Mangaka in the StrawHats

"Dad! Dad... You don't really want to kill me... Please!"

Blackbeard, utterly defenseless, used every ounce of strength left in him to plead for mercy.

The moment those words left his mouth, Whitebeard's hand hesitated, pausing mid-motion.

Even though Teach had betrayed him, even though he was the worst kind of son, Whitebeard's heart, the very core of his being, was that of a doting father. It was what made Whitebeard, Whitebeard.

As he had told Squard during the Battle of Marineford: even a foolish son was still a son.

And Teach, for all his treachery, was still his son.

At that moment, Whitebeard's heart softened with compassion.

"Dad!!"

Ace's voice rang out in desperation, sensing that Whitebeard might let Blackbeard go. To Ace, Blackbeard was beyond forgiveness, beyond mercy.

"Let Dad make his own decision..." Marco stepped up, gently pulling Ace back, signaling for him to remain silent.

Though Marco shared Ace's hatred for Blackbeard, he understood something very important... In this family, only Dad had the right to decide Teach's fate—whether to forgive or to kill.

Whitebeard pressed down on Blackbeard's head with one hand, while the other glowed with the white light of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Its power rippled through the air, accumulating in his fist.

In Blackbeard's current state, a single strike would be fatal. But Whitebeard's hand trembled, his heart struggling with the decision.

"Dad... Dad... let me go. I'm still your son!"

Sensing Whitebeard's internal conflict, Blackbeard seized the opportunity to stoke his father's compassion further, pleading for his life.

He knew Whitebeard's nature well.

He knew that if he showed even the slightest hint of weakness, Whitebeard would relent.

"Dad, I know I was wrong! Please, let me come back. I'll still be your son and take care of you for the rest of your life..."

The words dripped with false sincerity, enraging the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates. They could barely contain their anger.

"Roll!!—"

Whitebeard's fist never fell, but his foot lashed out, kicking Blackbeard with such force that he was sent tumbling across the sand.

Bang!!

Blackbeard's body hit the ground hard, his head slamming into the beach, stuck in the sand.

"Mmmmm...!!!"

Too weakened by the beating, Blackbeard couldn't pull his head out, struggling for air as the sand suffocated him.

Lafitte, seeing this, swooped down with a flap of his wings.

"Respected Mr. Whitebeard..."

Lafitte landed gracefully, bowing politely before grabbing Blackbeard by the feet. With a few strong flaps of his wings, he pulled Blackbeard free and carried him into the sky, upside down.

"Dad!!"

Ace's voice cracked with fury, his eyes burning red as Blackbeard began to escape. He struggled to break free, but Marco and Izou held him back firmly.

Within the Whitebeard Pirates, anyone who had sailed with them for more than ten years knew one thing: no matter what, Dad's decision was final.

Even if Dad's decision was wrong, they would respect and support it.

That was the unshakable loyalty of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Teach!!——————"

Whitebeard's deep voice cut through the air, calling up to Blackbeard, who was being carried away.

"Ah!!! Dad..."

Blackbeard, still not completely out of danger, looked down in terror, his voice trembling. "Dad... Are you going to let me come back?"

"Listen well, Teach!" Whitebeard's voice was low, seething with fury. "From this day forward, don't you dare show your face to me again. If you do... I will kill you with my own hands!"

The words were nearly spat out, each syllable heavy with pain and rage.

He wanted to kill Teach—he knew he should—but his heart wouldn't let him.

The contradiction tore at him.

"Dad... I swear... I'll never appear in front of you again..."

Blackbeard's response came quick, desperate to cling to life.

In front of everyone's eyes, Lafitte carried Blackbeard to a large raft, and soon, they vanished into the horizon, the sea swallowing them whole.

"Dad, why didn't you let me kill him!!!"

Ace stormed to the edge of the beach, watching helplessly as the raft drifted farther away. His body trembled with fury, his fists clenched in frustration.

"Ace~"

Whitebeard's large hand rested on Ace's shoulder, his voice heavy with weariness. "I promise you... this is the only time. I'll never forgive Teach again."

"Good!!"

Ace's anger simmered down, his body finally relaxing after hearing Whitebeard's words. He turned back to the sea, watching the raft disappear into the distance.

"Teach... Even with the Mythical Zoan fruit, I won't let you go!" Ace growled, his whole body shaking with resolve. "The Chimera may be strong, but the Fire of the Dragon King is stronger!"

All Ace needed was time.

He was confident that once he fully mastered the Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, his Fire Dragon King physique would surpass even that of the Chimera.

Meanwhile, aboard the raft...

Blackbeard, having narrowly escaped with his life, didn't dare relax until the island of the Whitebeard Pirates had vanished entirely from view.

"Teach, what happened??? Didn't you say Whitebeard was on the verge of death?" Burgess asked, using his legs as a pillow for Teach, concern in his voice.

The Evil King Pizarro grinned, shaking his head. "Before I was locked away in Impel Down, Whitebeard was the most powerful man on the seas. Seems like nothing's changed."

Catarina Devon cackled. "What did you expect? He's called the strongest man in the world for a reason!"

"That's not the point!! I'm confused...

Van Augur rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Whitebeard was critically injured during the war. Everyone saw it live. So how did he seem perfectly fine just now, as if nothing had happened?"

"Damn it!! That old man... I don't know what kind of luck he's got!!!"

Blackbeard slammed his hands against the deck, propping himself up with a groan. Though his injuries had healed somewhat, pain still coursed through him.

Teeth clenched, Blackbeard growled, "It's said he met some miracle doctor... Someone who healed every wound he suffered during the war and even cured his old ailments! The man you saw today... that's Whitebeard in his prime!"

But even as he spoke, a darker thought crossed his mind. "No... He's even stronger than he was at his peak!"

"What?"

"Stronger than in his prime? What are you talking about?"

"Teach, did you hit your head too hard?"

The others stared at Blackbeard, skeptical.

"No!! It's true!!"

Fear flickered in Blackbeard's eyes as he recalled the battle. "At first, Dad couldn't counter my Dark-Dark Fruit. But then... he deliberately let himself die. After that, the Dark-Dark Fruit no longer worked on him!"

"What? He died once?"

"Teach, are you hearing yourself?!"

"Someone check if he's delirious from the injuries!"

"Let's take a break before you go crazy!~~~"

"Shut up!!-------"

Blackbeard roared, silencing his crew with a furious glare. "I'm telling the truth! Somehow, after dying once, the Dark-Dark Fruit couldn't affect him anymore..."

"So..."

Lafitte frowned, his voice low as he pieced things together. "If the Dark-Dark Fruit is ineffective against him... then, Teach, your chances of getting the Tremor-Tremor Fruit are practically zero."

Hearing this, Blackbeard's face twisted in frustration.

After a moment of thought, he clenched his right fist and slammed it down on his thigh, seething. "That old man!!! If I can't get the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, then I'll find another disaster-level Devil Fruit!"

With fierce determination, Blackbeard gave the order. "Bring that old man out!"

"Oh~~? Are you planning to use his Devil Fruit...?"

Lafitte's lips curled into a wicked grin as he moved toward the cabin.

"I've told you before, that Devil Fruit is just as powerful as the Tremor-Tremor Fruit."

"Yeah! And it's strong in both offense and defense!"

"Once Teach possesses that Devil Fruit, not even Whitebeard will stand a chance!"

As the crew whispered among themselves, an old, ragged figure was dragged onto the deck.

"Hahahaha!!!! You kid, stop dreaming! I am the king of the old times, how can I possibly serve as a subordinate to a brat like you! Stop dreaming!!"

Shiki, the Golden Lion, glared at Blackbeard with a fierce coldness, his golden hair hanging in disarray, giving him the appearance of a vagrant. Though his pride had never dimmed, his disheveled state spoke of a man who had seen better days. Still, the fire in his eyes was undeniable.

As the only person to escape from Impel Down on his own in recent decades, Shiki had made history. But fate had been unkind, and after being caught by the Straw Hat Pirates just before the war at Marineford, he was handed over to the World Government and imprisoned once more.

Shiki had assumed his end would come in Impel Down.

But when the Blackbeard Pirates broke into the prison during the war, causing chaos, Shiki found himself free once more. Even with his diminished power, thanks to the Float-Float Fruit, he was still a force to be reckoned with.

Blackbeard had tried to recruit him, hoping to use Shiki's abilities to control the flight of his pirate ship. However, Shiki had refused outright, showing no respect to the ambitious young pirate.

Now, as Blackbeard summoned him to the deck, Shiki scoffed, assuming Blackbeard intended to make another recruitment offer. His sneer was filled with contempt. "Don't even think about it! Even if I die, I won't be your subordinate!"

Blackbeard's expression darkened as his patience reached its limit. "Okay, you old fool! You're just as stubborn as the old man! Since you want to die, I'll make sure that happens!"

With an ominous grin stretching across his face, Blackbeard lunged forward, his massive hand clamping around Shiki's neck with brutal force.

As the grip tightened, dark matter began to ooze from Blackbeard, seeping into the air like a deadly mist. The black energy swarmed toward Shiki, the darkness engulfing him like a cloud of ravenous mosquitoes.

Shiki's eyes widened in shock as the dark energy enveloped him. He tried to resist, but the overwhelming force was too much. His voice choked off as the black matter wrapped around him, pulling him deeper into its suffocating embrace.

"You…" Shiki's voice faded as the shadows consumed him, his body disappearing beneath the oppressive tide of Blackbeard's powers.

Blackbeard laughed, the sound echoing through the ship. "You had your time, old man. Now it's my time!"

The dark matter swirled violently around Shiki, completely consuming him. The once proud Golden Lion, king of the old era, was being swallowed by the darkness, helpless against the overwhelming power of the Dark-Dark Fruit.

The crew watched in silence, awe and fear gripping them as they witnessed Blackbeard's brutal show of strength. Shiki's form was barely visible beneath the writhing black cloud, his body slowly being overwhelmed by the relentless force of Blackbeard's power.

Blackbeard's grin stretched wider as he tightened his hold on Shiki, relishing the moment. The mighty Golden Lion had refused to bow to him, and now, he would pay the price.

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