"What are you trying to do, Teach~?"
The entire battlefield seemed to fall silent. As that voice rang out, Blackbeard's expression changed drastically.
His pupils trembled, and cold sweat beaded on his face.
"That voice is..."
Black-red thunderbolts spread from the large mirror inside the building, lightning striking the ground and making it tremble.
Perhaps Conqueror's Haki was simply too terrifying, pushing its ability to suppress Devil Fruit abilities to the limit. Even the stone statues began to crack, and the petrification effect gradually weakened.
Those who emerged from their petrified state had not even figured out what was happening before Conqueror's Haki brutally knocked them unconscious.
Of everyone present, only the Vice Admirals and the Seraphim barely managed to stay composed, though their faces had gone pale.
The Marine officers recognized the voice and the distinctive Den Den Mushi, and cried out in shock.
"This is...!!!"
"[Black Spear] Austin!!!!"
Blackbeard himself was locked down by the spreading black-red thunderbolts. At that moment, even moving was incredibly difficult for him.
This was the gap between a monster who had reached Admiral-Emperor level through Conqueror's Haki and one who had reached that level through Devil Fruit abilities.
Kaido had not been wrong. At the same level, most of the time, the side with stronger Haki had better odds of winning.
Haki stood above all else.
Unless you ran into someone with an overpowered gimmick ability.
In Austin's view, Teach probably could not defeat Red-Haired Shanks right now—unless the bastard was exceptionally good at hiding his hand and had some unrevealed trump card.
"What are you trying to do to my adorable Shichibukai?"
The tiny Den Den Mushi hung from the railing, smiling in Blackbeard's direction.
The latter was already restrained by the lightning of Conqueror's Haki, terror written all over his