"Damn it!"
Right after shouting those words, Usopp slammed his fist onto the railing, full of regret.
Ever since experiencing the overwhelming benefits of tools and high-yield gadgets, he had been pouring all his time into researching special ammunition and equipment.
To the point where his actual sniping skills had been neglected for far too long—he'd even forgotten to upgrade or refine his shooting gear!
He had assumed that his current 2.5-kilometer effective range would be enough to counter any long-distance threat.
But now he had ammo, yet nowhere to use it.
In that moment, with his newly completed Green Vine Grapple external device still hanging at his waist, Usopp felt nothing but crushing self-blame.
"It's all because I'm too weak!"
…
…
The once-peaceful sea instantly boiled with chaos as a sudden attack tore through the waters.
Waves surged and crashed violently, as if the ocean itself were roaring in fury.
Seeing Vivi's injuries rapidly stabilizing under Red's Super Potion, Luffy abruptly turned his head toward the distant sea and called out:
"Red!!!"
"I know!"
Before Luffy could give any instructions, Red had already anticipated what would happen. He spread his arms wide—then swung them forward with force.
In an instant, a sweeping surge of azure energy burst from his body. The waters on both sides of the Going Merry rose like massive hands, pushing the ship forward like a launched projectile.
Little Merry, still in her Klabautermann form, immediately returned to the ship's hull to assist Red in adjusting their speed.
Closing the distance was inevitable.
Being attacked without counterattacking was not the style of the Straw Hat crew.
At the same time, Zoro—his face tight with irritation—rested his hand on his sword. As the blade slid from its sheath, a suffocating aura seeped into the air.
"Usopp! Can you see who they are!?" he asked.
"They're pirates!"
Usopp, wearing his wind goggles, did not allow guilt to hinder him. He responded immediately.
Relying on his exceptional eyesight, he began reporting to the crew:
"I can see their jolly roger—three skulls forming a pattern!"
"And their ship is really weird!"
"It looks like nothing but a crude wooden raft!"
"A raft!?" Zoro frowned. "You sure?"
With how unpredictable the Grand Line's climate was, anyone who sailed on such a pathetic vessel was either a complete idiot… or someone with absolute confidence.
Someone who surpassed even Usopp's sniping ability could only be the latter.
"Wait!" Red suddenly interrupted, a thoughtful glint flickering in his eyes.
Three skulls… a makeshift raft…
Wasn't that the standard look of the Blackbeard Pirates!?
What!?
Had the butterfly effect really spiraled this far already!?
Red's expression tightened. He quickly warned the rest of the crew:
"Luffy, everyone—be careful."
"This enemy might not be as simple as we thought!"
He genuinely had no precise power rating for Blackbeard at this point in time.
But a man who could defeat Ace in a one-on-one fight—even with a Devil Fruit advantage—
His strength was at least upper-tier Warlord level.
Whether he could rival Mihawk was unclear… but he was definitely above Doflamingo with an awakened Devil Fruit.
Their first major Grand Line boss had somehow been upgraded from "lazy, unmotivated Warlord" to "main-character-level luck magnet Blackbeard"!?
That escalation was way too big!
"In any case, this battle will absolutely not be as easy as it looks."
Red delivered his final warning gravely.
And for the first time seeing Red so serious, the Straw Hats immediately understood the severity of the situation.
Only Sanji—who had just sprinted out of the cabin and seen Vivi injured—remained unchanged.
Standing beside Luffy at the bow, flames erupted violently from Sanji's body. The heat distorted the very air around him.
"You bastard! I don't care who you are—if you dare hurt Princess Vivi, I'll erase you from existence!!!"
"Damn right!"
Zoro suddenly grinned beside him.
"Anyone Red treats this seriously—"
"I really want to see what they're capable of!"
SLAM!
Luffy's pupils widened, filled with blazing fury.
"No matter who they are—if they hurt my friends, I'm gonna send them flying!!!"
"In that case… let's beat them down!!!"
Seeing his comrades burn with fighting spirit, Red couldn't help but feel his own motivation ignite.
He was right!
This was the ocean—not land!
Even if Blackbeard already possessed Yonko-level power, so what!?
Under the power of nature, he still had to submit!
And right now, the Straw Hats had:• Red, who could manipulate the sea itself,• a Klabautermann who could control the Merry like an extension of her own body,• and hidden in the depths, the Warlord-level Island Whale—Laboon.
On the open sea, the Straw Hats' overall power may not rival the Yonko crews…But they were absolutely the strongest force below them!
With over an 80% chance of victory—barring unforeseen incidents—they might even kill their future final boss early, right here in Paradise!
BOOM—
Under Red's command, towering waves roared and lifted the Going Merry ever higher.
Meanwhile…
On the distant pirate raft several kilometers away—
Van Augur lowered his beloved rifle, "Senriku," his monocle gleaming as his brows furrowed.
"I missed."
"Huh!?"
The Blackbeard Pirates stared in disbelief.
Their crew was newly formed, but they were already very aware of just how monstrous Van Augur's sniping ability was.
"Interesting."
Blackbeard grinned. "Observation Haki, huh?"
"Zehahahaha…"
"To think we'd find someone of this caliber in little old Paradise!"
"I almost feel bad killing them!"
"When they get here, maybe I'll offer them a chance—see if they want to join us!"
"Zehahahaha!"
Blackbeard's arrogant laughter rang out.
Coming from the New World, he had every reason to look down on pirates still stuck in Paradise.
But soon, his smile stiffened.
Then froze.
Then completely collapsed.
His eyes widened as he rubbed them furiously and looked again.
"I'm… not dreaming, right!?"
Blackbeard's heartbeat spiked as he stared at the Going Merry riding atop massive, towering waves.
For a split second, he wondered if Whitebeard himself had come to Paradise to hunt him down.
After all, to his knowledge, the ability to manipulate the sea existed only in Pops' hands!
"In this world… there's a second Devil Fruit like that!?"
Greed surged violently in Blackbeard's shadowed eyes.
His earlier desire to recruit the crew vanished instantly.
Such overwhelming power—How could he not claim it!?
"Zehahahahaha… what a wonderful surprise!"
Blackbeard laughed lowly, waiting eagerly for the Merry's arrival.
A few minutes later—
Under the opposing currents, the two pirate ships finally entered each other's line of sight.
Only a few hundred meters separated them.
For strong fighters, that might as well have been arm's length.
STEP.
Luffy planted his foot on the Merry's railing, swaying with the waves as he glared at Blackbeard.
"Why did you attack us!?"
"Why!?"
"Zehahahaha…"
Blackbeard burst out laughing.
"As expected of pirates from Paradise—so naïve! You'd actually ask something like that!"
He finished laughing, then his expression darkened—sinister and tyrannical.
"A battle between pirates doesn't need a reason!"
"If I want to do it—then I do it!!! Zehahahaha!"
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Luffy slowly lowered his hat, a grin creeping across his face.
"If it wasn't a misunderstanding… then this'll be easy."
The next moment, his eyes sharpened with resolve.
He shoved his thumb into his mouth.
"Gear Third…! Bone Balloon · Tri Attack—!!!"
"Gum-Gum… THUNDER GOD ELEPHANT GUN!!!!"
CRACK!!
Golden lightning exploded across Luffy's enormous fist, thunder roaring skyward as the electrified punch shot across the sea toward Blackbeard's raft.
Where it passed, the ocean split apart violently, carving a path through the surface.
Armed Haki coated the attack in less than an instant, making Luffy's strike crash downward like a collapsing mountain range.
"Wh—what is THIS!?"
The Blackbeard Pirates' expressions twisted in horror.
The pressure radiating from that attack stunned even Lafitte—his thoughts blanking entirely.
They simply stared as that monstrous blow descended upon them.
And just when it seemed they would be crushed—
Blackbeard broke his habit of letting attacks hit him first.
He struck upward.
"Dark Vortex!"
WHOOSH!
Blackbeard leapt into the air, meeting Luffy's attack head-on.
A distorted black mist burst from his body and wrapped around his fist—
BOOOOOOM!!!
A deafening blast tore across the sea.
The sky itself split—Half engulfed in sinister darkness,Half swallowed by blazing thunder.
"Zehahahaha~!"
Blackbeard laughed, shock and excitement lighting his face.
"To think I'd find someone this strong in Paradise!"
"I'll have to make sure the Navy raises my bounty!!!"
The impact unleashed a hurricane-like shockwave that churned the sea violently.
Back on the Merry, Luffy's face shifted.
His ferocious fist was actually being pushed back by Blackbeard's power.
Their fists clashed a final time—
A resonant BOOM exploded between them—
And they separated.
Blackbeard landed steadily on his raft.
Luffy staggered back several steps across the grassy terrain on the Merry's deck, eyes filled with surprise.
"Just like Red said…"
"He's not a simple guy."
He muttered quietly.
"Need help, Luffy!?" Zoro called out.
But even after being forced back, Luffy shook his head.
"No. You guys take care of the others!"
"This guy is mine!"
"Got it!"
Zoro instantly leapt from the Merry.
Sanji wasn't about to be left behind.
"Don't forget me, moss-head!"
Under the stunned stares of the Blackbeard Pirates, the two men ran across the surface of the sea toward them.
"No! Something's under the water!!!"
Van Augur, being a sniper himself, immediately noticed.
Following his warning, the crew finally saw it—
Beneath the waves before the Merry was a massive dark silhouette.
Judging by the shape…It looked like the tail of a whale—
Except this whale was far too big!!!
(End of Chapter)