"If possible, I would prefer you call me the Dark Emperor."
The Gate of Darkness vanished, revealing Teach's figure. He looked at Brom and smiled faintly.
Teach's move had completely swallowed Brom's confident punch.
Seeing his attack nullified, Brom frowned. As a Marine Vice Admiral, his combat instincts were sharp, and he did not act rashly.
"So this is your technique," Brom said coldly. "You directly devoured my Crushing Fist."
He had not expected Teach to possess such a method, though its principle reminded him of the Dark Devour he had seen in previous intelligence footage.
"To develop something like this in such a short time…" Brom clenched his fists, the joints cracking audibly. "I cannot allow you to live any longer."
Through this exchange alone, Brom clearly recognized the threat Teach posed. If Teach could even absorb his Crushing Fist, then prolonged combat would only worsen the situation.
"And I will never acknowledge such a title," Brom roared. "From today onward, you will be buried in this sea!"
His body vanished in an instant, surging toward Teach at terrifying speed.
"Close combat?" Teach thought, his lips curling upward. "Just as expected."
Brom had always excelled in physical combat. Before gaining his Devil Fruit, he had relied on the Marines' Six Powers and Haki to roam the seas. After realizing that long-range attacks were ineffective, he immediately shifted tactics.
Teach's absorption techniques worked best against ranged attacks. In close quarters, they carried risk.
"Crushing Fist!"
Brom charged in and unleashed a full-power punch, the crushing force warping the air itself.
Teach did not retreat. His body hovered freely in the air as gravity carried him forward. He raised his right arm, his hand forming a claw wrapped in Armament Haki, black energy surging and coiling around it.
Brom crushed. Teach devoured.
The collision shook the sky.
Brom's destructive power forced Teach to remain sharp, yet Teach was far from overwhelmed. The black energy generated by his Dark-Dark Fruit compressed and reinforced his attack, similar in nature to how Redyat's shadow power enhanced both offense and defense.
The two exchanged blows in midair.
Teach manipulated gravity to shift his position freely. His movements were fast, though not yet perfect. This was his first true battle using this application, and he still needed to consciously adjust his control.
Even so, the advantages were obvious. Attacks that would have been unavoidable with Moonwalk alone were now easily evaded.
Brom struck downward. Gravity pulled Teach sharply away, his body dropping out of range. In the next instant, Teach surged upward again, circling behind Brom. A claw slashed across Brom's back, carving deep scratches.
"Damn it!" Brom snarled. "You're using me as a whetstone."
As the battle dragged on, he could feel it clearly. Teach's movements were growing smoother, his control more fluid. What began stiff and unfamiliar had rapidly evolved into natural mastery.
"No, no," Teach laughed, shaking his head. "You should thank me, Vice Admiral Brom. You're guiding me."
The mockery only deepened Brom's fury.
Below, Baccarat surveyed the approaching Marine fleet and issued orders calmly.
"Full speed ahead. No cannons. Boarding action. We're taking all five warships intact."
"I'll handle the command decks," Nelson said. A long saber flashed into his hand, and his figure vanished instantly.
"All units prepare!" a Marine Rear Admiral shouted. "Target the Nightfall Pirates! Open fire!"
The warships roared as cannon fire erupted.
Shells streaked toward the Nightfall Pirates, but each one subtly veered off course, plunging harmlessly into the sea. Baccarat's power was already at work.
Even so, Marine Headquarters war beasts were no ordinary ships. Their cannons were more accurate and far more powerful than standard naval artillery. Some shots still slipped through.
That was when the officers moved.
Wallace launched himself skyward, his body transforming into hardened steel. His fist ignited like molten metal as he punched straight through a cannonball.
The explosion scattered fragments across the sea, leaving Wallace completely unharmed as he landed back on deck.
Pouf and Lafitte followed, flying through the air as blades flashed. Cannonballs detonated mid-flight, never reaching their targets.
A faint whistling sound followed. Several more shells burst apart, pierced cleanly through. Van Augur had joined in, his marksmanship elevated even further by the Penetration Fruit.
Above, the clash between Teach and Brom continued unabated.
Brom was strong, and the Crush-Crush Fruit was terrifying, but it could not threaten Teach.
At long range, Teach had Black Hole. In close combat, he still had Dark Water and Dark Binding, even though he had yet to use them. Once Brom was restrained, his Devil Fruit would become meaningless.
Teach's combat system was complete.
Against a Devil Fruit user, Brom was already walking toward defeat.
Even so, Teach did not rush it. Fighting Brom felt different from battling Jones. That had been like fighting a wall. This, however, stirred something rare within him.
Excitement.
"Looks like the battle below has started," Teach said, glancing downward.
He smiled suddenly.
"I'll give you a small gift."
Brom's expression changed instantly. "Teach, what are you planning?"
"Nothing special," Teach replied lightly. "Just making things a bit harder."
He adjusted gravity.
Brom barely felt it at first, only a faint increase in pressure. Then he looked down.
His face darkened.
"Teach, what did you do?!"
"Double gravity," Teach said cheerfully. "Don't worry. Everyone is treated equally. You, me, Marines, pirates. All within the same field."
Brom roared in fury. While the effect barely slowed him, it devastated the Marine soldiers below. Many could barely stand.
The Nightfall Pirates, however, adapted almost instantly. Their movements slowed only slightly.
They were used to this.
Smiles spread across their faces as they charged.
Below, chaos erupted.
"I can't move properly!"
"It's too heavy!"
"How are we supposed to fight like this?!"
Marine formations collapsed under the sudden pressure. Casualties mounted rapidly as Nightfall Pirates exploited every opening.
Redyat remained seated calmly at the bow of the Lucky Goddess, observing. These opponents were not worth his direct intervention.
Still, shadows beneath his feet stretched outward, quietly connecting to his crew.
If any member faced mortal danger, he would intervene.
Shadow armor formed beneath clothing and skin, thin yet effective. Invisible. Silent.
Only Teach knew of it.
Redyat's gaze shifted subtly.
Hidden nearby was an eye-shaped device.
Through it, the battlefield view shifted into the Lucky Goddess's laboratory.
Otto watched silently.
The hidden scientist monitored every clash, every impact, collecting data. His life-mechanical technology had already been applied throughout the crew.
Pirates who had once suffered crippling injuries now fought with mechanical limbs concealed beneath lifelike coverings. Stronger than flesh. More resilient. Perfectly integrated.
Otto observed with quiet satisfaction.
Behind him stood his greatest creation so far. A full-coverage, multi-functional mechanical armor bristling with hidden weaponry. Eight massive mechanical arms extended from his back, connected directly to his spinal nerves, each capable of reaching thirty meters.
Teach was searching for a Devil Fruit for him, Otto knew that.
Until then, he would ensure his own survival.
And this battle was the perfect test.