At this moment, the entire field was paralyzed with shock. Without exception, every combatant halted their struggle, their gazes fixed intently on Whitebeard.
The Strongest Man in the World—Whitebeard—is he dead?
It was impossible not to doubt. The amount of blood pooling beneath Whitebeard had reached a horrific volume, staining the ice in terrifying, dark patches.
"POPS!!" the Whitebeard Pirates shrieked in unison.
"Gurararara..." Just as the crowd hung in suspense, Whitebeard suddenly spoke.
"You... Why won't you just die! You're already so old, why can't you just stay down..." Blackbeard muttered, his consciousness barely returning. His speech was slurred, and his eyes betrayed a deep, primal fear.
The members of the Blackbeard Pirates were equally somber. Just moments ago, they had emptied every round of ammunition they carried. Every single bullet and shell had, without fail, been buried in Whitebeard's body. At such close range, with such a barrage...
Yet Whitebeard's open, unyielding eyes told them exactly what it meant to be a pirate standing at the absolute summit!
"Hurry up and unlock this!" Marco snapped at Mr. 3, who had been dragged over with several massive bumps on his head.
Marco was burning with anxiety. Whitebeard was on the brink of death. He didn't know what Ace's brother (Drake) had said to the old man, and he didn't know if his life could truly be saved. Pops hadn't even given them a final command to retreat yet. With no solid ground to stand on, Marco's only thought was to get to his father's side and protect him at any cost.
"Hehe..." Mr. 3 rubbed his hands together, offering a fawning smile as he unlocked the shackles. The three large bumps on his head suggested he had been "educated" quite thoroughly moments before.
"Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor!!"
Suddenly, a new sun appeared in the sky. A gargantuan sphere of golden-red light expanded, blanketing the entire plaza. Ace was unleashing everything he had, pouring his soul into a desperate, full-power ultimate move.
Facing the immense pressure of the flaming solar disc, Shiryu's expression turned grim. The Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates was the real deal.
BOOM!
A massive explosion sent a tidal wave of fire sweeping across the battlefield.
"Black Hole!" Blackbeard gnashed his teeth and unleashed his own ability. The encroaching flames were swallowed by a vast, spreading expanse of darkness.
Half the world was solar fire; half was abyssal dark.
Whitebeard was already caught in Blackbeard's "Dark Matter." Teach's objective was clear: it was Whitebeard himself. Only Drake truly understood why. He knew that while the world didn't yet know how Blackbeard stole powers, the fact that he would become a dual-fruit user was an indisputable truth of history!
I cannot let Blackbeard obtain the Tremor-Tremor power!
Drake grumbled inwardly as he faced Akainu's relentless assault. Even with his teleportation, Akainu's Observation Haki was sharp. With his maximum jump distance currently capped at ten meters, shaking off the Admiral was proving to be a nightmare.
VROOM! Suddenly, a streak of brilliant blue flame soared into the sky.
Interwoven with sparks of golden fire, the Mythical Zoan: The Phoenix!
"TEACH!"
Marco moved like a falling star, streaking directly toward Whitebeard.
"Commander Marco! Kill that traitor! Save Pops!" the Whitebeard Pirates roared, their spirits lifting as they saw the blue bird take flight.
To them, Marco was more than just the First Division Commander; he was the first mate, the "Right Hand of the Emperor."
Swoosh—!
The Phoenix's wings expanded, the speed of his flight creating a series of sonic booms.
Whoosh...
Watching Marco plunge into the darkness, the other Division Commanders held their breath. You have to save him!
Marco dove in, delivering a meteor-like kick toward Blackbeard.
"Look out! Marco, don't let him touch you!" Ace screamed from the distance.
But it was too late. Marco's kick connected, slamming Blackbeard into the ground and creating a massive crater.
"ARGH!" Blackbeard howled in agony.
The "double pain" side effect of the Dark-Dark Fruit was not something an ordinary person could endure.
"Wihaha!" Burgess lunged forward, throwing a massive punch at Marco.
BOOM! The strike landed heavily on Marco's chest.
"Gah... cough!" Marco spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with disbelief. As a Phoenix, he had never felt a sensation like this. The punch had bypassed his regenerative flames and struck his physical flesh with a force more terrifying than standard Haki.
"How does it feel, Marco...?" Beneath Marco's feet, Blackbeard sat up, his hands firmly gripping Marco's calf, a look of pure arrogance on his face. "It's your first time being hit like that, isn't it? Take a good look—this is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
"Wihahaha!" The muscular Burgess gathered his strength for another strike.
"Galleon Fleet: Elbow Drop!"
VROOM! Marco didn't dare be careless. He coated his arms in Haki and, in the split second he dodged the elbow, he drove a fist into Blackbeard's face.
CRASH! The ground buckled further as the crater beneath Blackbeard deepened.
Breaking free from the darkness, Marco leaped back into the air, his blue flames erupting in a violent surge. His wounds vanished instantly. He followed up with a kick to Burgess's face, sending the "Champion" tumbling back.
Marco moved with predatory speed, diving back toward Blackbeard. But darkness swirled in Teach's palm, creating a gravitational pull that sucked Marco right in. For a combatant who relied on aerial superiority, fighting the Dark-Dark Fruit was a living nightmare.
BOOM! The moment Marco was pulled in, Blackbeard unleashed a heavy punch into Marco's gut.
"Ugh..."
This time, Marco truly felt the sting of powerlessness. The moment he touched Blackbeard, the Phoenix's power flickered out. He fell toward the ground, met by Blackbeard's thick, hairy, dark arm.
The impact felt like a mountain had collided with his body. Marco realized with a jolt of horror that this was Blackbeard's raw, physical strength.
This man was hiding his true power all along!
The blow hurt his body, but the realization hurt his heart more. Teach had been on their ship for decades—had it all been an act? Was this cold-blooded, ruthless monster the real Teach?
Marco was sent flying, but he immediately re-ignited his flames, his wounds knitting back together in an instant. He landed, looking at Blackbeard and the crew behind him with newfound gravity.
"What is your true goal, Teach!?"
Blackbeard grinned, revealing his missing teeth. "Zehahahahaha... I want the old man's life!"
"YOU!" Marco exploded in rage, stepping in front of Whitebeard. By now, Whitebeard's feet were already beginning to sink into the encroaching darkness.
Hearing Blackbeard's declaration, the Whitebeard Pirates erupted in a chorus of curses.
"What did that traitor just say? He wants to kill Pops?" "You bastard, Teach!" "Have you forgotten who took you in when you had nothing!?"
The pirates who knew of Teach's long history on the ship wailed and roared, their fury threatening to set the harbor ablaze.
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