Blackbeard glanced around. The mast of his ship had snapped, the deck was wrecked, and things looked grim. The other six ships were in no better shape.
With no other choice, Blackbeard ordered, "Withdraw! Now!"
"Leaving? It won't be that easy."
Ye Chen plummeted like a diving eagle, heading straight for Blackbeard.
Blackbeard hurriedly threw a punch. Ye Chen met it head-on, and their fists slammed together. The tremendous impact sent a column of water surging into the air. Beneath Blackbeard's feet, another beam cracked and broke.
Ye Chen kept attacking, trading several more blows with Blackbeard. Though Blackbeard had a clear advantage, the ship paid the price. It could not withstand such violent impacts.
Even on land, their clash would have caved in the ground. Here, the ship was being torn apart before their eyes. Seawater poured in, and the hull tilted sharply as it began to sink.
Blackbeard's crew was terrified. Ye Chen did not attack them. He had set his sights squarely on Blackbeard's pirate ship.
"Lion's Might: Surging Waves!"
Once again, Ye Chen unleashed a ferocious wave. It crashed against Blackbeard's ship, throwing more people into the sea as the vessel sank. Crew members who could not swim thrashed desperately in the water.
Cries and pleas for help rang out amid the chaos. Even Blackbeard's shoes were soaked, and there was nowhere left to stand on the ship. With no other choice, he jumped aboard Lafitte's ship.
"Move! Get us out of here!"
Blackbeard sounded frantic. The swagger and smugness he had shown earlier were long gone.
He had come to a bitter realization: picking a fight with Ye Chen at sea had been an utterly foolish decision.
Kizaru stood on a mast, his face grim. He had thought that with Blackbeard backing him, dealing with