"I know you really want to kill me, Ace! After all, I almost killed Thatch and Marco!"
"But there's nothing we can do about it; the fruit just ended up in my friend's hands!"
Blackbeard began to emit black energy, which was the power he gained by betraying the pirate crew he had lived with for many years.
"That's the black smoke from before! That pirate crew is still in this town! Run! Run to the beach!"
The residents not far away saw the black smoke slowly rising into the sky. Although they gritted their teeth, they could only take the injured away from the area as quickly as possible.
"I already know, the Dark-Dark Fruit, right? It can make the Devil Fruit User lose their power when touched, which is indeed a troublesome ability."
"But wouldn't it be enough to just prevent you from touching it?"
Although Marco didn't provide much information, that was enough, as he was already a master of long-range attacks.
"Hehehehe, now that you know, it's really troublesome! But..."
"You don't understand at all! Darkness is a gravitational pull that can devour everything, and even light cannot escape it!"
Blackbeard had anticipated that Ace would know a little about his abilities, but it was only a negligible amount!
"That's because you haven't met me yet!"
Ace looked disdainful.
"Just you wait, Ace!"
"Dark Hole!"
The giant hand was placed on the ground, and endless darkness began to spread, enveloping the entire town, and the houses began to collapse and fall into darkness.
In a short while, the once prosperous town was razed to the ground.
"Am I dreaming...?"
The residents who had taken refuge in the distant mountains and forests looked back in disbelief at their hometown, only to find it completely deserted.
"The vanished town, now I'll show you what will become of it, Ace, liberate it!"
In the darkness of the sky, rubble kept falling, and the houses that had been sucked in were now back on the ground, only as ruins.
"This is the power of darkness! Ace!"
Just as he was feeling smug, he noticed that there were many things around him that were shimmering like Firefly.
"Firefly - Fire Daruma!"
With a deafening explosion, Blackbeard was once again engulfed in flames, but this time, darkness enveloped him and swallowed him whole.
"If it were Logia, that kind of attack should have been easy to dodge. It seems you can't become an elemental!"
Ace analyzed that since the other party was willing to kill their friend to obtain this fruit, it must have some powerful properties.
"Don't you understand, Ace? I just said, darkness is a gravitational pull that even light cannot escape!"
"Dark Water!"
The darkness in Blackbeard's palm was like a vortex; although it didn't touch Ace, the latter felt an immense attraction.
The gravitational pull was so strong that Ace couldn't break free and was pulled into the air, flying towards Blackbeard.
If you get caught, you won't be able to use your Devil Fruit powers, meaning you won't be able to transform into an elemental!
"Divine Fire - Unknown!"
While swinging his body violently in the air, Ace suddenly unleashed two flames that resembled sharp spears, piercing through Blackbeard's body.
Blackbeard, in pain, abandoned his attempt to capture Ace and instead struck Ace's neck with all his might, sending him flying.
"It hurts so much! It hurts so much!"
Blackbeard gripped the flame embedded in his chest, and the darkness in his hands quickly engulfed it. He looked disheveled, but he wasn't seriously injured.
Ace, on the other hand, was completely different.
He slumped to the ground, clutching his neck, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, feeling as if his neck was about to be broken.
"A person with superpowers becomes extremely vulnerable if their abilities are taken away. However, as the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, his basic combat strength is terrifyingly high."
"It seems that today will be another crossroads in my destiny."
Van Augur, who was watching the battle from the mountaintop, still had his usual expressionless face, as if nothing could stir his emotions.
"That's true."
A voice they had never heard before rang out, and the three of them turned around abruptly, only to find that Cifer had appeared behind them at some point.
"You're one of the Shichibukai?!"
Van Augur was now drenched in cold sweat, his previous composure completely gone, Burgess also assumed a fighting stance.
"Lafitte should have attended the Shichibukai meeting, right? Our captain is about to become one of the new Shichibukai!"
Van Oka raised his gun, but his finger trembled as he hesitated to pull the trigger.
If he could appear behind him silently, he and Burgess would have been dead just now if he wanted to!
"Don't rush, let's see who wins between your captain and Ace!"
"Of course, it's not impossible for you to die now if you want."
Cifer wasn't in a hurry to kill them. Sometimes, the process of waiting without knowing whether you'll die is also a kind of torment.
Upon hearing this, the three temporarily abandoned their thoughts of fighting and nervously watched the battlefield below.
After all, if the captain wins, he might be able to avoid a confrontation with this man. Even if things don't go well, the captain still has a certain chance of winning.
After several rounds of fighting, the battle was nearing its end in those ruins.
"I've said it before, no ability is useful in the face of darkness! Not even for a powerful man like you!"
Blackbeard was panting heavily and looked somewhat disheveled, but compared to Ace was already kneeling on the ground, his advantage was obviously too obvious.
"This is really troublesome. Even knowing the characteristics of the ability, I still don't know how to deal with it!"
After wave of clashes, Ace clearly realized that he was no match for them.
"But the more I think about it, the more regrettable it seems. Ace, come be my comrade!"
As a former member of the Second Division, Blackbeard understood Ace's strength and extended an invitation to him once again.
"Hmph~"
Ace struggled to his feet, his face covered in blood and his body riddled with wounds of all sizes; he was at his last gasp.
"If I were to succumb to power, I would be unworthy of being a man! I will never let my life be filled with any regrets!"
"Do you understand now, you idiot!"
The temperature soared, and rings of flames began to wrap around his body.
"What a pity, die in the darkness, Ace!"
The black aura around Blackbeard also began to spread, creating a balance of light and darkness.
"Great Flame Commandment - Flame Emperor!"
He held a fireball, as bright as the sun, in his hands, his burning will as dazzling as the sun.
"Is the sun stronger or the darkness stronger?"
"In this world where survival is victory, let's see who prevails! Hehehehe~"
Blackbeard's laughter was unrestrained and arrogant, as if victory was already in his grasp.
At this moment, Ace responded to the arrogant words the other party had said at the beginning.
"I will make Whitebeard my king!"
Light and darkness intertwine at this moment.