On level ground in the heart of Egghead Island.
With a thunderous crash, Blackbeard's body
plowed a deep furrow dozens of meters long through the ground before finally coming to a stop.
"Ugh... aaah...!!!"
Blackbeard curled up on the ground, screaming and groaning in utter agony.
Both hands clutched the spot on his waist and abdomen where Luffy's "White Whip" had struck.
The side effect of the Dark-Dark Fruit's strange properties
made him suffer twice the pain even as it absorbed the damage!
Luffy's "White Whip," coated in top-tier Armament Haki, had already packed terrifying power.
Now all that pain erupted inside Blackbeard at twice its strength, ravaging him!
"It hurts... it hurts so much!!!"
"You bastard!!!"
Blackbeard's face twisted. The pain left him almost unable to think, and all he could do was roll on the ground and howl.
But the Dark-Dark Fruit's damage absorption soon took effect. After ten-odd seconds, the pain slowly began to ease-or rather, he began to adjust to it.
Just then, a nimble figure wreathed in white awakening flame clouds landed in front of Blackbeard.
Luffy stood in Gear Fifth, with white hair and white eyebrows, white awakening flame clouds curling around him as he quietly watched Blackbeard struggle on the ground.
Panting and struggling, Blackbeard propped up his upper body with his arms and raised his head, catching sight of Luffy's strange appearance.
"Zeh... zehahaha..."
"That fruit of yours... really does... look pretty good!"
Blackbeard licked the bloody foam from the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixed firmly on Luffy.
"If I pull this off, even if I don't use it myself, the World Government will pay a hefty price for it!"
"Is that so?" Luffy's voice was flat, betraying neither anger nor pleasure.
He didn't understand the covetous desire for the