Whoosh!
Marco spread his wings and descended from the sky, stirring up a violent gust of wind.
The long black coat draped over "Blackbeard" flapped wildly in the gale, and the twisted grin on his face grew even more sinister, making him look downright terrifying.
He didn't seem to notice the fury on Marco's face. Instead, he spoke with a casual tone,
"So you did come after all... but you're too late."
Marco let out a cold snort and replied,
"Too late? I'd say the timing is just right."
After speaking, Marco stared in silence at the darkness lingering above "Blackbeard"—the same void that had swallowed his attack.
He watched it for a moment, then suddenly turned his gaze back, eyes locked on "Blackbeard" with clenched teeth as he growled,
"This is the power you gained by killing Thatch, isn't it? As black as your rotten heart!"
...
...
"Sha sha sha sha! Marco, you're blaming the wrong guy. I wasn't the one who killed Thatch!"
"Bastard! You're still playing games at a time like this?!"
Marco shouted in rage, though a hint of doubt stirred inside him. The way Teach was speaking... it didn't quite match the man he remembered.
Especially that laugh. Teach always used to let out a "Zehahahaha" when he laughed.
So what the hell was this? Could even that laugh have been fake? If so... how terrifying is this guy really?
"Blackbeard" simply smiled without answering, raised a hand toward Marco, and said,
"I don't expect you to believe me right now. Why don't I help you calm down first? Dark Vortex."
Buzz!
Marco's body jolted violently, then was swiftly yanked toward "Blackbeard" by the pull of the darkness. In a moment of panic, he shouted,
"Nani?!"
But Marco was no rookie—he had experience.
Just as he was about to be pulled within reach, he transformed one of his legs, turning it into a bird's talon, and kicked at "Blackbeard's" palm.
"Blackbeard's" expression didn't change. He continued using Dark Vortex to reel Marco in.
The moment Marco's talon touched "Blackbeard's" hand, it reverted to normal—his foot lost its power instantly.
Using the cushion of the darkness, "Blackbeard" effortlessly absorbed the blow and grabbed Marco's ankle tightly.
Staring at the look of shock on Marco's face, "Blackbeard" smiled and said,
"Not a pleasant feeling, huh? Losing your powers. This is the Dark-Dark Fruit that Teach went through so much trouble to get—it can nullify any Devil Fruit ability!"
In his heart, he added silently,
"Except for that damn Shikiryū."
"I see... No wonder you were willing to lie low for so long just for this fruit. You've got some patience, I'll give you that."
"Sha sha sha sha! Teach would've agreed with you... but I'm not him!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, "Blackbeard" squeezed Marco's ankle with a sharp twist—crack! A clean, crisp fracture echoed out.
"AHHH!!!"
Marco screamed in agony, and instinctively swung his right fist at "Blackbeard's" face.
But "Blackbeard" didn't linger. He tilted his head to dodge the punch and then released Marco.
Marco gritted his teeth through the pain, planted his good leg, and pushed off to distance himself from "Blackbeard."
He tried to activate the regenerative power of the Phoenix...
But he quickly realized—he'd lost his connection to the Phoenix Fruit.
This was the first time that had ever happened since he ate the Devil Fruit.
Still, Marco had strong combat skills even without his powers—he could keep fighting.
"Blackbeard" looked at Marco with a tinge of admiration in his eyes. He couldn't help but offer an olive branch,
"Marco, Newgate's grown old. All he does now is sit around and play on the ship. Why not join me instead? You'll have a far brighter future."
Hearing the word "bright" from the man wielding the Dark-Dark Fruit was... unsettling.
Marco sneered and said,
"A man like you will never measure up to Pops. You've got some nerve to even say that!"
"Sha sha sha! But that 'Pops' of yours was once under my command too!"
"Nani!? Teach, are you out of your damn mind?!"
"Sha sha sha!"
"Blackbeard" laughed again, louder this time. He spread his arms and howled to the sky,
"Not just Newgate—Big Mom and Kaido were under me too! Because I... am Rocks!!!"
As soon as the words rang out, a terrifying aura erupted from Rocks' body, wrapped in streaks of pitch-black lightning. The ground beneath his feet cracked under the sheer pressure.
Even Marco's pineapple-shaped hair was blown back. As he stared at the apocalyptic force surging around Rocks, his face went blank with shock.
He could tell—it was Conqueror's Haki. And not just any Haki—this one wasn't weaker than Red-Haired Shanks'.
But Teach didn't have Conqueror's Haki. Even if he did, there was no way he could reach this level.
Anyone with Haki this powerful would never have tolerated hiding in the Whitebeard Pirates for so many years.
Putting together Rocks' words and everything he'd seen, Marco was starting to believe it.
Whitebeard had once mentioned his former captain, saying only that his name was Rocks—but he never shared anything more.
That alone proved how classified that name was. It was practically impossible for the old Teach to have known it.
Marco furrowed his brow and asked,
"You say you're Rocks... then where's Teach? And why do you look like him?"
"Hmph. I've always been inside this idiot's body—he just never noticed. As for him, that fool's already been killed by the Marine Admiral Shikiryū. You can ask anyone on this island and they'll tell you!"
But Rocks had overlooked something: after unleashing his Conqueror's Haki, everyone on the island had already passed out. Even if Marco wanted to ask, there was no one conscious left to answer.
Straining under the crushing pressure of Rocks' Haki, Marco lowered his head, struggling to stay standing.
Suddenly, he noticed a few wisps of blue-green flame flickering at his feet.
Seeing those flames, Marco's eyes lit up with joy—he could feel it. His connection to the Phoenix Fruit was slowly returning!
Once his ability came back, he could immediately heal his injured leg. That would at least let him regain the initiative in this fight—or if not, make a strategic retreat.
That wasn't cowardice. It was simply that the information he'd learned today was far too important. He had to tell Pops.
Compared to Rocks... even Teach's betrayal didn't seem quite as critical anymore.
With that in mind, Marco decided to stall for time. He looked at Rocks and asked,
"So how did you end up inside Teach's body? That's... not exactly something you hear every day."
"Heh... have you ever heard of the battle at God Valley?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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