"How's the situation, Van Augur?"
After gulping down a mouthful of liquor, Blackbeard asked his subordinate Van Augur.
Van Augur was a sniper with excellent eyesight, responsible for keeping watch.
"Whitebeard is fighting Marine Admiral Akainu. They're still locked in a fierce battle."
"It looks like neither side will win anytime soon."
Standing atop Sanjuan Wolf, Van Augur could see the battle inside Marineford, and he reported what he saw.
"Zehehehe! Pops is still pretty strong!"
"No, the man who will be the World's Strongest Man in the future is me!"
Hearing how fiercely the two sides were fighting, Blackbeard burst into laughter and spoke with absolute confidence.
"I hope your plan succeeds. If it fails, the Marines will capture all of us again!"
Shiryu of the Rain puffed on his cigar and spoke calmly.
Choosing Blackbeard had simply been a matter of convenience; it wasn't that he thought highly of the man. Ambition alone wasn't enough—you also needed the ability to make it a reality.
This was Blackbeard's chance to prove himself.
If he couldn't do it, everyone who had escaped Impel Down would abandon him without hesitation.
"Of course! I've been preparing for this day for many years!"
A grim expression came over Blackbeard's face.
"Let's keep a distance of three hundred meters. Any closer, and my ability might not be able to fool the Marines!"
Catarina Devon was a Devil Fruit User with the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Nine-Tailed Fox.
Using her Devil Fruit ability, she created a small patch of fog that just managed to cover Sanjuan Wolf's enormous body, which was nearly as large as an island.
Anyone who saw the fog would instinctively ignore it, paying no attention to what was inside.
That was how Blackbeard's crew had managed to sneak close to the battlefield