Chapter 241

"Who told you that Dad can't lift a sword anymore?"

Squard's lips curled slightly, his sneer cutting through the tension. "Not only can Dad lift his sword, but he can lift it effortlessly!"

"Zehahahaha!!!!"

Blackbeard's laughter exploded, his booming voice filling the air as Squard continued his "bragging." He couldn't hold back his amusement.

With a mocking grin, he sneered, "You really are just like Whitebeard! Stubborn to the core! We all saw with our own eyes the wounds that old man took during the Battle of Marineford! What's the point of bragging? Can that make Whitebeard whole again? You think his name alone is enough to scare us? Sorry, but the name Whitebeard holds no weight now!"

"Ha ha ha ha!!!"

The rest of the Blackbeard Pirates joined in, their laughter rolling like a wave, cruel and derisive, echoing in the air like the squeals of pigs.

Squard's gaze hardened. "You don't believe it? Dad's injuries are completely healed! When he gets here, you'll all be left speechless!"

Blackbeard shrugged off Squard's warning, laughing dismissively. "Of course, I don't believe it!"

Did he come all the way here, launching an attack on Whitebeard's territory, just to prove something to one of the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates' fleet?

Obviously not!

Though Blackbeard was a traitor, his actions always had a clear purpose!

Even when he served in the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates for all those years, he never wavered from his goal—to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit. And this time was no different. His true objective remained the same...

He was here to take Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

This had to be done while Whitebeard was still alive; otherwise, once the old man died, the fruit would reincarnate somewhere across the vast seas.

How would Blackbeard ever track it down then?

Recently, Blackbeard had been gathering information on Whitebeard's injuries. He wasn't concerned with whether Whitebeard was healing; his fear was that the man would succumb to his wounds and die before he could act.

So now, he wasn't just here to find Whitebeard—he was here to test him.

"Teach!!——"

Suddenly, an angry shout cut through the atmosphere.

Everyone's attention shifted to the sea, where a small boat raced across the waves.

"Captain Ace!!"

Squard's breath eased, a visible relief settling over him as he recognized Ace approaching. Though young, Ace's strength was undeniable.

"Hahahaha!!! Ace, you're alive! That's great!~~~" Blackbeard grinned, greeting Ace with fake enthusiasm.

Ace rolled his eyes, his thoughts simmering with frustration. That's not what you said when you handed me over to the Marines...

Of course, Ace harbored no delusions. He didn't blame Teach for his actions—after all, they were enemies. Betrayal was just part of the game.

"Teach!" Ace's voice was cold, cutting through the pretense. "Stop with the nonsense! You're here now, so come with me and accept your punishment before Dad!"

Punishment? Does he take me for a fool? Wait... No, that's wrong...

Blackbeard's expression briefly shifted to surprise.

Didn't I come here to find Whitebeard? 

Now Ace was offering to take him directly to the man.

Wasn't this exactly what I wanted?

Breaking into a grin, Blackbeard laughed. "Oh, I'm definitely going to see my old man, but not to receive any punishment, Zehahaha!!!"

Ace sneered inwardly. I know what you're plotting, Teach...

Unlike Squard, Ace wouldn't be spilling the news of Whitebeard's recovery so easily.

"Captain Ace, let me go with you!" Squard's determination was evident despite his limited strength; he would do anything to protect Whitebeard.

"Alright, let's go together," Ace agreed with a nod, turning the boat around.

He had no interest in starting a battle with Blackbeard's crew in open water. Though Ace had trained himself to control the seasickness that plagued him, he couldn't unleash his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic while on the boat. No matter how much training he endured, this limitation remained.

But if Teach was willing to go to Whitebeard, all the better. Once they reached land, Ace could fully unleash his strength.

"Captain, are we really going to the Whitebeard Pirates' lair?" Van Augur, one of Blackbeard's crew, asked with visible concern.

Though they had raided Impel Down and even recruited new members from the prison, the saying a lean camel is still bigger than a horse remained true. The Whitebeard Pirates were still a formidable force, and anything could happen once they ventured into their territory.

"It's not 'we.' It's just me," Blackbeard corrected with a wicked chuckle. "You all stay on the ship and follow from a distance. If things go south, retreat immediately. I'll catch up with you later."

"Understood!" The crew exchanged knowing looks, understanding their captain's plan.

This wasn't reckless bravado. Despite their belief that the Whitebeard Pirates were weakened, they wouldn't act without confidence. Even during the Marineford War, Blackbeard had watched carefully, waiting for the perfect moment.

That moment hadn't come. But a fortunate twist of fate awaited them on the way back from the war. They encountered a ship carrying the World Government's Heavenly Tribute. After seizing it, the Blackbeard Pirates discovered not just treasure, but a rare mythical Zoan Devil Fruit hidden deep within the ship's cargo hold.

When Blackbeard consulted the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, his joy was boundless.

Originally, he had planned to seek the Tremor-Tremor Fruit as his second devil fruit. But now, with a mythical Zoan in his hands, he changed his mind. He would consume this fruit first, then hunt for the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

As a man with three souls, Blackbeard could wield the power of three Devil Fruits: one Logia—his Dark-Dark Fruit, one Zoan—this mythical beast, and one Paramecia—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. With these, his strength would become utterly terrifying.

And this mythical Zoan Devil Fruit was the key to his current confidence!

Even without a Devil Fruit, he had scarred Red-Hair Shanks' face with his physical prowess alone.

So, who would dare face Whitebeard without ample strength?

With a powerful leap, Blackbeard vaulted from his raft and landed smoothly on Ace's small boat.

"Hmm!?"

Ace's brow furrowed, his guard immediately up.

"Zehahahaha!!!" Blackbeard laughed. "Relax, if I wanted to strike, I would've done it already! Come on, let's go see the old man."

Casually, he settled at the stern, stretching lazily.

Ace seethed with frustration but shook it off. In such close quarters, his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic would be useless, and his Flame-Flame Fruit powers would only feed into Blackbeard's Dark-Dark abilities.

"Let's go," Ace grunted.

One at the bow, the other at the stern, the two sat in tense silence.

Propelled by flames, Ace's small boat sailed steadily toward the island where the Whitebeard Pirates' headquarters awaited.

=========================

[More Chapter Available at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]

=========================