At that moment, somewhere in the New World, Blackbeard Teach had already devoured the Dark-Dark Fruit and begun exploring its powers.
"Zehahahaha! At last—I've obtained the most fearsome Devil Fruit in history!"
Darkness surged across his body, spilling into the air like living shadows as Teach laughed maniacally. Dozens of reckless schemes began to take shape in his mind.
"First step… return to the Grand Line and recruit my crew!"
With that, Blackbeard set out once more, fleeing from Whitebeard's territory and the New World itself.
Though he now possessed the abilities of a Devil Fruit user, he didn't dare cross the Calm Belt alone. And he had no interest in the weakling pirates of the Four Seas. Only those who had survived the Grand Line's brutal trials were worthy of becoming his comrades.
The Four Seas were simply too vast; finding potential crewmates there would take forever. But the Grand Line was different—it gathered elite pirates from across the world. That was where Teach would build his crew.
Step by step, smuggling himself aboard pirate vessels, merchant ships, and dark-world trade fleets, Teach slipped from the far reaches of the New World back toward its entrance. At last, he passed through Fishman Island and reemerged onto the Grand Line, his plans steadily unfolding.
The Warlords of the Sea had openings now—it was the perfect chance for him to claim the title. All he needed was to capture one or two pirates with bounties over 100 million, and the position would be his.
Arrogant and reckless, Teach didn't even bother to disguise himself. He openly revealed both his identity and his whereabouts as he traveled back toward the first half of the New World.
For years he had lived in Whitebeard's shadow, keeping a low profile. Though he'd been a veteran member, he never once vied for the rank of Second Division commander. Always humble, always meek.
Even now, his bounty was zero—twenty years of obscurity leaving him completely off the world's radar. He had hidden so well, no one had ever considered him a threat.
So even when he showed himself brazenly, no one hunted him. No one cared. With no bounty, he simply wasn't worth the trouble.
But Teach had no idea.
Even if the world ignored him, even if the Marines had yet to act, one man from another world had already set his sights on him.
Whitebeard Newgate had been right: Teach was reckless and full of himself.
Now that he'd finally seized the fruit he coveted, his suppressed arrogance boiled over. After decades in hiding, he began flaunting his power, declaring his name, and spreading his reputation as "Blackbeard" without restraint.
And after the news broke that he had murdered Thatch, the Fourth Division commander, the Navy itself placed him under close surveillance.
Even Fire Fist Ace, in pursuit of Teach, was forced to raid Marine branches to gather intelligence on his movements.
Somewhere above the mid-region of the New World…
Souta Kiryuu stood aboard the Ark Maxim, studying the latest intelligence relayed by Morgans and Stussy.
"Heh. So this Blackbeard isn't nearly as cautious as he thinks." Souta smirked coldly. "Twenty years hiding in the dark, and he stumbles right before the finish line."
"Captain," Lafitte asked curiously, "why is this man so important? You've spent a fortune to track Marshall D. Teach—someone no one even knows."
Was it because Teach had slain Thatch? Or was it because he bore the initial "D"?
Souta arched a brow at him, suppressing a laugh. The man you look down on should have been your captain.
"He's very important," Souta said seriously, stroking his chin. "The Dark-Dark Fruit's ability to steal other Devil Fruit powers, and Teach's twisted body that can withstand multiple fruits—both are mine to claim."
"But this Blackbeard doesn't even have a bounty," Bonney scoffed. She, like most pirates, had developed the bad habit of measuring strength by bounty posters.
"Bonney, anyone who can kill a Whitebeard commander is not ordinary," Nico Robin said with a knowing smile. She understood better than anyone that bounty alone didn't define danger.
After all, she herself had been given the title Devil Child at the age of eight, with a bounty of 79 million—far higher than Big Mom Charlotte Linlin's first bounty of 50 million, or even Kaido's initial 70 million.
"Yes, those numbers were set decades apart, but still."
Souta took a sip of his drink, his expression turning grave. "The Dark-Dark Fruit counters every Devil Fruit ability. Even Boa Hancock could fall to him if she's touched."
The entire crew stiffened, the weight of his words sinking in. Even Kuma and Law's expressions grew serious.
"Counters… all Devil Fruits?!" gasps echoed across the deck.
"The Logia Dark-Dark Fruit is called the most sinister power in history," Souta continued. "If he touches you, your abilities are sealed, just like with Seastone. Worse, he can draw powers in from a distance."
Seeing their unease, Souta allowed a faint smile, trying to ease the tension—particularly Hancock, who bristled at being used as an example.
"That just means we don't let him touch us," Trafalgar Law reasoned quickly. "Any long-range fighter can handle him. Think of him as a walking piece of Seastone."
"Hmph! I could fry him alive with lightning from kilometers away," Enel sneered. There was no way a man like Teach could even lay a finger on him.
"If all he can do is suppress abilities, that hardly seems worth all this effort, Captain," Lafitte pressed, his professional smile fixed. "After all, Seastone does the same."
"Oh, there's another reason," Souta replied lightly. "Another secret hidden within the Dark-Dark Fruit—that's what makes him so valuable. But you'll understand once we catch him."
His eyes narrowed. With so many of them moving against a single man, there was no chance Teach could escape. They would sink his ship in minutes, drag his body from the sea, and take everything from him.
No Devil Fruit user, however fearsome, could ever escape the ocean's fatal curse.
"Then he's not so tough," Capone Bege muttered around his cigar. "Just blast him with cannons from a distance. Problem solved."
"Hmph. I'll turn him to stone before he even gets close," Boa Hancock scoffed, her pride stung by Souta's earlier example. "As if I'd let that filthy man touch me."
"But what about me?!" Bonney whined. "All my best moves need close contact. Even my giant form!"
"You won't need to fight," Kuma said gently, resting his massive hand on her head. "I'll flatten him from afar. An air cannon that can crush castles will do the job."