Faced with Blackbeard's mockery, Zoro knitted his brows deeply, a vein twitching at his temple.
He had caught the crucial detail in Blackbeard's words.
"When you said 'the last one'..." Zoro's voice was icy, his gaze sweeping over Blackbeard and the Lucci in his hand. "What did you mean?"
"What did I mean?" Blackbeard merely grinned, offering no direct answer.
Instead, Shiryu, who stood close to Zoro after their exchange, slowly exhaled a cloud of cigar smoke, amusement spreading across his sinister face.
"Exactly... what it sounds like, Roronoa."
"In other words... exactly what you're thinking."
He paused, then stepped forward, raising Raiu slightly, its edge reflecting the cold light off the sea.
"Speaking of which... I hope you can take more punishment than your other two friends." Shiryu grinned around his cigar.
"Black Leg Sanji and Knight of the Sea Jinbe... heh, they weren't nearly enough to keep me entertained.
A cook who just kicks wildly, and an aging Fish-Man... what a letdown."
The instant his words fell, Shiryu's figure blurred as though melting into the air, turning transparent before vanishing completely!
Even his presence seemed to have been erased. Only the faint scent of blood and cigar smoke lingering on the beach proved he had been there.
"Invisibility"-Shiryu's favorite trick since acquiring his Devil Fruit, eerie and almost impossible to guard against!
"Zehahaha! Now this'll be a good show!" Rather than stop him, Blackbeard grew even more excited.
He casually tossed the dying, barely conscious Lucci to Jesus Burgess beside him like a piece of trash.
Jesus Burgess caught him one-handed with a look of disgust, then pinned him beneath his foot.
Blackbeard found a reasonably flat reef rock and sat down with his legs spread, settling in to watch the show.
"Hey, Van Augur, Curse Doctor, wanna