A Successful Ambush, a Stubborn Man
Banaro Island,
"This is the most vicious Logia Devil Fruit in the world—"
"Dark-Dark Fruit!"
A billowing darkness emanated from Marshall D. Teach, encompassing matter and energy, abilities and Haki —all within the range of the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability to capture and absorb! —Except for Venom.
"Captain Ace... I'll show you the power of the strongest Devil Fruit I've been waiting for for decades!"
Despite Teach's declaration, Ace remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was already on guard!
The Devil Fruit ability that Blackbeard is currently displaying is exactly the same as the information given by his brother's crew member! Coupled with Teach's arrogant confidence, Ace has no choice but to take it seriously.
'You'll regret this...'
Hmph, you underestimate me, 'Fire Fist' Ace!
"Dark Water!"
In that instant, Blackbeard reached out and grabbed at Ace! A ball of light, like a miniature black hole, spun in his palm.
At the same time, an immense and irresistible attraction suddenly fell on Ace, as if a category 12 typhoon had suddenly appeared behind him! It was as if countless invisible arms were pulling him forward through the air.
Damn it! Is this the suction force my brother's crew members were talking about?!
That's so strong it's foul-worthy!
Before he could think, Ace, who had been suddenly pulled away, spread his arms in mid-air, and raging flames gathered in his palms! Then, with a sudden grab and press, the pure energy flames were forcibly transformed into a 'solid' spear! He immediately released it and thrust it at his opponent.
"Sacred Fire Shiranui!"
Two fiery spears, glowing with a platinum hue, pierced Teach's chest in an instant, while his palm strike landed on Ace's neck at the same time.
In an instant, Ace could feel the 'fire power' within his body rapidly disappearing. It wasn't a loss from leakage or a depletion from overuse, but a complete and utter vanishing into thin air!
Ever since he ate the 'Mera Mera no Mi', the flames that he once commanded no longer respond to his calls! It's as if the man named 'Ace' is no longer Devil Fruit user.
Pfft! X2
Thump!
"Aaaaaah, it's so hot!"
Teach screamed again, patting the flames on his chest, but miraculously, there was no wound on his chest: just as he himself said, the Dark-Dark Fruit can absorb all damage! — At least most of the time.
"Damn it, it's a flamethrower!"
"Tsk, his neck was almost broken—"
Ace, who was thrown away, was not faring well either. Having just lost his Devil Fruit ability, he took a direct hit from Blackbeard's hand chop! Although he activated Armament Haki, it was clearly not as powerful as his opponent's Haki.
"You were really that strong, Teach!"
With his index fingers crossed, he figured that since he would lose his Devil Fruit ability if someone got too close, he might as well use ranged attacks.
"Cross Fire!"
A highly concentrated Cross Fire, as sharp as a laser, shot towards Teach, and the battle instantly intensified!
Boom boom boom—
When two Logia Devil Fruit user, it's a clash between natural disasters!
It's best for ordinary people to stay out of the way.
"I originally thought that Devil Fruit users would rely on their abilities and become vulnerable once they lost them."
Standing atop a nearby Blackbeard Pirates, watching the battle from a distance, sniper Van Augur murmured a sigh as he surveyed the battlefield below. While none of them were weaklings, the combined might of two powerful Logia fighting at full strength was nothing short of earth-shattering and devastating; getting too close would only lead to trouble.
"I never expected the Second Division Commander of the 'Whitebeard' Pirates to be so skilled in physical combat and Haki. What a pity—"
They were still no match for their captain.
"So, today is what fate had in store—"
"Turning point".
Ace is dying...
On the other side, in the ruins of the town, the 'White Knight' lay among the rubble, his eyes vacant, not daring to observe the two fighting too closely. But even so, Ace's disadvantage was still clearly visible.
"Flame Net!"
With a stomp of Ace foot, clusters of flames surged in all directions! The raging, endless fire transformed into a vast, all-encompassing firestorm, instantly locking down all of Teach's dodging space in all directions.
However, Teach was very familiar with Ace's moves. His tall figure dodged the most ferocious part of the flames in a series of flashes, and his feet stomped down, with darkness following him like a shadow! Instantly, he covered and absorbed the flames on the ground.
"Dark Hole Passage!"
At the same time, the swirling 'Dark Water' in his hand, with just a slight tug, sent Ace staggering! He had to lower his stance immediately to regain his balance...
What's the point of fighting?!
Blackbeard is inherently stronger, after all, Teach is 38 years old and in his prime!
Moreover, he possesses a special physique that doesn't require sleep, equivalent to an ordinary person living for 76 years. Even if he is careful and patient, after such a long period of training, his physical skills, if not at their peak, are at least at the level of a master!
The same applies to Haki. Teach was able to leave a wound on Shanks' face and silently kill Thatch, the fourth division commander of Whitebeard. His strength was undoubtedly at least at the level of candidate Admiral Teach, if not top-tier.
After eating the Dark-Dark Fruit, although the development time was very short, resulting in Teach only being able to use two techniques, 'Dark Water' and 'Dark Hole Passage', he couldn't withstand the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!
It can absorb all matter and energy, and even forcibly remove the Devil Fruit ability from the user upon contact...
Ace was completely outmatched! In a world where one-on-one battles can easily last for days and nights, he surprisingly showed signs of defeat very quickly.
Sigh, the difference in skill level is just too great...
Ace wasn't weak, but he was too young!
Ace is only 20 years old now. Although he is already a famous figure in the New World, he has not yet reached his peak. The reason he is the captain of the second division of Whitebeard's army is simply because Whitebeard is intentionally grooming a successor.
So Shanks wasn't wrong. It was Ace's reputation and Whitebeard's trust in him that led to the current situation!
Bang!
As the two figures separated, one stood still, black flames soaring into the sky, arrogant and malevolent! The other tumbled and flew backward, flames flickering all over his body, looking utterly disheveled.
"Hehehehe, Ace! Did you see that?"
"Although you are quite skilled, you are no match for me. Join us! Let's conquer this world together!"
Faced with Teach's renewed offer of recruitment, Ace, covered in wounds, got up from the ground.
"If someone like you submits, what dignity do I have left in living?"
The other party killed his partner, insulted his beloved 'father,' and even tried to take advantage of his younger brother...
"Hehehe, that's such a shame, Ace!"
"Great Flame Ring!"
Rings of flame appeared beneath Ace's feet! He was determined to fight to the death today, even if it meant certain death—?!
Call,
Suddenly, a figure dressed as a pure white knight silently emerged from the nearby ruins and lunged at Blackbeard's back!
At first, this 'armored knight' looked like a painting, but as he approached Teach at high speed, his entire body rapidly transformed from two-dimensional to three-dimensional, instantly becoming a knight with magnificent armor and flying scales and horns!
Brush,
The knight's pure white longsword hurtled towards Blackbeard without making a sound! Just as it was about to pierce the man's lower back, the captain's coat that Teach was wearing suddenly emitted black smoke, instantly transforming into a flowing black cloud that blocked the sword.
Do you think I didn't notice you?
Boo
With a soft sound, the longsword pierced the darkness, but it seemed to pierce into another space, disappearing silently into the billowing black smoke! Blackbeard had already Guotou mockingly.
"You little Rat, how dare you—"
Pfft!
However, the White Knight's helmet suddenly cracked open in response to Teach, and a large spray of liquid gushed out from inside! Not to mention the strange color, the smell alone made Teach's nostrils tingle, and his expression changed drastically in an instant!
It's poisonous, and extremely poisonous at that.
It was a completely instinctive, instantaneous backward dodge! So Teach missed a golden opportunity to interrupt his opponent's counterattack.
The White Knight had already retracted his thumb, middle finger, and ring finger with his other hand, and then pointed his raised index and little fingers at Blackbeard!
Oops--
'Slow Light Ray!'
The slow-moving light wave emitted close to his face instantly enveloped Teach, freezing his surprise on his face, and his tall figure formed a comical shape in the air!
Teach, I'll give it back to you in your own words.
You've become too reliant on Devil Fruit ability!
Although Roman really wanted to say something like that, now was not the time to waste! The White Knight, who brushed past Blackbeard without stopping, trembled slightly as several bullets imbued with Haki pierced through his armor!
But it didn't matter, since the 'White Knight' was just a puppet anyway, so he charged towards Ace despite Van Augur's bullets from afar and pointed to the side.
"Run!"
Ace's strength is such that, apart from Blackbeard, no one else here can stop him! And once they reach the beach, with the speed of Ace's flamethrower boat, the Blackbeard Pirates' large wooden raft will only be left to eat dust.
However, faced with this golden opportunity to escape from a desperate situation, Ace hesitated for a moment before continuing to gather flames above himself!
"Emperor Yan!!"
???
#%￥&*#...
Are you crazy?! If you can't win, why don't you run away?! Do you have to feed someone to your death to feel satisfied?!
Faced with the White Knight's... or rather Roman's shocked gaze, Ace merely gave him an apologetic look, and a blurry mental fluctuation emanated from him.
"I'm entrusting my younger brother to you..."
"Your grandfather—"
Puff!
As the world spun around them, the White Knight's head flew off.
"Hehehe, Ace!"
Blackbeard, who had swiftly escaped the 'Slow Light Ray' by using both Haki and the Dark-Dark Fruit's resistance, maintained his mid-air chop motion, his face filled with barely suppressed ecstasy.
"You've let this young man down; he's so angry he's started cursing!"
Having said that, facing Ace, whose head was filled with a massive fireball as bright as the sun, Teach also unleashed his ultimate attack, his entire body enveloped in darkness that shot into the sky! Half of the island was engulfed in flames, while the other half was shrouded in darkness!
"Dark Sun!!"