Chapter 37: Your Ambition Ends Here!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The battlefield trembled as Lucas clashed with Blackbeard Teach, his mind simultaneously communicating with the spirit while maintaining a relentless assault. The white halo of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit encased his fists, and with Whitebeard's well-honed combat instincts guiding him, Lucas battered Teach with overwhelming force.

Flames roared, darkness twisted, and shockwaves shattered the atmosphere. The entire island quaked beneath their duel. Even the ground itself seemed to resist the battle, as mud lions formed from the earth roared skyward, adding to the chaos.

Lucas, fighting at full power, dominated Teach with each strike.

"Sword!" Lucas extended his hand, and in response, a massive chunk of earth condensed in front of him, hardening instantly into an indestructible form. As it refined further, it took the shape of a naginata, an exact replica of Whitebeard's famed weapon—though slightly smaller to suit Lucas' build.

There was no helping it. Whitebeard stood at an imposing 6.66 meters; his weapon of choice was naturally crafted for his immense stature. Lucas, though powerful, wasn't accustomed to wielding something so massive. But with top-tier Armament Haki reinforcing it, his naginata was strong enough to contend with even the Supreme Grade Blades.

"Teach! Does this weapon look familiar? Gurarara! My dear son, let Daddy take good care of you!"

Lucas deliberately mimicked Whitebeard's voice and mannerisms, his tone filled with mockery. As he swung, the blade shimmered with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, infused with pure Armament Haki, and slashed down toward Teach.

Whitebeard's swordsmanship was unlike any other. There was no finesse—only sheer, overwhelming force.

Each strike carried the weight of a natural disaster. It was simple. Devastating. Unstoppable.

"Bastard!" Teach bellowed in fury, his face contorted in rage. The fact that Lucas dared to imitate Whitebeard while ridiculing him was intolerable.

Summoning the full power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, Teach conjured a swirling void of darkness, trying to consume Lucas' attacks while simultaneously countering with his own shockwave-infused punch.

Far Away…

Marco and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates fought fiercely against the Blackbeard Pirates. But even amidst the battle, their attention couldn't help but drift toward Lucas.

There was too much about him that felt familiar.

The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. The devastating flames of the Flame-Flame Fruit. And now—the unmistakable, brute-force swordsmanship of Whitebeard himself.

"Teach…"

The Blackbeard Pirates, watching their captain struggle, felt an uncharacteristic sense of dread creeping into their bones.

"Captain!" Burgess and the other core members of Teach's crew panicked. Desperately, they fought to break free from their opponents and rush to Teach's side.

"If Teach dies… we're finished!"

Some of them, like the infamous Avalo Pizarro Impel Down, had no real loyalty to Teach. They had followed him because they believed in his potential, his ambition. But if he fell here, there was no reason for them to stay. They'd abandon ship without hesitation.

Lucas, observing the scene, sneered. "Teach, it seems your crew isn't all that loyal."

Teach gritted his teeth, unwilling to acknowledge the truth. "Hmph! The Whitebeard Pirates are barely holding their own against my men!"

"Zehahaha! Once my crew finishes them off, can you handle all of us?"

His words were brimming with forced confidence, but deep down, uncertainty gnawed at him.

Lucas smirked. "Is that so? Well then… let's change the balance."

Crackle!

A sudden explosion of Conqueror's Haki burst from Lucas, forming an invisible pressure that blanketed the battlefield. The force was suffocating—an overwhelming weight pressing down on everything around him.

Teach's expression shifted. He roared, unleashing his own Conqueror's Haki in defiance. The two invisible forces clashed, and the air crackled with purple lightning.

Seconds later, Teach let out a pained grunt, his willpower faltering under the sheer might of Lucas' dominance. His Haki shattered, and he staggered back, visibly shaken.

Conqueror's Territory!

A powerful, mental pressure wrapped around the space, striking Teach directly. It was as if countless needles pierced into his mind and body, causing unbearable agony. His movements became sluggish, his control over his own body weakening.

Meanwhile, Lucas' naginata shifted. The form twisted, reshaping into a western-style longsword, its blade coated in a swirling mixture of purple-black Armament Haki and the chaotic energy of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

"Whitebeard isn't the only one who to reunite with you, Blackbeard…" Lucas grinned. "The Pirate King himself, Roger would love to see you too."

With a flicker of movement, Lucas disappeared from Teach's sight.

Then, shhkk!

A stabbing pain erupted in Teach's chest. He gasped, a wretched scream tearing from his throat.

Lucas' blade had pierced his heart.

The darkness around Teach wavered, flickering unsteadily. He stumbled back, clutching his chest, eyes filled with shock and horror.

"I KILL YOU! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Teach's roar was filled with desperation. His white-glowing fist—powered by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit—swung wildly at Lucas in a last-ditch effort.

But it was already over.

Lucas easily sidestepped the attack and drove his sword into Teach's second heart.

The white energy dissipated instantly. The madness in Teach's eyes faded, replaced with something far worse—confusion. Disbelief.

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