On a nameless pirate ship, Thatch led the 4th Division in slaughtering their enemies to the last man.
Once the final enemy was dealt with, Thatch rushed into the opponent's storage room and began sorting through the spoils of war.
He ignored the mountains of treasure piled up inside. What he wanted now was a Devil Fruit.
After searching through the warehouse for a while, he really did find one.
It looked like a dark purple pineapple, radiating a sinister aura.
Seeing the fruit's shape, Thatch's face lit up. It was common knowledge that most Logia-type Devil Fruits resembled pineapples in appearance.
And Logia fruits were known to provide the most immediate and significant boost to one's strength.
With the exception of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, widely regarded as the disgrace of the Logias, most Logia fruits were anything but weak.
Need proof? Just look at the Navy's three Admirals. Which one of them wasn't absurdly powerful?
Finding a Logia-type Devil Fruit was an incredible stroke of luck for Thatch.
...
...
Overcome with excitement, Thatch couldn't help but shout. He raised the fruit high above his head and ran out of the warehouse onto the deck.
"Everyone, come look! I found a really good Devil Fruit!"
The moment they heard "Devil Fruit," the crew quickly gathered around Thatch. They eyed the fruit in his hand with curiosity, but no one showed a trace of greed—except for Teach.
His gaze practically clung to the fruit, stringing saliva between his teeth.
He had long since memorized the appearance of the Dark-Dark Fruit, down to the last detail. It was etched into his brain.
To think that the very fruit he had waited over a decade for… was now right in front of him. It had to be fate!
Teach locked his eyes on the Dark-Dark Fruit in Thatch's hand, burning with the urge to snatch it and devour it right there.
But Thatch was completely lost in the joy of his find, not noticing anything off about Teach at all.
Unlike in the original anime, Thatch here had an intense desire to grow stronger. Without hesitation, he brought the Dark-Dark Fruit to his lips, preparing to eat it on the spot.
Teach was so startled by the move he nearly pissed himself. He shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Wait!!!"
All eyes instantly shifted to Teach. Thatch paused, his hand still holding the fruit close to his mouth, and looked at Teach in confusion.
"What's wrong, Teach?"
"Captain Thatch, I think eating a Devil Fruit is something you should think through carefully. Maybe wait until we're back and ask Pops what he thinks?"
"Hahaha! Teach, you're being way too cautious. Just look at this fruit—it's almost certainly a Logia. Logia abilities are never weak!"
With that, Thatch opened his mouth again, ready to take a bite.
Teach narrowed his eyes, muttering in his heart:
"Guess I've got no choice. For my dream… Sorry, Captain Thatch!"
Splurt!
Blood sprayed as Thatch staggered back clutching his neck. The Dark-Dark Fruit had already fallen into Teach's hand, while his other hand still held a blood-dripping dagger.
Without hesitation, Teach opened his mouth wide and shoved the fruit in, swallowing it whole without even chewing. Luckily, his thick neck made the process surprisingly smooth.
After swallowing the fruit, Teach stood still, unmoving.
The others were frozen in shock at Teach's actions. Only Thatch remained conscious, still clutching his bleeding neck, staring at Teach in disbelief.
He wanted to ask why Teach had done this… but the gaping wound at his throat made it impossible to speak.
Finally, Thatch collapsed backward, staring wide-eyed at the sky, unable to rest in peace.
The crew snapped out of their daze. They rushed to Thatch's side, checked his condition, and came to a grim conclusion:
Thatch was dead.
Killed by Teach!
Thatch had always been a decent man, well-respected in the 4th Division. His death hit the crew hard.
Furious, they turned toward Teach and roared:
"Teach! Are you insane!? You killed Captain Thatch!"
Teach, who had been silent until now, suddenly threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
"Zehahaha! It really is the Dark-Dark Fruit! It chose me after all!!!"
His reaction completely enraged the 4th Division.
Their eyes turned bloodshot as they drew their weapons, ready to tear Teach apart.
All they could think about now was taking this traitor down and bringing him back to Pops for punishment.
But before they could move, they felt a terrifying change.
They couldn't move.
The entire deck had turned into a swamp of darkness, pulling all the crew members downward with a heavy gravitational force.
Teach's face twisted into a sinister grin. Looking at the crew already waist-deep in darkness, he laughed again:
"Zehahaha! This power…! The most evil of all Devil Fruits—this is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
As he spoke, one of the men was completely consumed by the darkness, vanishing without a trace.
The others panicked at the sight, shouting in terror.
"Teach, what the hell are you doing!? Aren't you afraid the entire Whitebeard Pirates will come after you!? Pops won't forgive you for this!"
"Pops?"
Teach sneered, then spat:
"You still think he's the world's strongest man? Wake up! That old man's been pushed so hard by that damn Shikiryū, he's even clinging to Red-Haired now!"
"You bastard! How dare you—"
Before the man could finish, he too was dragged into the darkness and silenced.
Teach scowled at the remaining crew and slammed his palm down hard on the deck.
"Dark Hole Path!"
At that moment, the sea of darkness paused… then surged violently again. The gravitational pull doubled in strength.
The remaining 4th Division members let out a final roar of despair before being dragged under in an instant.
The deck fell silent. Not a soul remained—only an expanse of endless blackness.
Teach stood alone in the center of it all, looking utterly pleased. He felt no remorse for having annihilated the entire 4th Division.
He clenched his fists and stared out toward the open sea, breaking into another fit of wild laughter.
"Zehahaha! Just wait! One day, this sea will belong to me—Blackbeard!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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