"ZEHAHAHAHA..."
At this moment, Blackbeard had fallen into a near-maddened state.
His originally gloomy and ferocious face became even more twisted and terrifying, sending chills down one's spine.
His eyes shone with a frightening madness, as if he had completely lost all reason.
Because Blackbeard knew very well that this moment allowed no hesitation or retreat - life or death hung in the balance, and he had to go all out in one final gamble.
With a furious roar he unleash his technique.
"Dark Star!"
As the words fell, Blackbeard swung his hand violently, harnessing the immense power of the Darkness-Darkness Fruit to instantly release a massive surge of dark energy.
The dark energy rapidly converged, forming a colossal dark sphere resembling a black hole in the blink of an eye.
The dark sphere spun continuously, its powerful gravitational pull tearing at the surrounding air and emitting piercing shrieks.
The entire space seemed to subtly warp due to its presence.
Witnessing Blackbeard unleash such a terrifying technique, Lancelot nearby narrowed his eyes slightly, inwardly startled.
His expression grew solemn, for he knew full well the fearsome power of this move.
It must be remembered that in the original story, Blackbeard had used this very technique to confront Ace's "Flame Emperor" ultimate move—a technique capable of reducing entire islands to rubble.
That heart-stopping confrontation remains vividly etched in the memories of countless One Piece fans.
Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular battles in One Piece, and among its most intense moments.
Ultimately, Blackbeard had successfully defeated Ace using this very move...
This alone demonstrates the astonishing destructive power of this "Dark Star" technique.
However, whether it was Ace's devastating Flame Emperor capable of annihilating heaven and earth, or Blackbeard's mysterious and destructive Dark Star, both shared an undeniable fatal flaw—the excessively long preparation time required before execution.
Despite this, Lancelot chose not to seize the opportunity to interrupt Blackbeard.
Instead, he slowly placed his right hand once more on the hilt of Shusui hanging at his waist, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, firmly locked onto Blackbeard not far away.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze.
Everything around fell into complete silence, as if the entire world had plunged into absolute stillness.
In this place, at this time, it seemed as if only Lancelot and the gleaming treasured sword in his hand remained!
Along with the endless darkness spreading relentlessly nearby...
Suddenly, an overwhelming, suffocating aura erupted from Lancelot's body, his entire presence undergoing a dramatic transformation.
At this moment, he not only resembled a peerless blade freshly drawn from its sheath—radiating sharpness and unstoppable edge—but also appeared like a supreme sovereign descending from the heavens, majestic and domineering, exuding an intimidating pressure that made one dare not look directly at him.
Just as the power of Blackbeard's Dark Star reached its peak.
The aura emanating from Lancelot also surged like raging waves, reaching an unmatched pinnacle!
"One Sword Style - One Sword Slash!"
In that instant, the Shusui in his hand awoke like a slumbering dragon suddenly roused, bursting from its scabbard with lightning speed and unparalleled killing intent!
A cold gleam flashed as Shusui traced a heart-stopping arc through the air, like lightning splitting the night sky.
Accompanied by a clear blade hum, a dazzling slash erupted forth!
The moment this slash appeared, it became like the brightest star in the night sky, radiating boundless brilliance and overwhelming pressure.
For a moment, the entire world seemed to pale in comparison, all light eclipsed by its radiance, leaving it as the sole focus of existence in this realm.Even the suffocating darkness that had once been so oppressive now seemed insignificant.
"Swish..."
The all-devouring darkness was effortlessly torn apart by this slash.
Under Blackbeard's gaze, filled with shock and despair, the slash continued unabated after cleaving through the darkness, heading straight for him.
He instinctively wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.
In the next instant, the slash brutally struck his body!
Instantly, blood splattered everywhere in a gruesome spectacle!
A horrifyingly large wound appeared on Blackbeard's body, deep enough to reveal bone, nearly cutting him in half at the waist!
Crimson blood gushed out like a burst dam, splattering everywhere; pale bones were exposed, sending chills down one's spine; through the ghastly wound, one could even clearly see his internal organs writhing within!
This showed just how severe the damage from this strike was—it could almost be called a fatal blow!
"Pfft..."
Blackbeard staggered, then spat out a mouthful of blood, which turned into a mist in the air.
Finally, he collapsed with immense reluctance...
His eyes began to grow unfocused.
"Damn... I might have gone a bit too hard!"
Seeing Blackbeard on the verge of death, Lancelot quickly sheathed Shusui.
If Blackbeard died now, the Logia-type Darkness-Darkness Fruit would be lost.
Wouldn't he regret it?
He lifted Blackbeard and headed toward the warship.
At the same time, he glanced at Lafitte, who was watching in stunned silence not far away, and softly reminded him.
"Follow me!"
Only then did Lafitte snap out of it.
"Gulp..."
Watching Lancelot's retreating figure, Lafitte couldn't help but swallow hard.
The battle just now had completely shattered his long-held beliefs.
His strength was considered top-tier in the entire West Blue.
So, he had always thought.
That the world's power levels were just like this—even the legendary Emperors or Admirals couldn't be that much stronger.
But now... he realized how naive his perception had been.
Perhaps in the West Blue, his strength was indeed respectable.
But in the Grand Line, in the New World, it meant nothing.
The battle between those two was the best proof.
Because both Lancelot and the nearly dead Blackbeard were far stronger than him... and these two were merely a Rear Admiral and an unknown pirate, respectively.
One could only imagine what kind of power the legendary Emperors and the Navy's top combatants possessed.
"Sigh..."
Finally, he took a deep breath, then flapped his wings and followed.
Soon, Lancelot reached the warship and rushed straight into his room.
He took out a fruit... then, with one final strike, plunged his sword into Blackbeard's heart.
With that, he gained another Devil Fruit.
Moreover, it was a Logia-type Devil Fruit, and the most unique one among them.