In Their Eyes

Therefore, in their eyes, Moke's Devil Fruit Ability did not pose a significant threat or be particularly effective against them. After all, everyone's strength and characteristics are different, and if they were to actually fight, Moke would probably find it difficult to display the same powerful and fierce offensive as when he fought Magellan.

Just then, after successfully escaping Impel Down, Moke once again transformed into a dazzling beam of light, speeding towards Marine Headquarters at an astonishing pace. However, during his rapid advance, he suddenly encountered a massive fleet approaching head-on. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the infamous Blackbeard Pirates! The two sides were heading towards each other, and there was no doubt that this pirate crew was heading straight for Impel Down.

"Tsk tsk..." Upon seeing this, Moke's lips curled up slightly, revealing a strange smile. Then, he suddenly stopped and hovered above the Blackbeard Pirates. The light gradually dissipated, revealing Moke's tall and imposing figure.

At that moment, Doc Q, who had been lying on the deck barely alive, seemingly on his last breath, inadvertently raised his head and caught sight of Moke. In an instant, his eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment, and his mouth gaped open, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

His eyes widened involuntarily, as if his eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets. He recalled the harrowing battle of Mock Town, where Moke's terrifying strength and fearless fighting style were like an incomparably sharp sword, piercing straight into the hearts of the entire Blackbeard Pirates and leaving an indelible, bone-deep mark on their souls.

Just then, Doc Q, who had been lazily lying to the side, sprang up from the ground like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His face was filled with terror, and he pointed a trembling hand to the sky, stammering, "Captain... if my eyes aren't deceiving me, isn't that person floating in the air the ruthless character you fought so fiercely with back in Mock Town?!"

Upon hearing this, Blackbeard and Lafitte were initially taken aback, their faces showing confusion. Then, they quickly realized what was happening and looked up in the direction of Doc Q's finger. What they saw instantly turned their faces ashen, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

A figure stood suspended in mid-air, radiating a chilling aura like a deity descended from the heavens. Despite the distance, Blackbeard and Lafitte recognized him instantly from that fleeting glimpse. His figure was so familiar to them, it was as if it were branded into their very souls.

"Hahahaha..." A burst of ear-piercing laughter suddenly rang out, shattering the original tranquility of this sea area. However, upon closer listening, one could detect that within this signature laugh, there was a hint of barely concealed guilt.

Among the many Logia Devil Fruit Ability, there is one that stands out as particularly unique: the Dark-Dark Fruit Logia. Unlike other Logia fruits, its user cannot achieve Elementalization, thus completely losing the enormous advantage of being able to fly freely.

At this very moment, their environment was further compounded by the fact that they were on a vast, boundless ocean. To make matters worse, their enemy not only soared freely through the skies but also possessed incredibly powerful and wide-ranging attacks. If it were a land battle, Blackbeard might not have felt any fear given his strength. However, this was a turbulent sea, and the situation was entirely different.

It's important to understand that Blackbeard is currently standing on a ship, and it's highly uncertain whether that ship can withstand the enemy's Gale of attacks. If the ship is severely damaged or even destroyed, for Devil Fruit User like him, it will undoubtedly be a desperate situation, with only death as a possible outcome.

Thinking of this, Blackbeard couldn't help but glance at Lafitte beside him. The meaning in his eyes was self-evident: of the three of them, only Lafitte possessed the ability to fly. Therefore, all their hopes for escaping this calamity rested on Lafitte.

Lafitte frowned deeply, inwardly groaning. Although he did possess the ability to fly, he knew perfectly well that even in the air, how could he possibly outrun the Inazuma- fast speed of light? No one could predict how this life-or-death struggle would unfold...

This was clearly impossible. Moreover, he was facing an extremely difficult task at this moment—to deal with the attacks of two people all by himself. Just then, Blackbeard's eyes blazed, and he raised his strong, powerful arm high, his palm firmly aimed at Moke in mid-air. Clearly, he was fully prepared for battle, and a fierce duel was about to begin.

However, defeating Moke is no easy task. Only by using his Dark-Dark Fruit powers to control Moke can Blackbeard possibly find a chance to survive. Unfortunately, given Moke's strength and intelligence, how could he easily grant him such an opportunity? The answer is naturally no, absolutely not!

"Starfall..." As Moke uttered these four words, a mysterious and unpredictable power suddenly activated. Driven by this power, a massive amount of light elements rapidly gathered above Moke's head. These light elements merged and condensed, gradually transforming into enormous spheres of light that Shine with dazzling brilliance. Then, these spheres of light, like shooting stars streaking across the sky, hurtled down with boundless power.

In the blink of an eye, countless orbs of light completely enveloped Blackbeard's pirate ship, like a dazzling meteor shower descending upon the world. Faced with such a sudden and powerful attack, Blackbeard changed drastically, and he thought to himself, "Not good..." He was filled with regret, blaming himself for being a step too slow, which had led him into this passive situation.

But it was too late for regrets now. The most urgent task was to find a way to defend against the overwhelming attack and save the pirate ship beneath his feet and the lives of everyone on board. Suddenly, an extremely dense dark aura surged forth from Blackbeard's body and spread rapidly in all directions at an astonishing speed.

Finally, as countless orbs of light rained down like a dense storm, this terrifyingly powerful dark force, like a ferocious beast, seized the initiative with lightning speed. It appeared as a massive black curtain, quickly enveloping the entire pirate ship and forming an impenetrable black shield in the blink of an eye.

"Boom!" With a deafening roar, all the orbs of light, like shooting stars burning with fury, crashed into the black shield. However, this seemingly invincible attack failed to cause the slightest damage to the shield. All the orbs of light were blocked without exception, and not even half of the pirate ship's mast was damaged.

Moke, who witnessed this scene from the air, couldn't help but show a look of surprise. He thought to himself, "I really didn't expect that this Blackbeard would have such powerful skills hidden!" But Moke was not the kind of person who would back down easily. A resolute look flashed in his eyes, and he gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist tightly with both hands.

In an instant, a crisp "clang" rang out, and the Sandai Kitetsu in Moke's hand was drawn from its sheath like Inazuma. At the same time, the mysterious Holy Sword worn on his chest seemed to sense its master's intense fighting spirit, and the patterns on the blade began to flash with dazzling light, like brilliant stars in the night sky.

Then, something strange happened. Moke's originally short, jet-black hair, as if drawn by some mysterious force, began to grow wildly. The long strands danced in the wind, like nimble, venomous snakes, exuding a chilling aura. At that moment, Moke's body erupted with unparalleled power; his muscles bulged, veins stood out, and he seemed to transform into a legendary Super Saiyan, radiating a world-destroying pressure.

This is the legendary state of the Holy Sword! Having fully mastered the sword, he could easily enter this realm without relying on the power of the Blood Moon... In this state, Moke's strength instantly increased several times over! With a sudden movement, his arm swung out, and in an instant, a dazzling slash descended like thunder from the heavens! The slash tore through the sky, carrying boundless power, as if it were about to cleave the vast, boundless sea in two!

A deafening roar resounded – "Boom!" This was the first time Moke had unleashed such terrifying power since subduing the Holy Sword. He knew this battle had to be swift and decisive, leaving no room for his enemy to breathe. Therefore, this strike was the most powerful attack he could muster! At this moment, he had undoubtedly entered the ranks of Great Swordsman. Before him, everything was like clay or earthenware; nothing could withstand the sharpness of the Holy Sword in his hand!

"Whoosh..." With this sharp sound, the endless darkness that enveloped the pirate ship was torn apart as easily as a fragile piece of paper! To everyone's astonishment, the entire pirate ship was then split in two without any suspense! In an instant, wood chips flew everywhere, and the sound of metal breaking echoed through the sky.

"Not good..." Captain Blackbeard, Lafitte, and Doc Q's expressions changed drastically upon seeing this. Their eyes widened, their faces filled with terror. Blackbeard and Doc Q lunged at Lafitte without hesitation, grabbing his legs tightly. Lafitte was startled and hurriedly shouted, "I tried to fly into the air to avoid the attack after Awakening, but now it seems that was a very unwise move! After all, in the air, we're all sitting ducks, only able to passively take hits!" Before he finished speaking, he quickly turned to look at Doc Q beside him and the horse next to Doc Q.

At this moment, Blackbeard's dark face was expressionless. His lips were tightly closed, and his eyes were as deep as endless Black Hole. He stood there like a silent statue, not uttering a word. Doc Q, standing beside him, seemed somewhat wooden. His eyes, which usually gleamed with cunning, had lost their luster. He just stared blankly ahead, seemingly completely unsure how to deal with this sudden situation.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that what Lafitte said earlier did have some merit. For a moment, the entire scene fell into a deathly silence, a tense atmosphere permeated the air, making it difficult to even breathe. This heavy atmosphere seemed to freeze time itself, making each second feel incredibly long.

However, this suffocating silence did not last long. Just when everyone thought the stalemate would continue indefinitely, suddenly, everything began to slowly return to calm. The wind gradually subsided, the waves were no longer as turbulent as before, and the sea gradually regained its original tranquility and peace.

However, when people looked again, they were astonished to find that the pirate ship that had been anchored in this area was now completely destroyed, with only scattered wreckage floating on the surface, gently bobbing with the waves. Even more surprising was that Blackbeard, Doc Q, and Lafitte, who had just been on the ship, had vanished without a trace, as if they had never been there at all. Moke, who witnessed all this from a distance, frowned slightly and muttered to himself, "Could it be... that Blackbeard has been so easily defeated?" His gaze searched the sea, but he couldn't find any trace of the three men.

Despite his unparalleled confidence in the astonishing sword strike he had just unleashed, a sliver of doubt crept into his heart. After all, how could Blackbeard, whom he considered a formidable rival, have fallen so easily?

It should be noted that this scoundrel endured decades of hidden cunning within the world -Might-Shaker renowned Whitebeard Pirates, meticulously plotting and scheming until he finally seized his opportunity, rising to become one of the Four Emperors, a figure who could shake the entire seas! Such a man, a true hero of a chaotic era, would not so easily meet his end. Moreover, in the vast world of One Piece, there are very few truly powerful figures who could inspire his admiration, and Blackbeard is undoubtedly one of them...

Moke hovered silently in mid-air like a statue, as if everything around him had been frozen in this moment. Time seemed to have solidified into a stagnant pool, without a ripple. He stared wide-eyed, like copper bells, his sharp gaze sweeping mercilessly across every inch of the vast, boundless sea below, just like the piercing eyes of a hawk hunting.

However, no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find even the slightest trace of Blackbeard, Doc Q, or Lafitte. Time passed by, and Moke remained Fudō, staring into the distance without blinking, afraid of missing any possible figure.

After a long wait, Moke still found nothing. Only when there was no trace of them left in sight did he slowly breathe a sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing slightly. He thought to himself, "It seems they really have escaped and run far away." After confirming several times that they were indeed far away, Moke suddenly exerted his strength, violently shaking his body.

In an instant, an immensely powerful energy erupted from his body, transforming him into a dazzling, blazing meteor, radiating a light that was both intense and captivating. The light was so intense and dazzling that it seemed to illuminate the entire world. In the blink of an eye, Moke had transformed into a magnificent, multicolored beam of light, hurtling towards the distance at astonishing speed, leaving only a brilliant trail of light that gradually dissipated in the air. This beam of light tore through the sky, carrying unparalleled speed and power, hurtling towards the Marine Headquarters like Inazuma.

However, just as Moke turned to leave, the vast, previously calm and mirror-like sea suddenly seemed disturbed by some unknown force, emitting an extremely subtle and almost imperceptible sound. This sound was as faint as a breeze rustling through leaves; it would be almost completely ignored unless one was paying close attention. However, for Moke, who possessed extraordinary hearing, this subtle sound was like a thunderclap exploding in his ears! In an instant, every nerve in his body tensed, his feet seemed nailed to the spot, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks. Then, his sharp, hawk-like eyes quickly followed the direction from which the sound came.

As far as the eye could see, only a few dozen meters away on the vast sea, floated a dilapidated pirate ship wreck, like a candle flickering in the wind. This pirate ship might have once been a mighty force, traversing the turbulent ocean and striking fear into the hearts of countless men. But now, it had long lost its former glory, reduced to a ruin, unrecognizable. The once sturdy planks were now broken and scattered; the broken mast swayed precariously under the relentless pounding of the waves, seemingly on the verge of collapsing completely at any moment.

Beneath the wreckage, a dark shadow was rising slowly and eerily from the unfathomable depths. At first, it was merely a blurry, indistinct outline. But as time passed, it drew closer to the surface, and the face hidden in the darkness gradually became clearer...

When the shadowy figure finally surfaced completely, Moke was astonished to find that it was Doc Q! Doc Q looked extremely unwell; his already sickly face was now as pale as a bloodless sheet of paper, as if all his life force had been drained away. His eyes were tightly closed, his lips trembled slightly, and his body swayed unsteadily due to extreme weakness, as if he might sink back to the seabed at any moment. Moreover, he was soaked to the bone, his clothes clinging to his body, with water droplets constantly dripping from the hems. Combined with his disheveled hair and exhausted expression, he looked utterly wretched.

Despite this, Doc Q gritted his teeth and persevered. He took a deep breath, then with all his might, gripped the equally unconscious Blackbeard and Lafitte tightly with both hands, slowly dragging them up from the icy water. Each drag was a tremendous challenge for the already exhausted Doc Q.

After a grueling and arduous effort, Doc Q finally managed to bring Blackbeard and Lafitte to the surface. However, he himself was now panting heavily, his chest heaving as if he were about to run out of breath. Moreover, having been underwater for so long, he couldn't help but cough violently; with each cough, he felt a surge of salty seawater rush to his throat, causing him immense pain...

However, at this moment, he had no time to care about anything else, because Blackbeard and Lafitte had already lost their breath. With a solemn expression, he took out two thin syringes from his pocket and, without hesitation, plunged them into the chests of Blackbeard and Lafitte.

Originally, these two men were as pale as paper, completely devoid of color. But then, a miracle occurred! Their bodies began to recover life at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Not long after, the two suddenly sat up straight, accompanied by a violent coughing fit. With each cough, a large amount of seawater gushed from their mouths... This continued for quite a while before they gradually calmed down and began to breathe heavily.

Blackbeard looked at Doc Q with gratitude and said, "This time it really was all thanks to you, otherwise we probably would be dead." Lafitte nodded vigorously in agreement. Recalling the life-or-death crisis they had just experienced, they were still shaken. They almost died here today...

Meanwhile, after overcoming countless hardships, Moke finally arrived at the daunting Marine Headquarters. However, contrary to what one might expect, he didn't rush to the port. Instead, like a cunning fox, he quickly found a relatively quiet and secluded corner. There, he sat down quietly, like a meditating monk, and began to methodically recover his already exhausted strength.

It's important to understand that the battle that awaits him will be incredibly fierce, like Gale, and its physical demands will be beyond imagination. Therefore, seizing this moment to conserve his energy is crucial. Only by maintaining peak condition can he possibly survive this life-or-death struggle and achieve his goal.

Just then, a deafening roar suddenly erupted, "Boom..." The sound echoed through the sky, and the entire Marine Headquarters shook violently! The once calm seawater around them surged wildly like an enraged beast, forming huge whirlpools. The surging momentum seemed to want to completely devour this indestructible Marine Headquarters.

Faced with such an astonishing sight, Moke, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, two sharp glints shooting from them. A slight, excited smile appeared on his lips as he muttered to himself, "Looks like that old bastard with the Whitebeard has made his move..."