The Moby Dick had been blown to pieces by Meteor Volcano and cannon fire. Of the Pirate Ships still in Port, the largest and steadiest was chosen as the Spirit Ship to carry Whitebeard's remains.
As everyone aboard wept helplessly, Blackbeard Teach—the man chiefly responsible for Whitebeard's death—suddenly emerged from the shadows.
He cut down his former comrades one by one and approached Whitebeard's body, his eyes burning with fervor.
"Bwahahaha! Pops, now that you're dead, leave your fruit in my care!"
Hearing this, a Pirate who had not yet breathed his last raised his head. "Teach, you'll die a miserable death!"
Bang!
A bullet shattered his skull, trapping the rest of his curse in his throat. Van Augur adjusted his glasses, his expression impassive. "Captain, hurry! They're coming!"
"Oh! Got it!"
Teach glanced back. In the distance, Marco and the others had spotted him and were rushing over, but they were too far away to arrive for another dozen seconds or so. What he needed to do would take only a few.
What a shame. Ice Dragon Loa still looks strong enough to fight back. If I could, I'd much rather have the Ice Dragon Fruit that killed Whitebeard!
Teach sighed inwardly, then rallied himself.
Even without the Ice Dragon Fruit, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit isn't bad! It was the goal of my twenty years of planning. Even getting the Dark-Dark Fruit was part of the plan to obtain it!
There's nothing to regret. With two Devil Fruit Powers in my hands, what could Ice Dragon Loa possibly do to me?
With that thought, a black cloth appeared in his hand. He was about to drape it over Whitebeard's head when something felt wrong.
Wait! Where's Ice Dragon Loa?!
In that quick glance, he had seen Marco and the others