Beneath the translucent pale-green barrier canopy, the sunlight was blocked out. The entire Delta Island was shrouded in a faint green glow, making everything seem somewhat dim.
Blackbeard Teach looked at the enormous barrier enveloping the whole island and gave a sinister laugh.
"Zehahaha~! What a grand display. Looks like you made quite a few preparations too, Sephiroth!"
As he spoke, he raised his right hand wreathed in Black Mist, preparing to use the Dark-Dark Fruit ability to drag Sephiroth over from afar, suppress his Devil Fruit ability, and break this eyesore of a barrier.
However...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three clay spears wrapped in Armament Haki shot over from afar in a triangular formation, targeting Blackbeard Teach's head and both sides of his chest. He had no choice but to hurriedly dodge sideways, stopping his attempt to use the Dark-Dark Fruit ability.
"Teach, I'm your opponent!"
Ace flashed forward. Before Blackbeard Teach could even regain his footing, Ace appeared directly before him and drove his right fist, crackling with dark-red lightning, heavily into his chest. The blow sent him flying dozens of meters away, rolling several times across the ground before he barely came to a stop.
After taking Ace's punch head-on, Blackbeard did not suffer much injury aside from the damned passive effect of the Dark-Dark Fruit, which amplified his pain and left him grimacing in agony for quite a while.
Soon, he climbed back to his feet, dusted himself off, and sneered.
"Zehahaha~! Ace, you've already lost to me twice. Are you here to die again?"
As he spoke, a translucent white sphere of light rapidly gathered in his left hand, while his right hand was covered in Black Mist capable of devouring everything.
Ace's gaze was sharp as a blade as he declared forcefully, "Today is different!