Chapter 76 Battle of Banaro Island
The Suzheng First Fleet quietly anchored between the reefs, and the sea was so still that it seemed frozen.
The radar was turned off and the hull was coated with a wave-breaking layer, waiting for the moment when the storm came.
On the bridge, Lei Te leaned against the railing and yawned: "The boss asked us to come here, who are we waiting for? It feels like such a big deal, it feels very serious..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Enel floated cross-legged in the air, lightning flickering at his fingertips. His golden pupils slightly closed, his tone stern, "The boss said to wait for notification, so don't ask so many questions."
Lei Te rolled his eyes. "Tsk, what a bureaucracy."
"Believe it or not, I'll be struck by lightning."
"Forget it, I'll shut up."
[Banaro Island · Broken Tavern]
In the dim tavern, five people sat around a table, the atmosphere was sinister.
Marshall D. Teach tilted his head back, took a big gulp of rum, and grinned with his signature hideous grin:
"Gulala... I've already released my clues."
"When that guy arrives, I'll capture him and hand him over to the Marine—the Shichibukai position will be mine."
"Then we can truly begin...our plan."
Badgers clenched his fists, his muscles flexing. "Finally, we're going to get serious!"
Van Oka wiped his spear, his eyes cold: "The prey is nearby."
Poison Q leaned back in his chair and yawned: "Sigh... I hope he won't be too difficult."
Lafitte licked his lips and said, "If it weren't difficult, it wouldn't be fun."
The dusk on Banaro Island seemed to be stained with blood.
Ace stood on the rotten wooden planks of the harbor, and the sea breeze, carrying the salty smell and the smell of alcohol, blew in his face.
The brim of his cowboy hat was pulled low, its shadow covering his eyes that were burning with anger.
"Right there..."
Ace muttered to himself, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the Whitebeard Pirates tattoo on his left arm.
A burly figure could be vaguely seen in the window of the tavern called "Kuroshio" at the end of the harbor.
The door of the tavern opened silently in front of Ace, as if it had been waiting for a long time.
In the dim room, Marshall D. Teach was devouring Sakura peach pie, with cream all over his beard.
"Hahaha! Isn't this Captain Ace?"
Blackbeard's laughter shook the glasses on the bar. "Want a piece of Sakura peach pie? The filling here is incredibly sweet!"
Ace's knuckles cracked and flames shot out of his palms uncontrollably, charring the door frame.
"Save the crap, Teach."
His voice was colder than polar ice. "You know why I came to you."
Several dark figures in the corner of the bar moved—Blackbeard's crew.
Van Oka's sniper rifle shone coldly in the shadows, and Du Q's sick horse neighed weakly.
But Ace's eyes remained fixed on the man sitting at the bar.
Blackbeard licked the cream from his fingers and turned around.
The smile with several missing teeth looked particularly hideous in the dim light.
"For Thatch? Or for your ridiculous 'dad'?"
"Both."
Ace's flames instantly exploded, illuminating the entire bar. "You have violated the only iron rule of the Whitebeard Pirates - killing your fellow pirates!"
Blackbeard's smile suddenly faded, and his eyes became dangerous and deep.
"companion?"
His voice was deep and full of sarcasm. "Ace, don't you understand? On this sea, only power and ambition are real!"
Ace stopped talking nonsense, and his right fist turned into a blazing white fireball, hitting Blackbeard's face with a whistling sound.
"Fire Fist!"
The flames engulfed the entire bar, and the wooden furniture was instantly carbonized by the high temperature.
[At the same time, off the coast of Banaro Island, Calm Belt]
The Suzheng First Fleet is still lurking quietly.
Lei Te looked towards the island, frowning slightly: "The fighting has started."
Enel slowly opened his eyes, his golden pupils flashing with lightning: "He's taking action."
Lei Te took out the Den Den Mushi and dialed: "Boss, there's a fight over there. Should we intervene now?"
Rogge's voice came from the Den Den Mushi: "The fight is almost over, get started. Capture Ace and Teach, and deal with the others."
The two men stared at the island battlefield without saying anything more.
————
But from the center of the flames came Blackbeard's laughter, a chilling excitement in the sound.
"Darkwater!"
The flaming fist suddenly twisted and disappeared as if absorbed by a black hole, revealing Blackbeard's right hand covered with a strange black mist.
Ace felt a sharp pain - his ability was ineffective!
"Surprised?"
Blackbeard grinned, revealing his broken teeth. "This is the power I gained by killing Thatch—the Dark Fruit that can devour everything!"
Ace quickly retreated, the flames reigniting his body.
But this time, he was obviously more cautious.
"So this is your ambition? Is a Devil Fruit enough to make you betray everyone?"
"Thief, hahahaha!"
Blackbeard slapped his knee and laughed, "Ace, you're so naive! This is just the beginning!"
His smile suddenly faded, his eyes gleaming with madness. "I will be the master of this sea! And Whitebeard... his outdated family theories should have been consigned to the dustbin of history!"
Ace suddenly felt the blood in his body boiling!
Insulting Whitebeard is more unforgivable than killing Thatch!
"Shut up!"
His whole body was ablaze with bluish-white flames, "Flame!"
Flames swept across the bar like a wave, and Blackbeard's crew was forced to retreat from the battle.
But Blackbeard himself stood there, allowing the flames to consume him.
"Pain... such pain!"
Blackbeard's voice came from the flames, with twisted ecstasy, "The price of the Dark Fruit is double the pain, but—"
The black mist suddenly erupted, engulfing the flames once again. "This will only make me stronger!"
Ace's pupils suddenly contracted.
He had never encountered an opponent who could restrain his abilities like this.
But what frightened him even more was the madness in Blackbeard's eyes—it wasn't a desire for power, but a deeper, almost pathological obsession.
"Why?"
Ace asked as he leaped into the air, his legs transforming into flame thrusters. "Why do you have to go to such lengths?"
Blackbeard's reply was drowned out by the sound of their fists bumping.
Black fog and flames intertwined, and the roof of the bar was completely blown away by the shock wave.
"Because people's dreams—"
Blackbeard suddenly grabbed Ace's shoulders and slammed him to the ground. "This will never end!"
Ace felt his spine nearly snap, but he immediately braced himself on his hands and the burst of fire propelled him back into the air.
"Divine Fire, Shiranui!" His arms transformed into flaming spears and pierced Blackbeard's chest.
Blackbeard didn't dodge or evade, allowing the flames to penetrate his body, while his right hand like black mist grabbed Ace's wrist.
"Got you, kid!"
Severe pain instantly swept through Ace's body - the Dark Fruit's ability prevented him from transforming into an element, and Blackbeard's left hand hit his abdomen at the same time.
Ace spat out a mouthful of blood and felt like his internal organs were displaced.
"You know what, Ace?"
Blackbeard leaned close to his ear and whispered, his breath smelling of decay. "I was going to ask you to join me. Roger's son, Whitebeard's favorite—what a perfect chess piece!"
Ace slammed his forehead into Blackbeard's nose, breaking free at the moment the other felt pain.
"I'd rather die than betray Dad!"
He flipped his body in the air, "Firefly·Firefly Daruma!"
Countless firefly-like fireballs surrounded Blackbeard and then exploded simultaneously.
The entire island of Banaro was shaken, and the shock wave overturned all buildings within half a mile.
When the smoke and dust cleared, Blackbeard knelt on one knee, covered in blood, but his smile became even more ferocious.
"A nice shot... but it wasn't enough!"
Ace landed on the ground panting, most of his strength already depleted.
Blackbeard's tenacity far exceeded his expectations, and the Dark Fruit's ability completely restrained his flames.
"Final blow!" Ace took a deep breath and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
Unprecedented flames gushed out of his body, forming a huge fireball above his head, illuminating the night sky as bright as day.
"Flame Emperor Great Flame Ring!"
Blackbeard looked up at the fireball that looked like the sun, and for the first time, seriousness appeared in his eyes.
"Hahahaha... now that's more like it!"
He opened his arms, and darkness spread out from him. "Liberation!"
When the flames collided with darkness, the entire waters of Banaro Island shook.
The sea boiled, the clouds were torn apart, and the shock wave even reached neighboring islands.
When everything calmed down, Ace fell in the middle of the ruins, his cowboy hat lying not far away, half burned.
Blackbeard stood before him, also covered in wounds, but with an even greater madness in his eyes.
"It's over, Ace."
Blackbeard gasped, "I'll hand you over to the Marine... and then, thief hahaha... the whole world will know that the death knell of the old era has sounded!"
Ace struggled to get up, but the darkness had already swallowed his consciousness.
In the last moment before he fell into coma, he thought of Luffy... and the tall figure on the Moby d**k who always smiled and called him "son".
"I'm sorry... Dad..."
"Hahahahahaha—this is the first horn of a new era!!"
Blackbeard laughed wildly towards the sky, his arms spread out, and the fruit power as black as night surged wildly around him.
The island shook, the rubble crumbled, and Ace, unconscious, fell at his feet.
But the next moment——
The sky exploded!
boom!!!
A pillar of lightning fell from the sky, like a divine punishment, and instantly shattered the dark clouds above his head!
Blackbeard's expression changed, and he looked up suddenly: "Who is it?!"
Buzz——!!
The air was torn apart and the wind was howling.
A Raikage slammed down to the ground, golden light burst out, and lightning exploded like a sea snake!
——Enel, Thundergod comes to the world.
He stood in front of Ace, his golden eyes cold and indifferent, and pointed his golden staff at Blackbeard: "Sorry, this guy - we have to take him away."
"You... Marine?" Blackbeard gritted his teeth, his pupils shrinking.
However, the next moment, black shadows intertwined!
--Bang!!!
A Haki figure rushed out from between the reefs, swept across with a heavy punch, and broke a piece of the collapsed bridge!
Lei Te landed, wearing a formal military uniform, his eyes like a wolf: "My boss said - want to take credit? Ask G5 first if they agree."
"Tsk." Blackbeard's face was grim, and he shouted angrily: "Everyone, come at me!!!"
In an instant!
Badgers rushed forward with his fist raised, Poison Q rode on a sick donkey, Van Oka picked up a sniper rifle, and Lafitte came like a shadow. The four of them moved in unison and surrounded Rhett and Enel!
Lei Te licked the corner of his mouth, his fighting spirit bursting out: "Finally, I can let go and fight!"
Enel raised an eyebrow, thunder and lightning in his voice: "Don't fall down too soon, I haven't even warmed up yet."
The battlefield collapsed instantly!