Not mentioning Naruto's encounter with an old acquaintance on the other side.
Let's turn our attention back to a small boat speeding across the sea.
Actually, calling it a small boat was somewhat inaccurate. A more precise description would be "surfboard."
Ace's vessel was even smaller than Naruto's Tempest, like a surfboard with a sail attached.
But its advantage was speed.
Quite fast.
During the week Naruto spent in Water 7, Ace had already gradually caught up to Blackbeard's trail using it.
This guy had just left a small town when Ace arrived hot on his heels.
The distance between them was rapidly shrinking.
However, this was actually the result of Blackbeard deliberately leaving traces.
Ace was hunting Blackbeard, not knowing that Blackbeard was also waiting for Ace to take the bait.
Because he had wasted several days training with Naruto, when Ace learned of Blackbeard's whereabouts, he didn't take the original route back to Alabasta.
Instead, he headed directly to the last location where the other had appeared: Banaro Island.
On Banaro Island.
Blackbeard's crew had just finished plundering an entire small town. Due to someone's interference, Luffy hadn't encountered Blackbeard Teach as in the original timeline.
Therefore, in Teach's mind at this moment, his only goal was to capture Ace.
Only the bloodline of the Pirate King's son could help him reach an agreement with the World Government and gain the qualification to become one of the "Seven Warlords of the Sea."
As he himself said, "People's dreams never end!"
You could call Teach an evil person or an ambitious schemer who would use any means to achieve his goals, but you couldn't underestimate the patience this guy had shown in his climb to the top.
Just like Napoleon in another parallel timeline who climbed to the highest position, Blackbeard, in his own destiny, had truly replaced Whitebeard to become a new "Four Emperor."
"Finally found you, Teach."
Ace, standing on high ground, originally wanted to shout this out, but remembering a certain uncle's personal instruction, his opened mouth immediately closed again.
This small town was just an ordinary town in the first half of the Grand Line. The strongest person here hadn't even heard of "Haki."
So after effortlessly steamrolling the opposition, Blackbeard hadn't even used Haki to scout the surrounding area.
It could only be said that this group had been bullying "children" too smoothly lately and had forgotten the combat rules of the New World.
This also gave Ace an opportunity.
Bring Blackbeard Teach back to Pops to personally kneel and apologize?
After Naruto's verbal guidance, Ace had long since abandoned this plan.
This is the kind of guy who could ruthlessly kill a companion of dozens of years for a single fruit. How could you expect them to truly repent?
If he really wanted to apologize to Pops and Thatch, he should take Blackbeard's head first.
A flame was quickly drawn into a blazing spear according to Ace's will, then Ace covered it with his not-too-skilled Haki.
Immediately, the flame's edges were tinged with black outlines, appearing more "substantial."
"Hmm?"
At this moment, Van Augur, the sniper of the Blackbeard Pirates, seemed to sense something and turned around, just in time to see the flame lighting up on the cliff.
But before he could warn his nearby companions, Ace's attack had already arrived.
"Karmic Fire: Shiranui!"
This was a variant technique he had developed based on his original moves after Naruto's training.
Its original penetration power, destructive range, range, and speed had all been comprehensively improved.
By the time Blackbeard heard the sound, the black-tinged flame spear had already completely pierced through his heart.
A fatal blow!
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
Navigator Lafitte immediately spread his wings and flew toward Ace's direction.
Van Augur also instantly drew his gun and aimed at Ace, firing three consecutive sniper shots.
Unfortunately, these bullets weren't seastone rounds, and this level of attack couldn't threaten a Logia user.
But Ace wouldn't be careless, relying recklessly on his elementalization ability.
Facing the incoming bullets, he still used Observation Haki to dodge in time.
This cautious attitude could often save one's life at critical moments.
After all, no one knew whether the next incoming attack might hide a killing move.
"You bastard!"
The enraged strongman Jesus Burgess directly lifted up a house and threw it at Ace.
Their always-sickly ship doctor Doc Q also tremblingly crawled on the ground to check Blackbeard's injuries.
Facing the Blackbeard Pirates launching a full assault against him, Ace had no intention of sparing them either.
From the information collected while pursuing Blackbeard.
This group were all villains who committed every evil. Wherever they went, there were complaints and resentment.
Fire Gun!
Several more powerful flame bullets quickly pierced Lafitte's wings, causing him to fall painfully.
Then Ace transformed into flames, directly breaking through the house Burgess had thrown, and then reformed in front of him.
"Ha!"
He kicked toward the other's head.
Burgess, confident in his superhuman strength, wasn't afraid at all. He jumped up and threw an elbow strike.
From their builds, Ace was at a disadvantage.
But the actual situation was that Ace's Haki-wrapped leg directly struck Burgess's elbow, followed by the sound of bones shattering.
The next moment, Burgess fell back to the ground, clutching his broken arm and howling in pain.
He did have great strength, but that didn't mean his physical defense was equally high.
Without mastering Haki, he had no chance of winning against the specially trained Ace.
"Fire Fist!"
Flames instantly surrounded the remaining few. This time Ace had no intention of showing mercy.
"Dark Cave!"
Just then, an impossible voice rang out, and Ace whipped his head around.
It was Blackbeard, who had just been pierced through the heart by his move and had "died."
"Zehahahaha, that really hurt! Captain Ace!"
Blackbeard stood up again, his face covered with cold sweat from the intense pain.
His expression was extremely fierce, and his palm emanated pitch-black smoke that instantly erased all the massive flames.
"Impossible..."
Ace muttered.
Because he could clearly see that the large hole in Blackbeard's chest was still exposed there, with even the organs inside clearly visible.
Obviously, the other hadn't dodged his attack.
Ship doctor Doc Q's special treatment had stopped the bleeding from Blackbeard's wound, but the pierced heart had been truly destroyed.
At this moment, Ace recalled Marco once mentioning Teach's "abnormal" body structure.
Could it be that he had more than one heart?