Chapter 177 – Arrogant Blackbeard
"Hahahahaha! This is truly a fine show for me, Pops… no, Whitebeard!"
Just as Akainu was about to unleash his magma to shatter the ice in the bay, a wild, mocking voice suddenly echoed from the Marine Headquarters fortress at Marineford.
"Who's there?!"
"Look! Up there, on the fortress!"
"Something huge is moving behind the main building!"
"And on the execution platform… there's someone standing there too!"
"Ah, so I've been found out already."
From behind the Navy fortress, a massive face slowly came into view. Beneath it, several sinister figures emerged into the open.
"Hahahaha! Thief, looks like we've finally been discovered!"
"Don't kid yourself, Captain. If you hadn't revealed yourself, they would never have noticed us until it was too late."
"Thief-hahahaha! True enough… but it doesn't matter. If I don't show up at this moment, I'd regret it for the rest of my life!"
Gasps erupted among the Marines.
"It's them—the new Shichibukai, Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach, and his crew, the Blackbeard Pirates!"
"Didn't they retreat from the battlefield earlier? Why are they back again?!"
"And that enormous figure behind the fortress… what in the world…?!"
"That's impossible… That size… could it be… the legendary Giant Battleship, Sanjuan Wolf!"
"It's not just him! Look—those standing beside Blackbeard… those are all monsters from the sixth floor of Impel Down!!"
"[Corrupt King] Avalo Pizarro!"
"[Crescent Moon Hunter] Catarina Devon!"
"[Heavy Drinker] Vasco Shot!"
"And there—Impel Down's former Head Jailer, Shiryu of the Rain!"
"These men were erased from history because of their brutality! They're the worst criminals in the world—how can they be here, allied with a Warlord?!"
On the execution platform, Sengoku glared furiously at them, his voice booming.
"You scum! You disappeared at the start of this battle, and now you dare appear here?!" His eyes locked on Shiryu. "And you, Shiryu! What happened to Magellan?! What of Impel Down?! As the chief jailer, why do you stand with these beasts?!"
Shiryu smirked darkly. "Magellan… you'll find out his fate soon enough. As for me, I resigned from him—and chose new companions."
Sengoku then turned to Blackbeard, anger in his voice.
"Teach! You accepted the title of Shichibukai—yet you now ally yourself with these criminals! What is your true purpose?!"
Blackbeard grinned with his signature laugh.
"Thief-hahahaha! Without the title of Shichibukai, it'd have been impossible to get close to the Gates of the World Government. So I traded that worthless 'title' for the right to enter Impel Down, and gathered the partners I wanted."
"Now that I have them… the Shichibukai title means nothing to me!"
"As for my purpose, isn't it obvious, Sengoku? With this crew at my side, I'm going to the New World to claim the throne itself!!"
His eyes then shifted from Sengoku to the Moby Dick, his expression feral.
"Thief-hahahaha! It's been a long time, Pops! To see you again before you die… it's almost poetic!"
On the deck of the Moby Dick, the heavily wounded Whitebeard rose slowly, his massive frame looming as he lifted his naginata. His gaze locked onto his former son.
"Teach… you bastard. Finally, you've shown your face. But hear me now—no matter what, I'll never acknowledge you as my son!"
"Hahahaha, thief! What a pity!" Blackbeard sneered. "Once, I truly admired you, Pops… but you've grown old. Too old—you were even stabbed by your own crew. Instead of withering away in weakness, why not let me send you off with my own hands?!"
"I'll take your head… and your unrivaled Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability for myself. To let such power die with an old man would be a waste!"
Then his gaze shifted again—to Ace standing beside Whitebeard. His smile grew even crueler.
"And you, Fire Fist… no, I should call you the Fire Emperor now. One year ago, you humiliated me—you nearly killed me, left me broken. But I clawed my way back, and in doing so, I gained new strength. As soon as I returned to the seas, I reclaimed the ability you stripped from me!"
Blackbeard raised his left wrist, his expression twisted with hatred.
"Every time I thought of you, Ace… this arm burned with pain. That debt—I've come to settle it today!"
Ace's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp with contempt.
"Did you just gain some scraps of new power and think yourself unstoppable, Teach?"
"You talk about taking my head, about stealing abilities… If you think you can, then come try, bastard!"
Beside him, Whitebeard's fury threatened to spill over, his grip on his naginata tightening. But Ace stepped forward, holding him back.
"Uncle, wait." He raised his voice so all could hear. "Teach! You claimed you wanted revenge on me, yet you only crawl out now—when Uncle Whitebeard is wounded. Arrogant or not, you're nothing but a coward who hides until the moment is safe!"
"You said you're here for me? Then fine—I'll be waiting right here!"
"Thief-hahahaha! Don't worry, Ace… I'll come take your head soon enough!"
Blackbeard stretched out his hand—and suddenly, with a deep rumble, chunks of the Marineford fortress tore free from the earth, rising into the air.
"The building is floating?!"
"It can't be… That's…!"
From the deck of the Moby Dick, Ace's eyes widened, then narrowed in grim recognition.
"So you really did take Shiki's power… the Float-Float Fruit!"
Blackbeard laughed darkly, standing on the massive floating wreckage as it drifted toward the Moby Dick.
Ace clenched his fists, flames crackling around him.
"Fine, Teach. If you've got the guts—come at me! I'll burn you down myself!"
His eyes flicked briefly to the sky, then turned to Jewelry Bonney, who was still calmly eating amidst the chaos.
"Bonney… are you ready?"
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