Earth's Lament

The entire battlefield fell silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the devastation wrought by Teach and the other two.

"Is this really power that humans can control?" A Rear Admiral looked at the scene before him and could not help swallowing hard.

"With an attack like that, even Commander Marco probably couldn't withstand it, right?" A pirate's throat went dry. He was a member of the Whitebeard Pirates' 1st Division and had joined the crew fairly early. Naturally, he knew that Teach had gone out to train, but he had never imagined that Teach's strength would improve so quickly!

"Teach!" Ace hurried to Teach's side. A few days ago, Teach had told him over the Den Den Mushi that he would act as an undercover agent within the Marines' ranks and deal them a crushing blow! Yet because of Ace's carelessness, Teach had been exposed so early. Ace was consumed by guilt.

"Zehahaha! Commander Ace, long time no see!" Teach spread his long, thin arms and gave Ace a reunion hug. However, his thick chest hair made Ace slightly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, it's been a long time! You're so strong now! I never thought that I, the commander of the 2nd Division, wouldn't even be able to beat my own Deputy Captain!" The two were extremely close, practically the best of friends! At that moment, they even forgot this was a battlefield, immersed in the joy of their reunion.

"Blackbeard Teach, what a brilliant scheme you had!" Sengoku said through gritted teeth from the high platform. That bastard Blackbeard had accepted the title of Shichibukai and exploited the privileges it brought to reap who knew how many benefits! And now, you were telling him you were an undercover agent!

I finally trusted you once, and you made me lose so completely! Damn it!

"Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach? Is he your son too? But he doesn't seem to be one of the commanders of the 16th Division, does he?" Seeing that Ace was unharmed, Garp's mood brightened considerably.

"Gurararara! Of course he's my son! He's the Deputy Captain of our 2nd Division! Though he's only the Deputy Captain, his strength had long since reached commander level! After going out to train, even I couldn't see through his strength anymore!" Whitebeard boasted proudly to Garp. Of course, he knew that Garp's son was the World Government's greatest enemy, the leader of the Revolutionary Army! He also knew this was Garp's greatest heartache!

"Hmph! I really don't know where an old bastard like you got such good luck!" Garp muttered, his tone filled with envy toward Whitebeard. He too wanted to enjoy family life with his children, but his one son and two grandsons had all stood against him. It truly gave him a headache!

Just as Teach and Ace were chatting cheerfully, a scorching heat slowly emerged around them!

"Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach? I never expected you to dare betray the Marines! As expected, pirates will always be pirates! This so-called Shichibukai title is nothing but a joke!" A stern voice sounded beside Teach's ear. Then the ground slowly cracked apart, red magma surging from the fissures!

Sensing danger, Teach instantly shielded Ace behind him!

"Teach, I'm still your commander, you know. I can fight too! At the very least, I can protect myself, right?" Ace said weakly from behind Teach.

"Zehahaha! Commander, his Magma-Magma Fruit is superior to yours! With your current strength, there's no way you can defeat Akainu! Go help the others first. Leave Akainu to me!" Thick black mist appeared around Teach's hands. Slowly, his entire body became shrouded in darkness! Then he gave a cold smile. "Boys, no need to keep up the act!"

The moment Teach finished speaking, everyone in the Blackbeard Pirates immediately dropped their disguises and began swiftly slaughtering the Marines around them!

Just how strong were Laffitte and the others? Listen to the even more intense screams echoing across the battlefield!

"Fine! Then be careful on your own!" Ace opened his mouth, but could find no reason to argue. As a Supernova from years ago, he had always been proud and unruly, yet now he suddenly felt a trace of helplessness!

It seemed that, long ago, he had always been the one protecting everyone else...

"Hmph! You're just two heinous pirates! There's no need to rush. I will personally eliminate you! Neither of you will escape!" Akainu finally appeared before Teach. His body, over three meters tall, was covered in blazing magma. Every so often, a drop of magma fell to the ground, leaving behind another crater!

"Zehahaha! Admiral Sakazuki, this is our first meeting. No need to be so tense, right?" Teach looked at the man before him, countless complicated emotions rising within his heart.

In truth, everything Akainu did was right for someone in his position! He was a dutiful yet utterly uncompromising Admiral!

But I am a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. That is my home, and you want to destroy it! For that alone, we must fight to the death!

"You're nothing but evil pirates! I have nothing to say to you! Take this!" Akainu did not continue speaking with Teach. His right fist became coated in magma, and in the next second, he vanished from where he stood!

"On the right!"

Teach's Observation Haki, strengthened countless times by the system, instantly issued a warning. Teach swiftly turned, activating the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit and meeting Akainu head-on!

"Dark Water!"

"Dogtooth Crimson Lotus!"

A vortex of darkness appeared in Teach's hand, directly confronting Akainu's dog-head-shaped magma!

"Bang!"

Their attacks collided in a spectacular clash, neither gaining the upper hand! But the Dark-Dark Fruit was the nemesis of Devil Fruits!

"How is this possible?! Why can't I feel the power of the Devil Fruit inside me?!" The instant their attacks collided, Akainu felt as though the Magma-Magma Fruit within him had vanished!

"Not good!"

A battle-hardened veteran, Akainu possessed immense combat experience. Naturally, he understood that without his Devil Fruit ability, using his flesh-and-blood body to clash directly with Blackbeard's Devil Fruit power meant only one thing: he would lose!

"Armament!"

Powerful Armament Haki surged over Akainu's fist. The next second...

"Crack!"

"Aah!"

Akainu screamed as he was sent flying! He slid more than ten meters across the ground before barely coming to a stop!

"Zehahaha! Admiral Akainu, with the Marines' intelligence capabilities, don't tell me you didn't know I was a dual Devil Fruit user?" Teach's left hand still swirled with dense darkness, while his right hand clenched into a fist as a white shockwave appeared around it!

"Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit!" Akainu rose to his feet, his eyes filled with rage as he looked at Teach.

Although that strike had not dealt him much damage, before everyone's eyes, he, one of Marine HQ's three Admirals and its foremost combat powers, had actually been sent flying! He was not Kizaru—he still had some pride to maintain!

Sengoku, standing on the execution platform, naturally noticed everything. He had not expected Sakazuki to be the one at a disadvantage in their very first exchange!

Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, before issuing another order!

"All forces, fall back and carry out the next phase of the plan!"

The instant Sengoku finished speaking, every Marine on the battlefield, including the Admirals and the Shichibukai, rapidly forced back their opponents before retreating into Marine HQ!

Just as everyone was wondering what was happening, Teach's expression suddenly changed drastically. "Quick, charge through!"

But no one reacted in time. They froze for a few seconds!

In those few seconds, countless steel plates suddenly appeared from the towering walls around them, sealing them inside!

"Trapped beasts?" Whitebeard looked at the thick steel plates surrounding them and could not help sighing. "As expected of you, Sengoku!"

"Zehahaha! You think this can trap us?" Irritation rose in Teach's heart. Then, amid dense black smoke, the white shockwave around Teach's right fist slowly darkened!

"Earth's Lament!"