Could it be… that the new Navy Admiral did it on purpose?
A chill ran down Spandine's spine as the thought took root.
He glanced at the bound and battered Drought Jack, then at the bloodied Ulti. Hesitation gripped him as he instinctively looked toward Blackbeard.
And in that instant, his gaze met Luo Yu's.
Their eyes locked—and the flicker of unease in Spandine's heart exploded into full-blown dread.
Yes.
It had to be.
Spandine was certain he hadn't guessed wrong.
The fact that Ulti could speak at such a critical moment…
It had to be intentional. The new Fourth Admiral had allowed it.
And the reason? Most likely—bonuses, salary, and performance metrics.
A Navy Admiral obsessed with money, removed from the mission…
If a juicy prize like this walked right up to his door, could he really resist?
It's like a naked woman standing in front of you—how hard is that decision?
With that thought, Spandine suddenly shouted, panicked:
"Blackbeard Teach! He's baiting you!"
"Baiting me?"
Blackbeard blinked, then burst into wild laughter.
"Hahaha! Of course I know he's baiting me! He took down a billion-Berry pirate like Drought Jack—I don't believe for a second he came out unscathed."
"Kid, you're just unlucky. You'll be the stepping stone for my rise to fame!"
"Boys—attack!"
His roar thundered across the sea.
Burgess and the others hesitated for a split second—then sprang into action.
Each of them was a ruthless killer, handpicked by Blackbeard himself.
Luo Yu's strength was still an unknown.
But since the captain had given the order, they had no choice but to go all in.
Besides, they didn't believe that even someone who had defeated Drought Jack could withstand their full assault.
Especially not when their captain wielded the Dark-Dark Fruit—the bane of all Devil Fruit users.
Bang!
From the crow's nest, Van Augur fired first.
His sniper rifle locked onto Luo Yu's chest and fired in a flash.
The scorching bullet tore through the air.
At the same time, Burgess and Lafitte charged from opposite directions.
Blackbeard unleashed a massive wave of black mist, surging straight toward Luo Yu.
Smoker and the others turned pale, rushing forward to help.
But before they could take a step, Luo Yu simply smiled and shook his head.
From afar, Spandine was stunned.
Had he… said it wrong?
He'd meant to warn Blackbeard not to act rashly.
But now it felt like he'd accidentally egged him on—making Blackbeard think Luo Yu was bluffing.
But it was too late to take it back.
The arrow had left the bow.
Spandine could only pray that Luo Yu really was bluffing.
Bang!
The incoming bullet was stopped midair by a flash of golden light.
As the black mist surged forward, Blackbeard's voice echoed across the sky:
"Hahaha! So you told them to stand down—afraid they'd get caught in the crossfire?"
"Don't worry. Once you're my stepping stone, I'll treat them real nice."
"Shock Elbow!"
Burgess struck first, appearing on Luo Yu's left.
From the other side, Lafitte emerged, his cane-sword flashing with cold light.
The two launched a pincer attack.
Tension snapped taut across the battlefield.
But Luo Yu didn't move. He didn't even glance at them.
Instead, his dormant Conqueror's Haki erupted once more.
Boom!
A tangible shockwave collided with their attacks.
Burgess and Lafitte felt their blood churn violently.
Then they were blasted away like cannonballs.
The terrifying force chased them down, hurling them straight into the oncoming dark tide.
The moment they vanished into the darkness, Luo Yu's Haki surged skyward again, slamming into the black mist.
BOOM!
The violent clash sent waves crashing in every direction.
Even the warship anchored at the harbor rocked violently.
Smoker and the others had already retreated below deck, giving the battlefield space.
But watching the storm of power unfold still made their scalps tingle.
And yet, even after being repelled once, Blackbeard unleashed the dark tide again.
Smoker couldn't understand—why would he repeat a failed move?
But just as the thought crossed his mind—
From the swirling dust and darkness, a ghostlike figure appeared behind Luo Yu.
Darkness swirled in his right hand.
Smoker and the others turned pale.
So it was all a feint.
Burgess, Lafitte, even the dark tide—they were just distractions.
The real killing blow had been hidden behind it all.
"Admiral Luo Yu, look out!" Ain shouted in panic.
"Hahaha! Too late to run now!" Blackbeard cackled. "Captain Ace already told you—I'm the bane of all Devil Fruit users. Just give up and let me strip you of your powers. Become my stepping stone!"
Darkness surged wildly in his right hand, forming a small vortex.
He slammed it toward Luo Yu's back.
"Dark Vortex!"
Buzz!
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Five or six meters vanished in the blink of an eye.
Faced with Blackbeard's sudden, vicious strike, Luo Yu didn't even flinch.
He simply took a sip of wine.
The bizarre calm made everyone's hearts skip a beat.
BOOM!
The vortex of darkness struck.
A deep, thunderous crash echoed across the sky.
But the scene that followed made everyone's pupils contract.
Even Blackbeard's eyes nearly popped from their sockets.
This attack wasn't just meant to strip Luo Yu of his Devil Fruit powers.
It was supposed to blast him away—seriously injure the Navy's Fourth Admiral.
But what they saw shattered their expectations.
Blackbeard's foolproof Dark Vortex was stopped cold by a radiant golden shield.
And then—
A thousand golden arms formed around Luo Yu in an instant.
Was that… a fake Dark-Dark Fruit?