Two days later.
On an island.
On the outskirts.
A pair of bonfires burned steadily, with the legs of some unknown animal roasting over them as a rich aroma filled the air.
Blackbeard and his crew.
They sat around the bonfires, all looking rather grim.
Blackbeard in particular was wrapped in bandages, with bruises on his face.
"Captain, should we pick a different target?"
Gai ate a leg of meat, showing none of the refined demeanor his appearance suggested.
He looked at the others.
Every one of them looked like a frostbitten eggplant, wilted and listless.
This blow had been a heavy one.
"Wahahaha~"
"I think we should change targets too."
Burgess was feeling a little cowardly as well.
Before, he would never have said such a thing.
But now...
Whenever he thought back to the humiliation of being instantly defeated by Gild Tesoro, Burgess felt furious—but above all, helpless.
He was too strong.
Tesoro hadn't even needed to show up in person. A mere puppet had been enough to wipe them all out.
Their escape with their lives this time had been down to sheer luck, and they still couldn't make sense of it.
"Hmph!!!"
"One defeat, and it's already shattered your confidence?"
Van Augur polished his weapon and gave a quiet, measured snort.
He didn't agree with Diga and Burgess. They'd simply been scared out of their wits.
"Enough of that nonsense. Still, as the captain said, Gild Tesoro's Devil Fruit ability is indeed powerful."
Lafitte promptly cut off the growing tension.
"Zehehe~"
Suddenly...
Blackbeard, who had been wearing a sullen expression, savagely tore into the leg of meat in his hands, his eyes filled with hatred and fury.
"I'm going to take down Gild Tesoro."
"I'll make him pay double for this humiliation."
Whenever Blackbeard thought of