"Ow ow ow ow!!!"
Following the pull of Blackbeard's gravity, a thick layer of Armament Haki instantly wrapped around Hades's axe blades.
With a charged stance for a slash, he carved another fresh gouge across Blackbeard's body in an instant.
"Damn it!!!"
Pushed to the edge, Blackbeard finally snapped and went all out—Dark-Dark Fruit powers combined with Haki and physical combat as he clashed head-on with Hades.
The entire street was smashed into rubble. Countless bystanders suffered and fled in panic, escaping far from the battlefield of these two monsters.
Half a day later, Hades—"covered in wounds"—panted heavily as he looked at the equally battered Blackbeard, who seemed half-burnt out.
"So strong… I can barely hold on…"
"Zehahahaha, Hades, in the end, I win!!!"
Another half-day passed.
"I… I can still fight…"
"Zehaha, just— just give up already! Hades!"
…
Another two days passed.
"I really… can't hold on…"
"Huff… huff…"
Blackbeard could no longer even force out his trademark "zehahaha." His face was turning a little green.
Just what kind of monster physique WAS this?!!!
This wasn't some battle between Yonko-level emperors!
They had been fighting with everything they had for THREE DAYS straight—why the hell hadn't this guy fallen yet?!
The strangest part was: every time Blackbeard thought he could finally finish off Hades, the guy would suddenly erupt with renewed strength.
He'd mutter things like:
"Am I really going to stop here…?"
"I didn't come to sea just to lose at a place like this!"
"Don't underestimate my dream…"
…then stand up again to continue slugging it out with him.
By now, Teach's entire body was a tragic mess—covered in wounds, scars, and blood.
But every time he felt tempted to give up recruiting Hades, the guy would suddenly display a "barely hanging on" aura… which made Teach feel like he could still win if he pushed a little more.
And so, back and forth they went. After three days of pain, he was basically numb.
Perhaps seeing that the fat black bastard had truly reached his limit, Hades finally restrained his urge to keep torturing him. Only then did he feel he had vented enough frustration.
Watching Teach's half-dead state, Hades dropped backward with a dramatic flop, lying spread-eagle in the classic "defeated strongman" pose.
Seeing this, the miserable Blackbeard finally brightened up a little. He grinned—revealing a mouth with even more missing teeth.
"Zehahahahaha… worthy of being the man I set my eyes on! You're a monster through and through!!!"
"Join me, Hades! Together, we WILL become the rulers of this world!!!"
He extended a large hand with the demeanor of a great conqueror… though his swollen, bruised face ruined the effect quite a bit.
"If you don't end up becoming the world's king, I won't keep helping you!"
"Completely exhausted," Hades said coldly.
In the world of One Piece, this tough-guy routine was something a succubus like him knew all too well. You HAD to act stubborn.
The more arrogant you were, the more others admired you.
The bigger your ambition, the more they respected you.
"Zehahahahaha…"
Clearly, Hades joining the Blackbeard Pirates made Teach very happy, and he burst into hearty laughter.
"Now we've got a vice-captain, a navigator, and a sniper. Next, we go find a doctor!!!"
Teach's idea of building his core crew was excellent—and the members he found were all high quality, especially the monster Hades.
If Hades, this overwhelmingly powerful vice-captain, had any flaw, it was that he would occasionally zone out for no reason.
He could walk, eat, and drink normally—but sometimes he just stared into space.
But… powerful people always had strange habits. Didn't Ace often fall asleep while eating?
...
Trying to multitask really did drain mental energy.
At this moment, Orin lay on the back of the Seagull King, soaring rapidly through the sky.
After "training" Teach, he used spatial power combined with a bit of Vegapunk's inventions to create a long-range clone.
But occasionally, when his mental energy wasn't enough, one side would work fine, while the other became sluggish. After all, using two minds at once too often really could split a person's personality apart.
Now that Teach was roaming the world recruiting his crew, Orin wasn't in a hurry to play with him. Instead, what concerned him was Alabasta.
Looking at the intel indicating the Straw Hat Pirates were about to reach Alabasta and stir up trouble, Orin felt it was about time.
He should go join the fun.
...
"Even the Marines are getting involved?"
Seeing the intelligence report showing Marine Captain Smoker and several Marines pursuing the Straw Hats toward Alabasta, Crocodile's eyes were full of disdain.
"If they interfere, will it affect our plans?"
Dressed in white, Nico Robin asked calmly.
But Crocodile casually reduced the newspaper to sand.
"A mere Marine Captain—ignore him. If Marine Headquarters really wanted to stop me, they'd at least send an Admiral."
Compared to this, Orin's made-up identity as "Hades" annoyed him much more.
That bastard actually invented an identity… and used THEM as background decoration.
How could Crocodile—the great Crocodile—possibly have an evenly matched fight with a rookie from Paradise?!!!
...
With many forces focused on them, the completely unaware Straw Hat Pirates were still staring blankly at the mysterious okama in front of them.
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"IT'S NOT FOOD!!!"
"Ah~ I thought I was dead for sure. Really, so sorry, so sorry! To think I'd be saved by pirates I'd never even met."
"Are you a landlubber or something?"
"Yup! Because I ate a Devil Fruit."
Usopp asked curiously, "What kind of Devil Fruit?"
Bon Clay stood up and patted the water off his clothes.
"Well, since I can't leave right away, I'll perform a little show for you."
With one slap to Luffy's face, Bon Clay instantly transformed into "Luffy."
Then he touched everyone's faces one by one and kept transforming between them.
"As long as I've touched someone, I can perfectly copy their appearance, body, and voice."
"Do a few more!!!"
Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and the others clapped excitedly, showering him in praise.
Hearing the compliments, Bon Clay happily danced.
"Can't be helped! I'll show you one more!!!"
"I can even recall past forms. Anyone I've touched before—I can transform into them!!!"
Bang— bang— bang—
As he touched his own head, form after form appeared—among them even King Cobra's appearance, instantly making Vivi's face turn pale.
"Now watch closely. This is my most precious, final form, the one belonging to my idol. If you weren't my lifesavers, I wouldn't show it to you!!!"
Bang—
The moment he transformed, the atmosphere instantly shifted.
The lively, cheerful mood vanished.
Everyone's face froze in shock.
Silence fell.