Boom!!!
Once again, the ocean was swallowed by darkness. A storm-like shockwave erupted beneath the pitch-black shroud, sweeping violently across the entire sea.
Within that darkness, every burst of radiant lightning and blazing flame flashed sharply against the expanse of Laboon's massive back—only to be instantly devoured by the swirling black void again.
"Zehahahahaha!"
"Useless! Completely useless!"
"No matter how many times you attack, the result will always be the same!!!"
Standing amid fire and thunder, Blackbeard bellowed with grotesque laughter, the wounds on his body doing nothing to hinder his movements.
And with each counterattack, he made sure to taunt Luffy's trio with malicious delight.
"Damn it!" Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji snarled through clenched teeth.
Blackbeard's arrogance fully ignited the fury of the Straw Hats' three main fighters. Blow after blow, their strikes grew faster, heavier, more desperate—and even though Luffy's Play Rough occasionally slipped through Blackbeard's defenses, giving them fleeting openings…
In the face of an overwhelming power gap, Blackbeard's return strikes were always even more terrifying.
BOOM!!!
Black lightning erupted in midair.
Blackbeard's fist, wrapped in swirling darkness, slammed brutally into Luffy's chest.
Even with a layer of Armament Haki shielding him, Luffy still twisted in agony as his body shot back like a falling meteor, crashing into Laboon's back and leaving a massive dent in the whale's flesh.
Fortunately, Laboon's enormous body barely registered such pressure—like a finger poking lightly into someone's skin.
But even so, the Straw Hats' three strongest fighters were being overwhelmed. Their injuries grew heavier with every exchange.
Especially Zoro and Sanji…
In truth, their base power at this point wasn't much higher than the level of a typical hundred-million-Beli pirate.
If not for their Pokémon techniques and their growing mastery of Pokémon energy, they wouldn't even qualify to participate in a battle of this scale.
A single misstep, a single clean hit, and either of them could be knocked out instantly.
"Red… this isn't working!"From the far end of the battlefield, Usopp—unable to so much as intervene—looked up and shouted anxiously.
He had fired several specialized Green Vine rounds earlier, but against the might of the Dark-Dark Fruit, all of his attacks vanished before even touching Blackbeard.Every shot simply dissolved into darkness—complete waste of ammunition.
Yet in contrast to Usopp's panic…
Red remained perfectly calm.
"Don't panic."He placed a steadying hand on Usopp's shoulder.
"We've already secured victory. It's right here in our grasp."
"The one who should be worrying now… is him."
Red's gaze sharpened toward the center of the battlefield.
He was right—when his Surf shattered Blackbeard's raft and left the enemy stranded…
The Straw Hat Pirates had already won this encounter.
Not to mention they had killed three members of Blackbeard's crew.
Now, they simply wanted more.
Blackbeard had already gleaned far too much information from them.
If he were allowed to escape and spread that intel, it would severely impact the Straw Hats' future movements.
And of course, there was the matter of the impending Marineford War—a conflict that, in the original timeline, had nearly reshaped the world.
For a rapidly rising crew like the Straw Hats, a stable world was always preferable.
Especially since the spark that ignited that war… was Ace, Luffy's brother.
Both emotionally and logically, they had every reason to eliminate Blackbeard here and prevent the chain of disasters he would otherwise set in motion.
But…
With Luffy and the others' current strength, defeating Blackbeard was still unrealistic.
In the original timeline, at this point Zoro had not yet reached the level of being able to cut steel; Sanji was still far from awakening Diable Jambe.
That they could exchange even a few rounds with Blackbeard now was already thanks to Red's "cheat."
Yet success did not mean the problem was solved.
"Do we really have to toss Blackbeard into the ocean and just hope nature handles the rest!?"
Even Red found himself uncertain.
But then—
"Red!"
A sharp, spirited voice rang out behind him.
He turned, and saw the Going Merry emerging rapidly from behind Laboon's back—having circled away from the chaos earlier.
On its deck, Nami and the others stood fully armed, radiating battle intent.
At the same time, Red noticed two faintly breathing bodies lying on the deck:
Burgess and Stronger—the last surviving remnants of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Clearly, while Luffy's trio distracted Blackbeard, Nami's group had subdued the remaining enemies.
"Red, we're here to help!"
Once the Merry moved close to Laboon, Nami halted the ship, wisely refusing to let the fragile vessel drift into the battlefield.
Nami and Smoker leapt from the deck, landing on Laboon's back.
Vivi's eyes flashed a soft pink-purple—and in the blink of an instant, she Teleported beside Nami.
"Treinta Fleur—Bridge!"
Robin crossed her arms and sprouted a long bridge of arms, carrying Chopper across.Even though she had yet to fully acknowledge Red as a trainer, and wasn't sure whether she truly considered herself a Straw Hat…
She still rushed to help without hesitation.
Before leaving, she offered a warm smile toward the Merry:
"Please take care of the ship for us, Little Merry."
"Leave it to me, everyone!"
The Klabautermann—Little Merry—appeared on the deck, beaming with confidence.
And in mere moments, the entire Straw Hat crew (minus the ship spirit) had assembled atop Laboon's massive back.
"Nami, Vivi, Robin, Chopper…"Usopp pointed at each of them—but when he reached Smoker, his expression twisted.
"What are you staring at, pirate!?"
Flustered and refusing to admit he was here to help, Smoker snapped defensively:
"A pirate this strong appearing in the first half of the Grand Line is a major threat! As a Marine, it's my duty to investigate!"
But his eyes shifted toward the battlefield—
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were all injured…
Especially Luffy—
Worried Zoro or Sanji might be incapacitated instantly, he had taken the brunt of every heavy blow himself.
Seeing three fighters who could all easily crush him individually…Smoker swallowed hard, a flicker of dread surfacing in his eyes.
And he wasn't wrong.
Pirates of this caliber suddenly emerging in Paradise was a dire omen for any Marine who wanted a peaceful sea.
"Thanks, Captain Smoker!"
Red grinned—ignoring Smoker's tsundere attitude.
Then his face shifted, becoming solemn in a way the crew had rarely seen.
He spoke clearly:
"This enemy is no ordinary threat. He may become one of the greatest adversaries we ever face."
"So if possible, we must keep him here in Paradise. We cannot allow him the chance to rise again."
"His power is too dangerous. In this battle, all of you must be extremely careful."
"Stay away from the center of the fight. Let Captain Smoker assist me directly. The rest of you—wait for my commands."
"And one more thing…"
Red turned to Smoker, gaze sharp and unwavering.
"Captain Smoker—this may not be the ideal moment, but I still want to know…"
His voice lowered.
"Have you already decided…what you truly fight for?"
(End of Chapter)