Snap!
Teach's right hand shot out almost uncontrollably, grabbing hold of the purple Devil Fruit, ready to shove it into his mouth.
Unfortunately.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"
A hand moved even faster, firmly gripping his wrist. No matter how hard Teach struggled, he couldn't advance another inch.
Who dares stop me?!
Teach jerked his head up, his face twisted with fury, eyes bloodshot!
But when he saw Xiano's utterly baffled expression, he shuddered as if doused with a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering up and releasing his grip.
No.
He couldn't just snatch it.
What was he thinking?
The guy standing before him was a terrifying monster who had defeated Silvers Rayleigh and repeatedly humiliated Marine Admirals...
"Teach?!"
Marco's stunned voice rang out, "What's gotten into you? What were you trying to do?"
"Zehahaha! My bad, my bad!"
Cold sweat beaded on Teach's forehead, but he quickly plastered on a grin, scratching his head sheepishly.
"My apologies, Lord Xiano, Captain... I-I don't know what came over me. The moment I saw this fruit, I felt this weird resonance in my bloodline—like I just had to eat it! My heart was pounding like crazy! Zehahaha!"
His laughter was as guileless as ever, perfectly laced with just the right amount of confusion and embarrassment...
Effectively masking the barely suppressed fury burning in his eyes.
Damn it!
Why? Why did this fruit have to end up in this brat's hands?!
And why did they have to cross paths here, at Fish-Man Island, ten thousand meters beneath the sea—where running wasn't even an option if things went south?!
With Marco, Namur, and the others standing right there...
"Resonance?"
Marco blinked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Neptune mused aloud:
"I've heard rumors that Devil Fruits sometimes choose their destined users. Could it be that Mr. Teach here is fated for this fruit?"
Since when did you become so perceptive, old man? Teach shot Neptune a glance.
"That rumor does exist—no wonder Teach lost control like that."
Marco nodded in realization, turning to Xiano. "Kid, what's this Devil Fruit called again?"
"No idea."
Xiano shook his head, pointing at the cactus-like fruit on the table.
"I was actually planning to show you this—Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit. The other two? I confiscated them from World Government agents a while back. Haven't figured out what they are yet. I was hoping you Whitebeard Pirates, with all your experience, might know."
He grinned at Teach. "Teach, do you recognize it?"
"Zehahaha..." Teach forced out a dry laugh, shaking his head like a rattle drum. "You flatter me, sir. I can barely read—how would I know anything about this?"
Marco and Namur racked their brains but eventually shook their heads too. This was completely outside their expertise.
But that wasn't the point.
The important thing was that Teach felt drawn to this fruit—they were fated, weren't they?
"Honestly, this is really awkward to bring up, but... Xiano, I've got a favor to ask..."
Marco adjusted his glasses and said gently, "This Devil Fruit... I wonder if you'd be willing to sell it to Teach. Name your price, though we didn't bring much money on this trip. I'll have to wait until we return to—"
"What's this about money? That's so vulgar!"
Xiano laughed heartily and casually tossed the fruit to Marco. "It's not like I'm short on these things anyway. Consider it a gift—catch!"
Whoosh!
Teach barely suppressed the urge to snatch it midair, his eyes fixed on the fruit's arc as it flew toward Marco.
Marco instinctively caught it, momentarily stunned.
"The old man wasn't wrong about you. You really are as bold and straightforward as they come!" Marco grinned. "I can't make any promises on the old man's behalf, but I can speak for myself. From now on, I owe you a favor. If you ever need help, just come find me!"
As he spoke, Marco handed the fruit directly to Teach.
"Here, Teach. Take it. If you can't wait, go ahead and eat it now."
"But my advice? Better wait until we're back on the ship and ask the old man what it is first. No rush—he'll definitely recognize it!"
"Marco, Commander..."
Tears streamed down Teach's face as he trembled, accepting the fruit with shaky hands, his voice choked with emotion.
"I think I'll eat it now... No need to trouble the old man with this... Commander, you're too good to me! I... I don't even know how to repay you!"
"Don't talk nonsense, Teach!" Marco clapped him heartily on the shoulder, laughing. "We're comrades! Your business is my business!"
Xiano watched the scene unfold with amusement.
His earlier words had been sincere—he'd fully intended to treat the fruit as scrap and gift it for entertainment. That he'd earned Marco's favor was just an unexpected bonus.
Come to think of it...
He'd once puzzled over a question.
Why did Blackbeard have to kill Satch to steal the fruit?
After so many years as comrades, if Teach had openly expressed his burning interest in the fruit, Satch probably wouldn't have hesitated to hand it over.
Now he understood.
"Tch. In the end, it all comes down to strength..."
Xiano sighed inwardly, his gaze sweeping over Teach's deceptively honest face.
In another timeline, if someone as strong as Marco had picked up the Dark-Dark Fruit, would Blackbeard have dared to kill and steal?
Of course not.
He'd have kept up the act—just like now—using tears and performance to swindle the fruit, never daring to show his true colors.
Because Marco was strong enough—strong enough that Teach wouldn't gamble on whether he could finish the fight before others noticed, or even if he could win against Marco at all before eating the fruit.
But Satch... was too weak.
So weak that in Blackbeard's eyes, he might as well have been an ant. Not worth the effort of acting—just kill and take, then vanish.
...
Now.
Teach's performance finally reached its climax. Wiping his tears with his sleeve, he tremblingly brought the purple fruit to his lips.
At last... at last it was his!
The Dark-Dark Fruit!
A fruit that could devour everything like a black hole, a fruit that could strip others of their abilities, a fruit that could fulfill his ambitions of domination!
I've waited over twenty years, twenty damn years, and finally, this moment has arrived!
Crunch!
He took a bite.
Instantly, his expression froze, and his face turned slightly green.
As expected...
Marco seemed to have anticipated this, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the scene with an amused smile.
But unexpectedly, Teach's chewing slowed only for a brief moment before he resumed devouring the fruit with gusto, his face filled with delight.
"Huh?"
Namur exclaimed in surprise, "Why does Teach seem to be enjoying it? I thought Devil Fruits were supposed to taste terrible?"
"Yeah, that's weird."
Marco scratched his head in confusion. "When I ate mine, it was like chewing rotten, stinking meat that had been left out for days—honestly, it was worse than shit. It was absolutely disgusting."
"Really?"
Teach grinned, revealing his missing teeth, and laughed heartily. "Zehahaha, is that so? I didn't feel that way at all!"
He rubbed his hands together and continued eating, faster and faster.
In just a few bites, he wolfed down the entire Devil Fruit, not even sparing the stem or leaves. He even licked the remnants off the corners of his mouth, ensuring not a single scrap was wasted.
Delicious!
So delicious, so incredibly delicious!!!
Was there anything in this world more delectable than this?
Teach rubbed his feet again.
The sensation was surging—that strange feeling as if everything in the world had become clearer, slower...
"Hey, Teach."
Marco's impatient voice rang out. "Hurry up and try using the ability! Let us see what kind of fruit it is!"
"Sure thing, Captain!"
Teach spread his arms wide, a sinister glint flashing imperceptibly in his eyes. "Then let everyone witness it together! Zehahaha!"
Though he had obtained the power he had longed for, defeating all these guys head-on would still be difficult. He wasn't planning to take such a risk.
But if they were asking him to demonstrate willingly—that was a different story. Maybe there really was an opportunity...
He abruptly activated his ability!
Buzzzz!
A pair of enormous, translucent wings suddenly unfurled from Teach's back, vibrating at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, emitting an irritating buzz.
Everyone froze.
"A... bee?"
Marco muttered in confusion. "No, not quite... It looks more like—"
Before he could finish.
Teach's body abruptly began shrinking rapidly, his skin sprouting fine hairs as his back took on a glossy blue-green sheen.
His head ballooned into a spherical shape, his eyes multiplying into countless red compound orbs that instantly dominated most of his face, while his mouth split into a pair of mandibles...
In just two or three seconds.
Teach had fully transformed into his Beast Form—a giant, metallic-green fly roughly the size of a ball.
"Zehaha—?!"
Teach's laughter cut off abruptly.
Stiffly, he touched his mandibles, then lifted a hairy forelimb in disbelief, waving it before his eyes.
He glanced at his reflection on the ground.
Finally realizing what he had become.
...
The vast banquet hall fell into complete silence.
Xiano, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates, Neptune, and the Dragon Palace guards at the entrance—everyone wore the same expression, staring dumbfounded at the absurdly ugly giant fly.
Then...
Someone couldn't hold it in and snorted, instantly breaking the tension and triggering an uproar of laughter.
"Pfft—HAHAHA!!!"
Namur slammed the table, laughing so hard he could barely open his eyes. "A fly! It's a fly! What the hell, Teach! So the fruit that resonated with you was the Fly Fruit?! Does a fruit like that even exist?!"
"Teach, you idiot!"
Marco was already rolling on the floor, clutching his stomach and laughing uncontrollably. "I told you, you should've waited to ask Pops before eating it! Why were you in such a hurry?!"
Even the Dragon Palace guards were snickering and whispering among themselves:
"That's disgusting... such a huge fly..."
"Hey, do you think if he turns into a fly, he'll start liking... you know... poop?"
"Shh! Be polite, don't talk like that about Whitebeard's subordinate... PFFFT—HAHAHAHA!!"
...
At the head of the banquet table.
Xiano was also doubled over with laughter, completely disregarding any semblance of dignity.
No helping it—given the scene, anyone who didn't laugh out loud probably had clinical depression.
A fat, oversized fly with a beard, roughly the same size as Chopper—it was hilarious no matter how you looked at it.
The only thing more eye-searing might've been a "Mero Mero" version of Sweetbeard.
...
Teach stood frozen, listening to the explosive laughter from all directions, unmoving for a long time.
He stared blankly at his reflection on the ground, his breathing growing heavier, his wings mechanically buzzing all the while.
Not the Dark-Dark Fruit.
It wasn't the Dark-Dark Fruit...
How could this happen?!
Over twenty years of waiting...
Over twenty years of patience...
And all it got him was this repulsively hideous form? These incessantly buzzing fly wings?!
Looking around at the laughing bastards surrounding him...
Killing intent!
A frigid, murderous rage surged from the depths of Teach's heart, threatening to consume his rationality—he wanted nothing more than to snap the necks of every single person laughing.
But in the end, that killing intent quickly dissipated.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Teach suddenly let out an inhuman shriek, clawing frantically at his own back as if trying to tear the wings off. "This isn't real! Disappear! Make it disappear!!!"
But the more agitated he became, the faster his wings buzzed, even sending him spinning in circles midair.
Now he truly resembled a headless fly sprayed with insecticide, crashing comically between the pillars.
"Teach! Come down, calm down!"
Marco stopped laughing, looking up with concern as he shouted.
He stood and flew up, trying to restrain the out-of-control Teach, but was forced back by the gusts from Teach's frenzied wingbeats.
"Don't come near me!" Teach roared, his eyes—or rather, his countless compound eyes—already red. "Laugh! Laugh! Laugh! Is it that funny?! Stop pretending to care! I turned into a fly! If it were you, could you stay calm?!"
"What, the mythical phoenix wants to show off in front of a fly now?!"
"Zehahaha!! You, Neptune, and that Xiano—you're all in cahoots, all trying to deceive me, to make me look like a fool as a fly, aren't you?!"
"Teach!"
Marco frowned. He could understand Teach's current state of breakdown, but... "You're getting more and more unreasonable. Stop this."
"What does it matter? I'm a fly—what's there left to care about? I'm a fly!!!"
The giant fly continued to rampage wildly, crashing into the ceiling and pillars of the banquet hall, leaving cracks in its wake.
Marco sighed.
In a flash, he appeared behind Teach and delivered a powerful kick.
"Sorry, Teach."
Teach's body stiffened before plummeting from the sky, collapsing unconscious on the ground. His form reverted from the glossy green fly back to human, though some beastly traits remained—like his oily, gleaming skin and his hands and feet curled up like antennae...
Xiano glanced over before quickly looking away, afraid he might burst out laughing again.
But, come to think of it...
This guy really knew how to act.
Getting knocked out by just a casual kick from Marco?
No way.
Even without relying on his Devil Fruit's strength, this guy's physical prowess was nearly at the world's highest level.
That earlier display of raving madness was mostly an act.
It was just the immense disappointment of seeing his ambitions within reach only to have them suddenly slip away that sent Blackbeard into an emotional breakdown, even stirring murderous intent toward everyone present.
But his deep cunning made him instantly realize that, for now, he couldn't strike out on his own to pursue his dreams—he'd have to return to Whitebeard's crew and bide his time. He couldn't afford to burn bridges completely.
So, he simply leaned into the act, pretending to be unable to accept reality, waiting for Marco to kick him unconscious.
This way, he could vent his emotions without letting rage cloud his judgment, while also preserving his last shred of dignity.
(End of chapter.)