Teach Awakens

Just as the three old men were reliving their youth in Punk Hazard—

Hachinosu.

That once- Holy Land, coveted by countless Pirates, is now as desolate as if it had fallen into hell.

The dilapidated hall was half-collapsed, and the sea breeze howled in from the broken dome, stirring up ashes everywhere.

The air was thick with the smells of blood, burnt flesh, and salt, as if the war had never ended.

In that dilapidated Bedroom, the broken bed swayed slightly.

A low groan broke the deathly silence.

"Uh... gulp-- haha... cough..."

After being in a coma for several days, Teach slowly opened his eyes, his pupils flashing with confusion and sluggishness.

A tearing pain shot through the back of his head, and he instinctively reached up to press his head, his face turning pale.

"I... I actually... fell asleep???"

His voice was hoarse and low, filled with intense disbelief.

He slowly sat up, cold sweat sliding down his forehead and soaking the collar of his shirt.

The surrounding silence, the smell of blood and Scorched Earth sent a chill down his spine.

Deep within my mind, fragments of memory flashed back like a knife cutting through my skin.

That palm strike.

That vortex.

That black palm print seemed to devour the sky and all color.

In the last moment of his memory, he seemed to see Roy's figure.

The oppressive feeling was indescribable, even death could not describe it.

Teach's throat tightened, and his voice trembled slightly. "That's... Roy...?!"

"This guy—after all these years, he's still... so irresistible."

He murmured softly, a long-forgotten fear resurfacing deep in his eyes.

"That feeling... was like facing a god."

The only sound in the room was the wind; it was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

Just then, a sound of footsteps slowly approached.

"Boss--"

Teach was startled and suddenly looked up.

A tall, thin figure walked in through the doorway, the empty sleeve of his left arm swaying in the wind.

Yes, it's Van Auger.

That usually composed face now looked somewhat haggard.

He still carried the broken Sniper Rifle on his back, paused slightly, and said in a low voice, "Boss, you're finally awake."

Teach paused for a moment, his voice tinged with surprise and emotion. "... You're still alive, Oka."

For a fleeting moment, even the cold-blooded Blackbeard felt a pang of emotion.

Van Augur nodded silently.

"Hmm... barely."

He paused for a moment, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "But the others... weren't so lucky."

Teach's smile froze on his lips, and he fell silent for a moment.

"Jesus Burgess was shot down by that navy officer and fell into the sea; his body was never recovered."

"Doc Q... didn't make it either."

The air seemed to freeze, with only the waves lapping against the ruins, creating a low, echoing sound.

"Ah..."

Teach murmured, not in pain, but in a blank emptiness.

Van Augur lowered his head and continued, "The remnants of the Alliance... after seeing the Navy's power, most of them have already scattered."

Only a handful of people remained.

Teach slowly stood up, his shadow elongated by the moonlight.

In that instant, his expression was a mixture of complex emotions—anger, fear, and... an indescribable restlessness.

The power left over from the "Nika Form" within him still stirred beneath his skin.

Deep within my mind, a whisper seemed to be murmuring.

He suddenly looked up and smiled.

That was the long-lost, jarring laughter.

"Thief--haha--!"

The laughter made the dilapidated hall tremble slightly.

"It's pointless to bring in any number of those small fry."

"I am Blackbeard —how could I possibly be defeated by such a setback?!"

He strode out of the room.

The night wind howled, and moonlight shone on the broken stone steps.

Outside the door, several figures could be vaguely seen standing.

Lafitte, covered in blood and holding an umbrella, stood behind Cat Viper and Inuarashi leading their remaining troops, his expression complex.

Teach scanned the crowd, revealing his signature twisted grin, a mad glint in his eyes. "Zehaha--!"

"The fact that you haven't killed me yet means I'm still useful—right?!"

He looked up at the sky, his eyes reflecting the Crescent Moon, and his laughter echoed once more over the ruins of Hachinosu:

"I won't let you have your way!!"

Beneath that laughter, in the distance, waves crashed against the Reef.

"Bang... bang... bang bang..."

The eerie "drumming" echoed faintly once again in the night.

Teach's laughter stopped abruptly, and his eyes instantly darkened.

He lowered his head slightly, a smile returning to his lips, "Heh... it seems 'it' has something to give me."

A storm roared over Punk Hazard.

The deafening roar had lasted for two days and two nights, tearing the entire island to shreds by the energy waves.

The sky was cracked with lightning and flames, as if even the clouds had been wounded.

Seraphim Whitebeard, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin were all covered in wounds.

The Divine Flame radiance on his body had long since dimmed, his combat suit was charred and torn, steam rose from his body, and even his breathing became rapid.

Their opponents—the legendary veteran admirals Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp —did the opposite, becoming increasingly excited as the battle progressed.

"Ha ha ha--!"

"Not bad, kid! You're pretty tough!"

Garp was like a completely crazed old demon of war, his punches Sky Splitter and causing the ground to shatter with each blow.

The Sengoku transformed into Golden Great Buddha, its imposing presence like that of a deity, each palm strike unleashing a massive Shockwave.

Zephyr's body was already engulfed in Blue Flames, and his fists moved with a rhythm of death and rebirth, as if he was rewriting the definition of "power" with each strike.

The combined aura of the three veterans seemed to transport us back to the era when they ruled the seas.

Seraphim Kaido's face was already distorted from being punched Iron Fist, and he roared as he dodged, "Hey--what's wrong with these three old men?! Why are they getting more and more excited as they fight?!"

The ground beneath his feet was once again blasted away by Garp's punch, sending metal fragments flying everywhere.

Whitebeard Seraphim also panting heavily, wielding the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to block a golden light Impact, roaring angrily;

Linlin, the Seraphim, wielding a giant sword, unleashed a furious slash, which Zephyr forcefully blocked with his Blue Flames Arm, sending her flying dozens of meters and spitting out a mouthful of spark-like energy.

"Mama--I can't take it anymore, my soul energy is almost completely depleted!!"

Especially Kaido--

He had been brutally beaten by Garp's Iron Fists hundreds of times. If it weren't for the Seraphim's regeneration system and the Azure Dragon Mythical Zoan's abnormal recovery ability, he would have been turned into a pile of dragon scales and minced meat long ago.

He could barely stand at this moment, breathing heavily, his heart pounding like a drum.

Kaido Seraphim a vacant look in his eyes; his mind was practically blank.

Ace and Luffy, who were watching from a distance, were so shocked they couldn't close their mouths.

"Grandpa... you're really still going strong for your age..." Luffy's voice trembled.

Ace's face twitched. "That's not called being vigorous in old age... that's called—a living natural disaster!!"

Garp, on the other hand, was laughing more heartily than anyone else, his fists pounding like cannons and his voice booming like thunder.

"Hahaha--! Keep going, little mudskipper!! Don't let me down!!"

"Boom!!"

Kaido was sent flying by another punch, crashing through three layers of reinforced flooring, causing the entire Training Platform to collapse and create a huge crater!

Garp suddenly stopped what he was doing, looked down at his fist, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

That smile—familiar, dangerous, and carrying the ominous scent of "Garp- esque inspiration."

He stroked his chin, a smile playing on his lips.

"Oh—that's right!"

He grinned maliciously and shouted, "Perfect timing to use you to test this new gadget!"

Kaido's pores suddenly contracted, and his dragon eyes shrank to needle size.

A death-like instinct made him raise all the scales on his body almost instantly.

"Old man... what do you think you're doing?! Don't you dare do anything reckless—we're all on the same side!!"

Garp's feet exploded, and he leaped high into the air!

The shockwave tore through the sky, and black and red lightning spread across the entire firmament like a spider web!

He threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing throughout Punk Hazard: "Ga--Ha ha!!"

"Doubling - Fiftyfold Iron Fist!!"

Kaido Seraphim's expression completely changed, and only two words remained in his mind: It's over.

The next second, the earth and sky continued to rumble, even the heavens were distorted by the force of that fist...