Chapter 35: I’ll Take Blackbeard’s Life!

"Zehahaha!"

"Marco, I won!"

Blackbeard Teach let out a triumphant, guttural laugh, his feral grin stretching across his face as he loomed over Phoenix Marco and the remaining members of the Whitebeard Pirates. His eyes gleamed with malice, savoring the despair etched onto their faces.

Marco clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Their defeat was undeniable. Teach alone had pushed them to the brink, crushing what little hope they had of avenging Whitebeard. How could they even dream of retribution when they couldn't even protect what remained of their father's legacy?

Forget revenge… we can't even hold onto what's left of Pops' era…

The realization burned like acid in his throat.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Just as Teach prepared to deal the finishing blow, the roar of surging waves echoed from the distance. The sea itself seemed to come alive, an unnatural force stirring within its depths. Then, out of nowhere, a towering wave—at least ten meters high—rose against the horizon like an ancient sea god, its wrath aimed directly at the Blackbeard Pirates' fleet and the crew stationed along the shore.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?!" one of Blackbeard's crewmates shouted in panic.

"A rogue wave? No way! Even in the New World, something like this doesn't happen without a reason!"

"This ain't natural! What's causing it?!"

Chaos erupted on the Blackbeard Pirates' battleships as the monstrous wave surged forward. Panic-stricken pirates scrambled to maintain control of their vessels, but the sheer force of the incoming water sent the fleet into a frenzy.

Shiryu of the Rain—clicked his tongue in irritation. "Tch. A little water? I'll cut it down."

With a flick of his wrist, he unsheathed his famed blade, Raiu, its edge glinting under the dim light. He swung it with precision, slicing through the wall of water with a single, powerful stroke.

Shing!

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though the wave had been split in two. Shiryu smirked smugly, already turning to mock his crewmates.

"Hmph. You were afraid of this? How disappoint—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the severed wave reformed in an instant, surging forward with even greater intensity. The ocean roared in defiance, swallowing his arrogance whole.

"Shiryu, do something!"

The panic returned tenfold as the wave bore down upon them. Shiryu's smug expression twisted into a grimace.

I can't stop this!

"Damn it!" Teach growled, realizing the impending disaster. His crewmates' terrified cries filled the air, but there was nothing he could do. His powers were formidable, but against the relentless fury of the sea, they were useless.

Boom!

The colossal wave crashed onto the fleet. Ships were overturned, masts snapped like twigs, and more than half of the Blackbeard Pirates' forces were swept into the depths. Those who weren't dragged under were flung through the air like ragdolls, landing with bone-crushing force against jagged rocks.

Teach himself was caught in the flood, his massive body hurled across the shoreline before slamming into a boulder with a sickening crack!. He groaned, pain shooting through his ribs.

At least I wasn't on the ship… if I had been, I would've drowned for sure.

From the chat group, Golden Lion Shiki let out a boisterous laugh.

Golden Lion Shiki: "Now that's an entrance! A tsunami worthy of a true master of the Float-Float Fruit!"

Pirate King Roger: "???"

Roger blinked at the message, confused.

Whitebeard: "Hah! The stronger Lucas is with the Float-Float Fruit, the more it proves how pathetic and incompetent you were as its former user."

Golden Lion Shiki: "...!!!"

Shiki choked on his laughter. Was that supposed to be an insult? Because it felt like one.

Pirate King Roger: "Gotta admit, the power of tsunamis is terrifying. Whitebeard, you could do this too, right?"

Whitebeard: "Of course! Back during the Marineford War, if it weren't for Aokiji freezing my waves, I could've wiped out more than half the Marine in one move!"

Regret tinged his words. If only Aokiji hadn't countered him back then… perhaps history would have played out differently.

In the Real World…

Lucas emerged from the swirling mist of seawater, his silhouette gradually becoming visible as he strode forward. All eyes turned to him.

"That's… the Marine traitor, Lucas?!"

"Didn't he just escape Marine Headquarters? What's he doing here?!"

"And he has Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit… Is he here to take down Teach? Or does he want something else?"

Murmurs of speculation filled the air. Some watched in awe, others in fear. But Teach? He merely wiped the blood from his mouth and let out another grating laugh.

"Zehahaha! Lucas! I was just thinking of looking for you! How about it? Want to join my crew?"

Gasps erupted from the onlookers.

Is he serious?! After getting wrecked by Lucas' attack, he's still trying to recruit him?!

Lucas smirked, crossing his arms as he regarded Teach with obvious disdain.

"You want me as your crewmate? Heh. Didn't think an ugly bastard like you could have such beautiful dreams."

Teach's laughter only grew louder. "Zehahaha! Rejected, huh? Big failure! That's embarrassing!"

Despite his injuries, he took the rejection in stride, almost reminiscent of Shanks' carefree nature.

Pirate King Roger: "Y'know, if I didn't already know what kind of man he was, I'd actually like his attitude."

Golden Lion Shiki: "Tsk, tsk. You gotta admit, the guy embodies the old pirate spirit that's been lost in today's era."

Whitebeard: "Don't give me that nonsense! This bastard has no honor! Lucas, kill him!"

Ding!

A notification rang out in the chat.

Whitebeard has sent an exclusive red envelope: [Observation Haki – Advanced] to Lucas!

Whitebeard has sent an exclusive red envelope: [Armament Haki – Advanced] to Lucas!

Whitebeard has sent an exclusive red envelope: [Conqueror's Haki – Advanced] to Lucas!

Whitebeard has sent an exclusive red envelope: [Swordsmanship – Great] to Lucas!

The sheer volume of gifts left everyone speechless. Whether it was his fury at seeing Teach or the need to prove something to Roger and Shiki, Whitebeard had gone all in.

Lucas stared at the notifications in disbelief before letting out a low whistle. "Damn, Boss. That's some serious generosity."

Then, his expression darkened, and he turned his gaze toward Teach, cracking his knuckles with a sinister smirk.

"Alright then… I'll take Blackbeard's life!"

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