Marshall D. Teach

After a while, Marshall D. Teach, still groggy, came to her senses.

His vision cleared, and he found himself lying on the ground.

"Our captain... you've finally woken up."

Lafitte and his two companions had arrived at his side without him noticing, and the devilish sheriff spoke up.

Seeing Marshall D. Teach's stunned expression, Van Augur continued, "He's already gone."

After being reminded, Marshall D. Teach seemed to come to his senses.

Then, he noticed the 'change' in himself, his eyes fixed on his outstretched hands. "Zehahaha... I succeeded! I succeeded... I obtained the legendary divine power! It really is... It's amazing!"

"Huh? That's strange?"

Why haven't my body changed?

After laughing for a while, Marshall D. Teach looked at his still human-like body and asked in surprise.

It's important to know that the entire Hell Pirates has an appearance that is completely different from humans; they are a new Demon Tribe from the new era.

A completely new bloodline.

They are not the same as the Demon Tribe in the New World.

Marshall D. Teach was meticulous in learning about the Hell Pirates for his own ambitions and plans. His knowledge of the Hell Pirates and the God Slayer, even if not as extensive as that of high-ranking officials in the World Government and the Navy, was among the most well-known to the general public.

"Oh... right, I should tell you that the three of us were also blessed."

Instead of answering his question, Lafitte talked about something else.

After all, only the members of the Hell Pirates probably know why they didn't become Demon Tribe; outsiders don't really understand.

"You got them too?"

Blackbeard grinned widely.

"Um."

Lafitte nodded.

"This feeling is strange... It's as if I've experienced countless battles in a trance, facing a large number of enemies with different powers... Including various special combat environments, which has made my control and analysis of the battle situation quite sharp, and my experience in fighting enemies has become exceptionally rich... And I've also gained an ability," Van Augur continued.

"Me too."

Doc Q, who was lying on Zhuangzhuang, struggled to raise his arm and echoed.

"They're all the same."

Blackbeard muttered something and looked down at his palm again.

He could feel a new source of power surging within him.

It's a real pity he didn't become a reborn Demon Tribe... From what he understands, becoming that kind of 'creature' would result in a qualitative leap in physical abilities. And on this vast ocean, physical strength is the foundation of everything... Haki, Devil Fruit abilities, and so on, all require immense physical exertion. Moreover, to fight against those monsters like his father, close combat is unavoidable.

"Hahaha..."

Even so, Marshall D. Teach was still very satisfied.

He stood up, still shaken. "That was terrifying... that kind of monster."

He recalled the words Oboro had left behind just before he became 'immersed' in his own consciousness... The Seven Warlords of the Sea!

This suggests that the God Slayer seems to know what he's plotting... and understands him quite well.

However, Marshall D. Teach didn't think he could attract the attention of the God Slayer, even though he was a 'traitor' to the Whitebeard Pirates, a gimmick that drew the attention of some at sea. But it was nothing compared to the current reputation of the Hell Pirates.

Why would the God Slayer care about him? Furthermore, Marshall D. Teach has figured out why Oboro didn't turn them into 'Demon Tribe'.

Becoming Demon Tribe means having ties to the Hell Pirates, and his appearance is too obvious. Since he aspires to be a Shichibukai, in other words, he has a certain value and purpose to the God Slayer. If his Demon Tribe bloodline prevents him from becoming a Shichibukai or makes him a target of the World Government's suspicion... that wouldn't benefit the Hell Pirates either.

However, Marshall D. Teach had already figured out how to deal with the World Government after becoming Demon Tribe... It was simple: betray the God Slayer.

But now, all his plans have fallen through.

"Hahaha... I've also discovered an astonishing secret." Marshall D. Teach's eyes gleamed coldly.

"What?"

Lafitte was somewhat curious.

"He's not Devil Fruit user... at least the power he possesses doesn't come from Devil Fruit, so my abilities have no effect on him," Marshall D. Teach said. "Although Haki affected the effect to some extent... I still noticed it."

"This is... the only explanation!"

"..."

Not Devil Fruit user? Van Augur and the other two were taken aback.

This is... a bit unbelievable.

A moment of stillness fell over the air.

The oblivious Doc Q spoke first, "Jesus Burgess is dead... he took him down in one go, Captain... that's not what you told us before." He was alluding to Blackbeard's miscalculation and 'arrogance'—not arrogance, but simply being a little too confident before things happened.

Actually, it wasn't just Marshall D. Teach; the rest of them also had great faith in Marshall D. Teach's abilities, but they never expected to be 'beaten' so badly.

Being able to survive is already considered extremely lucky.

I really thought their journey was over.

"Zehahaha... What do you know? That guy... his strength is extraordinary. I thought he was able to defeat Shiki because of a bit of luck or some underhanded means. But now it seems that he really defeated Shiki by sheer strength."

Marshall D. Teach recalled the previous battle, his tone unusually serious, "His Haki... while not as terrifying as Whitebeard's, was still quite frightening... that One-Punch Man of his was really meant to kill me. In that instant, he didn't hold back at all, his eyes were incredibly serious."

"It's fortunate that it was me. If it were anyone else, they would be a corpse by now... If I hadn't been able to withstand that One-Punch Man, it wouldn't just be Jesus Burgess who would have died."

"But... do we really want to be his dogs? You didn't even ask for our opinion before making that promise to him."

"That's pretty clueless of me," said Doc Q.

That's just how the Blackbeard Pirates... Even though they have unwavering faith in Marshall D. Teach's abilities, and even though Marshall D. Teach is the captain, they still make sarcastic remarks and mockery whenever necessary.

"So what if we're dogs? He's using us, and we're using his 'power' just the same... You're the partners I, Marshall D. Teach, have chosen! Compared to the great things we're going to do in the future, what happened today is nothing... One day, we'll see him again."

"At that time, he will no longer be the victor."

"He also knows very well... Zhehahaha... I'm already used to this feeling of being 'looked down upon'."

"A dog that truly bites never barks, as long as it can survive... give us enough time to grow and develop. When it truly bares its fangs... everyone will tremble."

"Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

Seeing Marshall D. Teach laughing heartily, the three of them, Lafitte, also showed satisfied expressions.

That's why they followed Marshall D. Teach.

It's also due to their captain's unique 'personal charm'.

Yes, that's what a truly ambitious person should be like.

People like Marshall D. Teach are quite rare in One Piece.

They never care about temporary setbacks.

All the encounters and variables are merely part of the process of implementing the plan and cannot stop them.

Marshall D. Teach's true plan and ambition... is to resonate with everyone gathered around him.

The prerequisite is that they must be of the same kind.