The enormous battlefield suddenly fell deathly silent.
Everyone was left completely dumbfounded.
If Blackbeard hadn’t been boasting so confidently just moments earlier, they probably wouldn’t have been able to appreciate just how enormous the gap between expectation and reality was.
Unfortunately, the scene before them felt like reality itself had just slapped Blackbeard hard across the face.
He had repeatedly claimed that he could counter every Devil Fruit user and nullify all Devil Fruit powers.
Yet now, his attack had been forcibly blocked by the golden light protecting Lucas’s body.
At the same time, the Thousand Hands manifestation gradually taking shape around Lucas gave everyone the unsettling sensation of something striking directly at their souls.
"Blackbeard, is this what gives you the confidence to force me to work overtime?"
Lucas turned around and looked at Blackbeard’s incredulous expression.
"Originally, I didn’t want Fleet Admiral Sengoku to have to pay me another bonus."
"But since you insisted on delivering yourself to my doorstep, I’ll just have to reluctantly accept it."
"Smoker, you are all witnesses."
"Blackbeard was the one who attacked first!"
Smoker, Tashigi, and the others were completely bewildered.
Facing someone powerful enough to become a Warlord of the Sea, only Lucas could still be worrying about his bonus at a moment like this.
"Of course! Of course!"
"This guy has been deliberately luring Blackbeard into attacking him from the very beginning!"
"That idiot... This time, he’s completely screwed me over!"
Spandine’s face immediately turned pale.
He vividly remembered what had happened the last time Lucas had casually called him a fake CP0 agent and blasted him into critical condition.
If Blackbeard fell into Lucas’s hands now, Spandine feared that his own life would be in danger as well.
"Blackbeard Teach! I told you that this kid was setting a trap!"
"Hurry! Find a way to escape!"
"You can’t judge him by normal standards!"
Spandine hurriedly shouted.
Blackbeard’s expression turned livid.
He almost cursed Spandine’s entire family.
Couldn’t the man have spoken a little faster and stopped him before he attacked?
Now they were truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Blackbeard still didn’t understand why the power of his Dark-Dark Fruit had failed to work against Lucas.
But with the arrow already nocked, there was no turning back.
A vicious glint flashed through his eyes.
He roared,
"Black Vortex Impact!"
"Rage."
Lucas uttered a single word.
The Thousand Hands manifestation surrounding his body instantly transformed.
The gilded radiance covering his body was replaced by a crimson hue.
A wrathful Vajra manifested, its eyes blazing with fury.
Countless fists descended like a torrential downpour, raining furiously toward Blackbeard.
Using the repulsive force generated by his darkness to rapidly pull himself away, Blackbeard instantly felt his hair stand on end.
His Dark-Dark Fruit was indeed a Logia Devil Fruit.
However, in exchange for possessing the ability to counter other Devil Fruit users, it came with the drawback that Blackbeard could not transform into intangible darkness like an ordinary Logia user.
Moreover, when he received physical attacks, he felt twice the pain.
Facing the overwhelming barrage of fists, Blackbeard was certain that if he were struck head-on, the resulting pain would be more than he could withstand.
"Black Hole: Devouring!"
Blackbeard roared repeatedly.
The power of the Dark-Dark Fruit dormant within his body was pushed to its absolute limit.
He violently twisted both hands through the air.
A gigantic black vortex materialized before him.
Most of the fists raining down from above were instantly swallowed or blocked.
But as the barrage continued, the vortex that had been desperately holding on began expanding rapidly, like an overinflated balloon.
The next moment—
It exploded.
Bang!
The tremendous impact sent Blackbeard flying.
Amid the violent blast, his body slammed headfirst into the mast of the enormous wooden raft.
The tremendous force coursing through the mast caused it to crack instantly before snapping apart with a thunderous sound.
Blackbeard crashed onto the deck.
In full view of everyone, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Captain, you’ve got to be kidding!"
"Why hasn’t his Devil Fruit power been nullified?"
"We’re supposed to use the Marines’ new Admiral as a stepping stone and make our name across the sea!"
"Stop holding back!"
Burgess wiped the blood from his face and spoke first.
He remembered his recent battle against Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
They had personally witnessed Blackbeard repeatedly suppress Ace using the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit .
In the end, Blackbeard and Ace had fought each other to mutual exhaustion, allowing Blackbeard’s crew to take advantage of the situation and capture Ace alive.
Yet the method that had worked time and time again had now failed against the Marines’ new Admiral.
It was difficult for them to accept.
The muscles in Blackbeard’s cheeks twitched slightly.
He stared at Lucas, who stood shrouded beneath the wrathful Vajra.
Blackbeard was just as confused as the others.
But as an ambitious and ruthless schemer, he had never fought a battle without some degree of confidence.
"Burgess, Laffitte, don’t worry."
"I was merely holding back earlier to test the depth of this Marine Admiral’s strength."
"Now I’ll fight him for real!"
Blackbeard struggled to his feet.
A look of determination flashed across his face before he let out a ferocious roar.
He spread all ten fingers wide.
The dormant power of the Dark-Dark Fruit within his body erupted violently.
"Kid!"
"Try my strongest attack!"
"Black Hole!"
Boom!
An ink-black tide was released by Blackbeard without the slightest restraint.
Everything that had been swallowed into the darkness was violently expelled, erupting outward like the force of a volcanic eruption.
In an instant, an enormous tide of darkness rose into the sky around Blackbeard and crashed toward Lucas and the others.
The darkness blotted out the heavens.
Smoker and the others immediately turned pale.
"Kid!"
"This darkness can swallow everything!"
"Let’s see if you can withstand it!"
Blackbeard threw his head back and laughed wildly.
The enormous wooden raft beneath him had already been swallowed by darkness.
Looking at the overwhelming darkness filling the sky, Burgess, Laffitte, and the others were filled with fighting spirit.
"Captain, you’re finally getting serious!"
"When do we attack again?"
Hidden nearby, Spandine’s nerves were stretched to their absolute limit.
Could it be that Blackbeard really had another method of dealing with Lucas?
Could he actually have a guaranteed way to win?
But the moment this thought flashed through Spandine’s mind—
Blackbeard suddenly turned around.
With one hand gripping the edge of the raft, he pointed toward the open sea with the other.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why would we attack?"
"This Marine Admiral is obviously trying to trick us!"
"If we don’t run now, when are we going to run?"
"Are we supposed to wait until he breaks through the darkness before we escape?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the darkness violently gathering around Blackbeard erupted once again like a raging tide.
The enormous black wave crashed into the sea, generating tremendous reverse thrust.
The force propelled the enormous wooden raft rapidly backward.
Burgess and the others standing on deck were completely stunned.
Even Ace was left speechless.
At that moment, they finally understood why Blackbeard had gone to such lengths to build up his attack.
This...
Was he seriously running away?
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