After being struck by Ace's Fire Fist, Blackbeard Teach found himself engulfed in flames. With the help of his crew, he finally managed to extinguish the fire, but he was clearly out of breath.
"Zehahaha! So that's it, Ace, you came here to kill me! Well, it's only natural; after all, killing a crewmate is a grave sin!" Teach laughed as he got up from the ground. "That's right. I killed Thatch, the captain of the Fourth Division. But I had no choice—he possessed the fruit I had been yearning for!"
"So you killed him just to steal the fruit?" Ace asked, frowning.
Although he was a Devil Fruit user himself, Ace didn't believe any fruit was worth sacrificing a crewmate.
"That's right. I spent over a decade hiding in the Whitebeard Pirates, knowing it was my best chance to find this fruit. But when it turned up in Thatch's hands, I was left with no other choice!" Teach spoke with a hint of pride. "Zehahaha! Rather than saying I took the fruit, it's more accurate to say the fruit chose me!"
"No matter how you justify it, killing a crewmate is unforgivable on any pirate ship," Ace said sternly.
"Is that so? But look at me now—I've become the strongest, all thanks to this fruit! Even among Logia types, this one is extraordinary," Teach replied confidently. He had already started thinking about capturing Ace and handing him over to the Navy; a division commander from the Whitebeard Pirates would be more than enough to secure him a position as a Warlord of the Sea.
Ace finally grew serious. He had initially thought that the hardest part of this mission would be finding Teach, given that he'd never shown much power while under Whitebeard's command. Thatch's death had been the result of a sneak attack. But now, it was clear Teach had undergone a significant transformation.
"Zehahaha! Ace, your body is made of flames, right? Well, mine is darkness!" Teach laughed, activating his power.
"Darkness?" Ace looked at Teach in confusion. Although darkness was an element, he had no idea what kind of abilities it held.
Teach soon demonstrated his power. His Devil Fruit gave him gravitational abilities that could pull in anything, and as the Dark-Dark Fruit user, he also had the power to negate the abilities of other Devil Fruit users when he touched them. This made Teach nearly invincible against other fruit users, as he could nullify their powers while drawing them in with his gravity.
Fortunately, although he was a Logia user, Teach couldn't turn intangible like other Logia types. This was the Dark-Dark Fruit's one drawback. Otherwise, as he claimed, it would indeed be the strongest fruit.
"I used to think Devil Fruit users were overly reliant on their powers and would be defenseless without them. But it seems Whitebeard's division commanders are formidable even without their Devil Fruit abilities. Today is a turning point," observed Van Augur, Blackbeard's sniper, watching from the sidelines.
"Your skills are impressive, but it's a shame. Join us, Ace," Teach said, looking at Ace, who was injured and kneeling on the ground.
"Fool. A man who yields to evil loses all his dignity. I refuse to stain my life with shame—understand?" Ace wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke resolutely.
Ace knew there was little chance of escape. He had been too careless initially, allowing Teach to catch him off guard multiple times, resulting in injuries that couldn't be ignored. Though he fought fiercely, Teach's strength was undeniable, which is why things had turned out this way.
"Surviving is the greatest victory, Ace. Such a pity. Since you insist, you'll perish in darkness! Zehahaha!" Teach shouted excitedly.
Though he was well aware of his fruit's powers, this was his first time testing it against a formidable opponent, and he was pleased with the result.
"Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor!" With his remaining strength, Ace unleashed his ultimate attack.
"Zehahaha! The sun or darkness—only one will prevail!" Darkness surged from Teach's body, matching the power of Ace's flames.
"I will make Whitebeard the King of the Seas," Ace said calmly, looking at Teach.
At that moment, Ace's thoughts turned to Ryu. Ryu had warned him several times about Teach, even advising caution when he learned of Ace's mission to capture him. It seemed that Ryu had his own secrets.
Thinking of Ryu, a faint smile appeared on Ace's face. As his older brother, Ryu would avenge him if anything happened. He would also take care of Luffy, but Whitebeard might not receive the same support.
With a tremendous roar, flames and darkness collided, their clash engulfing the entire island. When the dust settled, the once-lush island was nothing but a wasteland.
Meanwhile, Ryu, who was still at the banquet, suddenly felt an unsettling sensation. He glanced around in discomfort.
"Luffy, are you alright?" Chopper asked, noticing Luffy's strange behavior.
Ryu looked over at Luffy, who had stopped goofing around, clutching his chest. "I don't know. For a moment, it hurt a bit… probably just an old injury acting up. Never mind, I'll just eat more meat!" Luffy said, stretching his arms out to grab some meat skewers nearby.
Ryu's expression darkened, as he seemed to realize something. "This feeling… it's Ace!" He stood up, his face filled with worry.
Back on Banaro Island, several hours after the battle between Ace and Teach, a group of Fish-Men emerged from the sea and landed on the devastated island.
"Captain, this is the place. I saw a fight from afar but didn't dare get closer. I'm certain one of the fighters used flame powers, so I came to inform you right away!" a small Fish-Man reported to his large, muscular captain.
"Let's go take a look. Just because it's flame powers doesn't mean it's Ace," replied the burly Fish-Man, a member of Jinbe's crew. Under orders from Jinbe and Neptune, all Fish-Men were searching for Ace's whereabouts.
"It's definitely Ace. Here's his hat," the burly Fish-Man said, picking up Ace's fallen hat. His expression turned grim. "Could Ace have lost the fight? Impossible—Ace is so strong. Hurry, take this hat to Jinbe. Tell him we found Ace's trail, and things don't look good. He should come as soon as he can."
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