Originally, when Blackbeard saw Ace beginning to run out of stamina, a smile crept across his face. He was just about to make his move and finish off Fire Fist Ace once and for all.
But at that moment, a voice suddenly rang in his ears, instantly freezing the smile on his face.
"Who's there?!"
Blackbeard roared, his gaze sweeping rapidly across the surroundings.
Soon, he spotted two figures standing atop the tip of a distant tree—one man and one woman. He noticed them so quickly because neither of them made any attempt to hide their presence.
At that moment, the young man's eyes were cold and indifferent, looking down at him as if he were nothing.
It's him!
Blackbeard's pupils shrank violently. The instant his gaze met the other man's, his entire body trembled uncontrollably. A bone-deep fear surged up from the depths of his soul.
He recognized that young man at once.
Lin Xuan—the president of the Ninja Guild.
The man known as the strongest in the world. The one who had stirred up massive incidents again and again in recent times. How could Blackbeard possibly not know him?
Damn it… why is he here?!
Blackbeard's expression changed drastically as another thought struck him. During the Paramount War, the Whitebeard Pirates had fought alongside the Ninja Guild. Could it be that the two sides had already formed an alliance?
If that was the case—
His gaze dropped to the injured Ace lying on the ground, his expression turning dark and uncertain.
Could it be that he's here to save Fire Fist Ace?
Damn it! What right does this guy have, to make someone like that personally come to rescue him?!
At this moment, Blackbeard was terrified beyond measure. In an instant, he sorted out all the stakes involved and made a decisive choice.
Run!
He had to escape immediately. He was already enemies with the Whitebeard Pirates—there was no way the other side would let him live!
Just a moment ago, he had been ready to burst out laughing. Now, he turned and fled in panic, shooting toward the distance at top speed.
At that very moment, his crewmates—Laffitte, Doc Q, Jesus Burgess, and Van Augur—arrived on the scene. Blackbeard shouted at them urgently:
"Run! Get out of here, now!"
They didn't know what had happened, but seeing Blackbeard this panicked, none of them hesitated. They immediately followed him and fled into the distance.
Watching them scramble to escape, Lin Xuan let out a cold laugh.
After returning from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, he had completely handed off the Ninja Guild's affairs to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze, becoming a true hands-off boss.
As for himself, he had brought Conis to this quiet little island, teaching her how to cultivate while enjoying a rare period of peace.
This was the first time since his transmigration that he had lived such a tranquil life—so calm it almost felt like his days back in his previous world.
Unfortunately, that peace didn't last long.
The island had been dragged into the battle between Fire Fist Ace and Blackbeard, and large portions of it had been completely destroyed.
Lin Xuan snorted coldly.
"Hmph. You ruined my mood. Do you really think you can escape?"
As he spoke, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"You're a tumor on this world anyway. Since I've run into you, I might as well deal with you on the way."
The moment his words fell, he casually swung his palm.
In the void, a gigantic hand condensed out of thin air. In the blink of an eye, it caught up to Blackbeard and his crew, slamming down toward them with terrifying force.
This move was something Lin Xuan had picked up from Imu—because it looked impressive.
Seeing this, Blackbeard let out a furious roar. The darkness around his body erupted completely, forming a massive black hand that surged upward to meet the descending giant palm.
The others also exploded into action, unleashing their strongest attacks in a desperate attempt to block it.
They had no choice.
The enemy before them was simply too terrifying. All they could do now was fight with everything they had.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the air.
The black hand shattered instantly. The others' attacks were crushed at the same time. Only then did the enormous palm in the sky finally dissipate.
That sight left Blackbeard and his crew stunned beyond words.
At that moment, they heard Lin Xuan sigh to himself, almost absentmindedly:
"As expected, a move I just improvised isn't very reliable. But it doesn't matter. If one hit doesn't kill you, then I'll hit you twice. If that still doesn't work, I'll just keep hitting you."
Blackbeard and the others stared at him in disbelief.
How could someone of your stature say something so shameless with such calm confidence?
Where's your dignity as a supreme powerhouse?
If one strike doesn't kill us, shouldn't we at least be spared a way out?
Their despair deepened completely.
Because high in the air, giant hands began to condense once more. And this time, it wasn't just one—more than a dozen enormous palms formed in rapid succession.
Lightning crackled across them, radiating an aura powerful enough to destroy the heavens and the earth.
"I won't accept this! I refuse to die like this!"
Blackbeard howled in despair.
That single hand earlier had nearly killed them. Now there were so many—and clearly even stronger. There was no chance of survival.
He was unwilling—deeply unwilling.
He had finally obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit, finally gained the capital to grow stronger. He still wanted to kill Whitebeard, to become the new emperor of this world, to stand at the very peak of the seas!
None of his ambitions had been fulfilled yet!
With a furious, grief-filled roar, the darkness around Blackbeard erupted again, surging skyward as if it were going to swallow the heavens themselves.
Boom!
The gigantic hands slammed down.
In the next instant, the island shook violently. The ground split apart, collapsing again and again, until half of the island was forcibly smashed into the sea.
As for Blackbeard and his crew—
They vanished completely.
Ace stood there in a daze.
Just moments ago, he had truly been on the verge of death at Blackbeard's hands.
Yet now, Lin Xuan had casually slapped Blackbeard and his entire crew to death.
As if it were nothing at all.
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T/N:
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