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Meanwhile, on a small town somewhere in the Grand Line, a group of men was slowly making their way toward the center of the island.
Leading them was a rugged-looking man with white bandages wrapped around both arms and legs.
Behind him, on the left, was a grim-faced figure radiating an oppressive heat—like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Further back followed a swordsman with thick bandages coiled tightly around his neck.
Without question, this was none other than the Blackbeard Pirates, who had escaped from Marineford.
After their defeat in the Paramount War, their bodies bore serious injuries that would take time to heal.
Not long ago, they had clashed with several other pirate crews, enduring brief but fierce battles.
Yet they had come out victorious every time, and thanks to that, their crew had expanded significantly.
"Zehahahaha! This town looks pretty peaceful!"
Marshall D. Teach let out a hearty laugh as he gazed toward the bustling city ahead.
"You're not planning to stir up trouble here, are you?" Sakazuki asked coldly from the side.
"Do I look like an idiot to you?" Teach chuckled. "If we're going to make a big move, it has to be after we've recovered."
He paused, his eyes glinting as he stared toward the town, smiling faintly. "We came here for a reason—based on something we heard from that pirate crew we ran into."
The others quickly caught on. Shiryu gave a low chuckle. "You're talking about that escapee from Impel Down?"
"Exactly."
"If my guess is right, the one with the power to enlarge and shrink objects is none other than the infamous 'World Destroyer'..."
"Douglas Bullet?"
"No," Teach's eyes flashed. "I'm talking about Byrnndi World!"
"So you're after his ability?" Van Augur asked.
"Zehahahaha!" Teach laughed. "Our plan to capture Arashi failed. Whitebeard's been thrown into Impel Down. Of the strong abilities still roaming this world…"
He narrowed his eyes. "Brynndi's power fits me best."
Teach never chose Devil Fruits randomly. Byrnndi's Momo Momo no Mi could amplify the size, speed, and power of anything it affected.
If Teach could combine that amplification with another Devil Fruit, he might just reach the same level as Arashi or even Whitebeard.
One fruit wasn't enough. But two fruits working together—that was power.
"Steal his ability?" Sakazuki glanced at Teach, his eyes questioning.
"You'll understand soon, Sakazuki," Teach grinned.
His power to steal Devil Fruits was the most dangerous weapon in the world—and the foundation for any grand ambition.
The group soon arrived at the town and, after wandering briefly, entered a dimly lit bar.
It was obvious that the customers here weren't ordinary citizens—each one exuded the unmistakable air of a pirate.
"This town's a pirate hub of sorts," Lafitte murmured.
"There he is," Doc Q pointed.
At a shadowy corner, a grizzled man sat drinking alone. He wore a horned helmet, and a thick beard framed his lips.
His face was emotionless and distant, like he didn't belong—perhaps still dazed after his recent escape from prison.
"Let's have a drink with him first. He's an old-timer, after all," Teach chuckled good-naturedly.
Sakazuki, face cold, sat silently at a nearby table, watching the unfolding drama.
Lafitte approached first with a drink in hand.
"Get lost." Byrnndi glanced up, his eyes sharp as blades, and spat the word coldly.
"No need to be so hostile, old man!" Lafitte smiled. "We grew up hearing stories of your glory."
Byrnndi narrowed his eyes, scanning the group. "You've heard of me?"
"Of course!"
"Zehahahaha! Who hasn't heard of the great 'World Breaker' Bundy Byrnndi?" Teach acted excited and full of admiration.
"That name's long gone," Byrnndi muttered, shaking his head. "Not many of my old friends are still alive today."
Fresh out of prison, he hadn't had time to seek his former crewmates. He didn't even know if they were still alive.
Wandering this world alone was a suffocating loneliness. After so many years in a dark, damp cell, the outside world felt foreign and even a bit terrifying.
The group's respectful attitude eased his guard. "And who might you be?"
Teach grinned wide. "I'm Marshall D. Teach."
"Lafitte."
"Van Augur."
One by one, they quickly introduced themselves, each showing respect for the elder pirate.
"Never heard of you," Byrnndi frowned, thinking hard, then shook his head.
"Of course you haven't," Teach chuckled.
"We only just formed our pirate crew—not famous yet. Just a group of nobodies right now."
"You're the captain?" Byrnndi glanced at the rugged man before him. Teach nodded.
"A man like you can't survive as a pirate by being honest. You need to learn to be more cunning," Byrnndi advised.
At this, the others visibly flinched, trying to hide their smirks. Teach kept up the act, nodding obediently.
"Thank you for the wisdom, elder." He moved closer and had Lafitte pour them drinks. Soon, the two sat face-to-face.
"I admire you greatly," Teach said, voice rising with passion. "I'd like to invite you to join our pirate crew. With your help, we'll conquer the world together!"
As he spoke, his spit flew, landing on Byrnndi's face and beard. The older man's expression darkened as he wiped it off in disgust.
"I'm not interested in anything you're saying. Get lost."
Teach looked stunned, then slowly stood, his face twisting with disappointment.
"I really thought we could build a new era together..." he said. "But I see now—you just don't believe in our strength."
He gripped his drink tightly, his expression turning bitter and angry. "Such a shame!"
Byrnndi remained calm, even showing scorn in his eyes. "I've seen your kind before—newcomers full of themselves because of a bit of power. Dreaming of world domination. But you're nowhere near ready."
Teach's anger boiled over, his eyes turning bloodshot. Then suddenly, the fury vanished from his face.
Byrnndi sneered. He figured Teach was nothing more than a hot-headed rookie—not worth worrying about.
"Leave me. I'm trying to drink in peace."
Teach's eyes narrowed. A cold smile crept across his lips. "If you won't join us," he said slowly, "then I guess we'll just have to take care of you here and now."
With that, he slammed the glass onto the table.
CRACK!
It shattered instantly.
At once, Van Augur, Lafitte, and the others raised their heads, their faces no longer friendly.
"The show's over," Lafitte said coldly. "Time to move, Boss Teach." Teach snorted. His right hand clenched tightly.
Buzz!
A black vortex swirled around him, engulfing him in ominous darkness. "Such a waste of my acting skills," he sighed.
Byrnndi's eyes narrowed, cold light gleaming within. "You want to challenge me? You're just a bunch of rookies—not even worth the effort!"
But the very next moment, his expression changed drastically. A long blade, from who knows where, pierced straight through his abdomen—its tip bursting from his back and slicing the table in two.
"Ambush!!" Byrnndi roared, trying to turn around.
The blade withdrew quickly, trailing blood behind. "Heeheehee, looks like you've gotten slow, old man," came a mocking voice.
Only now did Byrnndi realize—this wasn't just the few men in front of him. "You came for me?"
Teach grinned. "I'll gladly accept your Devil Fruit."
Byrnndi's eyes filled with rage. Clutching the bloody hole in his stomach, he realized he had underestimated them.
After decades away from the world, the new generation of pirates had grown far more cunning.
"You want to fight me?" he roared. "Then be ready to pay with your lives!"
Like thunder, his low growl shook the bar. In the next instant, his body moved.
His muscles flexed, sealing his wound and halting the blood loss. Almost instantly, he closed the distance to Teach.
But just as fast, Teach raised his hand—a dark vortex swirling between his fingers.
Buzz!
In a flash, the two clashed. Byrnndi's face twisted in shock.
"Zehahahaha!"
"It's already over, old man!" Teach roared with laughter.
At that moment, the others joined the attack.
"Hellhound!"
Molten magma surged forth, blasting through half of Byrnndi's body from behind. The once-quiet bar exploded into chaos.
"It's Marshall D. Teach!"
"The Blackbeard Pirates!"
"Former Marine Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Run!!"
Panicked cries echoed. Byrnndi stood frozen, blood pouring from his mouth and nose as his consciousness faded. He had never imagined... that this would be how he died.
As they spoke, they glanced at Sakazuki. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the group, still puzzled about what they were doing.
Lafitte then pulled out a black cloth and used it to cover Marshall D. Teach and the corpse of Byrnndi.
Sakazuki couldn't see what was happening underneath, but a sense of unease gripped him. His gaze grew sharp and heavy.
"Stealing…?"
"Could it be that he's found a way to steal someone else's Devil Fruit ability?"
Moments later, realization struck Sakazuki like a bolt of lightning.
His expression changed dramatically. Just then, the black cloth was pulled away. Marshall D. Teach emerged, laughing heartily as he clenched his right hand slowly.
"As I expected… this ability suits me perfectly! It may not match the world-ending destructive power of Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit…"
"But it's given me tremendous strength all the same! Zehahahahaha!"
Lafitte and the others looked on in excitement. "Boss Teach! Show us what you can do!"
"Yeah! Do it! That guy was once the World Destroyer, the terror who nearly annihilated Mary Geoise!"
Hearing that, Marshall D. Teach let out a booming laugh. "Of course!"
With a flick of his hand, a bullet the size of a fingertip appeared between his fingers.
He pinched it between his thumb and forefinger. With a soft pop, he flicked it into the air with sudden force.
The moment the bullet flew out, everyone could see it visibly grow—rapidly swelling from its tiny form into the size of a cannonball within the blink of an eye.
Then, it expanded again—becoming a massive shell nearly ten meters wide. But that still wasn't the end.
The bullet had only flown a dozen meters before it suddenly surged in size once more.
It pierced through the bar's wall ahead, expanded again, and transformed into an enormous shell over a hundred meters in diameter.
"W-Whoa!!" Lafitte yelled in awe. The sheer size of the projectile was terrifying. Teach laughed wildly, his eyes fixed curiously on the massive shell.
"Fwoooosh!"
The colossal cannonball shot off into the distance, vanishing in a flash before slamming into the center of a nearby town.
"BOOM!!!"
A massive explosion rang out. Scorching flames roared into the sky. A shockwave swept through everything nearby, destroying buildings in an instant.
The blast had struck the heart of the town. People didn't even have time to react—those closest to the epicenter were immediately incinerated.
Even those farther away were engulfed by the spreading flames and shockwave—either killed or severely wounded.
Lafitte's eyes widened at the sight of the giant red mushroom cloud. He burst into crazed laughter.
"Hahahahaha! That was glorious! A true natural disaster!"
The entire Blackbeard Pirates roared with laughter, their twisted grins illuminated by the inferno. Their expressions grew more and more sinister in the firelight.
Sakazuki stood quietly, eyes narrowing at the flames ahead, then shifting to Marshall D. Teach.
"This guy…He stole Byrnndi's ability?"
A dual Devil Fruit user! He had seen one before—Arashi, suspected of possessing two, possibly even three fruits. The power he displayed was overwhelming.
"Could Teach also grow into a monster like Arashi…?" For the first time, Sakazuki recognized the true threat that was Marshall D. Teach.
Back during the battle for the title of Fleet Admiral, his own ability had been countered.
His old injuries hadn't fully healed, and he was ultimately exhausted and defeated.
But if he had been at full strength, he didn't believe he would have lost. Still, now that Teach had taken the Momo Momo Fruit from Byrnndi, Sakazuki couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Zehahahaha! They say Byrnndi pushed this fruit's ability to its limit, amplifying its destructive force a hundredfold."
"A full hundred times... impressive, but not enough for me. I'll make it even stronger! Strong enough to one day defeat that monster, Arashi!"
His voice echoed across the town, now reduced to rubble.
Countless pirates and civilians stared in terror at the dozen figures standing in the midst of the devastation.
The cruelty of these men was now etched deep in their hearts.
...
—On a remote island—
"Bang!"
A muffled collision rang out. A figure was sent flying backward at high speed.
"Did you feel that, Ace? Haki is about deeply sensing yourself… and everything around you." Arashi said with a smile.
"Of course! I'll master it soon!" Ace shouted back.
That serpentine flow of energy coursed across his body and even within it, alerting him that the same presence had been lying dormant inside him all along.
"Now, I just have to draw it out… Then I'll awaken my Haki!" He closed his eyes slightly, murmuring to himself.
At that moment, Arashi attacked again. But Ace didn't open his eyes.
A sudden jolt flashed through his mind, and an image appeared—a vision of a figure launching a punch toward him.
His eyes snapped open, and a smile formed on his lips. Arashi's fist was aimed at his abdomen. But in the vision just now, it had been headed for his face.
"I saw it!" Ace declared. His body shifted, moving his head to the side.
A second later, Arashi's punch grazed past Ace's afterimage and froze in the air.
"Observation Haki? I didn't expect you to grasp it this fast." Arashi said in surprise, withdrawing his fist.
Truth be told, Ace's strength had long since reached the threshold for awakening Haki—it was unclear why he hadn't grasped it sooner.
But his solid foundations were now helping accelerate his progress.
"So this… is Observation Haki." Ace closed his eyes once again, smiling with clarity.
An expression of understanding crossed his face. He finally realized why facing opponents with Haki had always felt like an insurmountable gap.
"It's about sensing everything around you…and predicting what comes next." Even that alone would boost his strength by a significant margin.
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