Being a traveler from another world had given Loa an advantage, but its greatest value was not his fighting strength. Strength mattered enormously in this world, yet it could not compare with the advantage of knowing what others did not.
Teach knew next to nothing about Loa. All he had were the basic facts known to the world: his life, his battles, and little else. Loa, on the other hand, had long anticipated meeting this ambitious man and had begun laying his plans early. As Turtle Island's strongest fighter after Loa himself, the Blood Lord Ulysses had benefited from that knowledge.
Besides, the previous wielder of the Dark-Dark Fruit had died at Ulysses's hands!
Teach pressed a hand wrapped in darkness against his chest. A few breaths later, the potentially fatal sword wound had vanished without a trace. As long as he could endure the doubled pain, an ability that devoured even his injuries was practically unbeatable!
Then thick blackness erupted around Teach. Fragments of the priceless treasures he had swallowed earlier shot out of it, straight toward Ulysses!
The Dark-Dark Fruit lacked simple, effective attacks. If Ulysses could avoid being swallowed by Dark Hole's pull, he could likely evade Teach's other methods as well. Teach had little choice.
"Absorb and release. The Dark-Dark Fruit's most basic power of devouring."
Ulysses did not dodge the rain of fragments hurtling toward his face. With a sweep of his hand, he raised a blood-red curtain of light. It was no ordinary energy shield, but a technique he had developed by combining his understanding of blood with Loa's teachings on magic.
Immaculate Blood Shield!
Behind the shield, a red-glowing Magic Circle encircled Ulysses's wrist. He extended his hand through its center, then slowly turned it.
Clang! Bang, bang, bang!
"What?!!!"
Teach had been