"Zehahahaha...!"
Blackbeard Teach let out a wild, arrogant laugh, holding aloft the fist shrouded in the faint white sphere of pressure.
"Wiiihahahaha! We did it, Captain!"
"This means we don't have to disband! It looks like our alliance with them was the right choice!"
"Murunfuffuffu~"
The Blackbeard Pirates slowly approached, their demeanor relaxed. Their captain had acquired the Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability of the 'World's Strongest Man,' Whitebeard. Now that they possessed this ultimate power, they no longer feared anyone.
On the other side, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and the pirates from the New World were stunned, exchanging bewildered looks. The ability of their beloved Pops had been mysteriously obtained by the Blackbeard Teach, the man they most despised and hated. How were they supposed to cope with that?
"Zehahahaha! The dark gravity that can turn everything to nothing! Plus the tremor power that can utterly destroy everything! Both are mine! Now I'm invincible! I am the strongest!" Teach had darkness in one hand and a tremor in the other. Having acquired the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he could fully sense just how astonishing this power was.
Clap, clap, clap...
Suddenly, a sound of clapping echoed.
"You really do have a trick up your sleeve, Blackbeard!"
Aeridar was applauding, walking closer step by step.
Truthfully, in Aeridar's perception, Teach, having gained Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability, was noticeably more dangerous and powerful than before.
If the previous Blackbeard was barely at the level of Doflamingo, he was now likely on par with any Admiral. Coupled with the tremendous destructive force of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability, he was a man capable of making anyone present feel an extreme dread.
"Ah~ It's you!"
Teach's eyes narrowed, and his brazen posture subsided somewhat. Facing the man who was also a dual-fruit user, just like himself, and who also controlled tremor abilities, he wasn't completely confident.
His eyes darted around. Teach cracked a smile and said, "Hey Let's join forces! Zehahahaha"
"Let's give them a good show, announce it to the world, and tell all those bored commoners who love peace, the Marines, the World Government, and the pirates! The future of this world is already decided!"
"Zehahahaha~ That's right, the era belongs to us from now on!"
"Zehahahaha Zehahahaha"
Teach opened his arms and laughed wildly at Aeridar. Though he wasn't a Yonko, he acted as if there was no one else in his eyes except Aeridar.
The Marines were terrified, and the pirates were stunned.
Countless eyes focused on Aeridar and Teach.
If two individuals with world-destroying abilities were to join forces, would justice even exist in this world tomorrow?
The Marines were utterly demoralized and dejected, showing none of the fighting spirit expected of elites gathered from all over the world.
"Heh heh heh~ That's somewhat amusing."
Aeridar let out a deep, soft laugh, looking at Blackbeard Teach with contempt. "In this war, one corner of the Yonko has collapsed. The Whitebeard Pirates are the losers, the Marines are the nominal victors, and you are the true beneficiary. But..."
"Don't underestimate the forces in this world. The Yonko, the Marines, the World Government, the Revolutionary Army, and countless other ambitious individuals. No one can truly say who the future belongs to!"
Pointing a finger at Teach, Aeridar sneered, "While I have no interest in the Yonko title, to suggest forming an alliance, just you and your crew... you don't nearly measure up!"
"Zehahahaha! Hahahaha!"
Teach roared with laughter. He glanced at Aeridar, then looked at the Marines, his face turning cold: "No choice, then. If I don't measure up, then first, I'll sink Marineford into the sea!"
"Hmph~ Laughable!" A malicious smile curled on Aeridar's lips as he quickly floated up into the air.
"Huh?"
Teach was confused.
Suddenly, a dark shadow blocked the sun. The massive golden Buddha form of Sengoku rose into the air, his body glowing with dazzling golden light under the sun.
Sengoku descended, slamming his palms down.
Woooong…
The air warped with a strange sound. A white halo of light erupted, and a massive shockwave instantly engulfed the Blackbeard Pirates.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
The ground violently fractured, and a fierce tremor ripped through the earth. A powerful air current swept in all directions, and the intense shockwave caused all members of the Blackbeard Pirates to cough up blood and fly backward.
"Shockwave…"
Teach was in agonizing pain, struggling fiercely against the shockwave.
"If the fortress is destroyed, we can rebuild it!"
"But this island, Marineford, is an island located almost at the center of the world!"
"For all the people around the world who fear the acts of evil criminals, our presence here carries a deep meaning! The justice named benevolence and righteousness will never perish!"
"Don't speak so casually about sinking this place, you yellow-bellied punk!"
Sengoku, in his gigantic Golden Buddha form, shone with Buddha's light. His words immediately restored the Marines' morale.
Teach wiped the blood from his mouth and stood up with his crew. "Hmph. Zehahahaha~ What a grand belief, Fleet Admiral!"
He had been caught off-guard by the sneak attack just now, but that wouldn't happen again. Feeling the power continuously surging from within him, he became practically oblivious to everything else.
"Then, hey~ You just try to defend it!"
The battle on Marineford was now split into two fronts: one where Sengoku was fiercely fighting the Blackbeard Pirates.
The other front was Sakazuki's determined pursuit of Luffy, while Kuzan, who was helping, was tangled up with the remaining Whitebeard Pirates and numerous pirates from the New World.
As for the slippery guy, Borsalino, he was stationed in the central command, monitoring the Warlords of the Sea on the battlefield, especially Aeridar.
On the battlefield, the Marines, whose morale had been reignited by Sengoku, were frantically chasing down the escaping pirates in the name of justice. They had, in essence, gone completely berserk. Corpses littered the ground, blood flowed like a river, and the scene resembled a slaughterhouse.
"A group of filthy men... they've gone bloodthirsty, haven't they?" Hancock frowned slightly, gazing at the horrific scene on the battlefield.
"That's just the inherent depravity of humans." Aeridar merely glanced at it, unconcerned.
"Bastards! Let go of me! I'll kill him!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out not far away.
"Oh? Chinjao!" Aeridar looked closer, surprised. "Hancock, you didn't finish him off?"
The legendary Chinjao the Drill was dragging a petrified arm, angrily glaring at Aeridar, heedless of the efforts of Sai and Boo to restrain him.
"I apologize. It was too chaotic earlier, and those two bastards managed to rescue the old man!" Hancock was annoyed and started walking toward Chinjao.
"I'll go finish him off right now!"
"Wait!"
Aeridar reached out and stopped Hancock, saying calmly, "A stubborn old man. Let me be the one to see this old guy off."
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