"Ha ha ha… come at me again!"
After ordering his subordinates to fall back, Blackbeard stepped forward alone. Dense black smoke poured from his body, coiling around the unlucky jailers who had first been frozen by Jiang Lin and then "released" once before by Blackbeard's powers.
"Liberation!"
Once again, Blackbeard unleashed his darkness, flinging the frozen jailers at Jiang Lin to obstruct his view.
"Dark Vortex!"
While Jiang Lin's vision was obstructed, Blackbeard pointed his right hand at him and unleashed his ability.
A violent suction force erupted around Jiang Lin, dragging his body straight toward Blackbeard.
"Light-Speed Kick!"
The moment Jiang Lin's body was pulled in, he acted faster than Blackbeard's ability could fully take hold.
A brilliant golden light lit up all of Level 4. Before anyone could even react, a devastating strike landed squarely on Blackbeard's body.
Pulled toward him, Jiang Lin halted his momentum with a kick that sent Blackbeard hurtling backward like a cloud of shadowy mist.
"Captain!"
"He's so strong! So this is the power of a pirate with a six-hundred-million bounty? This is far beyond even a Warlord of the Sea!"
The display of Jiang Lin's strength left members of the Blackbeard Pirates and even Jinbei gaping in shock.
Blackbeard was a Warlord; naturally, his strength was nothing to scoff at. Yet against Jiang Lin, he had no power to resist at all. This could only mean that Jiang Lin's strength had already surpassed that of the Seven Warlords!
A newly emerging pirate had already been given an astronomical bounty of 601 million berries—and his strength had proven to surpass even that of a Warlord.
Once a man like this set foot in the Grand Line, he would be powerful enough to upend the balance of the seas.
"Hahaha… D! Become my man! I'm destined to become the Pirate King—and if you join me, you'll rise with me as a world-renowned powerhouse! Even the Yonko themselves won't compare to the position you'll hold!"
Despite being beaten senseless, Blackbeard only laughed even more maniacally, trying to recruit Jiang Lin into his crew.
"I refuse!"
Jiang Lin's voice was as firm as iron. He had never once considered becoming part of the Blackbeard Pirates—and even his future with the Straw Hats was still undecided.
If there were anyone who could ever win Jiang Lin's loyalty, it would have to be someone stronger, more charismatic, and more dazzling than him.
"You haven't seen my full strength yet. Watch closely—this is the true power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
Wiping the blood from his lips, Blackbeard released a surge of darkness. The thick black mist that had once only surrounded him began to spread outward rapidly, engulfing everything it touched and crushing it into nothingness.
"Oi, oi, oi! Boss, this is way too insane!"
As the darkness spread across the floor, the Blackbeard Pirates panicked and immediately fled toward the jailers' side.
But the jailers who had already been thrown into Blackbeard's darkness twice before were swallowed once again, with no chance of survival this time.
"Everyone, fall back!"
Not underestimating Blackbeard for even a second, Jiang Lin shouted for Luffy and the others to retreat before switching Devil Fruit cards.
"Venom-Venom Fruit loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."
As the system's message rang out, Jiang Lin unleashed his attack.
"Venom Dragon!"
From his right hand burst a torrent of poison, twisting into the form of a dragon that roared forward, shrouding Blackbeard.
"Ahhh! AHHHHH!"
The moment the poison entered his body, Blackbeard screamed in agony, clutching his head.
The darkness, no longer under his control, surged outward uncontrollably. What had once been kept within a five- to six-meter radius spread rapidly across the floor.
"This is bad! I didn't expect his darkness to be this troublesome!"
Just as Jiang Lin was about to retreat, the system's voice rang out first:
"One minute complete. Dark-Dark Fruit successfully copied."
Without hesitation, Jiang Lin loaded the new fruit. Raising his right hand, he pressed it toward the rampaging darkness.
Shh! Shh! Shh!
The sound of howling wind and devoured matter filled the air as the once-unleashed darkness was suddenly drawn into Jiang Lin's hand, sucked into his body.
"You've lost, 'future Pirate King.'"
With control of the darkness now in his hands, Jiang Lin strode toward the writhing Blackbeard. His words dripped with mockery.
"What… what kind of ability do you have…?"
Blackbeard stared in shock. His Dark-Dark Fruit was already hailed as the most fearsome Devil Fruit, yet against Jiang Lin, he had been completely helpless. Had Jiang Lin not ended the fight quickly, Blackbeard might have still believed their powers were evenly matched.
"What kind of ability do you have?"
Jiang Lin replied pointedly, though Blackbeard only looked more confused.
"Forget it. Luffy—he's yours."
With a simple motion, Jiang Lin pulled Blackbeard into his grasp, then hurled him over to Luffy.
After all, it was Blackbeard who had delivered Ace into the hands of the World Government. Compared to Jiang Lin, Luffy had far more right to decide his fate.
"Blackbeard!"
Grinding his teeth, Luffy marched toward him. From the moment he had heard the name, his hatred had been boiling over.
"Ace was captured by a pirate named Blackbeard and handed over to the World Government."
That was the news Granny Nyon had told him before coming to Impel Down.
Now that Blackbeard stood before him, there was no way Luffy could let him go!
"Second Gear!"
With a sharp shout, Luffy charged forward.
"Oi! Luffy, stop! Not now—you must endure!"
Before Luffy could strike, Jinbei rushed in front of him.
"Luffy! Think carefully about what's most important right now!"
Jinbei's words made Jiang Lin frown slightly. Blackbeard's existence was indeed a threat to the entire New World.
"Luffy, if you can't finish him… then let me."
With a swift motion, Jiang Lin seized Blackbeard again. Darkness writhed in his grasp, clashing with the gleam of white ice.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked all of Level 4. The prisoners, stunned by Jiang Lin's power, began to riot.
"It's Magellan! Magellan's here!"
The panicked cries made the pirates scramble toward the passage to Level 3.
"Magellan!"
Jiang Lin tightened his grip around Blackbeard's neck, his fury written across his face.
"D! Let's get out of here first!"
After dodging Sadie-chan's whip, Ivankov leapt to Jiang Lin's side, urging him on.
"Jiang Lin, we should leave now!"
Luffy's eyes burned with unwillingness as he glared at Blackbeard, but he knew what was most important. For now, he chose to let it go.
"You all go ahead. I… have something to discuss with Magellan."
With a heavy slam, Jiang Lin threw Blackbeard to the ground like a rag doll. Then, walking against the rushing crowd, he calmly made his way toward the wardens' side.