Whoosh!
A peach-pink arrow suddenly tore through the void, transforming into a streak of light as it shot straight toward Blackbeard's wrist.
"Huh?!"
Staring at the arrow that had burst out from a pitch-black rift connected to some mysterious space, Blackbeard froze for an instant.
Before he could even react, the arrow was already upon him.
Caught completely off guard, Blackbeard hurriedly surged his blood and energy, coating the targeted area with Armament Haki at the last second.
The next moment—
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…!"
Thud!
Struck by the pink arrow, Blackbeard abruptly dropped Granny Nyon—who had been on the verge of death—and clutched his injured wrist, howling in pain.
Off to the side, the Golden Lion immediately shot him a strange look.
Then he saw it.
A long, fair leg suddenly extended out from that jet-black space, landing lightly on the palace floor.
Right after that, Boa Hancock appeared before them in a way none of them could have ever imagined.
"Lady Snake!!!"
"Snake Princess…"
Upon seeing her, both the wounded guards sprawled on the ground and Granny Nyon felt a spark of hope flare in their eyes.
But in the next instant, Granny Nyon suddenly panicked and shouted:
"No! Snake Princess, leave now!"
"Their target is you and your Devil Fruit!"
"Alone, you're no match for them—hurry and contact the Marines for reinforcements!"
"Shut up, old hag!!!"
Hancock barked sharply as she stepped out of the Hyperspace Hole, cutting Granny Nyon off mid-sentence.
Her beautiful eyes swept coldly over the Golden Lion with his cigar clenched between his teeth, then over Blackbeard groaning on the floor. She took in the shattered palace before her, listened to the sounds of battle echoing from behind—the cries of her people.
In an instant, blazing fury ignited within Hancock's eyes.
"Unforgivable bastards!"
Boom!!!
Her rage-infused Conqueror's Haki erupted once more, forming a terrifying vortex-like pressure that spread across the sky above the palace.
Yet under this overwhelming presence, the Golden Lion's expression did not change in the slightest.
Even Blackbeard, who had been writhing in pain moments earlier, slowly stood up with a calm look on his face—one that even carried a hint of greed as he stared at Hancock.
"So the main prize finally shows herself."
Clearly, Hancock's Conqueror's Haki had no effect on either of them.
But in the very next moment, Blackbeard's eyes suddenly widened in shock.
"Long time no see, Blackbeard!"
Boom!!!
Another powerful surge of pressure burst forth from the pitch-black mysterious space.
Completely different from Hancock's earlier, flowing presence—
This time, it was a true raging tsunami, a monstrous flood that threatened to swallow them whole.
Boom!!!
Without hesitation, Blackbeard unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki, colliding head-on with that terrifying force.
Pitch-black lightning crackled wildly through the air, like rifts tearing open the very sky—an awe-inspiring and dreadful sight.
Under the clash of these overwhelming auras, even the Golden Lion couldn't help but reveal a look of astonishment.
He stared at Blackbeard in disbelief, shock swirling endlessly in his eyes.
After all, this was the first time he had ever seen Blackbeard release his Haki at full power.
More importantly—
This was not the kind of presence that could belong to someone content with living under another's shadow.
In that instant, the Golden Lion's nerves—dulled by a long period of smooth cooperation—tightened once more.
Watching the clash of Conqueror's Haki before him, he unconsciously clenched his fists.
Because his brain had once been struck by a ship's rudder, though he had narrowly escaped death, he had lost the ability to release Conqueror's Haki himself.
Boom—!!!
After a thunderous explosion, it was as if the entire world had been muted. All sound vanished.
Endless dust was kicked up like a curtain by the violently colliding Haki.
When everyone's vision finally cleared again, two figures had appeared at Hancock's left and right—figures that made Blackbeard's pupils shrink violently.
"It's you two?!"
Blackbeard's expression gradually darkened.
Long ago, he had already sensed that he would inevitably cross paths with the Straw Hat Pirates again.
But he never expected that day to arrive so suddenly!
That's right.
After a collective discussion among the Straw Hat crew, they had ultimately decided to come to Amazon Lily and help Hancock drive away these invaders.
After all, that man was someone with fate and fortune second only to Luffy himself—his goals and plans were not something to be underestimated.
And so—
"This time, we won't let you get away so easily."
Red stepped forward, a relaxed smile on his face as he casually addressed Blackbeard.
Beside him, Luffy wore an expression of pure amazement, completely lacking the tension one would show toward an enemy, and said in admiration:
"So it really is you!"
"That's amazing. You actually survived something like that."
"That's incredible~"
"Damn brat…!"
When enemies meet, their hatred burns all the brighter.
Seeing the infuriating look on Luffy's face, Blackbeard was instantly reminded of his own tragic past—and of the former companions who had all perished.
The fury in his heart surged violently, even more intense than Hancock's earlier rage toward him.
But realizing he was losing control, he immediately forced himself to calm down.
The Straw Hat Pirates of today were no longer foes he could afford to underestimate.
If he let hatred cloud his judgment, he might repeat the same mistake again!
He had already paid dearly for underestimating them once.
This time, he would not make the same error!
With that thought, Blackbeard let out a low, sinister laugh.
"Zehahahaha~!"
"You really are something, brat—actually managing to defeat Marine Admiral Kizaru!"
"But I read the papers. You beat him using the same method as before, didn't you?!"
"Exploiting a Devil Fruit user's weakness to the absolute limit!"
"Unfortunately for you, this is inland on an island—your usual tricks won't work here!!!"
"Oh? Is that really so?!"
Red suddenly smiled faintly, wearing a classic I-don't-believe-you expression.
Then he casually raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Snap!
In an instant, a Hyperspace Hole abruptly opened above his head.
Under the Golden Lion's horrified gaze, massive amounts of seawater poured down from the black void, instantly drenching Blackbeard like a drowned rat.
"Well? The feeling of being soaked in seawater shouldn't be unfamiliar to you, right?"
Red looked up with clear amusement in his eyes.
Step!
Blackbeard hurriedly retreated, escaping the area covered by the Hyperspace Hole.
Immediately after, he stared at Red in disbelief, eyes wide with terror.
"Impossible!"
"What kind of ability is that?!"
He shouted in shock.
Red merely smiled.
"Now then—do you still have absolute confidence, Blackbeard-senpai?"
"And as for you, Golden Lion-senpai—if you don't want to suddenly fall into the sea while flying…"
"I suggest you don't interfere in our grudge with Blackbeard."
"After all, clinging on from the last era until now must have been exhausting."
"You wouldn't want the legendary pirate persona you worked so hard to build to turn into the final sunset before your curtain call, would you?"
"Brat… are you threatening me?!"
The Golden Lion's eyes flashed with vicious light.
As a legendary pirate, arrogance and pride were carved into his very bones—how could he tolerate such words?
Yet what he hadn't expected was—
This brat before him was even more arrogant than he was.
"This isn't a threat, Golden Lion-senpai."
Red stepped forward with a smile, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he extended his hand once more.
"This is a warning."
Snap!!!
Another crisp snap echoed through the ruined palace.
The Golden Lion's eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, he activated his Devil Fruit power, his body floating away at high speed.
But to his surprise—
The Hyperspace Hole Red summoned this time did not appear above his head.
Instead, in the moment of his panicked evasion…
It teleported Granny Nyon and the wounded guards elsewhere.
After finishing all this, Red smiled calmly and turned to Luffy beside him.
"Alright. All the unstable factors that could interfere with the battle have been cleared~"
"Now you can fight to your heart's content, Luffy~!"
"Thanks, Red!"
Bang!
Luffy slammed his fist into his palm, an excited grin spreading across his face.
Since the battle at Enies Lobby, nearly a full month had passed without a proper fight.
Even when he went to the Pokémon world, it had mostly been one-sided beatdowns against Pokémon barely above level 50—around the strength of elite Marine vice admirals.
He had long grown sick of such boring battles.
And now, at last—
A real, no-holds-barred fight!!!
(End of Chapter)