Struck hard by the crashing waves, Blackbeard Teach realized with dread that he had been captured by the Araryū Pirates.
If only he had known things would turn out this way, he would have kept a low profile—disguised himself and fled the New World in secret.
But now, swept along with the towering waterspout-like waves, Blackbeard was hurled into the depths of the sea.
Seeing this, a group of mafia enforcers skilled in swimming, along with several of Law's North Sea subordinates, immediately dove into the water to drag Blackbeard up.
At last, Pekin and Shaki—both moving through the ocean as though walking on solid ground—found Blackbeard, eyes rolled back, half-drowned.
With a pair of Sea Prism Stone cuffs, they locked his wrists and hauled the fat man back to the surface.
"Hah! That was too easy!"
Jewelry Bonney burst out laughing as she looked down at the scene. She had thought Blackbeard Teach would be formidable—yet here he was, captured by the Araryū Pirates without the slightest effort.
"Right now, even a Yonko might not withstand the full assault of the Araryū Pirates. What chance does Blackbeard have?"
Laffitte grinned, his sharp smile full of confidence. With their current strength, even hunting down a lone Emperor wasn't beyond them—that was the level of assurance they held.
The great vessel Ark Maxim lowered itself, bringing the crew and their captive aboard.
Blackbeard coughed violently, spitting seawater, but the Sea Prism Stone shackles left his body drained, powerless.
"Law," Souta Kiryuu said with a satisfied smile as he looked down at the captured Blackbeard, "check if this man really has three hearts—or any other irregularities."
For Souta, both cutting-edge technology and the strongest Devil Fruits were paths he intended to reach the pinnacle of.
The Araryū Pirates now possessed the potential to shake even the World Government itself.
With Vegapunk's unmatched genius and the plundering power of the Yami Yami no Mi, their growth could rival that of the World Government's colossal machine.
"Understood."
Law immediately activated his Ope Ope no Mi ability, scanning Blackbeard's body. Before long, his eyes widened in shock.
"Souta… he really does have three hearts. Even his consciousness is strange."
Law's voice carried disbelief. Recently, under Souta's guidance, he had been exploring techniques of soul transplant and personality exchange.
Yet within Blackbeard, he found not one but multiple overlapping personas.
"Take him to Vegapunk," Souta ordered with a cold smile. "Study him thoroughly. This man is an anomaly—capable of holding two or three Devil Fruits at once."
At those words, Blackbeard's eyes bulged like copper bells. How could Souta know his most guarded secret—something not even Whitebeard or Marco had ever uncovered?
"Two or three Devil Fruits? Souta, you must be joking!"
Bonney exclaimed. If that were truly possible, she would have long since eaten another powerful fruit to balance out the weaknesses of her Toshi Toshi no Mi.
The crew stared at Blackbeard with renewed curiosity.
Was this the reason Souta had gone to such lengths to capture him?
If the secret of multiple Fruits could be unlocked, anyone could become a monster wielding several powers at once.
The temptation was undeniable.
"There are always wonders in this world."
Souta chuckled. At his signal, Law cut into Blackbeard's chest and extracted three beating hearts.
The crew gaped, stunned. A human with three hearts—it was real.
Blackbeard, pale with panic, stared at Souta. Before this man, he was utterly transparent, without secrets.
"Lord Souta! Please, allow me to join the Araryū Pirates! I'll devote everything to serve you!"
Blackbeard dropped to his knees in desperation, just as he had once knelt before Whitebeard, begging for a place under his banner.
"You murdered Thatch for the Yami Yami no Mi," Souta replied coldly. "I won't take you in."
Then his lips curved into a chilling smile.
"But you will serve the Araryū Pirates all the same."
Whether through erased memories turning him into a mindless pacifist, or by Law's surgical soul-swapping techniques, Blackbeard's fate was sealed—he would serve.
"Lord Souta, I—"
Before Blackbeard could finish, an arrow of stone struck him. His body hardened instantly into a statue.
"Think you can fight me? Stay kneeling forever!"
Boa Hancock scoffed at the petrified figure, her eyes flicking toward Souta in a haughty pout. She still hadn't forgiven him for using her as an example earlier.
"Alright, alright. Blackbeard's already captured. That was my mistake," Souta said gently, pulling Hancock close to comfort the proud, willful empress.
"Hmph! Of course. I won't be defeated so easily!" Hancock lifted her chin proudly. Not by a nobody like Blackbeard, and not even by Marco the Phoenix of Whitebeard's first division.
With the Ark Maxim sailing away, the sea once more grew calm.
The Sea King and Stussy soon received notice that the mission was complete—and their payment would be delivered in full.
Meanwhile, Ace—Fire Fist himself—was still hot on Blackbeard's trail, unaware his prey had already been taken.
With his temper, if he discovered Blackbeard had fallen into Souta's hands, he'd charge straight at the Araryū Pirates alone to demand the traitor's return.
…
Souta, having secured great spoils, steered directly back to Skypiea. The trophies needed to be studied immediately.
Still, he left Bartholomew Kuma and Violet stationed on an island at the edge of the New World, tasked with monitoring the Red Line and keeping eyes on the fleets of CP agents and the Celestial Dragons.
The "Native Extermination Tournament" of the Celestial Dragons was approaching—and this year, Souta intended to participate.
Not even gods could stop him.
Unless, somehow, the Celestial Dragons abandoned a tradition that had lasted hundreds of years.
The Ark Maxim soared straight back to their Skypiean stronghold.
Days later, upon returning, Souta immediately ordered Vegapunk to study the secrets of Blackbeard Teach's strange body.
He also handed over the captured user of the Maturity-Maturity Fruit, young Shinobu, to determine whether her powers could be used to rapidly age the Seraphim weapons—and whether such forced growth would weaken their potential.
The Mythical Zoans—Yamata no Orochi and Ōnyūdō—were also slated for replication, just as the Kappa fruit from the Land of the Reeds had been turned into a perfect artificial ability.
With this, the Araryū Pirates would soon possess three flawless artificial Mythical Zoan users.
Pekin, Shaki, and the berserker warrior Waipa had already lined up to claim these precious powers.
Meanwhile, Souta began finalizing the ultimate Paramecia abilities for his personal project—the Six Paths of Araryū.
Perhaps before the Celestial Dragons' extermination games began, his Six Paths would make their debut—shocking the entire world.