"Blackbeard! What the hell are you trying to do?!"
"Zehahahaha! Captain Ace, you should just be a good boy and go with the Marines!"
"Pops is already here! I don't know why he came here, but I know you won't come to a good end!"
"That's nothing for you to worry about, Captain Ace! Who knows how much longer that old man Whitebeard has left to live! Zehahaha!"
"What do you mean?! Blackbeard! Answer me! Black-ugh!"
Hearing Blackbeard say that, Ace immediately grew unsettled. He didn't understand why Blackbeard would say such a thing, much less where he had found the nerve, but he instinctively felt a sense of foreboding, as though something had happened without his knowledge.
But the Marine Vice Admiral didn't let Ace finish. He drove a fist straight into his stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
Clearly, this Marine probably followed Akainu's path and had an extremely hostile attitude toward pirates.
Having found his target, the Vice Admiral wasted no more words and turned to leave. He hadn't exchanged a single word with Blackbeard the entire time. One look was enough to tell him this black bastard was no good, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist arresting him too, though he knew he probably couldn't take down someone ruthless enough to defeat Ace...
Watching the Vice Admiral's retreating back, Blackbeard's smile gradually faded. In truth, he wasn't nearly as calm as he appeared. He was deeply tormented inside.
Ever since he had seen Whitebeard appear here, he had realized things seemed to have slipped beyond his control. He truly couldn't understand why Whitebeard still wouldn't settle down at his age.
He had originally planned to abandon the meeting with the Marines and flee, but unexpectedly, the Marines had contacted him