Intelligence Is the Real Gap (23)

Pfft!

His chest caved in several centimeters, and Blackbeard crashed heavily onto the bluestone floor, his eyes filled with shock.

"Impossible!!!"

He rose as if he felt no pain, venting his unwillingness. "I was so close!!!"

He had been that close to dragging Ron into the darkness and suppressing him forever in an abyss devoid of daylight.

He had clearly been so close, yet the difference between them had become as vast as heaven and earth, leading to an entirely different outcome.

Tap...

As the darkness vanished, feeling returned to his numb legs. His leather shoes struck the ground with crisp clicks.

Hearing that, Ron raised his head with an amused smile. "Just a little, Blackbeard?"

"Are you sure?!"

Aokiji sucked in a sharp breath when he noticed this.

"How did he escape?!"

Putting himself in Ron's place, if Blackbeard had trapped him and dragged him beneath the black water, would he have had any way to escape?

The answer... was obviously no!

Once his Fruit Ability was erased, all he would have left was his fairly decent physical combat ability.

The Sacrifice Fruit possessed no direct offensive power, but in exchange, it could strengthen its user's physique without limit until their death.

Even Ron, who emphasized balanced physical development, had been unable to break free from Blackbeard's monstrous strength. Naturally, Aokiji would have been no different.

Not to mention, if Blackbeard had truly caught him, would there have been any need to go through all this trouble?

Ron's immortality allowed him to ignore the arm piercing his chest, but Aokiji could not.

As long as a bone spike pierced his heart, he would undoubtedly die.

So the question was...

How had Ron escaped?!

Everyone widened their eyes and stared, wanting to know the answer.

"You... cough, cough cough!"

Teach's