Shichibukai Meeting

Marine HQ, Marineford

"Shichibukai Donquixote Doflamingo! I never expected this guy to be the first to arrive!"

"The most brutal pirate, Bartholomew Kuma!"

"That's the supreme leader of the warrior race, the Kuja! The ruler of Amazon Lily! The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock!"

"Who is that? He's wandering the sea in nothing but a tiny boat? Why does the paddle in his hand look so much like a huge blade? No, wait! Th-that's the world's greatest Great Master Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk!"

At the docks, countless Marines on guard caught sight of the so-called Shichibukai. In just half a day, five Shichibukai had arrived at Marineford! Of the remaining two, one was Jinbe, known as the "Knight of the Sea." Rumor had it that he had been thrown into Impel Down for refusing this battle plan! The other was Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach, hailed as the strongest of the Shichibukai!

It was said that Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach had not only escaped unharmed from Admiral Kizaru, but had also fought the legendary King of the Pirates' right-hand man, "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh, to a draw!

Before becoming a Shichibukai, his bounty had already reached a terrifying 1.3 billion Beli! Although he had yet to fight Mihawk, known as the world's greatest Great Master Swordsman, in most people's eyes, Blackbeard Teach was already the strongest of the Shichibukai!

Just then, a Marine on guard spotted a black dot on the horizon. Slowly, that tiny black dot grew larger and larger, and the outline of a ship gradually entered the Marines' field of vision.

"Bl-Blackbeard! That's the Blackbeard Pirates' Thunder Gaba!" The Marine's cry drew everyone else's attention. A ferocious pirate ship with a dragon head slowly approached Marine HQ, Marineford. The three bizarre skulls on its sail proclaimed the identity of its visitors!

"Zehahaha! So many people—are you here to welcome me?"

An unmistakable laugh rang out. Under the gaze of every Marine, an extremely strange figure appeared atop the dragon head! His limbs were long and thin, while his body was bloated and heavy. A powerful aura pressed down on every Marine present, and fear had already appeared in many of their eyes!

"So this is the strongest of the Shichibukai, Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach!" One Marine swallowed hard, his hands gripping his spear trembling uncontrollably!

A moment later, the Blackbeard Pirates' ship slowly docked at the pier. There were nine members in the Blackbeard Pirates, and every one of them had arrived!

As they looked at the bizarrely shaped Blackbeard crew, all the Marines present fell into deep thought...

There was no need for him to describe what Blackbeard Teach, the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates, looked like, right?

As for the others...

Shit Van Augur, Fuckyou, and Rando were fairly normal, but...

Laffitte was tall and handsome, but his complexion was far too pale, always giving people the impression that he had indulged himself too much.

Doc Q looked half-dead, and even his beloved horse, Stronger, was the same way. Well, in short, Doc Q was suited to be a roadside director! To put it plainly, he was suited for staging accidents and extorting money!

Burgess had an unbelievably muscular upper body, but his lower body was utterly ordinary. Put together, good lord—elephant arms and ant legs, was it?

Shiryu looked normal enough, but as the former chief guard of Impel Down, most of the Marines present had long heard just how bloodthirsty he was!

In short, the entire Blackbeard Pirates crew was very strange!

"Hello, Mr. Blackbeard! I am Marine HQ Colonel Nose, responsible for receiving you! Please come with me. As for your companions, dedicated personnel will lead them to the rest area!"

"Zehahaha! Nose? Tell me, do you know Guillotine?" Teach looked at Colonel Nose before him with great interest.

"Um, no, I don't!" Colonel Nose was utterly confused as to why Teach would ask such a question, but he did not dare forget his mission. After answering, he led Teach toward the Shichibukai meeting hall.

Along the way:

"Colonel, then do you know Crippling Strike?"

"No!"

"What about Dismember?"

"No!"

"Then..."

"Mr. Blackbeard, we're here. I have other duties to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave!" Colonel Nose brought Teach to the entrance of the meeting room and hurried away without another moment to spare.

"Zehahaha, what a boring Marine!" Teach shook his head, then pushed open the door and walked in.

The first thing he saw upon entering the meeting room was a massive table, with several chairs arranged around it. The other Shichibukai were seated there. Mihawk and the Pirate Empress had their eyes closed as they rested. Bartholomew Kuma was flipping through a book in his hands. Moria was stuffing food into his mouth like mad. As for Doflamingo, he was using his Devil Fruit power to control a Marine, making him fight his comrades.

"Zehahaha! You flashy bastard, your idea of fun is really low-class!" Teach rudely pulled out the chair beside Doflamingo and dropped his huge body into it.

"Fufufufu! Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach! From the sound of it, your idea of fun must be very sophisticated! But why did you betray that old bastard Whitebeard? Could you perhaps tell me the reason?" Doflamingo naturally noticed Teach beside him. After hearing the other man's mockery, Doflamingo refrained from acting out of wariness for his strength, instead using even sharper words to question Blackbeard.

"Zehahaha! What, do you think my business is yours to manage? I can't be bothered answering your questions! Why don't you go ask Whitebeard?" Teach's veins bulged as he heard Doflamingo's words, but the next second, he calmed down. He looked at Doflamingo with a smile that was not quite a smile, a flicker of killing intent passing through his eyes.

Damn it, he dared call Pops an old bastard. He'd better pray I never get the chance, or I'll tear him apart alive!

Just then, the meeting room doors were pushed open again, and a thin old woman walked in. She wore the Marines' distinctive cloak of justice, elderly yet imposing!

Teach narrowed his eyes. Marine HQ Vice Admiral and Chief of Staff, Tsuru!

"Doflamingo, I advise you to release your strings. Sakazuki is still at Marine HQ. If he finds out, I'm afraid you'll have quite the headache on your hands, won't you?" Tsuru sat in the seat of honor and spoke calmly to Doflamingo.

"Fufufufu! Vice Admiral Tsuru, there's no need to get so angry!" Doflamingo laughed as he withdrew the strings connected to that Marine. His gaze toward Tsuru was filled with deep wariness!

"Hmph!" Tsuru snorted coldly, then tapped the table. She slowly spoke to the Shichibukai seated before her.

"Everyone, the main reason you were summoned here is the public execution of Thatch, commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Fourth Division, seven days from now!"

At those words, Teach's fist beneath the table suddenly clenched tight!

"That idiot! Once we get back, I'll make him bake Cherry Pie for me nonstop for an entire week!!"