The battlefield fell into utter silence.
Everyone was frozen in shock, unable to process what they'd just heard.
This was a Yonko.
A being on the same level as Whitebeard.
And just one rampaging Whitebeard had already pushed them to the brink—Marineford itself lay in ruins.
Now they were being told that another Yonko, Kaido, had been defeated?
Was this a joke?
Or were they just that weak?
"Captain… should we retreat?"
Catarina Devon's face had gone pale.
Sanjuan Wolf and the others snapped out of their daze and turned to Blackbeard.
They had witnessed Admiral Luo Yu's terrifying power firsthand in Impel Down's Level 6.
They had only agreed to Shiryu's plan because Kaido's involvement seemed like a guaranteed escape from that nightmare.
Now, with Kaido defeated, their greatest pillar had crumbled.
Panic set in.
Blackbeard's face darkened.
He had experienced Luo Yu's terror himself.
But with Whitebeard so close—his long-awaited prize within reach—he refused to let it slip away.
He looked up and roared:
"Big News Morgans! You're spouting nonsense!"
"If that brat really beat Kaido, why isn't he here?"
"You're just trying to help the Navy save face now that they've lost control of the battlefield!"
"I never thought the great Morgans would stoop to fake news. Who's going to trust the World Economy News now?"
"Blackbeard, you—!"
Morgans was fuming.
But he had no rebuttal.
Even he didn't know why Luo Yu hadn't appeared.
His hesitation spread doubt.
Kaido was a legendary Yonko.
To believe he'd been defeated was harder than believing the sky would fall.
Even Sengoku and Tsuru looked uncertain.
Then, a soft, unexpected voice broke the silence.
"Morning tea at 9:30…"
"Admiral Luo Yu probably went for tea. But it's five minutes to noon—he always clocks in before the end of his shift, even if he's slacking."
"If he really beat Kaido, he'll definitely show up to clock out."
It was Ain, standing beside Tashigi, who had spoken.
She added in a whisper:
"Besides… Fleet Admiral Sengoku didn't pay him extra to join the first battlefield…"
Her quiet words echoed like a spell across the battlefield.
Morning tea at 9:30. Clocking out at noon. No bonus, no show.
If it were anyone else, they'd laugh it off.
But this was the Navy's "bonus-based admiral."
It all made perfect sense.
Everyone turned to the half-destroyed clock tower in the distance.
Five minutes to noon.
Blackbeard's face twitched.
Catarina and the others tensed.
Ain's words had shaken them.
"Captain, what do we do?"
Catarina asked again, voice tight.
Blackbeard hesitated—then clenched his fist and snarled:
"No! I don't believe Morgans! And I sure as hell don't believe in that ridiculous routine!"
"Whitebeard is right here! The Tremor-Tremor Fruit is within reach—I won't let it slip away!"
"Once I have that power, even if he shows up—I won't be afraid!"
"Shiryu! Burgess! Hold off Sengoku! I'm going to kill Whitebeard!"
His roar was manic.
Blackbeard surged forward, Devil Fruit power flaring.
Shiryu and Burgess exchanged a glance.
They hesitated—but they were already in too deep.
They didn't know if Kaido had truly fallen.
But to walk away from the strongest Paramecia fruit now?
Impossible.
They had escaped Impel Down for this.
If Blackbeard could claim the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and stand against Luo Yu—
They wanted to see it happen.
"Move! Stop Sengoku!"
Shiryu shouted, lunging forward.
The others followed.
BOOM!
Sengoku shattered Shiryu's flying slash with a single punch.
Seeing the attackers close in, he roared:
"Akainu! Stop Blackbeard! Don't let him succeed!"
As one of the few survivors of the Rocks era, Sengoku knew—
Blackbeard wasn't bluffing.
If he truly gained a second Devil Fruit—especially the Tremor-Tremor Fruit—
It would be a nightmare for the Navy.
But before Sengoku could act, Akainu erupted in magma.
He launched himself like a rocket—straight at Whitebeard.
Not to stop Blackbeard.
But to beat him to the prize.
He wanted to claim the glory himself.
As he closed the distance—just 50 or 60 meters from Whitebeard—Akainu roared:
"Great Eruption!"
BOOM!
A torrent of magma exploded toward Whitebeard like a volcanic blast.
Blackbeard, charging nearby, was stunned.
He glanced at the clock tower, then shouted:
"Akainu! Get lost! Don't waste my time!"
"Dark Surge: Black Wave Assault!"
BOOM!
A massive wave of darkness surged forward, crashing toward Whitebeard.
Two titanic forces—magma and darkness—raced to claim the same prize.