Leaving Hachinosu

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, embers flickered on the charred ground, and the air was still filled with the smell of gunpowder and the intense heat.

Ace, Luffy, Zoro, Kuina, covered in dust and wounds, remained in their fighting stances, their eyes fixed warily on what lay ahead.

But as their vision gradually cleared, their expressions froze simultaneously—

Teach, who had been roaring like a madman and seemed invincible just moments before, was now lying on the ground.

Motionless.

A smile still lingered on his once ferocious face, but he had completely fallen into a deep sleep, with a few white bubbles even escaping from the corners of his mouth.

"..."

The air was silent for three seconds.

"This... this guy..." Ace stared blankly at Teach on the ground, frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

"No way?! He was just jumping around with full energy, so arrogant... and he just... got coaxed to sleep?!" Luffy almost dropped to the ground, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Zoro silently put away Enma, his shoulders trembling slightly, whether from shock or barely suppressing a laugh was unclear.

Kuina gripped the Wado Ichimonji. She could clearly feel that the power of that palm strike far exceeded human limits.

In the distance, the remnants of the Blackbeard Alliance were also dumbfounded.

They were just cheering for their leader, thinking Teach with Teach's frenzied attitude, victory was assured, they were invincible.

Suddenly, a person flew in from the sky.

"Smack!"

He slapped her across the face.

The entire Battlefield was so quiet that even the sizzling sound of the flames was clearly audible.

Several remaining soldiers screamed at the same time, "Huh--?!!"

"This... this can't be right?!"

"That was... Roy?! No way?! Isn't that guy a legend?!"

They were all dumbfounded, their eyes practically popping out of their sockets, their jaws dropping to the floor.

In the center of the Battlefield, that tall and imposing figure slowly turned around, illuminated by the raging flames.

The wind lifted his Coat of Justice, and golden-red light shimmered on his shoulders, making him seem as if he had stepped out of mythology.

Roy smiled and casually dusted himself off, "Hey--you guys are having quite a bit of fun, aren't you?"

At that moment, the four of them relaxed almost simultaneously.

The oppressive atmosphere and tension vanished in an instant, because they both knew—

As long as Roy is around, the sky won't fall.

"Roy?!" Ace finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes filled with shock and ecstasy. "How did you get here?!"

Roy stretched and shook his head with a smile, "Why else?"

"My two unreliable younger brothers are causing trouble everywhere. If I don't keep an eye on them, they might just capsize the entire ocean!"

Luffy chuckled and scratched his head, revealing his signature smile, Ace also gave an awkward laugh.

Zoro and Kuina exchanged a glance, then simultaneously sheathed their swords and stepped forward.

Roy's gaze swept over the two of them, and he nodded with satisfaction. "Hmm... not bad. Your sword intent is more stable, and your Haki has improved considerably."

Zoro chuckled softly, a slight smirk playing on his lips, while Kuina's eyes flashed with pride—gaining Roy's approval was more important than winning any battle.

Ace snapped out of his daze, his brows furrowed, and his cold gaze fell on Teach was standing not far away.

"Roy, something's wrong with Teach!"

His fist trembled slightly, flames flickered between his fingers, and his eyes burned with restrained rage.

"That guy's Devil Fruit... there's definitely something wrong with it!"

Luffy immediately chimed in, shouting indignantly, "Yeah! We beat him up like that!"

But he always manages to get back up, and he gets even more excited as he plays! That's so unfair!

As he spoke, he threw a few punches, his face full of a sullen expression that said, "I'm not satisfied with this fight."

Roy's gaze shifted slightly, giving a brief, indifferent glance to Teach, who was still unconscious.

Cracks crisscrossed the scorched ground, spreading like a spider web, while the black Swamp beneath Teach's feet continued to undulate slightly, as if it were repairing itself.

"Hmm... I saw it."

Kuina stepped forward, her bloodlust not yet fully dissipated, her red eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Such a dangerous ability must be nipped in the bud."

"If he were to awaken again, this power..."

She gently tightened her grip on the hilt of the knife, and the aura emanating from her caused the surrounding temperature to drop abruptly.

Ace remained silent for a few seconds, then exhaled, his eyes blazing with renewed fire.

"Let me do it."

He slowly raised his palm, and flames gathered, twisting and condensing into a blazing flaming spear.

The tip of the gun was so hot that even the air was trembling slightly.

However, just as he was about to raise his hand to launch the attack—

A gentle yet irresistible force blocked his hand.

Roy gently placed his palm on Ace's shoulder; the movement was light, yet it froze Ace's flaming spear in mid-air.

"Roy...?" Ace was slightly taken aback, the flame flickering erratically between his fingers.

The other three also looked up at him, their expressions puzzled.

"Keep him; he's still useful."

The flames slowly dissipated in Ace's hand, leaving only a wisp of smoke lingering around his fingertips.

Although his face was full of reluctance, he simply took a deep breath and nodded emphatically. "... Okay."

No matter how unhappy he was inside, he would never disobey Roy's orders—no reason needed.

Roy glanced one last time at the still unconscious Teach, his gaze deep. "Tsk..."

He murmured softly, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Afraid to come out? Then keep hiding."

The wind swept across the Scorched Earth, stirring up some ashes.

The next moment, a spatial ripple occurred, and Roy waved his hand, "Let's go, this is over."

Before the words were even finished, the five figures vanished from the Battlefield in an instant.

The five men returned to the Warship, where the deck was so quiet that only the sound of waves lapping against the hull could be heard.

Roy stood at the bow of the ship, looking back at the men behind him who had just gone through a fierce battle but whose fighting spirit remained undiminished, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Looks like you haven't had enough fighting yet?"

He spoke casually, as if it were just a casual remark, but his smile—no matter how you looked at it—sounded somewhat malicious.

Ace wiped the still-damp blood from the corner of his mouth. "Hmph, I'm still holding back my anger at not being able to take down Teach."

"Perfect timing! The professor's team's come up with something new lately... would you guys like to give it a try?"

"Doctor?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"Something new?" Luffy's eyes lit up instantly.

"How strong?" Zoro had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Roy turned around, his smile becoming extremely smug.

"Hopefully by then--"

He chuckled softly, drawing out his words.

"--You can still laugh."

"... ha?"

The wind gradually subsided.

In the distance, the remnants of the Blackbeard Alliance trembled in the shadows of the ruins, none daring to approach.

Half an hour later, after confirming that the oppressive atmosphere that had made it hard for them to breathe had completely disappeared, some people cautiously peeked out to look at the Battlefield.

"Did that person... leave?"

"They're all gone! They're all gone!!"

"Quickly—go dig out the boss!!"

A group of people ran forward cautiously and carefully dug through the Scorched Earth and rubble.

Finally, they pulled Teach out of the pit.

His face was swollen like a pig's head, with a clear five-finger mark on his left cheek, several teeth missing, and white foam still remaining at the corner of his mouth.

"Uh... Boss?"

"Is he... is he still alive?"

The remaining soldiers looked at each other, a chill running down their spines.