"My last words? Heh, that's an interesting way to put it."
Shirogai smiled at Teach, who leaned across the table with both hands spread wide.
"Zehahahahaha! Everyone has last words, but only a few get to speak them before they die."
Teach's grin was wild and arrogant, but beneath the bravado his hands were already prepared. He planned to unleash his Dark Water at any moment, stripping Shirogai of his Devil Fruit powers. Then his crew would rush in, overwhelming him with numbers.
"Heh… everyone has last words, you say?"
Shirogai's smile didn't falter.
"Then, Teach, what are yours?"
Teach burst into laughter, throwing his head back.
"Zehahahahaha! I'll say them when I'm about to die! But you won't live long enough to hear them!"
"Captain, let's finish this!"
"Cough, cough… time to sentence him to death."
Behind Teach, Burgess, Doc Q, and Van Auger bristled with anticipation. They had all been humiliated by Shirogai earlier, their pride trampled. Now, they burned to tear him apart.
"Heh…"
Shirogai observed Teach calmly, studying this infamous villain of the seas.
Teach looked every bit the scoundrel: shirt wide open across his hairy chest, belt slung carelessly, bandana holding back his wild curls. His missing teeth and unkempt stubble only added to the rugged menace. Sitting at over three meters tall, his sheer bulk dwarfed the tavern table.
And yet, in the world of pirates, this appearance was nothing unusual.
What no one could predict was the upheaval this man would bring to the world.
Once, Shirogai had hated Teach, despising him as countless fans once did. But living in this world changed his perspective. Compared to the tyranny of the World Government and the cruelty of the Celestial Dragons, Teach almost seemed honest.
Teach was ruthless, yes, but he chased his dream with no hesitation. He didn't cling to ideals of "justice." He simply carved his own path, refusing to be bound by anyone else's rules.
In that sense, Shirogai couldn't deny a sliver of admiration for him.
Teach had hidden his ambitions for decades, biding his time in Whitebeard's crew because he believed fate would eventually hand him the Dark-Dark Fruit. Even Ace had trusted him as a true comrade. Perhaps only Whitebeard himself saw through Teach's ambition, but as a father to all his sons, he never exposed it.
Whitebeard's love and tolerance became his greatest regret. Thatch's death at Teach's hands wasn't just betrayal—it was a wound that struck deeper than Squard's blade.
Shirogai returned from his thoughts and fixed his eyes on Teach again.
"Teach!"
He smiled faintly. "I heard my Captain was insulted by a pack of frogs croaking in some tavern."
Teach's brow furrowed. How does he know that?
"…Though I don't know how you know, you're right." Teach grinned, flashing his broken teeth. "Zehahahaha! Those worthless drunks who abandoned their dreams beat your Captain bloody."
Shirogai crossed his arms, smiling back.
"And I heard one of them said, 'Let me personally reclaim my dignity.' So before we fight, I'll grant them that wish first."
Teach froze. "…You plan to teach them a lesson?"
"Actually, you're annoyed too, aren't you?" Shirogai teased, his grin sharp. "Men who mock others' dreams after abandoning their own—trash like that disgusts you as much as me."
Teach snorted, shaking his head.
"The seas are full of fools like that. If I wasted time punishing them all, I'd never get anything done."
"Wow, lofty ideals."
Shirogai clapped lightly, his smile never fading. "My Captain is too noble to waste time on those kinds of people. Unfortunately, I am not."
Though his tone was calm, a chill spread through the room.
"Crack…"
Frost bloomed across the table, shards of ice drifting to the floor.
"W-what's happening?!"
The tavern owner, shivering behind the bar, wrapped himself in blankets, his teeth chattering as the air grew frigid.
"Shirogai! What trick is this?!"
Teach's eyes narrowed as black smoke coiled from his hands. He rose cautiously, sensing the danger.
"Hmph."
Shirogai exhaled a breath of frost, tapping the table with his finger. The temperature plunged further with each tap.
"I'll give you two choices. One, fight me now."
The cold spread quickly, covering the walls and floor in crystalline frost.
Teach's eyes widened in shock.
"This is… Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit?!"
He could hardly believe it. How could this man use Kuzan's ability?
The Ice-Ice Fruit was one of the few powers Teach himself would rather avoid. Even if his darkness dragged Kuzan close, a frozen grip could end him before the fight truly began.
The chill deepened, biting into flesh and bone. Yet Shirogai's voice was calm, almost polite.
"A friendly reminder—I'm very angry right now. If someone dies by accident, don't blame me."
The black smoke in Teach's hand faded away.
Then, his booming laughter shook the room.
"Zehahahaha! Shirogai, what's the second option?"
Shirogai stretched lazily, smiling as if nothing had happened.
"Second option, I'll deal with those frogs first. Then I'll come back and beat you all down"
Teach's laughter echoed once more.
"Good! It's a deal! Shirogai, don't keep us waiting. We'll be here when you get back!"
Under the crew's watchful eyes, Shirogai pushed the frozen door open and walked out.
Silence lingered. Slowly, the frost receded and warmth returned.
"Captain!" Burgess slammed the table in frustration. "Why didn't you attack?! With your Dark-Dark Fruit, you could've nullified his power and we'd have finished him!"
Teach leaned back, grinning with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Zehahahaha! You think I didn't try? There was no Devil Fruit in him at all!"
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