A flash of madness crossed Teach's eyes. He hadn't grown much taller over the past two years—in fact, he'd barely changed at all—but his swordsmanship and physique had continued to improve. He needed pressure to break through this final step.
Physical techniques and the body needed time to mature, but a breakthrough in swordsmanship would open up an entirely new world. Teach needed pressure to make that breakthrough, and he would use this battle to find it.
Teach's charge toward the warship drew everyone's attention. One of his two swords crackled with lightning, the other wreathed in flames. He locked onto one of the Vice Admirals, who was also a swordsman. The man Teach had set his sights on was Navy Vice Admiral **.
"Have you got your eye on me? You're just a brat who hasn't even left his father's arms yet. Since you're stupid enough to charge at me, I'll bury you here," ** said, drawing the sword at his waist.
Every Vice Admiral had mastered two types of Haki. Teach hadn't yet mastered Armament Haki, which put him at an obvious disadvantage. On top of that, his swordsmanship was inferior to **'s, so he was bound to be at a disadvantage in their duel.
That was exactly what Teach wanted. And ** wasn't in his prime either. He looked fine, but how could he have been unharmed after taking Pops's Quake Punch? Teach was very confident in his physique and strength.
Teach was moving so fast that the bandanna on his head was blown away. His wavy black hair streamed behind him, and a reckless grin spread across his face.
"Let's have a fight to the death, Marines!" Teach roared, lightning and flames coiling around him like a demon. "Then come on! I'll kill you!" ** wasn't exactly mild-tempered either, and he badly needed to vent his anger.
The two were on the verge of clashing, each intent on killing the other. The Marines nearby didn't dare approach. Vice Admiral Rona saw what was happening and started toward ** to help him. Suddenly, he dodged to the side, avoiding a slash.
"I can't let you interrupt my partner's fight," Vista the Flower Sword said with a smile. He wore a gentleman's hat, and a pair of mustaches had already grown on his upper lip.
Vista knew Teach's situation very well. Teach often sought his advice, and in swordsmanship alone, he was already no weaker than an ordinary Swordmaster. He could unleash Sword Qi and perform the Flying Slash of a Swordmaster, but he was still one step short of becoming a true Swordmaster. Vista wasn't about to let anyone interfere with Teach's fight.
They needed to take care of the Marines as quickly as possible. Once they learned that ten warships carrying thirty thousand Marines were headed their way, none of the Whitebeard Pirates planned to hold back. They surged forward as one. With the top fighters tied up, the remaining Marines couldn't put up any resistance.
They couldn't even notify Marine Headquarters, because Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers had destroyed all their communications equipment and Den Den Mushi at the very beginning.
Most of the Whitebeard Pirates were veterans of countless battles. How could these Marines possibly stand against them? Before long, half the Marines had been reduced to corpses.
Under the Whitebeard Pirates' fierce assault, dozens of Marines died every second.
"Marine, where's your strength? Where's your justice? Don't make me look down on you!" Teach had fallen behind and was being suppressed by Vice Admiral **, but his fighting spirit hadn't weakened in the slightest.
He wanted to provoke **. He needed even greater pressure. He could already feel the bottleneck, and his Observation Haki was nearing its limit. It completely suppressed **'s Observation Haki, which was also why Teach could keep holding on even when ** used Armament Haki.
"Don't underestimate me, brat!" ** was furious. He'd seen that Teach was using him to hone himself, and now he was ready to fight with everything he had. He'd also recognized Teach's potential. To be so young and keep fighting him for this long—Teach would become a monster as he grew. ** meant to kill him before that happened.
"Life Return!" ** shouted. As a Vice Admiral and Swordmaster, he hadn't neglected his physical techniques. He had even mastered the secret of the Six Powers, Life Return—a source of great pride. His strength was among the very best of the Vice Admirals. He was one of the strongest among them.
The outcome of this battle was already decided: he was going to die. If he killed the pirate before him, Whitebeard's fury would surely follow. He might not even have a body left afterward. But he had already made up his mind.
He began burning through his life, and his strength surged. His speed and attacks both increased until Teach could barely keep up. Teach was under mounting pressure and struggled to hold on, yet the aura around him kept growing until it reached a turning point, bringing him to his true peak. ** knew it was happening but couldn't afford to ease up, putting even more pressure on Teach. Teach needed to break through; ** needed to kill him.
"Pops, Teach is in danger. Should we help him?" Marco asked anxiously. Teach's fight had become the center of the battlefield.
"This is Teach's choice. Don't interfere. As his crewmates, we have to trust him. Teach's strength isn't as simple as it looks," Whitebeard said with a laugh.
"Hm?" Marco scratched his head, apparently not understanding. But Whitebeard knew better; after all this time, he had come to understand Teach.
The Breath of All Things... Everything can be cut, and nothing can be cut.
Teach thought this as he threw himself wholly into the fight. During the battle, he seemed to hear something by his ear. It was the Breath of All Things, faint and indistinct, but gradually growing clearer. Teach couldn't help but sink into it.
The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He had grasped the Breath of All Things. Many people sensed it, especially the swordsmen. Teach's sword had changed, its power growing greater. **, standing right in front of him, felt it most of all. But this increase was limited. Still, having stepped into a new realm, Teach's swordsmanship would quickly improve from then on.
But would ** give him that time? The instant Teach broke through, ** seized his opening and flicked his long blade upward with all his strength. The Purgatory in Teach's right hand flew away. In that fleeting moment, his crewmates had only just begun to celebrate Teach's breakthrough.
A smile spread across **'s face. He pushed Life Return to its limit. He had already burned through his life, and with it, he unleashed the strongest attack of his entire life—his final strike, the last flash of his life.
"Hahaha! Die!"
"Teach, watch out! You're in danger!" Time seemed to stand still. The slash was so fast that nobody else could react. An elite Vice Admiral had burned through his life to unleash his final attack. Even Whitebeard sensed a hint of danger. One by one, they stood there with their mouths open and eyes wide.
**'s final slash made Teach feel an overwhelming threat. I'm going to die. I really am going to die.
But would he really die here? The final slash aimed precisely for Teach's chest, right where his heart was.
Time seemed to stop. At the very last moment, there came a thunderous BOOM. Everyone froze. The two fighters in the middle of the battlefield stood motionless. The Thunder Fang in Teach's raised left hand had stopped **'s blade, buying him a little time, but the blade had still sunk into Teach's chest. Blood streamed from the wound, running down the length of the blade and dripping onto the ground.
"H-How could this be? I failed..." ** murmured in disbelief. His face had grown old, the consequence of burning through his life. He lowered his head and looked at his own chest.
A hand wreathed in flames and lightning had punched straight through his chest. Its fingers curled into a claw, gripping his still-beating heart.
"You...!" ** stared wide-eyed, realizing something.
"Your name's **, right? I'll remember you. I really have to thank you," Teach said with a smile, panting. That had been close, but he'd gained a great deal from it.
"My name is Marshall D. Teach. One day, that name will be famous across the whole sea. But you won't live to see it."
SNAP! Teach's arm tightened, crushing Vice Admiral **'s heart. Vice Admiral ** closed his eyes, his face twisted with pain and resentment.
He hadn't managed to kill the young monster. Instead, he had created an even more terrifying one.
The powerful pirates fell silent. Some of the newcomers, who hadn't been there long, looked confused.
"What just happened?" "Why does that scene feel familiar?" Some of the pirates seemed to have seen that fleeting moment before.
"So Teach has that potential too," Marco said with a sigh. He was no longer an apprentice pirate but a full-fledged member, and he'd been with the Whitebeard Pirates for several years.
With his experience, he could tell what it was: Conqueror's Haki. Teach had the potential to become a king. That didn't mean everyone with Conqueror's Haki would become a king, but all the top Great Pirates of the New World who could become kings were powerful users of Conqueror's Haki.
But monsters like Whitebeard and Kozuki Oden had noticed even more. The instant Teach unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, he had forcibly controlled its spread, keeping it from affecting the other pirates.
And then there was Teach's exquisite claw technique, along with the fleeting black sheen on his right hand: Armament Haki. Teach usually trained in physical techniques and claw fighting, but he normally relied on swordsmanship in battle. This was the first time he'd shown it.
Teach had gained a great deal from the battle. Not only had he achieved his goal and broken through to become a Swordmaster, he had also awakened Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki. There was no known way to train Conqueror's Haki; it mainly depended on one's spirit, ambitions, and convictions.
Now that Teach had awakened Armament Haki and gotten off to a good start, all he needed to do was train diligently, and he'd soon master it.
Teach stood on the warship's deck. Vice Admiral Rona had been beaten to death long ago, and the other Marines had all been killed—not a single one remained. Even those who had fallen into the water hadn't been spared.
**'s body hit the ground. His hands, which had been tightly gripping his sword, fell open.
"Clang!" Teach grabbed the blade that was still embedded in him, gritting his teeth against the pain as he yanked it out. Blood poured from the wound. The slash was deep enough to expose bone. He tossed the sword aside, tore the sleeve from his left arm with his right hand, then pressed the strip of cloth hard against the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Somebody help me! I'm going to die!" Teach shouted when he saw his crewmates still standing around in a daze.
"Coming, coming! Teach is hurt—what a deep wound!" At his words, they finally snapped out of it and rushed over to support him.
"That was amazing, Teach! You actually killed a Vice Admiral."
"You just broke through to become a Swordmaster. Teach is only fourteen, right? A fourteen-year-old Swordmaster!"
After this battle, the way his crewmates viewed Teach had subtly changed. They still treated him as a crewmate, but now there was an added measure of respect—the respect due to a strong fighter. Teach had killed a Vice Admiral of the Marines and had entered the ranks of the powerful. Most of them couldn't claim they would have survived Vice Admiral **'s final attack.
Apart from those monsters, Marine Vice Admirals were already among the strongest fighters on the sea. Losing three Vice Admirals and nearly ten thousand Marines would be a tremendous blow to the Navy. It would take them years to recover.
Teach could sense their changed attitude, but he didn't care. He retrieved the Purgatory that had been knocked away, along with his spoils of war: the sword that had belonged to Vice Admiral **. It was a famous blade, though not as good as his Purgatory or Thunder Fang.
When he returned to the Moby Dick, everyone's eyes turned toward him. He had killed a Marine Vice Admiral, and he'd been the brightest star in the battle.
Teach looked at Whitebeard and straightened his back. With a grin, he said, "Pops, I won this battle."
"Gurararara! You're every bit my son. You've earned it." Whitebeard laughed heartily. Only a few people aboard the Whitebeard Pirates knew about Teach's constitution. Aside from playing around, holding feasts, and eating, Teach had always been training. Just as Whitebeard said, he'd earned this.
"Go get treated. Leave the final battle to me." As Whitebeard spoke, he looked out at the sea nearby, as if he could already sense the approaching enemy.
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