"Zehahahaha! Thief!"
Oboro and his crew's entrance didn't disturb Marshall D. Teach in the slightest. The future Emperor continued devouring his meal with characteristic gusto, cherry pie staining his fingers and broken teeth gleaming through his perpetual grin.
Dom and his companions dispersed throughout the tavern, claiming empty seats while keeping watchful eyes on Jesus Burgess and Lafitte. The atmosphere grew thick with unspoken tension, like the oppressive air before a storm.
Oboro approached the counter with measured steps, addressing the visibly nervous proprietor. "Six meals, please. Size doesn't matter." He placed several stacks of berries on the wooden surface with deliberate precision.
"Hey, boss!" A harsh voice echoed from across the room. "We were here first! Where's my food? I'm starving over here!"
Jesus Burgess pounded the table with his blade and fork, the rhythmic thumping creating an ominous percussion. His championship wrestler's mask couldn't hide the impatience radiating from his massive frame.
"I... I..." the tavern owner stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. The Hell Pirates' reputation had already cleared out his regular customers, leaving only his kitchen staff. Now faced with serving both the infamous God Slayer and the notorious Blackbeard Pirates simultaneously, the poor man looked ready to collapse from stress.
"My food!" Burgess bellowed again, his wrestler's showmanship turning genuinely threatening.
"I want to eat!"
"Zehahahaha... Want some of my cherry pie? It's absolutely delicious!" Teach suddenly offered a piece from his plate to Oboro, his gap-toothed smile radiating false friendliness. His casual gesture successfully drew the God Slayer's attention.
When Oboro made no move to accept, Teach simply withdrew his hand without embarrassment, maintaining his unsettling grin. "Burgess, quiet down... Didn't you eat this morning? These gentlemen have traveled far... Show some patience."
"Since the captain says so, they can have the place," Burgess immediately relented, his earlier aggression evaporating at Teach's word.
"God Slayer Oboro... It's a pleasure to meet you," Teach continued, licking jam from his stained fingers. He raised his arm again, extending it toward Oboro for a handshake.
Before the words fully left his mouth, Teach's pupils contracted sharply.
His smiling face suddenly crumpled under tremendous force. With a resounding crash, his head slammed into the wooden table, splintering the aged planks.
The violent interruption sent both crews into immediate combat readiness.
Van Augur at the doorway instantly aimed his rifle at Oboro's subordinates, finger hovering over the trigger. But a silver blade materialized at his throat before he could fire, drawing a thin line of blood across his skin.
"What do you think you're doing, bastard?" Dom's black-bandaged face appeared behind Van Augur's head, radiating murderous intent through his mask.
"Behave yourself," the Hell Pirates' sniper warned with deadly calm.
Van Augur remained motionless, recognizing the precarious nature of his situation.
Lafitte had drawn his cane-sword in one fluid motion, but found himself facing a cold-eyed man whose hands remained casually in his pockets. Rob Lucci's indifferent gaze promised swift death for any aggressive movement.
Burgess, the most impulsive of the group, had barely risen from his seat when an immensely heavy sword pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him back into his chair. The weight alone conveyed the futility of resistance.
Outside, Doc Q and his sickly horse Stronger remained ignored, Kaka and Dolan positioned themselves to block any potential interference without dignifying the "Death God" with direct confrontation.
The speed of the Hell Pirates' response had been overwhelming. By the time the Blackbeard Pirates registered the threat, their counterattack had already been neutralized.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Oboro grasped Teach's hair with brutal efficiency, repeatedly slamming his face against the long wooden table. Blackbeard attempted to resist, but found himself completely outmatched by his opponent's overwhelming speed and strength. Soon blood flowed freely, mixing with sawdust from the splintered wood.
Despite the humiliating beating, Teach continued smiling, not a hint of anger or pain crossing his features.
Oboro finally released his grip, hurling Blackbeard like discarded trash through the tavern wall. The impact sent debris flying as the future Emperor crashed into the street beyond.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Oboro felt genuinely surprised. He hadn't relied purely on physical strength, his enhanced senses confirmed that Blackbeard possessed considerable physical prowess and clear Haki potential. The one-sided nature of the beating resulted from Oboro's subtle manipulation of air currents, preventing any meaningful resistance.
Without that advantage, this opponent might have posed a genuine challenge.
He truly is a major player in this era's end game, Oboro mused. Leaving a scar on Red-Haired Shanks's face isn't something any ordinary pirate could accomplish, even in their youth.
"Zehahahahahaha! Just as brutal as the legends claim!"
Through the hole in the wall, a mud-covered Teach staggered to his feet, brushing plaster from his coat before stepping back through the breach. His hearty laughter filled the tense silence.
"Don't be so nervous, everyone," he addressed both crews with genuine amusement. "We mean no harm."
"We're all pirates here... No need for anyone to die. Besides, even if we must fight, now isn't the time, and certainly not in this place."
"Our destination is the New World, isn't it?"
"Right now... it's far too early for that confrontation."
"Zehahahahahaha!"
Oboro studied Teach with renewed interest. Despite the blood covering his face, his body showed no lasting damage. The God Slayer had used considerable force in that throw, most opponents would have suffered broken bones at minimum.
"Marshall D. Teach," Oboro called out, using the man's full name.
"You know me?" Teach looked genuinely surprised.
"Of course. Your... disagreement with the Whitebeard Pirates has been front-page news," Oboro replied with calculated precision.
"What an honor! To be noticed by the renowned God Slayer himself!"
Oboro's tone grew playfully dangerous. "I have a new appreciation for your capabilities now... But tell me, with countless routes through the Grand Line, how could you be certain I'd take this path to Mock Town?"
"I wasn't certain you'd come here," Teach admitted with characteristic honesty. "But I felt confident you'd visit Arabasta eventually. After leaving there, Mock Town represented the highest probability destination... So my gamble paid off! Though we only just arrived ourselves, I didn't expect you to appear so quickly. I'm guessing you bypassed Arabasta entirely."
"Arabasta?" Oboro raised an eyebrow with feigned curiosity.
"Someone with your ambitions must be aiming for the New World... or beyond," Teach continued, his grin widening. "From the moment I first saw your name in the papers after Sabaody, I had a feeling... that you and I are the same type of people! Now that I've met you in person, I'm even more certain. And Arabasta contains exactly what someone like you would want!"
"Hmm." Oboro sneered softly, recognizing Teach's reference to the Poneglyph hidden beneath the kingdom. This man's intelligence network was more extensive than expected.
The "same type of people" comment clearly referred to shared ambition, the driving force that separated true conquerors from common pirates.
Their meeting might have been accidental, but the implications were anything but random.
"So... now that you've seen me..."
"Zehahahaha..."