One piece :Nox ( Before Dawn)

The two groups met at the staircase, and Blackbeard's crew was clearly stunned to see Sal and the others. Especially Blackbeard himself, who, despite causing a huge commotion in Impel Down, was mentally prepared.

But the composition of the opponent's team was too impressive. Let alone Sal, who had gained fame recently, even the four already known strong individuals were no ordinary beings.

Blackbeard, although cunning and arrogant, had a cautious nature that convinced him his crew was no match for them.

Enemies are especially envious when they meet. When Luffy saw Blackbeard, he was furious and ready to attack. But Sal held him back, knowing Luffy alone was no match for Blackbeard.

A shadow of murderous intent flickered in Sal's calm eyes. If there were people at sea whom Sal feared, Blackbeard would definitely have a place on that list—not because of his strength, but because of his character.

To achieve his goal, he hid among Whitebeard's Pirates for over 20 years. If the Dark-Dark Fruit hadn't ended up with the captain of the Fourth Division, he would have surely continued pretending to be an obedient soldier.

When an opportunity arose, Blackbeard acted decisively, even cruelly.

He had a good relationship with Thatch, and if he had been willing to pay the price, he would have had a great chance to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit. But he didn't do that—instead, he unexpectedly killed his good friend and then quickly conspired against the Navy and Whitebeard's Pirates.

The war at Marineford could indeed be said to have been sparked by Blackbeard Teach, because he was the one who handed Ace and his story to the Navy.

It wouldn't matter if such a character were weak, but if he waited for the moment to reach the strength of the Four Emperors, as in the original work, it would be a huge problem.

Various factors made Sal want to kill him right there. If he got rid of Blackbeard Teach now, there would be far fewer problems in the future.

Meeting on a narrow path, Blackbeard didn't panic but instead laughed and proposed a plan he thought would please everyone.

"Augustus D. Sal, let's cooperate and not let some petty rivalry disrupt our plans." You want to escape from the prison, and I have my own plan. As long as we join forces, Impel Down will belong to all of us."

Teach's words were very convincing. If someone wasn't familiar with him, they might believe him. But Sal, a former man of the Blue Star, did not believe a single word of Blackbeard.

Moreover, the small actions of the opponent, who slowly retreated and kept his distance, also revealed his twisted thoughts. This also made Sal realize that Teach was not as confident as he seemed.

Sal followed the opponent's suggestion and responded:

"We need to discuss this. Wait a minute."

Sal gestured towards the crowd and even whispered that they should:

"Leave them here. Blackbeard is a big problem. Once we enter the Marineford, he will definitely head to Marineford and become our enemy. By that time, there will be more than just these people; there will also be some unpleasant guys on Level 6."

"I agree."

Jinbe and Ivankov were the first to vote. If there was a fight, it was better to end it while the opponent was weak.

Crocodile frowned slightly. He didn't want to create problems. However, Sal, Ivankov, Jinbe, and even Bondi Waldo reached an agreement, which made Crocodile reluctantly agree.

Changes that occurred with Sal's group after the discussion might have been noticed by Blackbeard.

Teach's strong body swiftly turned and ran, simultaneously shouting to his comrades:

"Run..."

Five members of Blackbeard's pirates ran toward the passage, but their speed varied, creating a gap between them.

At this time, Sal's six men gave chase and quickly caught up with Burgess, who was running last. Seeing he was caught, the arena champion could only stop and roar, intending to fight to the death.

"You bastards, I'll kill you all..."

Before Burgess could finish speaking, Crocodile had already reached him and grabbed his arm. He activated his fruit ability to drain the water from Burgess's body, instantly mummifying his arm.

"No..."

The changes in his body frightened Burgess, and before he could rise to his feet, the newly arrived Sal struck Burgess in the heart. Two years from now, Burgess might have been able to resist, but at this moment, he was too weak.

[Significantly altering the fate of an A-rank character, reward 500 points]

[A-rank characters experience negative emotions towards the host, strong fear, experience increased by 500]

Burgess's death did not take much time. Doq Q, riding on a horse, was caught next. Under the onslaught of three powerful individuals at the level of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he soon followed Burgess, his old face dying with eyes wide open.

The death of these two effectively bought time for their comrades. The remaining three members of Blackbeard's team had already escaped far. If they continued to pursue them, it would just turn into a game of hide and seek, which would take more time.

Seeing that the enemy had gotten far away, Ivankov suggested:

"We need to leave as soon as possible; Magellan still hasn't appeared."

The escapee team quickly reached the third floor and headed towards the second...

Although Blackbeard's team escaped, two people died because of Blackbeard's decision, causing dissatisfaction for Lafitte and Van Augur.

"Captain, why are you running away? We can still fight."

Seeing his authority, which he had worked so hard to establish, being questioned, Blackbeard Teach was furious.

"Fool, those four are strong enough to rival the Seven Warlords of the Sea, plus Sel, whose strength is unknown. Fighting won't help us. The deaths of Burgess and the others can be blamed on their slow running. The most important thing for us right now is to reach the sixth floor and recruit new crew members."

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