"Ow ow ow ow ow!"
Riding the pull of Blackbeard's suction, dense Armament Haki instantly wrapped around the edges of Hades's axe blades.
He drew into a slashing stance, charged for a breath, then carved another clean "flower cut" across Teach's body.
"Damn it!"
Blackbeard was forced to the brink and finally began fighting with everything he had.
The power of the Yami Yami no Mi, layered with Haki and brutal hand-to-hand skill, crashed head-on with Hades's axes again and again.
The entire street was smashed into rubble.
Bystanders screamed and scattered. Everyone fled this zone where monsters were colliding.
Half a day later, Hades, "covered in wounds," panted hard, staring at Blackbeard, who looked no better.
It was as if he'd already burned through half his strength.
"So strong… I can't hold on much longer…"
"Zehahaha! Hades, in the end, I've won!"
Another half day passed.
"I… I can still fight…"
"Zehaha… just give up already, Hades!"
…
Two more days went by.
"I really… can't hold on…"
"Huff… huff…"
Blackbeard could not even force out his usual laugh anymore.
His face was turning green.
What kind of monster constitution was this?
This was not some clash between emperors.
They had been going all out for three whole days.
How was this bastard still standing?
Worse, every time Teach felt he was about to take Hades down, Hades would "break through" like some hero in a story.
Muttering lines like, "Is this where I stop?" "I didn't sail out to lose here," "Don't underestimate my dream."
Then he would stagger back up and keep trading blows.
By now, Teach was a wreck.
Wounds, cuts, scars, big and small, stacked across his body.
And every time he thought about giving up on recruiting Hades, the man would look just barely alive, just barely hanging on, tempting him to push one more step.
They dragged it out like that until Teach got used to the pain.
Or rather, he got numb.
Finally, as if he had realized the black, stout man had truly hit his limit, Hades stopped tormenting him and let out his anger.
Then, with perfect timing, he fell back in a classic pose.
Arms and legs spread wide, collapsing like a defeated powerhouse.
Seeing that, the battered Blackbeard finally felt a bit of joy.
He grinned, showing even more missing teeth than before.
"Zehahahaha… worthy of the man I chose! You really are monster-strong!"
"Join me, Hades!"
"We'll become the masters of this world!"
He stretched out his big hand with the air of a conqueror, though the swollen face and bruises ruined the dignity a little.
"If you can't become the King of the World someday…"
"…then I won't serve you again."
Hades said coldly, "weakly," as if he barely had breath left.
Ozz knew this routine inside out.
In this world, powerhouses were supposed to be stubborn.
The more stubborn you were, the more people admired you.
The bigger your ambition, the more they recognized you.
"Zehahahaha…"
Hades joining the Blackbeard Pirates made Teach genuinely happy, and he let out a hearty laugh.
"Good! Now we've got a vice captain, a navigator, and a sniper!"
"Next, we go find a doctor!"
Teach's plan was simple.
Build the core crew first, and make sure every pick was high quality.
Especially Hades, that monster.
If Hades had any "flaw," it was that he would sometimes stare off into space for no reason.
He could walk, eat, drink, function normally.
But every now and then, he just went blank, like his mind wandered somewhere far away.
Still, strong people had quirks.
Ace used to fall asleep mid-meal, didn't he?
…
Trying to run two minds at once really did drain the spirit sometimes.
High in the sky, Ozz lay on the Seagull King's back as they cut through the air at speed.
After "disciplining" Blackbeard, he had used spatial power, plus one of Vegapunk's inventions, to achieve a long-range split body.
But when his mental energy dipped, he could only focus on one side.
The other side would turn sluggish, almost vacant.
If you forced two tracks of thought for too long, you could truly fracture yourself.
Now that Teach was running around the world recruiting his crew, there was no rush to keep playing.
Alabasta, though, was different.
According to intel, the Straw Hats were about to reach Alabasta and stir up trouble.
The timing felt right.
Ozz should go have some fun.
…
"So even the Marines want to join the party?"
From underground intelligence, Crocodile learned that Captain Smoker and a number of Marines were chasing the Straw Hats toward Alabasta.
His eyes were full of contempt.
"If they interfere, could it affect our plan?"
Nico Robin asked calmly, dressed in white.
Crocodile crushed the newspaper into sand with one hand.
"A mere Marine captain is nothing."
"If Marine Headquarters really wanted to stop me, they'd send an admiral."
Compared to that, he cared more about the identity Ozz had fabricated.
That "Hades" nonsense.
That bastard made up a new name and used them as props.
Him, Crocodile, trading evenly with some Paradise rookie?
Impossible.
…
While all sides watched and plotted, the Straw Hat crew, completely unaware, stared blankly at the mysterious okama in front of them.
"So it's not food!"
"Yaa! I thought I was dead for sure. Sorry, sorry! To think I'd be saved by pirates I've never even met."
"Are you a hammer?"
"Yep! Because I ate a Devil Fruit!"
Usopp leaned in, curious.
"What kind of Devil Fruit?"
Bon Clay stood up and patted the water off his clothes.
"Well, I can't leave for a while anyway."
"Let me put on a little show."
He slapped a palm onto Luffy's face.
In an instant, Bon Clay transformed into Monkey D. Luffy.
Then he went down the line, touching everyone's faces.
He shifted between them one after another, changing perfectly each time.
"Anyone I've touched…"
"I can perfectly copy their appearance, their body, and their voice."
"Do more!"
Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and the others clapped and shouted excitedly, amazed.
Bon Clay, thrilled by the praise, started dancing.
"Can't be helped!"
"Then I'll show you even more!"
"I can store memories too."
"Even people I touched a long time ago, I can still become!"
Bang, bang, bang!
With a hand brushing over his own head, one face after another appeared.
Among them was even King Cobra's appearance, making Vivi's expression change instantly.
"Now watch closely!"
"This is my most precious form."
"My final, showstopping act."
"It's the face of my idol!"
"If you weren't my lifesavers, I'd never show you this!"
Bang!
The moment he transformed, the mood changed in an instant.
The laughter vanished.
Everyone froze, faces pale with shock.
The entire place fell silent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The tides are shifting, and secrets linger in the dark... Step into the shadows early on P@treon, where the next chapter awaits before the world sees it.
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"