The smile on Blackbeard's face froze completely.
He stared fixedly at Gern, his jaw clenched. As captain, he should have been the first to move.
But... the truth was-
Even gravely wounded, with his breathing unsteady, the absolute intimidation of "Heavenquake," who stood above all living beings,
Was not something his hastily assembled band of "companions," each with his own hidden agenda, could easily shake!
At that thought, Blackbeard's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the body nearby, which still radiated an oppressive presence.
Perhaps the title of World's Strongest had never truly left him.
Originally, he had coveted Gern's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, whose power had made heaven and earth pale, as well as the chance to reclaim Black Blade: Eight Desolations.
After all, he had been watching in secret the whole time and had already witnessed the fruit's power.
If he could exploit this moment of weakness and seize it in one stroke, his ambitions would gain unprecedented support!
Deep down, his perfect plan had been to take all three: the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and Black Blade: Eight Desolations.
At the same time, he would kill Gern and cause the Marines' presence in the New World to collapse!
Then he would simply take over all of Whitebeard's and Gern's territories!
The plan had been perfect, but reality dealt him a crushing blow.
Even if Gern was at the end of his strength, the price of taking him on was still more than Blackbeard could afford.
In other words, if Gern wanted to kill him now, cutting through an entire army to take his head would only cost him a little time.
And so, after weighing his options in an instant, Blackbeard's treacherous, cautious nature led him to the decision that best served his immediate interests.
*Forget Gern. Stick to the