"Whitebeard is already dead?"
Fossa froze midair for a brief moment. Then his eyes ignited with even greater fury.
"You despicable bastard! You think you can still deceive me at a time like this? Die! Traitor! You broke the one rule of the Whitebeard Pirates, never kill your own!"
His flaming blade roared as it cut through the air, blazing with vengeance as it came down on Marshall D. Teach.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The flames surged violently, carrying all of Fossa's rage.
"Repent in hell!"
He gripped the sword with both hands and brought it down with everything he had.
Clang!
For a split second, Fossa thought he saw Teach's head fall, blood spraying across the deck.
But reality shattered that illusion.
Bang!
An unseen force collided with his blade, stopping it cold. Before he could react, a powerful kick struck him and sent him crashing back onto the deck.
Pfft!
Blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to rise again.
"Kneel. Do not move!"
Several pirates rushed forward, forcing him down with brutal strength.
"The Whitebeard Pirates? Nothing but trash!"
"We have already wiped out multiple crews over the past few days. What is there to fear?"
"Only Black Emperor Teach will remain! After crushing the World Government and the Sky forces, we will rule everything!"
Fossa struggled violently, glaring at them with contempt.
"You think you are worthy?"
"Stay down!"
Chains and ropes bound him tightly as he was dragged before Teach's throne and forced onto his knees.
"Traitor! You dared attack Whitebeard's territory. Do you even have a shred of humanity?"
His voice trembled with rage.
"You have angered the Whitebeard Pirates. You know our strength. Prepare to face the consequences!"
"Zehahahahaha!"
Teach rose from his throne, draped in a luxurious coat, his grin wide and unrestrained.
"Fossa, captain of the 15th Division, it has been a while. The last time we met was at a banquet on Pops' ship, wasn't it? We even had a drinking contest. I won."
Fossa's expression twisted with disgust.
"You dare bring that up? You are not worthy to speak his name!"
Teach only laughed harder.
"Zehahahahaha! Do not get so worked up. The winner is king, the loser is nothing. The more you curse me, the better I feel."
Fossa sneered.
"You are nothing like a man who sailed under Whitebeard."
"Despicable? That is exactly what pirates should be!"
Teach spread his arms, his voice filled with madness.
"Pirates should be shameless, ruthless, feared by all! Not like you fools who think pirates should act honorable!"
His eyes gleamed with greed.
"Pirates exist to devour the world. The Marines, the Sky forces, all of them are temporary. Only pirates will stand at the top!"
His grin widened.
"I will gather the most ruthless men and take this world for ourselves. A true pirate kingdom, where the strong take everything and no one pretends otherwise."
Fossa scoffed.
"You do not have the strength to back up that ambition. No wonder Pops said your arrogance would destroy you."
"Strength is everything," Teach replied calmly.
"For now, I cannot face the other Emperors directly. Kaido, Big Mom, and especially Shanks…"
A rare seriousness appeared in his eyes.
"But that will change soon."
He looked down at Fossa with undisguised greed.
"I told you already. Whitebeard is dead. After the Marineford War, he never returned."
Teach chuckled.
"Marco and Ace know the truth. They simply lied to all of you, afraid that the crew would fall apart."
"They told you he was recovering, did they not? A convenient lie."
"No. I will not believe a word from a traitor like you!"
Fossa's voice was firm.
Teach shrugged.
"It does not matter. I will be using your body anyway."
He pointed toward the sea.
"Take a good look. Witness the Blackbeard Pirates' newest creation… the Reformed Army."
Splash!
The sea churned violently as a figure rose from below and landed heavily on the deck.
Bang!
Fossa's eyes widened.
"That… Namur?!"
Before him stood Namur, captain of the 8th Division, missing for days.
But his appearance had changed completely. Black scales covered his body, his expression empty and distorted.
Fossa's mind raced.
That form… it matches those monsters from before.
"What have you done to them?!"
Teach's grin widened.
"Did you enjoy your fight earlier?"
His voice turned cold.
"All those failed subjects you cut down… they were members of the Whitebeard Pirates stationed here."
Fossa's pupils shrank.
"In other words…"
Teach leaned forward, his grin cruel.
"You slaughtered your own comrades."
"What…?!"
Fossa's entire body trembled.
"Zehahahahaha! Just like me, you have broken the crew's one rule!"
"You…!"
Fossa stared at him as if facing a demon, blood dripping from his lips.
Teach laughed, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"And it does not end there. Soon, you will join them."
His voice was filled with twisted satisfaction.
"You and the others will be transformed. Then you will welcome your comrades… and kill them under my command."
"Teach! You will pay for this!"
Fossa roared, his voice filled with despair and fury.
But his resistance meant nothing.
The pirates dragged him away, their laughter echoing behind him as he was taken toward the laboratory of Caesar Clown for experimentation.