"That man!"
"Which one?"
"Hmm? That young guy over there? Not bad… my type," purred the Crescent Moon Hunter, Catarina Devon.
Following Crocodile's gaze, the Evil King Avalo Pizarro, the Heavy Drinker Basco Shot, and Catarina Devon turned their attention toward the sleek figure resting on the Kushin power boat—a young man with calm, composed features.
Sugisawa Yuuto.
"Thief-hahaha! Now this is a surprise," Blackbeard Teach grinned, his booming laughter echoing across the silent battlefield. "Didn't expect him—the new Emperor of the Sea, Fairy Tail's guildmaster, Sugisawa Yuuto—to show up here!"
"What?!" Avalo Pizarro froze. "That guy's one of the Four Emperors? But he's just a kid!"
"Don't underestimate him," said the eerie Devil Sheriff Lafitte solemnly. "Sugisawa Yuuto, guildmaster of Fairy Tail, defeated Kaido of the Beasts in single combat. He leads a terrifyingly capable group—though none of us have even seen the full strength of his guild."
"Only one piece of advice," Blackbeard added with a forced grin. "Don't provoke that man lightly."
Avalo Pizarro gave him a mocking sideways glance. "What's this, Teach—are you scared?"
"Have you forgotten our agreement?" reminded Catarina Devon, curling her lips into a cruel smile. "Our goal here is the Four Emperors. Whether it's Whitebeard or the new one, Sugisawa Yuuto—if we want to rise to the top, we can't back down now. And look around! Everyone's asleep. If we're ever going to act, this is the perfect chance."
"Hey-hey~" hiccupped Basco Shot, his eyes glinting. "Marshal of the Marines, Admirals, Emperors of the Sea… can I kill them all?"
Blackbeard's grin widened, dark and jagged. "Thief-hahaha! You're right. I don't know what's going on here, but this situation is perfect. My hunting ground! And all these prey lying helpless—ripe for the taking. I can choose any ability I want!"
"Captain Teach, look!" Van Augur, the Deadeye Sniper, pointed toward the plaza.
Blackbeard followed his finger—then his grin spread even wider.
"Well, well… aren't those Ace's brothers? Sabo, the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff, and Straw Hat Luffy himself. Looks like you two came all this way to save Ace. Congratulations!"
"Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach!" Sabo's voice cut like steel, his expression darkening.
More than half a year ago, he had met Teach aboard Whitebeard's ship. Back then, the man had seemed simple and honest—a dependable older crewmate Ace had vouched for. But now, seeing him again, that memory twisted into disgust.
That friendly smile had only ever been a mask.
Luffy's eyes widened as recognition struck. "That guy… from Mock Town…"
Months earlier, before setting out for Sky Island, the Straw Hats had passed through Mock Town on Jaya Island—where they'd first encountered Blackbeard and his crew. Later, at Shakky's bar in Sabaody, Luffy had heard the truth: Ace had been defeated and handed over to the Marines by that very same man.
"You're the bastard who betrayed Ace!" Luffy shouted, fury blazing in his eyes.
"That's right," Teach replied, smiling as though proud of it. "Originally, my target was you. But Ace stood in your place—and thanks to that, we've arrived at this wonderful moment in history!"
"Blackbeard!!!"
Steam burst from Luffy's body as he shifted into Gear Second, his skin glowing red from the heat.
"Wait, Luffy!" Sabo grabbed him by the arm.
"But Sabo! That guy—"
"I know!" Sabo cut him off, his tone hard. "But now's not the time!"
"Thief-hahaha! You really are brothers through and through," Teach jeered. "Ace saved you once, and now Sabo saves you again. What a heartwarming family reunion."
His grin turned sharp. "Listen, I've got no interest in wasting strength on you two. Ace means nothing to me anymore—if you want him, take him. Just stay out of my way."
Blackbeard turned, his greedy eyes locking on the unconscious Fleet Admiral Sengoku lying nearby.
"The Mythical Zoan—Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha," he mused. "Even the Marines' marshal has a remarkable power. Let's start with him."
He licked his lips. "Marshal Sengoku's head… is mine!"
Avalo Pizarro drew his pistol, smirking. "Then I'll take the Admirals."
"That old bastard Garp's still here too. His head's mine!" Basco Shot bellowed, while Catarina Devon's eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
One by one, the Blackbeard Pirates stepped forward—ready to strike.
But then—
The air itself shuddered.
A suffocating wave of killing intent crashed down on them. Their instincts screamed danger.
Without warning, a figure shot skyward, landing atop the execution platform in a single effortless leap.
A blade crackling with black and crimson lightning—the aura of Conqueror's Haki itself—slashed through the air.
"Divine Departure!!!"
The slash erupted into a massive shockwave, the sword energy roaring like a storm. It struck the Blackbeard crew head-on, sending all nine of them hurtling backward across the square.
"Damn it—!"
"Who the hell—?!"
"That's Conqueror's coating!"
The fallen pirates coughed blood as the square trembled beneath them.
And then—out of the haze of smoke and dust—stepped a man with silver hair, a calm smile on his face, and an aura that seemed to slice through the air itself.
Silvers Rayleigh.
Gasps echoed around the square.
"Pluton Rayleigh!"
"The Dark King himself!"
"The right hand of the Pirate King!"
"A living legend!"
Blackbeard's face twisted. "Damn you, Rayleigh!" he snarled.
"I didn't come here to fight you," he growled through clenched teeth. "Our targets are the Marines, not you. So why the hell are you standing in our way?!"
Rayleigh's gaze didn't waver. His presence alone was enough to quiet the air around him.
And as the tension thickened between the legend of the past and the rising darkness of the new age—
somewhere above them, the wind stirred.
Sugisawa Yuuto's eyes slowly opened.
...
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