"Weihahahaha! I really didn't expect to find someone who can use Haki in the first half of the Grand Line! You must be the strongest fighter in this country!"
Jesus Burgess stared at Dalton with undisguised excitement. Fanatical light flashed in his eyes, and a triumphant grin spread across his face.
"His Majesty the King will not let you go!" Dalton said sternly, though his heart was heavy with unease.
No matter how hard he fought, he could at best hold Burgess back alone.
But the Blackbeard Pirates weren't limited to Burgess. There were two other monsters on that ship—
and above them all, a captain far more terrifying than the rest.
At this moment, the only person Dalton could place his hopes in was His Majesty the King, whose power was unfathomable.
Otherwise, the Drum Kingdom would not escape being plundered today.
"So that's him, huh? The one with the swallowing ability?"
Blackbeard's voice suddenly rang out with interest.
"Call him out. I wanna see his power for myself—thief hahahahaha!"
In the next instant, Blackbeard appeared behind Dalton like a ghost.
Endless darkness surged forward, and suffocating gravity descended like a tidal wave, threatening to swallow Dalton whole.
"Shave!"
At the critical moment, Dalton stomped the ground repeatedly, unleashing explosive bursts of force beneath his feet and narrowly escaping the engulfing darkness.
He barely avoided being seized, but the effort left him gasping for breath.
"M-monster…"
Dalton stared at Blackbeard in horror.
Even before he had been touched, it felt as though his soul was being forcibly dragged toward those writhing shadows.
To resist the crushing gravity of the Dark-Dark Fruit, he had exhausted all his strength. Now, a profound weakness spread through his body from the inside out.
This was the absolute restraint of the Dark-Dark Fruit against ability users.
Once caught, their Devil Fruit powers were rendered completely useless.
"Heh—there's an opening."
A cold voice sounded behind him.
Devil Executioner Lafitte appeared like a phantom, spinning through the air before delivering a brutal kick straight to Dalton's head.
Dalton cried out as his body was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing back toward Blackbeard.
"Hahaha! Nice one, Lafitte!"
Blackbeard laughed loudly, clearly pleased.
He stepped forward and grabbed Dalton by the collar. Dark energy surged from his palm, instantly flooding Dalton's body and sealing his Devil Fruit ability.
Dalton struggled in agony, but resistance was futile. His once-powerful Zoan ability vanished under the suppression of darkness, leaving him no different from an ordinary man.
"You're impressive, kid," Blackbeard said, greed flickering in his eyes.
"Ever think about joining my crew?"
A warrior who could use Haki and possessed a Devil Fruit was extremely rare in the first half of the Grand Line. If Dalton joined him, he would become a valuable asset.
But Dalton answered without hesitation.
"Don't even think about it! I will always be loyal to the Drum Royal Family!"
"Zehahahaha! Is that so?"
Blackbeard shrugged indifferently.
"Then forget it. But your Devil Fruit looks pretty good—I'll take that instead!"
Laughing, Blackbeard pulled a red apple from his coat.
As the Dark-Dark Fruit's power surged again, terrifying gravity pressed down on Dalton's body. Blackbeard watched calmly, savoring the moment of death approaching.
In truth, he also intended to use this opportunity to show off.
The men he had recruited so far were all arrogant, unruly types. Sometimes, only overwhelming force could truly make them submit.
"Next," Blackbeard said proudly, addressing his crew,
"I'll show you something worth remembering."
"I'll take you all to the top—
and become the Pirate King!"
"…Hmm?"
At that moment, a soft whisper came from behind him.
"Who's there?!"
Blackbeard spun around and threw a punch instantly.
Cold sweat soaked his back.
He hadn't sensed anyone approaching at all—let alone someone standing behind him. If this was a sneak attack…
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out.
Blackbeard's fist—thrown with full force—was firmly caught by a much larger hand.
That palm was immovable, like a mountain.
No matter how Blackbeard strained, the grip didn't budge in the slightest.
In the pirate world, size alone never determined strength. Otherwise, giants would have ruled the seas long ago, and the World Government would not exist.
But standing before the towering figure of Xiao, Blackbeard suddenly seemed small—
like a child with no power to resist.
"Dragon Fist."
Xiao's voice was low and calm, yet it carried an overwhelming sense of authority.
He slowly raised his other fist. Crimson lightning crackled across his arm—
the violent manifestation of Armament Haki intertwined with Conqueror's Haki.
"Conquer."
The punch descended like a flaming meteor.
The moment it landed, the sky darkened.
Invisible waves of Conqueror's Haki spread outward like storm clouds, blotting out the heavens. Red lightning roared violently, shaking the battlefield to its core.
Whether it was the Blackbeard Pirates or the soldiers of the Wapol Corps watching from afar, everyone stared in stunned silence.
They were completely overwhelmed by the terrifying power Xiao displayed.
"Pff—!"
Blackbeard's teeth flew out as blood sprayed several meters into the air. His facial bones caved in under the blow.
The impact far exceeded what the Dark-Dark Fruit could absorb. His nerves shattered instantly, and all traces of arrogance vanished.
Xiao released his grip and let Blackbeard collapse to the ground.
Then he stepped on Blackbeard's face and looked down coldly.
"What kind of king,"
"did you say you wanted to be?"
"@#￥%&…"
Blackbeard hovered on the brink of death, lips trembling as if trying to beg for mercy—
but no sound came out.
:
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