Breakthrough, Breakthrough, Deadly Claw

Teach's eyes flashed with a hint of madness. In these two years, Teach hadn't grown much, nor had he changed significantly. However, his swordsmanship and physique had been steadily improving. He needed pressure to break through this stage.

Taijutsu and physique required time to settle, while a breakthrough in swordsmanship would open up a completely new world. Teach needed pressure to break through, and he would use this battle.

Teach, charging towards the warship, captured everyone's attention. On his twin blades, one crackled with lightning and the other with flame, he directly targeted one of the Vice Admirals. He was also a swordsman, and the Vice Admiral Teach had set his sights on was none other than Vice Admiral **.

"You're targeting me? Just a brat, still clinging to his father's embrace. Since you're rushing forward without knowing your place, I'll bury you here." ** said, drawing the sword at his waist.

Every Vice Admiral was a powerful individual who had mastered two types of Haki. Teach had not yet mastered Armament Haki, which was undoubtedly a disadvantage. Coupled with Teach's lower swordsmanship realm compared to **, he was sure to be at a disadvantage in the duel.

This was precisely what Teach wanted. Furthermore, ** was not at his peak. Although he appeared fine, he had taken a Quake Punch from his father, so he couldn't possibly be unharmed. Teach had great confidence in his physique and strength.

Due to his incredible speed, Teach's headscarf was blown away, his slightly curly black hair fluttering as he wore a wild grin on his face.

"Let's have a showdown! Marines!" Teach roared with laughter, lightning and flame intertwining around him like a demon. "Then come at me, I'll kill you." **'s temper wasn't great either; he was in urgent need of an outlet.

The battle between the two was imminent, both with the intent to kill the other. The surrounding Marines dared not approach. Vice Admiral Rona saw this and was about to go help **. Suddenly, he dodged to the side, evading a slash.

"I can't let you disturb a comrade's fight," Vista the Flower Sword said with a smile, wearing a gentleman's hat and already sporting a mustache.

He was naturally very familiar with Teach's situation, and Teach often sought his advice. In terms of swordsmanship alone, Teach was no weaker than an ordinary Swordmaster. He could unleash Sword Qi and the Flying Slash of a Swordmaster, but he was still a step away from being a true Swordmaster. He would not allow anyone to interrupt Teach's battle.

To resolve these Marines in the shortest possible time, upon learning that ten warships and thirty thousand Marines were heading their way, the Whitebeard Pirates members had no intention of holding back. They swarmed forward. With the high-end combatants tied up, the remaining Marines were powerless to resist.

They couldn't even notify Marine Headquarters, as these communication devices, the Den Den Mushi, were destroyed by Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability at the very beginning.

Most of the pirates on the Whitebeard Pirates' ship were battle-hardened veterans, how could these Marines resist them? Before long, half of the Marines had become corpses.

Facing the fierce assault of the Whitebeard Pirates, dozens of Marines died every second.

"Marines, where is your strength? Where is your justice? Don't make me look down on you." Although Teach was at a disadvantage, suppressed by Vice Admiral **, Teach's aura was not weak at all.

He wanted to provoke **, needing greater pressure. He could already feel the bottleneck. His Observation Haki was also being used to its absolute limit, completely suppressing **'s Observation Haki. This was also why he could endure even when ** used Armament Haki.

"Don't underestimate me, brat!" ** roared. He saw through Teach's intention to use him for tempering and decided to go all out. At the same time, he saw Teach's potential. At such a young age, he could fight him for so long. If he grew up, he would become a monster. He decided to eliminate him before he could grow.

"Life Return!" ** shouted. As a Vice Admiral Swordmaster, he had not neglected his taijutsu and had comprehended the ultimate secret of Rokushiki, Life Return. This was something to be proud of. Such strength placed him among the top Vice Admirals, a strong contender among them.

The outcome of this battle was already decided; it was a certain death for him. If he killed the pirate before him, he would incur Whitebeard's wrath, and perhaps not even his corpse would remain. But he had already made up his mind.

He had begun burning his life, his strength soaring. Both his speed and attacks became overwhelming for Teach, who struggled to hold on. However, his aura continued to grow until it reached a peak. ** knew this, but dared not slacken, putting even greater pressure on Teach. Teach wanted to break through, and he wanted to kill Teach.

"Old man, Teach is in danger. Should we go help?" Marco asked worriedly. Teach's battle had become the center of the battlefield.

"This is Teach's choice. Don't disturb him. As comrades, we must believe in him. Teach's strength is not as simple as it appears," Whitebeard said with a smile.

"Hmm?" Marco scratched his head, seemingly not understanding. But as Whitebeard, how could he not know? Over time, he had come to understand Teach.

"The Breath of All Things, it can cut through anything, yet it cannot cut through anything."

Teach thought this in his mind, fully immersing himself in the battle. During this process, he seemed to hear a sound. This was the Breath of All Things, very faint at first, but gradually becoming clearer. Teach couldn't help but sink into it.

The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter. The Breath of All Things, he had grasped it. Many people felt it, especially the swordsmen. Teach's sword changed, its power growing even greater. This was especially true for ** opposite Teach. However, such an enhancement was extremely limited. But having stepped into a new realm, a swordsman's strength would grow rapidly afterward.

But would ** give Teach this time? The moment Teach broke through, ** seized Teach's opening and forcefully flicked his long sword, sending Teach's Purgatory in his right hand flying. In a flash, his comrades had just rejoiced at Teach's breakthrough.

**'s face wore a smile. He had used Life Return to its absolute limit, burning his own life to unleash the strongest, and final, strike of his life, his last ray of light.

"Hahaha, die!"

"Not good, Teach, danger!" Time seemed to stand still. The speed of this sword was too great; no one else could react. An elite Vice Admiral burning his life for a final strike, even Whitebeard could feel a hint of threat. Everyone's mouths hung open, their eyes wide.

**'s final sword strike made Teach feel an extreme threat. "I'm going to die, I'm really going to die."

But would he die like this? The final blow accurately struck Teach's chest, right at his heart.

Time seemed to stop. At the last moment, with a "boom," everyone froze. The two figures in the battlefield remained motionless. Teach's left hand, raising Raijin, blocked **'s sword, delaying it for a moment. The blade tip dug into Teach's chest, blood flowing from the wound, down the blade, dripping onto the ground.

"Wh-What? I failed," ** said incredulously, his face aging, the consequence of burning his life. He lowered his head, looking at his own chest.

A hand, imbued with flame and lightning, had pierced straight through his chest. His hand was claw-shaped, gripping his still-beating heart.

"You, you!" **'s eyes widened as he realized something. "Your name is ** right? I'll remember you. Thank you." Teach said with a smile, gasping for breath. That was a close call just now, but the gains were immense.

"My name is Marshall D. Teach. This name will be famous throughout the seas, but you won't live to see it." "Sizzle!" Teach's arm exerted force, crushing Vice Admiral **'s heart. Vice Admiral ** closed his eyes with pain and unwillingness.

He hadn't killed this young monster; instead, he had created an even more terrifying one.

The powerful pirates remained silent. The newcomers who had joined not long ago were confused.

"What just happened?" "Why does that scene feel familiar?" Some pirates seemed to have witnessed that fleeting scene.

"Teach actually has that potential." Marco exclaimed. He was no longer an intern pirate but a formal member and had been with the Whitebeard Pirates for several years.

With his knowledge, he could naturally recognize what it was: Conqueror's Haki. Teach possessed the qualifications to become a king. It wasn't that possessing Conqueror's Haki guaranteed kingship, but those who became kings, the top pirates of the New World, were all powerful individuals who possessed Conqueror's Haki.

Monsters like Whitebeard and Kozuki Oden noticed even more. The moment Teach unleashed Conqueror's Haki, as it spread, he forcefully controlled its diffusion, preventing it from affecting other pirates.

There was also Teach's exquisite claw technique. The fleeting blackness on his right hand was Armament Haki. Teach usually trained his taijutsu and claw techniques, but in normal battles, he used swordsmanship. This was the first time he had displayed it.

In this battle, Teach's gains were immense. Not only did he achieve his goal and break through to become a Swordmaster, but he also awakened Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki simultaneously. Conqueror's Haki couldn't be trained; it depended mainly on spirit, ambition, and conviction.

Since Armament Haki had already awakened, it was a good start. As long as Teach trained diligently, he would soon master it.

Teach stood on the deck of the warship. Vice Admiral Rona on the other side had already been overwhelmed and killed. The other Marine soldiers were also dead, not a single one spared, not even those who fell into the water.

Vice Admiral **'s corpse fell to the ground. His hands, still gripping the sword, loosened. "Clang!" Teach grabbed the blade of the sword still embedded in him with one hand. Gritting his teeth, enduring the intense pain, he yanked the sword out. Blood flowed uncontrollably, the stab wound deep enough to see bone. He threw the sword to the ground, tore open the sleeve of his left arm with his right hand, and pressed a strip of cloth hard against the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Hurry and help me, I'm going to die!" Seeing his companions still stunned in the distance, Teach shouted.

"He's here, he's here! Teach is injured, what a deep wound." Hearing Teach's words, they finally reacted and rushed forward to support him.

"Amazing, Teach, to have killed a Vice Admiral."

"He just broke through to become a Swordmaster. I remember Teach is only fourteen years old, a fourteen-year-old Swordmaster."

After this battle, imperceptibly, the attitudes of these companions toward Teach had changed somewhat. They still treated him as a comrade, but with an added layer of respect, the respect for a strong individual. Teach had killed a Marine Vice Admiral, and could now be considered among the ranks of the strong. Most of them wouldn't dare claim they could withstand the Vice Admiral's final blow.

Aside from those monsters, Marine Vice Admirals were already top-tier powerhouses in the great sea. The loss of three Vice Admirals, coupled with nearly ten thousand Marine soldiers, would set the Marines back several years of recovery.

Teach could feel this change in attitude but paid it no mind. He retrieved Purgatory, which had been sent flying earlier, along with his spoils of war. The Vice Admiral's sword was also a famous blade, though not comparable to his Purgatory or Raijin.

Back on the Moby Dick, all eyes were fixed on Teach. Having killed a Marine Vice Admiral, Teach was undoubtedly the most dazzling figure in this battle.

Teach looked up at Whitebeard, straightening his back, and smiled, "Old Man, I won this battle." "Gurararara, worthy of being my son. This is what you deserve." Whitebeard laughed heartily. Only a few people in the Whitebeard Pirates knew about Teach's physique. Aside from his usual revelry, banquets, and meals, Teach had been constantly training. Just as Whitebeard said, this was what he deserved.

"Go in and heal your wounds. I'll handle this last battle, Old Man." Whitebeard said, looking out at the sea not far away, as if sensing the arrival of their enemies.