Sphinx Island in the New World, the hometown of Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
On the rolling plains stood simple, modest houses.
From time to time, one could see enormous, strange winged lions strolling across the grasslands or soaring through the sky with their white wings spread.
On a seaside hillside, there were two graves.
One large, one small.
In front of the smaller grave hung a hat and a short knife.
The hat was adorned with a circular decoration featuring a smiling face and a crying face.
On the larger grave stood a massive naginata.
The area in front of the graves was clean, with offerings of alcohol and flowers.
It was clear that someone regularly tended to them.
Marco, with his pineapple-shaped hair and round glasses, was leaning against Ace's grave, gazing at the endless sea while holding a bottle of liquor in one hand.
"Old man, Ace... I miss you both... It's so lonely..."
Marco took a large swig of liquor, the liquid trickling down the corner of his mouth and soaking his clothes without him even noticing.
The corners of his eyes were moist, his gaze distant.
At this moment, he looked aged, like a man on the brink of death.
Wrinkles covered his face, his hair had turned gray, and his eyes were clouded.
On his body, several large wounds remained unhealed, a shocking sight.
Marco was a user of the Phoenix Devil Fruit, whose regenerative abilities were among the strongest in the world.
Yet, even such a power could not fully heal the injuries he sustained during the battle in Wano Country.
His overuse of the regenerative flames had severely depleted his life force.
"What a pathetic sight, Marco. Zehahaha! You've completely lost the dignity of a first division commander."
A teasing laugh came from behind, causing Marco to jolt violently.
He sprang to his feet, blue flames already igniting on his hands.
"Teach!!"
Behind him stood a tall figure who had appeared unnoticed.
It was Blackbeard Teach.
Teach swayed with each step, a liquor bottle in one hand.
In his other hand, he held a bouquet of fresh flowers, still glistening with dew, as if freshly picked.
Marco's face instantly darkened.
He watched Teach warily, his voice hoarse as he said, "Teach! You've already taken all the treasures from this place. Why are you back here? Pops sheltered you for decades—can't you just leave this innocent place alone?"
Teach waved his hand dismissively, a gentle smile on his face.
To Marco's surprise, he placed the flowers and liquor bottle in front of the tombstones of Ace and Whitebeard.
Teach sat down casually, carefully studying the two graves before him.
"Zehahaha, Ace, Pops, long time no see. To be honest, I often recall our past experiences. What a pity—the scenery remains, but people change. The river of time flows relentlessly forward, and some things always transform beyond recognition."
Teach opened a bottle of liquor, poured half of it on the ground before the graves, then lightly tapped Ace and Whitebeard's tombstones with the bottle.
He raised it toward Marco, but was ignored.
Shaking his head with a chuckle, Teach said, "You're still angry, Marco."
Marco gritted his teeth, furious. "What kind of bullshit are you spouting, Teach! Ace and Pops died because of you! Don't put on this hypocritical act here! You're not welcome—leave!"
"Sigh..."
Teach drank gloomily from the bottle, his thoughts drifting as he gazed at the two graves before him.
"Teach, hello, I'm Ace!"
"Gurararara, a homeless orphan? Then come aboard. Once you're on the Moby Dick, we're all family. Take the name of Whitebeard and make your mark on the seas!"
"Thinking back, if I had directly asked Thatch for the Darkness Fruit, he probably wouldn't have refused, right? Zehahaha, what a shame—I didn't dare take that gamble. I waited half my life for that opportunity, almost giving up entirely."
Teach set down the bottle and looked at Marco.
"Even after killing Thatch and leaving the Moby Dick, I never intended to harm Ace. Initially, I wanted to capture Straw Hat Luffy. Zehahaha, who would have thought fate would be so ironic—Straw Hat Luffy turned out to be Ace's brother."
"A man must see his choices through to the end, even if it leads to hell."
"That was Pops' life motto too."
"I've never believed I did anything wrong. Life is like this—every choice leads to a different destination. Marco..."
Teach raised his hand, dark, swirling energy emanating from his palm.
Marco stared at the black currents in Teach's hand, his body trembling as he seemed to understand why Teach had come.
"So that's it... you came for my Devil Fruit ability? Hahaha, this is... just terrible."
A bitter smile surfaced on Marco's face.
He shook his head, extinguished the blue flames on his hands, and sat down facing Teach.
"Teach, can you tell me... were Jozu and the others all stripped of their abilities too?"
Teach nodded. "That's right. The Diamond Fruit is quite impressive—I gave it to San Juan Wolf. All the Devil Fruit abilities of the Whitebeard Pirates will be inherited by the Blackbeard Pirates and revealed to the world once more. When people see the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the Phoenix, and the Diamond Fruit again, they'll remember the Whitebeard Pirates who once roamed the seas!"
Marco covered his forehead with a low chuckle, his laughter growing louder until he was roaring with amusement.
"What a grand 'inheritance'! Teach... forget it. I've been... missing Pops, Ace, Jozu, and everyone else anyway. Fine, you can have the Phoenix ability. But can you tell me—who will you give my ability to? It seems you don't have many officers left under your command now."
Teach grinned widely. "Both your ability and Pops' will be inherited by me personally. This way, I will achieve true perfection."
Marco's pupils dilated instantly, staring at Teach in disbelief.
"You... can actually eat a third Devil Fruit? Teach, what kind of monster are you? Are you even human?"
Teach laughed in response: "Zehahaha! Now that one power dominates the seas, I no longer need to hide anything. That's right—my real name isn't Marshall D. Teach, but... Barbarossa Teach!"
"Barbarossa... Teach? You!"
Marco's body trembled violently, his face first showing disbelief before gradually settling into resignation.
"You're Caesar and Charlotte Linlin's son? No wonder... So you're the descendant of those two monsters, no wonder you possess the same monstrous physique."