"Oh?"
Hades narrowed his eyes, looking genuinely intrigued as he studied the black, stout man in front of him, brimming with ambition and arrogant confidence.
"But I've already eaten a Devil Fruit."
"That's fine."
Teach grinned wide, teeth flashing.
"Because the secret to perfectly accommodating two Devil Fruit abilities is something only I know in this world!"
"If you're willing to help me, Hades, I'm willing to help you successfully obtain and master a second Devil Fruit ability!"
"Zehahahaha… become my right hand, Hades!"
He stretched out a huge hand, his smile cruel with naked desire.
Teach had it all planned out. With Hades, a future emperor's right hand, joining them, the Blackbeard Pirates would never fall behind the kings of old in any aspect.
A double king lineup.
From Rocks, to Roger, to Ozz, to Shanks.
That was the pattern.
A first mate who wasn't much weaker than the captain, someone who could dominate a sea even if they went solo.
"If you want me to serve you, then beat me first!"
For true powerhouses, submission rarely came from "we clicked for no reason" like Rayleigh or Zoro. Most of the time, it was decided by strength.
And Hades embodied that perfectly.
To be honest, Ozz had shown up on the sea with a new face purely to fool around.
When Teach said all that earlier, Ozz had even considered snapping back into his main identity on the spot and giving Blackbeard a "little surprise."
But then he thought again.
This was Blackbeard.
The most shameless, most treacherous man in the entire story.
Even if Ozz switched back to his main identity, there was no guarantee Teach would tell the truth.
He might instantly start bawling, swear loyalty with his whole heart, and then hand over yet another "sanitized" fake version of the two fruit method.
Ozz's Observation Haki was evolving toward foresight and microscopic control, not mind reading like certain monsters, not like Queen Otohime's kind of empathy either.
And Teach, that dishonest bastard, absolutely could "repent" just to scam him one more time.
So Ozz quietly stopped his finger before it could press the button in his head that said "delete alt identity."
Interesting.
Infiltrate the Blackbeard Pirates?
Maybe he could "experience the hot blood of youth" for a while.
To him, swapping identities for fun was nothing more than seasoning in an otherwise boring life. It wouldn't affect his real plans at all.
"Fine."
"For a strong man like you, I'll take this seriously too!"
Clang!
Two axes flashed into view. Hades's aura snapped into a different shape, like a demon god stepping into the world.
"What a terrifying presence!"
"Zehahaha… that's exactly it! Only a guy like this deserves to be my vice captain!"
Teach roared with laughter and surged forward, Armament Haki wrapping his fist as he clashed head-on with those twin axes.
Metal rang again and again. Sparks burst. Black axe blades slammed into a hardened fist, neither side giving an inch.
Both men were smiling.
When Teach saw that smile on Hades's "classic powerhouse face," he assumed it meant recognition, acknowledgment of Teach's overwhelming strength.
His confidence swelled even more.
But Hades was only thinking one thing.
This Blackbeard really was the kind of man who could leave a scar on Shanks.
His Haki and physical combat were no joke.
And it was a good thing Ozz's Observation Haki was tuned to microscopic control.
Otherwise, he might accidentally hit too hard and kill Teach.
That would ruin the fun.
Meanwhile Teach was thinking the opposite.
This Hades was strong. Strong enough to match the man Teach had been hiding for years.
Zehahaha… just like I thought. The man I chose.
After another axe swing, the two separated. Hades looked impatient now, or maybe he simply stopped acting.
"Nen Nen: Gravity Field!"
The moment the technique name left his mouth, a pressure beyond description fell onto Teach's body.
Teach's eyes widened. His steps wobbled.
And Hades's axe chopped into his chest.
Carving flowers on a powerhouse with a blade?
That was Hades's specialty.
"Aaah! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
Teach clutched his bleeding stomach and rolled on the ground, his face twisted like he was suffering unspeakable agony.
"Nice physical skills."
"But I'm a psychic user of the Nen Nen Fruit."
"I hold power strong enough to drag a meteor down from the sky."
"You can't defeat me!"
Hades said it with a confident smile.
Ozz was acting his heart out.
Normally, the moment he appeared, he didn't even need to lift a hand. Nobody dared face him one-on-one.
Maybe he'd been too brutal in his youth, beat every famous pirate and marine into the dirt, and lost the chance to feel that young blood heat for a long time.
When you're so strong nobody dares offend you, that strength becomes its own boredom.
This identity was perfect. He could use it from time to time just to play.
Ozz decided he was a genius.
"Tch."
Teach covered his wound and steadied his breathing. After a moment, he finally calmed down.
He stared at Hades, a trace of heaviness in his eyes, but far more admiration.
"Zehahaha… Nen Nen Fruit, huh? Never heard of it."
"But it really is a terrifying power."
"The stronger you are, the happier I am."
Teach's grin widened. A future king's right hand should be this strong.
But he couldn't let Hades stand above him.
"Come see it, Hades!"
"The Devil Fruit power I possess!"
"The one even Black Spear called the most evil ability in the world!"
Hades's eyes narrowed slightly.
Teach's hand began to ooze a flowing black substance, like liquid, like gas, like darkness given shape.
He slammed it onto the ground.
"Black Hole!"
Black mist surged outward. Even beneath Hades's feet, the darkness spread, releasing a terrifying gravitational pull.
"Zehahaha… it's useless, Hades!"
"In front of my Yami Yami no Mi, all Devil Fruit abilities are useless!"
"No matter how monstrous you are!"
A powerful attraction erupted from Teach's hand.
Hades felt himself being dragged in.
And the Devil Fruit power within his body, the very force that let him control everything, truly began to vanish.
That sensation reminded him of an old battlefield.
Of the time he fought Teach's father.
"Tough ability."
"But have you ever heard a saying…"
"Nani?"
Teach's face tightened in confusion as Hades continued to be pulled closer, already stripped of his Devil Fruit ability.
Then Hades's smile deepened.
"Only Haki can stand above everything."
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