In the naval prison aboard the warship at Loguetown Harbor, Teach was bound from head to toe in Seastone chains and shackles, pinned firmly inside his cell, unable to move an inch!
He was drenched from head to toe, dejected and helpless.
How had things ended up like this?
The Dark-Dark Fruit, which had practically been in his grasp, had been inexplicably snatched away. But he was not someone who gave up easily, so Teach quickly launched his second plan: seize the Munch-Munch Fruit, then use its power to eat Bane. That way, he would indirectly obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Then everything would return to the course he had envisioned.
That was right. His original plan had been to follow Ace in finding Bane, kill Bane, then turn around and deal with Ace. He would use Ace to board the Navy's ship, become one of the Shichibukai, and set his grand plan in motion. He would borrow the Navy's strength to destroy the Whitebeard Pirates, then seize the old man's Tremor-Tremor Fruit and rise to the peak of his life!
The plan had all been laid out, and he had even successfully tracked down that bastard Bane. But why had Garp suddenly appeared?
Honestly, in terms of raw strength, Teach was not particularly afraid of Garp. He could still trade a few blows with him.
But battles had never been as simple as whoever was stronger automatically winning. Even with Ace and Teach joining forces, they did not hold much of an advantage against Garp, Smoker, and Bane working together.
Worse, it had been a prepared attack against an unprepared target. Garp had opened with his ultimate move, completely stunning both Ace and Teach. At first, Teach had not expected Garp to be so ruthless toward his own grandson; afterward, Ace had not expected Garp to make Teach his first target.
One misstep led to another. They had not possessed much of an advantage to begin with, yet the very first exchange had already created an enormous gap. Ace was severely injured by Garp on the spot, then instantly taken down by Smoker and Bane working together at lightning speed.
Even at that point, Teach had thought he still had a chance to escape. But who the hell could have imagined that Bane could fly?!
Was that even reasonable?
Thanks to that ridiculous sequence of moves, both Teach and Ace had crashed and burned. From the moment they swaggered through the gates of the naval base to the end of the battle, not even half an hour had passed!
Even someone as mentally tough as Teach could not help wondering whether he had finally met his retribution.
Ever since he had killed Thatch, nothing had gone his way!
He had no idea what fate awaited him now. All he could do was desperately hope that his old man would hold firm, crush the Navy, and rescue him!
Meanwhile, Ace was also being held in a separate cell, receiving the same treatment as Teach, covered in Seastone chains and shackles.
But unlike Teach, Ace had a visitor.
Garp had some bandages wrapped around him, but he still stood tall before the cell, looking at his precious grandson imprisoned inside.
"Hmph. Now that things have come to this, do you still have anything to stubbornly deny, Ace!?" Garp asked with the arrogant expression of someone saying, Why do you think I get to be your grandpa?
Bane stood beside Garp, a cigar clenched between his teeth and his arms folded before his chest, watching Ace with amused eyes.
Ace did not pay Garp any attention. Instead, he glared at Bane with hatred in his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Don't get too smug. Old Man will kill you sooner or later, you despicable bastard!"
"Ah, idiot." Bane sighed and shook his head. "Even now, you still think I killed Thatch?"
"If it wasn't you, then who was it?!" Ace demanded furiously.
"Your dear companion Teach, idiot." Bane sneered. "From the very beginning, he was the one after the Dark-Dark Fruit. He ambushed and killed Thatch in order to take it. It was just that I—"
Bane roughly explained the situation, glossing over the World-Crossing Gate. After hearing him out, Ace stood frozen inside the cell.
But he quickly gritted his teeth again and said, "Impossible. You're lying to me, you bastard!"
"You're already locked up in here. What would I gain by lying to you? But whatever. I don't care whether you believe me or not." Bane shrugged.
Who had truly killed Thatch, and what exactly had happened, made no difference to Bane. Ace was now in Navy hands, and Teach was in Navy hands as well.
Perhaps Garp could protect Ace, but the fuse for the war at Marineford had already been lit.
The Whitebeard Pirates, known as the strongest pirate crew, would not be able to keep jumping around for much longer. Once they were crushed and Newgate died in battle, what meaning would there be in who had killed Thatch?
In fact, given Newgate's current physical condition, even if the Navy did not target the Whitebeard Pirates, they could not remain glorious for much longer. This was the tide of the era—unstoppable. A king who had dominated the countless pirates of the New World for over twenty years had grown old. Naturally, countless challengers would come for his throne.
The moment he showed even the slightest hint of fatigue or weakness, the ambitious figures of the sea would tear the entire Whitebeard Pirates apart like a pack of wolves!
Kaido was not someone willing to live beneath another, nor was Charlotte Linlin. Many more second-tier contenders were watching as well.
Therefore, Bane had never feared the Whitebeard Pirates' threat from the beginning. Newgate surely understood the situation clearly too, which was why he had ultimately resigned himself to leaving behind that bold declaration that would echo throughout the world.
He was a remnant of the old era. The new era had no ship that could carry him!
That was an ironclad fact!
Thinking of this, Bane found it all somewhat dull. He gave Ace a pitying look. Whitebeard had been a hero all his life, but there was one thing he had done terribly wrong: choosing Ace as his successor.
Of course, Ace had many merits and strengths. For example, he could also rally people around him and earn the trust of the Whitebeard Pirates' members. But... he also had fatal flaws—impulsiveness, recklessness, and so on. Most importantly, his strength had not grown to the level Whitebeard had expected. He could not bear the title of the Whitebeard Pirates' strongest!
Bane soon left the prison, leaving time and space for the grandfather and grandson.
After Bane left, Garp's previously tense expression relaxed considerably. He sighed as well and looked at Ace. "Ace, your pirate game is over."
"The Whitebeard Pirates won't let this go, Grandpa!" Ace said, looking at Garp with unwavering determination.
"Yes. That is one of the reasons I came to capture you myself, Ace." Garp looked at Ace, then spoke after a moment. "From the moment you left the New World, we in the Navy activated a major plan: the Whitebeard Pirates Extermination Plan. Now, whether it is you or that man called Teach, both of you have fallen into our hands. The prelude to this plan is ready."
Ace stared at Garp in shock, then suddenly realized what he meant. "You want to start a war?"
"The war has never ended. You're just too naive." Garp's expression darkened.
At that, Garp crouched down. In that moment, he revealed his exhaustion, seeming to become an ordinary old man. He looked at Ace and said, "The only way to save your life now is for you to join the Navy, Ace. Otherwise..."
"Impossible!" Ace interrupted before Garp could finish. "You want me to betray the Whitebeard Pirates? Impossible!"
"You'll die, Ace! If you insist on this, then the best outcome will be spending the rest of your dark, sunless life in Impel Down!" Garp rebuked him furiously, disappointed that he refused to learn.
Before Garp had left Marine Headquarters, Sengoku had told him something: Ace's lineage had been exposed.
The Navy's higher-ups knew that Ace carried Roger's blood. Sengoku had given Garp an opportunity. If Ace was willing to join the Navy, there was still room to maneuver. After all, turning the pirate King's child and a Whitebeard Pirates commander into a naval officer would deal a far greater blow to the pirate camp than executing him!
Even knowing that hell lay ahead, Ace's eyes did not waver in the slightest. He looked firmly at Garp and said in a low voice, "Impossible!"
Upon receiving that answer, Garp's eyes filled with pain. Seeing his grandfather like that, the resolve in Ace's eyes crumbled, and tears began to flow. Yet he bit his lip and refused to relent.
He was afraid that if he looked at his grandfather's unbearable pain, he would no longer be able to voice the resolute refusal he had just given.
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