Hearing Blackbeard's words, Ren didn't get angry at all. Instead, he looked at him as if he were a clown. "So you're that traitor from the Whitebeard Pirates who murdered his family for a Devil Fruit? How is that power you craved so much? Is it working out for you?" Ren asked mockingly.
Faced with this biting provocation, Blackbeard laughed loudly and triumphantly. "Working out? Zehahahaha! Kid! This is a power beyond your imagination! With this, I'll become an Emperor of the Sea—the strongest one! When that time comes, I'll do whatever I want!"
"What an irredeemable bastard!" Hill spat, her eyes filled with disgust as she looked at Teach. The others shared her sentiment, looking at Blackbeard as if he were literal trash.
"Bastard? Zehahahaha! What pirate isn't a bastard? If you aren't a bastard, why become a pirate?!" Blackbeard acted as if he'd heard the world's greatest joke. "People like you, always talking about 'nakama' and 'dreams'... you're the ones who don't look like pirates!"
Klin drew the saber at his waist, elegantly spinning the blade. His voice was ice-cold. "Captain, there's no need to waste words on scum like this, right?"
"Are we doing this?"
"Duh! Based on what he just said, he wasn't planning on letting us go anyway!" Hill stepped back, cheering the group on. "Go get 'em, boys! I support you in spirit!"
Ren stood on the high deck, looking down at Blackbeard. In the next instant, a violent surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, sweeping toward the Blackbeard Pirates like a tidal wave!
Blackbeard's eyes narrowed. A similar aura suddenly burst from his body to meet Ren's!
As the two powers clashed, the sky changed color. Black lightning crackled in the void, striking the ground and blasting deep craters into the snow.
Blackbeard no longer looked down on Ren. He never expected to encounter a "rookie" in the Paradise of the Grand Line who had mastered Conqueror's Haki. Actually, can you even call this guy a rookie?
Looking at Ren's youthful face, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Blackbeard's temple. He noticed that Ren still looked completely relaxed, and Teach began to groan inwardly.
Are rookies these days all monsters? I'm using eighty percent of my strength, but he looks like he's just playing around! How is this possible?! I've endured for so many years; there's no way I'm going down to some brat!
Thinking of this, Blackbeard gritted his teeth and forced a calm facade. "Kid, I admit your Haki is strong, but you must be at your limit, right? Stop fronting if you can't keep it up!"
"Fronting? What are you talking about?" Ren's face was the picture of ease, his eyes full of disdain. "I think you're the middle-aged man who's about to break. How about I dial up the intensity for you?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ren's Conqueror's Haki exploded to its full potential!
In a single heartbeat, it shattered Blackbeard's Haki and slammed into the nerves of the Blackbeard crew like a tsunami. In that moment, the image of Shanks flashed through Blackbeard's mind. This level of Conqueror's Haki... it was likely no weaker than the Red-Haired's!
Furthermore, for some reason, Blackbeard felt like Ren was becoming... brighter? The boy seemed bathed in an ethereal light!
Damn it! How can such a freak exist in Paradise? And is he really only in his teens?!Blackbeard cursed frantically in his head.
What he didn't know was that Ren wasn't just using Haki. While his Haki was strong, it wasn't enough to crush Blackbeard instantly. What he had unleashed was a combination of Conqueror's Haki and Hollow Ren's Spiritual Pressure (Reiatsu).
Against that absolute Reiatsu, Blackbeard's Haki was like wet tissue paper, suppressed instantly.
Seeing Blackbeard struggling to resist his pressure, Ren felt great. He raised a finger, pointing it at Teach. Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, a sphere of white energy began to gather at his fingertip!
"Goodbye, small fry."
Just as Ren was about to fire the Cero, Gray suddenly shouted, "Stop, Ren! You'll destroy the island!"
The shout rang like thunder in Ren's head, pulling him back from his state of arrogance to reality. He looked at the Cero at his fingertip, then at the village behind the Blackbeard Pirates—where residents were shivering inside their wooden houses. A flash of lingering fear crossed his mind!
I got a bit carried away! I almost caught civilians in the crossfire!
Ren dissipated the Cero, still feeling a bit shaken. If Gray hadn't snapped him out of it, he might have fired without thinking. While that Cero wouldn't have destroyed all of Drum Island, it would have definitely erased the small village in front of them!
Seeing that terrifying energy vanish, Blackbeard let out a massive sigh of relief. He didn't even try to hide it; he slumped onto the snow, laughing at the sky. "Hahaha! Fate! Are you really playing me like this?!"
Through that brief clash, Blackbeard was certain: he was no match for Ren. If Ren had fired that blast, neither the Yami Yami no Mi nor anything else would have saved him from being vaporized.
In this moment, Blackbeard was desperate. He cursed the unfairness of the heavens! He had finally obtained the fruit he'd waited half his life for, thinking he would rise to the top, only to be cut down here!
Blackbeard's mind began racing with a bold idea, but before he could speak, Ren addressed his crew. "I'll handle Blackbeard personally. You guys take care of his subordinates!"
"Don't worry, I'll end their lives as quickly as possible," Klin said. "Good chance to test the results of my training," Law added. "I'll take the big guy!" Blue shouted.
Klin, Law, and Blue jumped from the ship, landing firmly in the snow. Meanwhile, Ren kept his eyes locked on Blackbeard, but called out to Hill: "Go get the Seastone cage. And bring some fresh fruit. It's time to verify a certain theory!"
Hill didn't hesitate to follow orders, calling Uncle Gray to help her haul the heavy Seastone cell out of the hold.
Ren didn't want to leave anything to chance. His body turned into a blur of light as he appeared instantly in front of Blackbeard. He held out his hand, and a sphere of white chakra began to swirl in his palm.
"Wind Style: Rasengan!"