-Real World-
The Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) had proven itself worthy of Marshall D. Teach's decades of patient dormancy and calculated deception. Even the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu (Human-Human Fruit, Great Buddha Model)—a Mythical Zoan representing enlightenment itself—shone with profoundly different brilliance when wielded by Blackbeard.
The corruption was complete. The perversion was absolute.
"Just by appearance alone..." Fleet Admiral Sengoku murmured, his voice carrying decades of accumulated weariness. "Even I haven't manifested that stage of development. Yet Blackbeard has surpassed my mastery in mere years." His jaw clenched. "It truly proves you cannot judge a person's potential by superficial impressions."
Sengoku stared intently at the Sky Screen, watching Blackbeard Teach radiate that impossible presence. The massive black halo behind the Yonko emitted boundless darkness—a creeping, oppressive aura that brought visceral unease to everyone witnessing the broadcast from outside the battlefield.
The Marine's Fleet Admiral hadn't engaged in serious combat for an extended period. After ascending to the organization's supreme command position, he'd spent entire years processing bureaucratic documents, cleaning up subordinates' catastrophic mistakes, communicating with the Five Elders through humiliating diplomatic channels, pleading for mercy and resources like a supplicant rather than a leader.
His subordinates believed he lacked sufficient toughness—that he demonstrated excessive softness toward both pirates and the World Government bureaucracy. They complained he'd taken the golden mean philosophy too far, attempting to smooth over conflicts that demanded decisive action. This approach had disappointed many personnel who'd once admired him.
Meanwhile, his superiors believed Sengoku couldn't properly control his own subordinates. Established strategic objectives remained incomplete. Robin—the Demon Child of Ohara, that walking security breach—continued living freely across these seas despite being marked for elimination. This constituted serious dereliction of duty from a Fleet Admiral.
The World Government—specifically, the Celestial Dragons—had invested tremendous financial resources and trained countless personnel over the years. Yet now the Marine actually demonstrated intentions of breaking free from its leash, showing independence and autonomous decision-making.
Such ungrateful dogs, the Five Elders thought with cold contempt. They can never be properly tamed.
Former Admiral Zephyr, sitting quietly in a shadowed corner of the room, could perceive the loneliness haunting his old comrade's expression. Belonging to the same golden generation, Zephyr had certainly witnessed Sengoku display the Daibutsu fruit's power during their prime years.
What Blackbeard manifested bore almost no resemblance to Sengoku's version.
"Sengoku, Sengoku..." Zephyr muttered softly, his mechanical arm clenching involuntarily. "We're all growing old. We can't maintain pace with this new era's evolution."
Sometimes people had to accept the brutal reality of aging. Human lifespan possessed hard limits that no amount of willpower could transcend. Even warriors as formidable as Sengoku, Garp, and Whitebeard couldn't escape the melancholy of declining capability.
Edward Newgate would die heroically during the Battle of Marineford—at least achieving a warrior's death with dignity intact. But Garp, who survived that catastrophe, would become a permanent prison resident. And Sengoku... Sengoku would continue serving as a crippled figurehead whose living value fell far below what his death might symbolize.
He should leave when the time arrives, Zephyr thought grimly. Not cling desperately to that position until even basic dignity crumbles away.
"If this represents the Daibutsu fruit's manifestation in Teach's human form," Admiral Kuzan observed, his analytical mind working through implications, "then the full beast transformation would prove exponentially more terrifying. Would he literally become a black Buddha statue?"
The ice-wielding Admiral found himself deeply attracted by that corrupted radiance. Even Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits couldn't escape the fundamental framework of three transformation stages. Chopper—that unique case, that Zoan anomaly—didn't fall within normal categorical boundaries.
The three forms—Human, Beast, and Hybrid—represented developmental directions through which Zoan users strengthened themselves. Sengoku's golden Buddha transformation constituted the beast form of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu manifesting at full power.
Comparison proved unnecessary until two individuals wielded identical fruits simultaneously. Then the disparity became impossible to ignore.
The weaker user felt shame. The superior user demonstrated dominance.
Sengoku—the Marine's supposed institutional pillar—had been taught a brutal lesson by Marshall D. Teach. If the beast form's capabilities differed this dramatically, then Blackbeard would overwhelm the Fleet Admiral from every conceivable angle. A pirate instructing a Marine Admiral through demonstration of superior technique and understanding.
The humiliation was comprehensive and public.
"The King versus Mount theory proposed by Doctor Vegapunk," Admiral Sakazuki interjected, deliberately speaking loudly enough for all senior Marine officers present to hear clearly, "can sometimes prove remarkably illuminating when applied to specific cases."
The magma-wielding Admiral was no longer merely hinting at uncomfortable truths. He was stating them explicitly for everyone's benefit.
In terms of Mythical Zoan mastery and comprehensive utilization, Marshall D. Teach had surpassed Sengoku by margins that couldn't be closed through mere training or experience. The gap between them would require more than days or weeks to bridge—perhaps it couldn't be bridged at all.
Blackbeard Teach had become his own undisputed King, maintaining absolute supremacy over all three Devil Fruits inhabiting his body. The fruits served as his mounts—tools carrying him toward Yonko status and beyond. They were capital invested toward future dominance, not parasitic entities consuming his consciousness.
Meanwhile, the disturbing possibility existed that Fleet Admiral Sengoku had become the Mount himself. Perhaps the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu residing within his body had seized the throne, transforming the original consciousness into a subordinate passenger.
If Vegapunk's King versus Mount theory hadn't been explicitly articulated and broadcast across the world, this uncomfortable truth might have remained hidden forever. Everyone remained ignorant regarding Devil Fruit operational principles at fundamental levels. Many inadequacies could be conveniently overlooked or rationalized away.
But now the contrast was undeniable and devastating.
Sengoku—who transformed into a giant golden Buddha without any accompanying radiant halo—appeared to be a failed Devil Fruit user. He'd become a vassal to supernatural power rather than its master. He hadn't fully utilized the Mythical Zoan's tremendous potential, choosing instead to let it utilize him.
This revelation disappointed numerous Marine personnel who'd believed in Sengoku's strength and leadership.
Fortunately, the broadcast had also revealed twelve Admirals existing in the future—twelve pillars who could support the New Marine's institutional weight. They would hold up the sky when the old generation finally collapsed entirely.
Let the relics of the previous era disappear with the wind, many younger officers thought with cold pragmatism. The world will continue rotating without any of them.
Moby Dick - Whitebeard Pirates
Deathly silence had descended across the massive vessel. Edward Newgate and his sons had never imagined that Blackbeard Teach—that damned traitor, that patient viper—would display such catastrophic strength years into the future.
During earlier Sky Screen broadcasts, various hints had been dropped regarding Teach's formidable capabilities. Yet some of Whitebeard's crew members had still dismissed the warnings as exaggeration. The mentality of "I could accomplish that too" had consistently played tricks on weaker individuals who couldn't accurately assess their own limitations.
"Teach..." Whitebeard's voice emerged as a low growl, his massive hand tightening around Murakumogiri's shaft until knuckles showed white. "You possessed such overwhelming Conqueror's Haki all along. You were willing to humble yourself on my ship for years—decades—waiting patiently for a single fruit."
Edward Newgate's eyes burned with undisguised killing intent.
"I have truly wronged you over the years, haven't I? Forced you to endure the indignity of pretending weakness and loyalty."
The sarcasm dripped like acid. After being deceived for so many years by someone he'd trusted as family, even a patient man would explode with rage. The murderous intent radiating from Whitebeard made the temperature seem to drop despite tropical weather.
He wanted desperately to locate that rebellious son immediately, to eliminate this catastrophic threat to his family with his own hands.
The Sky Screen had shown Blackbeard would destroy Whitebeard's beloved hometown in the future—massacre every innocent civilian who'd relied on Edward Newgate's protection. This was like dancing deliberately on Whitebeard's greatest weakness, stealing away the most important things simultaneously.
He could no longer tolerate Marshall D. Teach's existence.
Originally, Whitebeard had intended to leave Teach's corpse intact—granting him at least that final dignity. But now even that merciful impulse had evaporated completely. He wanted to grind that ambitious monster into ash, to make him regret being born into this world at all.
Alabasta Kingdom - Anti-Blackbeard Task Force
The specialized team assembled to hunt Marshall D. Teach felt profound relief that they hadn't acted rashly based on incomplete intelligence.
As expected, the Sky Screen had revealed tremendous tactical information. The Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) proved to be extraordinarily dangerous with unique properties that defied conventional Devil Fruit mechanics.
Without understanding its specific characteristics and limitations, any combat force encountering Blackbeard for the first time would definitely suffer catastrophic losses.
"If Thatch hadn't obtained that particular Devil Fruit..." Portgas D. Ace spoke softly, uncharacteristic melancholy coloring his voice. "Would today's outcome be different? Would we still be one family?"
The question hung in the air like smoke.
Did Blackbeard Teach possess any genuine emotions during his years aboard the Moby Dick? Even if he'd harbored some authentic feelings for Whitebeard and his brothers—even trace amounts of real affection—did he experience guilt over the inevitable betrayal?
The Sky Screen had provided brutal clarity regarding why Fire Fist Ace had fallen to Blackbeard's power. The gap between the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit) and Yami Yami no Mi was equivalent to the chasm separating humans from livestock.
Ace bore no shame in that defeat. The matchup had been fundamentally unfair from the beginning.
"After we successfully locate Teach," Flower Sword Vista announced, tactical mind already formulating strategy, "I'll initiate the first strike. The rest of you provide support from flanking positions."
He'd observed Rayleigh's attack succeeding in the Sky Screen broadcast—the legendary swordsman had severed Blackbeard's arm through Haki-enhanced cutting techniques.
"His Yami Yami no Mi possesses tremendous inhibitory effects against Devil Fruit abilities. We'll rely primarily on physical attacks to end his life. Severing his hands and feet, reducing him to a helpless torso... that's also a viable approach for minimizing the Dark-Dark Fruit's threat during execution."
Global Reactions
The Lasso of Truth—that golden rope weapon forcing absolute honesty from anyone it bound—had captured imaginations across multiple power structures. Wonder Woman Diana's image had been permanently engraved in countless minds.
A tool that could bypass Devil Fruit immunities, that could extract truth even from Yonko-level combatants...
The strategic implications were staggering. Interrogations would become trivially simple. Diplomatic negotiations could be conducted with absolute certainty regarding true intentions. Conspiracies would unravel at the slightest questioning.
If such a weapon could be replicated, reproduced, or even understood...
The world had witnessed something unprecedented. And as always, unprecedented power attracted unprecedented attention—both admiring and predatory.
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