At the harbor lay the flagship of the Blackbeard Pirates.
The Sword of Xebec had been converted from a gigantic raft.
With a grim expression, Marshall D. Teach, Blackbeard, carried the still-unconscious Lafitte onto the deck, his steps heavy and halting.
Once aboard, he showed no tenderness whatsoever. He walked over to the railing and dumped Lafitte onto the deck like a sack, with a heavy thud.
Lafitte gave a muffled groan. The impact seemed to restore a little of his awareness, but his eyes remained tightly shut, his breathing faint.
After all, his captain had just suffered a humiliating loss of face! This was no time to wake up!
The "Curse Doctor," Samuel Kronos, who had returned to the ship ahead of them to stand by and keep watch, hurried over.
His eerie green eyes first glanced at the bedraggled Lafitte on the deck.
Then he instinctively raised his head and looked toward Marine Headquarters, New Marineford, which still stood in imposing splendor beneath the lingering glow of the sunset.
His mind involuntarily returned to that terrifying surge of Haki he had faintly sensed from the harbor earlier.
The corners of his mouth twitched beneath his mask. Looking at Blackbeard, whose expression was dark enough to rain, he asked awkwardly,
"Captain Teach... you... you didn't fight 'Heavenquake' at Marine Headquarters, did you?"
"Huh?!"
Blackbeard shot him an irritated glance without answering directly.
Instead, he countered in a voice that barely suppressed his anger, his gaze cutting into Samuel like a knife.
"That Haki just now... you sensed it, didn't you?"
He paused, his tone growing even harsher.
"Why didn't you come?!"
The unspoken message was: I nearly got crushed to death down there by his Haki, and Lafitte passed out.
*As the strongest fighter left aboard, you sensed something