Blackbeard's pain and injuries were completely drowned out by his hatred and fury. How miserable did the Blackbeard Pirates look before him? Who could have imagined that, just days ago, the mighty Four Emperors crew had run rampant through the New World, forcing even the Marines to give them a wide berth while nations knelt to welcome them—yet in the blink of an eye, they had been reduced to this battered, broken state?
"What are you doing?" Blackbeard turned to glance at his subordinates, pointed at Uchiha Hikaru, and roared, "Do you see that? That brat has already been badly wounded by me! He isn't a god or a monster—he's just a mortal! What are you so afraid of? Get up! Go fight!"
Yet Blackbeard's roar did not ignite his subordinates' fighting spirit. Instead, it sent the pirates crawling backward in even greater terror. Some even screamed as they jumped into the sea, simply so they would not have to meet Uchiha Hikaru's eyes again.
"You... have you all gone mad?" Blackbeard roared furiously.
However, Blackbeard failed to notice that even the officers at his side had begun to show fear in their eyes. At this point in the war, the Blackbeard Pirates had never been a match for the combined forces of several major powers. Having endured such immense pressure while fighting, they had been steadily worn down. Given the current situation, no matter how powerful Blackbeard was, there was no way he could turn things around.
Retreating was already the wisest choice.
But no one dared say it aloud. Blackbeard had gone blood-crazy; if anyone mentioned retreat at a time like this, Blackbeard might kill them on the spot.
"Heh heh!" A mocking laugh rang out from the sky. Then that faint golden light suddenly flashed, tracing a