Anyone who dared to provoke Whiteflame to his face—he never let them walk away.
But Blackbeard was the key instigator of the future Paramount War.
If Whiteflame killed him now… how would that war ever take place?
Whiteflame wasn't the merciful type, but he wasn't reckless either.
Killing someone on a whim and losing out on the spectacle of Marineford later—
Compared side by side, that trade-off simply wasn't worth it.
Without another word, Whiteflame turned, soared into the sky, and left Banaro Island.
Watching his figure disappear into the distant sky, Blackbeard and his crew finally exhaled. It felt as if a massive weight had suddenly been lifted from their chests.
"That damned Whiteflame… I'll never forgive him!"
The fawning expression Blackbeard wore before vanished, replaced by seething rage.
"Captain… do we really want to make an enemy of him?"
Van Augur wiped the blood from his mouth, eyes complicated.
Only after today's clash had he truly understood how strong the man from the rumors really was.
Their entire crew combined—Whiteflame could crush them all with a single finger.
"Of course we can't go after him now!" Blackbeard snarled.
"But once I get Pops' Quake-Quake Fruit… he'll be the first one I take out!"
A murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
From the moment he took Ace down, Blackbeard had already formed a plan.
As long as he acquired Whitebeard's powers, he would inherit the title of "Strongest Man in the World."
When that happened, Whiteflame, White Yan, whoever—
They'd all be trembling at his feet.
Meanwhile, Whiteflame had already returned to the town.
The streets were just as lively and noisy as before. No one had any idea that, not far from here, an island had just been shaken by a battle between sun and darkness.
That clash had ended with darkness victorious.
Whiteflame also didn't know that Blackbeard had already set his sights on him, harboring lethal intent.
But even if he did—it wouldn't matter.
Kill him?
Whiteflame wasn't even sure he himself could die that easily.
He wandered the streets for a bit longer, until he saw Rebecca happily running toward him.
"Mister Benefactor! Look, my new dress—does it look nice?"
Rebecca twirled in front of him, the pink dress making her look especially charming.
"Not bad," Whiteflame said.
That night's events, and the distant blaze he'd later sensed through IBM and Observation Haki, eventually led him to the burning island—where he killed Edward Weevil and Miss Bakkin like swatting flies.
A future member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had died just like that, on some nameless island.
They'd planned to raid a town, make a big score, and build a name for themselves.
But by sheer bad luck, they'd run into Whiteflame—who just so happened to be in the mood for a little "nighttime exercise."
If anyone was to blame, it was them.
Of all the titles to borrow, they'd insisted on claiming a connection to Whitebeard.
The title of "Strongest Man in the World" wasn't something just anyone could wear.
At first, Whiteflame hadn't planned to bother with Weevil at all.
But when he remembered Kizaru once saying this guy had "the power of a young Whitebeard," he got curious enough to test it.
The result was… disappointing.
So-called "power comparable to Whitebeard in his youth" most likely meant without the Quake-Quake Fruit.
Otherwise, how could he die without even the slightest room to resist?
In Whiteflame's eyes, Weevil was nothing more than a small fry.
He'd killed him casually—just a little late-night warm-up.
Sabaody Archipelago—
Located in front of the Red Line in the middle of the Grand Line, the archipelago is formed from the roots of gigantic mangrove trees. The ground itself is made of their intertwined roots, and strange bubbles constantly rise from the soil.
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