Laffitte died before Teach and the others, and not long after, Doc Q and the remaining members of the Blackbeard Pirates followed him, reduced to piles of mangled flesh across the deck.
In the blink of an eye, Teach was left completely alone.
At that moment, how could Teach spare a thought for his fallen subordinates? The instant he noticed Lloyd's gaze settling on him, terror overwhelmed him and he cried out,
"No! Saint Lloyd! Please spare me!"
The scene was a familiar one to Lloyd. During the Summit War at Marineford, Teach had knelt and begged Whitebeard for mercy in much the same way.
Unfortunately for him, Lloyd was not Whitebeard.
Nor did he have any reason to show mercy to a man like Marshall D. Teach.
Lloyd did not immediately crush Teach with gravity. Instead, he slowly crouched down and pressed a hand against Teach's forehead.
Cold sweat poured down Teach's face.
Lloyd narrowed his eyes slightly as wisps of black mist rose from his palm.
"Marshall D. Teach," Lloyd said indifferently. "So you're one of the bearers of the Will of D as well."
Shanks' expression changed.
Only now did he realize that Teach's name also carried the mysterious initial.
Teach swallowed hard as his mind raced desperately for a way to survive.
Before he could speak, Lloyd's next words shattered all hope.
"Although I don't know what fate awaits each bearer of D, your destiny ends here."
"Die."
Teach's eyes widened in horror.
"No!!!"
Buzz!
A dark vortex erupted from Lloyd's palm.
In an instant, Teach's consciousness was destroyed.
The light vanished from his eyes, and the life force within his body rapidly faded away.
Just then, a heartbroken scream echoed from the cabin behind them.
"Husband!!!"
Lloyd glanced over his shoulder before standing upright and storing the Munch-Munch Fruit inside the Dark Bible.
He then turned toward Shanks.
"Shanks, that voice didn't sound like Brulee. Since when did you recruit another female crew member?"
Shanks scratched his head awkwardly, while Katakuri's expression immediately became uneasy.
A faint smile appeared on Lloyd's face.
"So, are you planning to explain it?"
Realizing there was no point hiding the matter, Katakuri stepped forward before Shanks could answer.
"Saint Lloyd, the one who shouted was my younger sister, Chiffon. You should remember her. She was the bride at that wedding."
Lloyd nodded.
"I remember. So Teach was her husband."
Katakuri lowered his head.
"Yes."
After a brief pause, he added,
"I'll bring her here immediately."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed toward the cabin.
Watching Katakuri leave, Shanks let out a quiet sigh.
Lloyd noticed immediately.
"Why are you sighing?"
Shanks smiled helplessly.
"Brother, Chiffon is Katakuri's biological sister. She's also carrying Teach's child. Situations like this are difficult for me to handle."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"To be honest, I originally hoped she could stay hidden and that the matter would pass unnoticed."
Lloyd folded his arms.
"Pass unnoticed by whom? By me?"
"Hehe..."
Shanks laughed awkwardly.
"Brother, who could possibly hide anything from you? With your Observation Haki, you must have known she was aboard long ago. I simply thought that if you didn't bring it up, perhaps the issue would quietly disappear."
Lloyd's eyes narrowed.
"Trying to play clever games with your older brother?"
"I wouldn't dare."
Shanks immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"So many people are watching. At least leave me a little dignity."
Lloyd glanced around.
The moment his eyes swept across them, Beckman and the others instantly looked away as if they had suddenly become fascinated by the scenery.
Seeing this, Shanks nearly lost his composure.
Who exactly was their captain?
Even Buggy was staring with an expression full of anticipation.
Lloyd shot Shanks a cold look.
Shanks immediately straightened his posture.
There was nothing he could do.
The suppression coming from Lloyd felt more overwhelming than even Haoshoku Haki.
Even after gaining the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: God Dragon and growing significantly taller, Shanks still found himself looking up at Lloyd.
Lloyd casually raised a finger and tapped Shanks on the forehead.
The red-haired Emperor instantly stiffened.
"You just said Chiffon is pregnant."
Lloyd's voice remained emotionless.
"Given her feelings for Teach, are you prepared to spare someone who may seek revenge against you in the future?"
Shanks chuckled.
"Brother, I understand your concern."
He looked surprisingly relaxed.
"But Chiffon is Katakuri's sister. I don't want to make things difficult for him."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"And if I could defeat Teach, I can deal with his child as well. If that child grows up and seeks revenge against me one day, then he should also be prepared to face death."
Lloyd narrowed his eyes.
A moment later, his finger curled and struck Shanks squarely on the forehead.
Thunk!
Shanks groaned and clutched his head.
Lloyd snorted.
"That's still unnecessary trouble."
His gaze was cold.
"Anyone who harbors hostility toward the Figarland Family should be eliminated before they become a threat."
For a moment, Shanks thought Lloyd was genuinely angry.
His earlier confidence vanished completely.
"So... Brother..."
He swallowed nervously.
"Are you really going to execute Chiffon?"
Lloyd stared at him.
"And if I am?"
Shanks clenched his teeth.
After a long pause, he finally lowered his head.
"Then please..."
His voice was heavy.
"When you do it, leave her body intact."
Hearing that answer, Lloyd's lips curved upward slightly.
"Not bad."
He nodded with satisfaction.
"Remember this. No matter what happens, you are a member of the Figarland Family. Never forget where you stand."
Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"As for Chiffon, she's fortunate. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll spare her life."
"Huh?"
Shanks immediately lifted his head in disbelief.
Lloyd frowned.
"What kind of expression is that?"
He clicked his tongue.
"I never intended to kill her in the first place."
Then he added,
"She gets along well with Pudding. If I killed her, that girl would cry endlessly. That would be incredibly annoying."
Shanks blinked.
"Brother... so you were deliberately scaring me?"
"Hmph."
Lloyd crossed his arms.
"It wasn't entirely an act."
His knuckles cracked loudly.
"If your answer had disappointed me, things would have gone very differently."
A bead of sweat slid down Shanks' forehead.
He immediately looked away and pretended to whistle.
At that moment, Katakuri returned with Chiffon.
Her face was pale as paper.
The instant she saw Teach's corpse lying on the deck, her body trembled.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she whispered,
"Kill me..."
"I want to be with my husband..."
Lloyd slowly walked toward her.
His expression remained unchanged.
"Then let's find someone else to accompany him."
The moment those words fell, black mist gathered around Lloyd's hand.
Under Chiffon's frightened gaze, he placed his palm gently against her stomach.