like a dog on a leash.
The battlefield—
Momentarily turned absurd.
A Warlord of the Sea—
Running wildly—
While dragging along the future Emperor Blackbeard.
And behind them—
Burgess and the others chased frantically.
Even Sengoku stared, stunned.
"So that's the Shadow Bind ability…"
He finally understood.
It was the same technique Moria had used earlier—
To control executioners and release Fire Fist Ace, pushing the war into chaos.
But what shocked him more—
Was something else.
Moria…
Was actually a subordinate of Luo Xing.
Again—
That man.
How was every move on this battlefield—
Connected to him?
Sengoku couldn't help but feel old.
Completely outplayed—
By a young man.
"Let go of our captain!"
After being dragged around for several laps, Burgess finally snapped.
With a furious roar, he unleashed his full power—
Leaping high into the air—
And smashing his fist down toward Moria.
Moria was caught off guard—
Just as he prepared to react—
A graceful figure flashed before him.
"How dare you stand before me? Unforgivable!"
"Perfume Femur!"
A long, flawless leg struck down—
Like a divine weapon.
BOOM!
Burgess screamed—
As he was sent flying.
Worse—
The arm that was hit—
Turned into stone—
And shattered.
The one who intervened—
Was none other than the Pirate Empress.
Her sudden move was unexpected—
Yet somehow completely in character.
Because she did whatever she pleased.
No one could ever predict her actions.
Blackbeard jumped in fury:
"Pirate Empress! You damn woman—I didn't even provoke you! Why are you targeting me?!"
Her beautiful eyes turned ice-cold.
"You dare speak disrespectfully to me?"
"Die."
"Grand Perfume Femur!"
BOOM—
A terrifying aura exploded outward.
Black lightning-like energy surged across the battlefield.
Conqueror's Haki.
The entire Marineford trembled.
Everyone swallowed nervously.
Never be deceived—
By her title as the most beautiful woman in the world.
She was one of the rare few—
Who possessed the power of a king.
And when a woman like her got angry—
It was terrifying.
When she got angry—
It was absolute disaster.
Blackbeard was drenched in cold sweat.
He couldn't move earlier—
And now—
If that kick landed—
He'd be finished.
"Crazy woman… she's completely insane!!"
He roared internally.
He could not die here.
And definitely not—
At the hands of a woman.
That would be humiliation beyond measure.
Grinding his teeth—
Pushing his strength to the absolute limit—
Blackbeard let out a furious roar—
And at the very last second—
Broke free from Moria's Shadow Bind.
He rolled desperately—
Barely dodging the devastating kick.
He had escaped death—
By a hair.
His back was soaked in sweat.
But after all this chaos—
Moria, Hancock, the interference—
Blackbeard was now hundreds of meters away from Whitebeard's corpse.
Getting close again—
Would not be easy.
Not only were Moria and Hancock blocking him—
Sengoku had already reacted.
Aokiji and Kizaru had been deployed—
To watch him.
And at that moment—
Akainu finally climbed back to the surface.
Blackbeard's face darkened completely.
Forget stealing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit—
Now…
Even escaping Marineford alive—
Had become a problem.
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