"I am from the Sengoku."
Blackbeard's breathing quickened instantly.
Gasparde stood up straight, speaking quickly and steadily.
" Your Fleet Admiral, Fire Fist Ace has completed the handover. Blackbeard is awaiting his appointment."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Then the voice of the Sengoku rang out again, each word sounding as if squeezed out from between clenched teeth.
Marshall D. Teach.
In the name of the Shichibukai, you are permitted to exercise all the privileges of Shichibukai.
But remember--"
The tone of the Sengoku suddenly became more intense.
Don't play with fire.
If you are found to have crossed any lines, the Marine Headquarters will immediately revoke your appointment and place you on the highest-level wanted list.
"Hahaha! How could this be? How could this be!"
Blackbeard thumped his chest and guaranteed it, his laughter so loud the entire dock could be heard.
"I'm the most law-abiding person! I'll definitely fulfill my duties as Shichibukai!"
Sengoku did not respond to this insincere guarantee and hung up the Den Den Mushi immediately.
Gasparde handed Blackbeard an appointment letter stamped with the Marine Headquarters seal, his tone as curt as if he were reading a verdict:
"This is your letter of appointment."
From this day forward, you are one of the Shichibukai, enjoying all the powers granted to you by the World Government.
However, your activities are restricted; you may not—" without permission from headquarters.
"Okay, okay!"
Blackbeard snatched the appointment letter, stuffed it into his pocket without even glancing at it, and turned to walk towards his wrecked ship.
He took a few steps and then stopped, glancing back at the temporary prison deep in the harbor, a profound meaning flashing in his eyes that others could not understand.
Then he grinned and waved at Gasparde.
" Rear Admiral General, I'm off! Remember to treat me to a drink next time we meet!"
The wrecked ship sailed away from the port.
Gasparde stood on the dock, watching the wrecked ship sail away into the distance, and muttered a cold curse.
"Scumbag."
A naval officer standing nearby asked in a low voice,
"Sir, is this Blackbeard really reliable?"
"Reliable?"
Gasparde sneered.
"A person who kills his comrades and betrays his captain can never be trusted."
But this is a decision made by headquarters, and we can only follow it.
Less than fifteen minutes after the wrecked ship left the harbor, Blackbeard's maniacal laughter erupted.
"Thief! Hahahaha!"
He stood at the stern, his hands raised high, all ten fingers spread wide, and laughed loudly at the receding Marine Base.
The laughter echoed across the empty sea, startling a flock of seagulls into flight.
Step 1 - Done!
Blackbeard turned around, his back to the Marine Base, gazing at the vast ocean before him, his eyes filled with undisguised ambition.
Impel Down! Here I come!
"Just wait! Those monsters in the sixth basement level of Impel Down will all become my crew!"
Doc Q leaned against the mast and gave himself an injection; a sickly blush appeared on his pale face.
"Captain, Impel Down's defenses are notoriously tight."
The new warden, Magellan, is not someone to be trifled with.
"Hahaha!"
Blackbeard patted his chest.
"I possess the Dark-Dark Fruit; nothing can harm me!"
"Besides, I'm Shichibukai now!"
Blackbeard pointed to the half-exposed letter of appointment in his arms, his tone full of smugness.
" The Shichibukai entering Impel Down is a legal act! Who can stop me?"
That old bastard from the Sengoku just gave me special privileges, and I'm going to use those privileges to undermine him!
Doc Q was silent for a moment, then he laughed.
That smile, paired with his sickly face, was indescribably eerie.
The wrecked ship continued sailing towards Impel Down.
Blackbeard stood at the bow of the ship, already planning which prisoners he would recruit once Impel Down.
His calculations were shrewd—the six underground levels of Impel Down housed the most feared criminals of the World Government, and any one of them released would be a monster capable of wreaking havoc in the New World.
If he can pick out a few of the most ruthless ones, his Blackbeard Pirates could rise to the level of the Four Emperors overnight.
"Just you wait, Whitebeard."
Just you wait, Kaido.
Just you wait, Red Hair.
besides--"
Blackbeard lowered his voice, a flicker of fear and greed flashing in his eyes.
Roy.
Heavenly Dao Emperor.
"I'll take your seats sooner or later."
Just as Blackbeard was feeling smug, Roy was leisurely following him several kilometers away over the sea.
His Telekinesis: Barrier completely shielded his aura, making him appear like a silent ghost, suspended in the air currents between the clouds and the sea.
The sea breeze ruffled the hem of his cloak, but his expression was as calm as if he were taking a walk in his own backyard.
Roy calculated the distance in his mind.
Two kilometers. Three kilometers. Four kilometers.
The outline of the Marine Base had already blurred into a black dot on the horizon, and would disappear completely in a little while.
There were no ships on the surrounding sea, no naval reconnaissance planes in the sky, and only the monotonous sound of waves crashing against the reefs within a radius of dozens of nautical miles.
"A little further," Roy murmured to himself, his voice carried away by the sea breeze.
He extended his Observation Haki to its limit, confirming that there was no movement of any naval vessels within a radius of dozens of nautical miles.
The Marine Branch's warships are all anchored in the harbor, showing no signs of being deployed.
The Marine Base has completely disappeared below the horizon.
All that remained was the vast, boundless sea, its deep blue waters shimmering in the midday sun.
There was no boat, no people, and no witnesses.
The time has come.
Roy raised his right hand, slowly spreading his five fingers.
His Telekinesis surged forth, no longer restrained or concealed, and was released in the most violent way.
Blackbeard's ship suddenly stopped.
The entire ship seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand, pinned firmly to the surface of the sea.
The sails hung limply, the waves around the ship were still churning, but the ship itself remained motionless.
The sounds of splashing water, the howling sea breeze, and the hull of the ship colliding with the waves.
Everything was suppressed by an invisible force in that instant.
The sea was eerily quiet.
"What's going on?!"
Blackbeard whirled around, gripping the gunwale as he looked down. The seawater was still churning beneath the ship, but the vessel remained motionless.
His expression changed—having spent so many years in the New World, he knew all too well what such a bizarre sudden stop meant.
The clouds in the sky suddenly parted in all directions.
It wasn't blown open by the natural wind; rather, some immense force descended from the sky, forcibly squeezing a large hole in the clouds.
Sunlight poured down from the cave, casting a huge golden halo on the sea.
In the very center of the aperture, a figure plummeted like a meteorite.
The figure hurtled so fast it left a piercing whistling sound in the air, and just before hitting the sea, it abruptly stopped.
The powerful wind pressure exploded beneath his feet, creating a huge circular wave on the sea that spread wildly in all directions.
The waves were over ten meters high, pushing the seawater in all directions. When the nearest wave hit the side of the ship, the splash water sprayed Doc Q's face.
All eyes were drawn to the person hovering in mid-air.
The greyish-white cloak fluttered in the wind, the hood covering most of his face, revealing only his eyes.
Those eyes held no emotion whatsoever, as calm as if they were looking at a group of dead people.