"Heh heh. Blackbeard, rest assured. The reason CP0 provided you with this intelligence is entirely because the Five Elders don’t want the Marines’ new Admiral to become too arrogant and accidentally meet his end out on the sea."
Spandine chuckled from beneath his white cloak, but a trace of resentment flashed deep within his eyes.
Thinking back on all the times he had been thwarted by Lucas recently, Spandine wished he could see Lucas suffer a humiliating defeat immediately.
"Oh? So, according to you, you’re planning to use me, Blackbeard, to give this new Marine Admiral a good beating?"
Blackbeard burst into laughter.
"It certainly sounds ridiculous, but it’s exactly the outcome I want."
"I want everyone on this sea to know that I, Blackbeard, am the true king!"
"Laffitte, do you see the Marines’ ship?"
"Captain, I’ve spotted the Marine warship. There are also extensive signs of battle on the island. It seems CP0’s intelligence was accurate."
Laffitte transformed into his bird-like form and landed directly atop the lookout tower on the mast, surveying the surroundings.
"Is that so?"
Blackbeard’s grin became even more amused.
"Looks like we’ve got some good news."
"The Marines’ new Admiral was attacked by Jack the Drought, whose bounty is one billion Berries. Even if he managed to drive Jack away, he must have paid a considerable price."
"I’d really like to know whether he can withstand the next challenge."
"After all, I’ve been lacking a good opportunity to make a name for myself."
"Men! Give me everything you’ve got! Don’t let that Marine Admiral escape!"
"Got it, Captain!"
Burgess and the others immediately shouted in response.
CP0’s arrival had not only provided Blackbeard and his crew with intelligence about the Marines’ fourth Admiral, but had also deliberately leaked information about Jack the Drought of the Beasts Pirates—the pirate with a one-billion-Berry bounty—launching an attack ahead of time.
Their purpose was to lure the ambitious Blackbeard into making a move against the Marines’ new Admiral.
Seeing the group of pirates brimming with murderous intent before him, Spandine couldn’t help but smile.
He had waited far too long for the opportunity to witness Lucas suffer a humiliating defeat.
The moment he thought of the overwhelming counter to Devil Fruit powers provided by Blackbeard’s Dark-Dark Fruit , a sense of anticipation welled up inside him.
He desperately wanted to see whether this arrogant newcomer among the Marines could still laugh so smugly afterward.
The enormous wooden raft accelerated at full speed, rapidly closing the distance.
More than ten minutes later, they finally got a clear view of the Marine warship.
But their pupils suddenly contracted.
Their eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.
The smiles that had been plastered across their faces instantly froze.
Standing on the deck of the Marine warship was a figure as enormous as a small mountain, his entire body wrapped in Seastone chains.
Everyone felt as though their heads were buzzing.
This was completely different from what they had imagined!
Hadn’t CP0 told them that the Marines’ fourth Admiral had been attacked by Jack the Drought, resulting in an intense battle to the death between the two sides?
So where was the injured Marine Admiral?
Instead, the pirate who should have already departed was right there, bound up like a dumpling!
This was Jack the Drought—the one-billion-Berry pirate and one of the three All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates!
If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, they absolutely would never have believed what they were seeing.
"C-Captain... Jack the Drought, the one-billion-Berry pirate and one of the Beasts Pirates’ All-Stars, has actually fallen into the hands of the Marines’ fourth Admiral."
Burgess was the first to lose his nerve, his mouth suddenly dry.
Even a pirate with a one-billion-Berry bounty had been defeated.
And he was one of the three All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go at all!
Even Spandine, hiding in the darkness some distance away, was completely dumbfounded.
Had their prediction merely grazed reality by sheer coincidence?
Why did everything Lucas did keep exceeding their expectations and slipping beyond their control?
For a moment, everyone’s eyes fell on Blackbeard.
It was the first time Blackbeard had experienced what it felt like to have everyone’s attention focused on him.
It was surprisingly uncomfortable—like sitting on pins and needles.
Thinking back to the bold declarations he’d made only moments earlier, he realized that if he backed down now, his earlier boasts would come back to slap him hard across the face.
After a moment of struggle flashed across his expression, Blackbeard finally gritted his teeth and shouted,
"Marines! I’m Blackbeard Teach!"
"I’ve come this time to complete a transaction involving Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"I’ll hand him over to you right now. Just don’t forget to honor your promise of the position of Warlord of the Sea."
He backed down.
Burgess and the others were instantly stunned.
They had never expected Blackbeard, who had been boasting so confidently just moments ago, to retreat faster than a scared dog.
He didn’t even mention any of his earlier grand ambitions.
He simply handed Ace over.
The contrast was enormous.
"Blackbeard Teach?"
Tashigi and Smoker had already gone on alert.
When Blackbeard suddenly approached them, they had assumed that some unexpected complication was about to occur.
They never imagined things would proceed so smoothly.
Looking at Fire Fist Ace, who was being brought onto the deck, Tashigi and Smoker exchanged a glance before speaking in a solemn tone.
"I’m afraid there’s been a change of plans."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku has already replaced the officer assigned to this mission with Admiral Kizaru."
"Admiral Lucas said that the mission is canceled while he’s on vacation."
"You’d better take your man back for now."
The mission was canceled during vacation?
Blackbeard and his crew were dumbfounded.
They were giving Ace away for free, and the Marines didn’t even want him?
Even Ace, who was bound tightly and thrown onto the deck, couldn’t process what was happening.
A rather absurd thought gradually emerged in everyone’s minds.
Changing the commander midway through an operation was considered a major taboo almost anywhere.
Yet the Marine Headquarters had suddenly replaced its newly appointed fourth Admiral with an older Admiral.
Wasn’t that practically proof that something was wrong?
Blackbeard’s previously respectful expression stiffened.
A moment later, a somewhat sinister smile appeared on his face.
"Heh heh... The mission is canceled while he’s on vacation?"
"I’ve heard that this new Marine Admiral is extremely particular about his salary and performance bonuses."
"Since he’s already gone out on a mission this time, I don’t believe he’d willingly let the fat reward that has already reached his lips slip away."
"Yet even when I’m giving him a man for free, he doesn’t want him."
"Looks like taking down Jack the Drought must have cost him quite a bit."
"But on this sea, no one has ever been allowed to refuse me."
"He won’t even come out to meet me?"
"Then I’ll just have to use a little force."
A little force?
Smoker and Tashigi’s expressions changed immediately.
Sure enough, the worst-case scenario that Fleet Admiral Sengoku had anticipated had happened.
Completing the transaction with Blackbeard was clearly not going to be as simple as it appeared on the surface.
"Marines! Hurry! Take your new Marine Admiral and get out of here!"
"Blackbeard Teach’s Dark-Dark Fruit can nullify Devil Fruit powers!"
"Once he gets his hands on your new Marine Admiral, that Admiral will become nothing more than a stepping stone for Blackbeard to make a name for himself!"
Ace, who had been thrown onto the deck, suddenly roared.
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