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Thatch thought Teach had truly repented and hurried forward to help him up.
However, he was stunned when he saw Teach's cold, ruthless smile. Before he could react, a sharp pain tore through his abdomen.
A steel claw, formed by three blades, had pierced directly into Thatch's stomach.
With a brutal twist, Teach ripped the claw out, bringing with it a spray of blood, flesh, and even fragments of internal organs.
Standing to the side, Ace had never expected Teach to attack Thatch so suddenly and viciously. Enraged, he shouted as flames erupted around his right fist, striking toward Teach.
Teach, however, remained calm. He kicked the gravely injured Thatch aside and coated his steel claw in a dense layer of Armament Haki, directly blocking Ace's attack.
Ace clenched his teeth, realizing that Teach's true strength was far beyond what he had previously displayed. Looks like Byakuya wasn't lying to me, he thought.
Teach let out a sinister laugh. "Captain Ace, surprised by my strength? Did you think a brat like you deserved to be the Second Division Commander if not for the Yami Yami no Mi?"
Ace quickly assessed the situation. Teach wouldn't be easy to take down in a short fight, so he chose not to engage recklessly. With a sudden burst, he spewed scorching flames at Teach, using the moment Teach dispelled the fire to rush to Thatch's side.
Thatch's abdomen had a deep, circular wound so severe that Ace could see the damaged internal organs inside. It was clear that Teach had intended to kill him with that strike.
Ace quickly tore his shirt into strips, wrapping the wound to slow the bleeding. But given the severity of the injury, such makeshift treatment was barely helpful.
Teach didn't attack immediately but stepped forward, demanding, "Where did you hide the Yami Yami no Mi? If you don't hand it over, none of you are leaving here alive!"
Thatch, his expression darkened, looked at the man who was once his trusted brother, now a stranger. "Is the Yami Yami no Mi worth it? More important than the brotherhood we've shared for over twenty years? More important than Pops?"
Hearing this, Teach burst into maniacal laughter. "Hahaha! I stayed in the Whitebeard Pirates for twenty-six years, all for the chance to obtain the Yami Yami no Mi! Compared to it, your lives are worthless! And don't talk to me about Whitebeard! Calling that old man 'Pops' for over twenty years nearly made me sick!"
Teach knew the terrifying power of the Yami Yami no Mi and its unique abilities. He was certain that he could immediately rise to a level comparable to the Four Emperors once he obtained it. And if he used its special abilities to acquire another Devil Fruit as strong as the Gura Gura no Mi, he would have the power to challenge Whitebeard head-on. When that time came, the entire sea would bow before him.
For this goal, he was willing to risk being hunted by the Whitebeard Pirates and betraying Both Thatch and Ace.
Hearing Teach insult Whitebeard right before them, Thatch and Ace could no longer suppress their fury.
"I won't let you insult Pops like that!" Flames flared around Ace's body, ready to strike at any moment.
But Teach didn't take Ace's threat seriously. In his mind, dealing with Ace and the gravely injured Thatch was already a guaranteed victory.
"If you hand over the Yami Yami no Mi, I'll let you live," Teach said coldly. "But if you keep stalling, Captain Thatch might not even last longer than Whitebeard himself!"
Teach wasn't wrong. If Thatch didn't receive immediate and effective treatment, he wouldn't survive the night.
Ace, looking at Thatch writhing in pain, hesitated for a moment before reluctantly pointing toward the bed.
Of course, Ace didn't believe Teach would spare them after getting the fruit. But with Thatch's life on the line, he had no choice.
Teach's massive body moved with surprising speed, rushing to the bedside. He reached under the pillow and—sure enough—found the Yami Yami no Mi.
"Hahahaha! Finally! It's mine at last!" Teach laughed hysterically. "The sea is mine now!"
Without hesitation, he shoved the Yami Yami no Mi into his mouth and swallowed it whole. To Teach, Devil Fruits tasted worse than filth, but at this moment—when his long-held dream was realized—it felt delicious.
Meanwhile, Ace supported Thatch as they rushed out of the room, desperate to find the ship's doctor. But the moment they stepped onto the deck, they froze.
Their crewmates lay scattered across the deck, unconscious.
"What… what happened?" Ace muttered in shock.
He had followed Teach inside, and before that, all the crewmates had been fine. Since Teach had been in Ace's sight the whole time, he couldn't have been the one responsible.
That meant… another force was at play.
A name instantly surfaced in Ace's mind—Night Organization.
No wonder they hadn't heard a single sound from outside during the fight.
At that moment, Teach stepped out of the room, having finished eating the Yami Yami no Mi. He was ready to deal with Ace and Thatch—until he, too, saw the scene before him.
Teach was just as shocked.
Teach quickly realized that this had to be the work of the Night Organization.
Just then, a sudden round of applause echoed from the other side of the ship. Two masked figures dressed in the signature attire of the Night Organization emerged from the shadows.
"Impressive. Truly impressive," one of them said, clapping slowly. "Who would've thought we'd witness such a thrilling show the moment we arrived?"
"If Whitebeard knew his 'sons' were slaughtering each other over a Devil Fruit, he'd probably die from sheer rage."
The sudden appearance of the Night Organization made this already chaotic night even more unpredictable.
Originally, the two operatives had planned to cooperate with Ace, persuading him to convince Whitebeard to move against Byakuya. If Ace refused, they intended to kill him on the spot and frame the Night Organization for the murder—while also leaking information that Byakuya was one of their members. That way, Whitebeard would take revenge on Byakuya himself.
However, before they even had the chance to discuss cooperation, they overheard the argument between Teach, Ace, and Thatch. Seeing Teach grievously wound Thatch made them immediately change their plans.
So, they knocked out the rest of the crew on board, preparing for the next phase of their scheme.
Ace felt a deep sense of dread at their arrival. With Thatch gravely injured, fighting to Teach alone was already an uphill battle. Now, with two powerful members of the Night Organization joining the scene, Ace found himself standing at the edge of a cliff.
Teach, on the other hand, had the exact opposite reaction.
Just moments ago, he had been worrying about how to track down the elusive Night Organization. But now, they had delivered themselves to him.
And since they had just witnessed his betrayal, they obviously wouldn't view him as an enemy. This was the perfect opportunity.
Teach immediately bowed toward the two Night Organization members. "Sirs, I am now irreversibly at odds with the Whitebeard Pirates. I hope to join the Night Organization and contribute to the fight against Whitebeard!"
"Teach!" Ace shouted in fury and shock.
If these three joined forces, there would be no hope for him, Thatch, or the unconscious crewmates.
The two masked operatives exchanged glances, amusement flickering in their eyes. Things were going even smoother than expected.
One of them finally spoke. "Very well. You're a smart man. In that case, prove your loyalty—kill these two as an offering to the Night Organization."
Teach immediately straightened up and bowed again. "Understood!"
He made himself appear as submissive as possible. He knew the only way to escape the wrath of the Whitebeard Pirates was to rely on the Night Organization.
Of course, that didn't mean he was willing to entrust his life entirely to these two. Even as he prepared to strike Ace and Thatch, a part of his attention remained focused on the Night Organization members.
"Captain Ace, just surrender and accept your fate!" Teach sneered as he lunged, his steel claw slashing toward Ace.
Ace had no choice but to set Thatch down and intercept Teach's attack.
However, the ship's environment severely restricted his combat ability. The Mera Mera no Mi's powers were best suited for medium-to-long-range battles, not close combat.
The deck was narrow, with unconscious crewmates lying everywhere. Ace couldn't unleash large-scale attacks without risking friendly fire.
Meanwhile, Teach's close-quarters combat skills were formidable. His mastery of the steel claw was near perfection. Ace struggled within just a few exchanges, entirely forced onto the defensive.
Then, Teach deliberately left an opening.
Ace seized the chance, thrusting his flaming right fist straight into Teach's chest.
Teach let out an agonizing scream. He hadn't expected the Yami Yami no Mi's drawback to be this excruciating.
Ace was just about to celebrate when he suddenly felt an overwhelming force of suction pulling at his right fist.
He looked down and saw a pitch-black vortex forming in Teach's chest, locking onto his arm.
Even worse, the flames of the Mera Mera no Mi vanished the moment they made contact with the vortex.
Ace's heart sank. His entire combat strength relied on his Devil Fruit abilities—if they were nullified, he was as good as defenseless.
Teach gritted his teeth through the pain. Seizing the moment, he swung his steel claw straight for Ace's throat.
At that moment, Thatch, barely clinging to life, suddenly mustered all his remaining strength and lunged forward.
He shoved Ace aside with everything he had left, sending him plunging into the sea.
And in doing so, Thatch himself suffered a brutal, fatal strike—his chest torn open in a gruesome, bloody mess.
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