Meanwhile on Banaro Island, four men walked through the village. "We should have those Strawhats bounties, if it was not for that knock-upstream," Augur remarked.
"Wiiihahaha. I would have crushed them," Burgess said.
"The Love Pirates was also there at the end," Laffititte added.
"Zehaha. There is something different about them," Blackbeard remarked.
"They are weak, we can crush them," Burgess said as he flexed his large muscles.
"We might, we might not. Ben the Demon King, his devil fruit," Blackbeard said. "Zehaha," he laughed. "Let's get them all," he added.
"Let's go," Burgess said. They all marched ahead.
"Hold it Teach," Ace said as appeared on top of a roof top.
Blackbeard smiled. "Oh Ace Commander," Blackbeard said.
"Don't call me Commander after all this time, that word is meant to be reserved for people that respect you," Ace responded.
"Oh so you must be Fire Fist Ace," Laffitte commented as he walked towards Ace.
"Yeah that is me, nice to meet you," Ace responded. He looked at Blackbeard. "I see you've already become a great captain in your own right," Ace added.
"Is that not right Captain Marshall D. Teach of the Blackbeard Pirates?" Ace questioned.
"Zehaha," he laughed. "Ace, I have not seen you in ages," Blackbeard added. "So what is the deal? How did you know I was here?" he asked.
"Teach let's cut the idle talk. You should know the rules, having lived twice as much as others," Ace said as he cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah I get it," Blackbeard responded. "But I want to ask you something? Why don't you join my crew?" Blackbeard asked.
Ace looked at him. He glared at Whitebeard.
"I have a plan to take over the world. I will raise up the ranks, take over Whitebeard's rein and then became Pirate King," Blackbeard said. "For starters, we are going to kill Strawhat Luffy who is in Water 7. I thought Alvida the Iron Mace might be better but they have Ben the Demon King in that crew as well but together we can kill them," Blackbeard said.
"Luffy and Ben, did you say?" Ace asked.
"Oh you know them?" Blackbeard asked.
"Another reason I can't let you go free," Ace responded.
"Luffy is my brother and Ben is their friend," Ace added. "There is no way I am going to let you go," Ace said.
At that moment, Augur aimed his rifle and shot at Ace. The bullet went through the air and hit Ace and went through him. Ace`s body was in flames.
"Damn," Blackbeard remarked.
"One of you men could be taught a lesson in manners," Ace laughed. "Fire Gun," Ace said as he pointed the index and middle fingers of both hands at Augur like guns. He then turned his fingertips into fire and shoots bullets made of compressed flame from them. The bullets went towards Augur.
Augur quickly dashed to the right avoiding all the flaming bullets. He looked at Ace as he dodged the attack.
At that moment, Burgess picked up a building. The building was a small hotel and threw it at Ace. "Take this," Burgess shouted.
"Flame Pillar," Ace said as he started to gather the flames he created and shot it straight upward. The flames went towards the hotel and completely destroyed it. There was a large flame pillar.
The derby from the destroyed hotel went everywhere. Blackbeard dodged out of the way. "Augur, Burgess. Keep outta of this," Blackbeard remarked. "You don't stand a chance against that man. Stay back," he yelled.
"Sorry," Burgess responded.
"Fire Fist," Ace as he turned his fist into flames and launched it as a dense column of fire at the three on the ground. Augur, Burgess and Blackbeard got hit by the attack and went flying back.
Blackbeard's chest caught on fire as he tried to roll around. "Captain," Augur and Burgess said. They rushed to help Blackbeard.
"Hot, hot, hot," Blackbeard said as he rolled on the ground.
Ace walked slowly towards Blackbeard. "Give me space," Blackbeard said as he panted.
Ace looked at Blackbeard who got up and laughed. "I get it Ace. You are trying to kill me. I did kill the 4th Division Commander. I didn't have a choice. He got his hands on the Devil Fruit that I had my sight on," Blackbeard explained. He added, "The ship`s rule was that whoever found the fruit could eat it, remember."
Blackbeard got on his knees. "I had memorized every devil fruit in the book so I knew it," he added. "I would have given up a fortune for this but that fruit fell into my friend's hand," he explained.
"So then you killed Thatch and stole it," Ace asked.
"Well that's how the ball bounces," Blackbeard responded. ""Zehaha. This devil fruit has made me the most powerful person out there," he added.
"Looks, it's rare even for a logia type," Blackbeard said as his hand started to emit black ash. It was as if darkness appeared on his hand. Blackbeard then erupted a black pillar of darkness or black smoke behind him. "Your devil fruit is fire, mine is darkness," he said.
"Darkness?" Ace asked.
"Yes, darkness, it is said to be the most evil power in Devil Fruit History," Blackbeard explained as the black smoke came out from his body. He let more darkness out and it went everywhere. It went along the ground and into the foundations of the building nearby. The black smoke looked like it was crawling on the ground. The pitch black nature of the smoke made the ground look like it had a hole.
"Darkness is gravity. It has the power to pull everything in," Blackbeard explained. "Not even light can escape it," he laughed.
"Blackhole," Blackbeard said as the darkness on the ground became more active. The sky became black. All of a sudden buildings in the darkness started to crumble. The wood split in half and broke into two. Entire building started to topple over into the darkness. The sounds of buildings crashing could be heard. The darkness started to devour the whole town.
Ace watched as the entire town disappeared into the darkness until there was nothing left besides the ground where the town once stood. Blackbeard absorbed the entire darkness into his fist.
"Now watch to see what the town has become," Blackbeard said. "Liberation," he added. A black smoke pillar appeared above him. All of a sudden pieces of wood, concrete were being thrown out. Pieces of building came flying out. There was a large dust cloud. The dust cloud settled leaving the shattered and broken buildings everywhere.
"This is the power I have obtained. Do you get it Ace?" he asked.
"Firefly," Ace said as he created many small, glowing greenish-yellow fireballs that float around Blackbeard. "Fiery Doll," Ace added as the small fireballs near Blackbeard ignited and all attacked Blackbeard at once.
Blackbeard got hit with the attack. He screamed in pain as the fire burnt him. Blackbeard dropped to the ground and rolled around in pain. "That burns," Blackbeard said.
"I understand your power. However if it is a logia these attacks should go right through?" Ace asked.
At that moment, the darkness appeared from the body and absorbed all the flames. Blackbeard panted. "I already told you, darkness draws everything. Unlike the rest of you. I don't get the option of letting stuff pass through me," Blackbeard responded as the darkness started to appear on his back. "My body feels worse pain than the average person in every way possible," he added. "But in exchange for that pain, I am able to absorb," he said.
"Vortex," Blackbeard said as he held his hand out. The darkness swirled around his palm. "To be exact, it has the power to be drawn in a Devil Fruit power holder`s physical body.
Ace felt the gravity. He was pulled towards Blackbeard. His hat fell off. Ace went flying towards him. Blackbeard grabbed him. "Well have you figured it out?" Blackbeard said.
"It can't be," Ace said. Blackbeard then smiled and punched Ace in the gut. Ace got hit and spat blood as he went flying back and crashed into a building.
Blackbeard laughed. Ace landed on his butt and looked at Blackbeard. "Another thing my darkness absorbs is Devil Fruit powers," he explained.
"I have the power to counter logia, paramecia and zoans. In a world where people are reliant on their Devil Fruit, I can take it away," Blackbeard laughed.
"So as long as I don't get touched," Ace muttered.
"Vortex," Blackbeard said as he held his hand out. The darkness swirled around his palm. The gravity around his body got more intense.
Ace once again flew towards Blackbeard. "Saint Elmo's Fire," Ace said in mid air. He hurled long lances made out of fire at Blackbeard. The lances hit Blackbeard and burnt his body.
At the same time. Blackbeard punched Ace. Ace spat blood out and was flunk back once again. He hit a building. Ace thought his back was hurting. He thought his new power would be a pain. He had to end it quickly. "Crossfire," Ace said as he put his index fingers together in a cross shape before launching a cross-shaped column of fire directly at Blackbeard.
Blackbeard smiled and got hit by the flames. There was a loud explosion. A dust cloud was created. Ace then lunged at Blackbeard. Blackbeard swung his fist and punched Ace. They both got hit and went flying back.
Ace landed on the ground and was panting. "Ace, I like your power, join my crew," Blackbeard said as he got up.
"If I yield to power, there is no point being born a man," Ace replied.
"Then die in darkness," Blackbeard said as his darkness was everywhere.
"Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor," Ace said as he created a large, swirling fire centered around him. He then focused it at the palm of his hand. Ace turned it into a gigantic fireball and hurled it at Blackbeard.
"The Sun or Darkness there can only be one winner," Blackbeard as he threw his fist. Ace threw his attack. There was a large explosion as the two sides clashed. A huge dust cloud was created.
Ace went flying back and he landed on his back unconscious.