Admiral Akainu fixed Blackbeard with an icy glare, killing intent radiating from him as he spoke with contempt, "Hmph. Flies truly are drawn to filth. Blackbeard, with your actions today, you have clearly abandoned any intention of remaining a Shichibukai."
Blackbeard laughed arrogantly, his deep voice echoing across the battlefield, "Zehahahahaha! Exactly! I only became a Shichibukai so I could enter Impel-down. Now that goal is complete, that title means nothing to me."
In response, Akainu erupted with fury. "Then die. Great Eruption!"
His magma-coated fist shot forward without hesitation, aimed straight at Blackbeard.
"Dark Water!"
Startled by the sudden assault, Blackbeard reacted instantly. Blackness surged from his hand, swallowing Akainu's magma fist whole.
Akainu's eyes widened slightly as his attack vanished.
"So hot, so scalding!" Blackbeard shook his hand violently, sparks flying from his skin as he hurriedly brushed off the burning embers. Fear flickered briefly across his face as the pain set in. Though the magma had been absorbed, the heat still scorched his body at point-blank range.
Sengoku watched closely, his expression grave. "So this is the power of the Logia type Dark-Dark Fruit…"
Ever since Blackbeard became a Shichibukai, the Marines had already learned the nature of his Devil Fruit. Seeing it in action only confirmed the danger it posed.
Akainu clicked his tongue in irritation. "So you can absorb abilities. Let us see if you can absorb everything."
His arms transformed fully into magma once more, lethal heat surging outward as he prepared to unleash Meteor Volcano.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait a moment, Admiral Akainu!" Blackbeard raised a hand hastily, shouting with visible alarm. "Are you trying to destroy Marineford?"
Among the three Admirals, Akainu's ruthless reputation was the most terrifying. Even with the Dark-Dark Fruit, Blackbeard had no confidence he could face Akainu head-on and survive.
"I did not come here to fight the Marines," Blackbeard declared loudly.
Sengoku, weighing the situation carefully, had no desire to provoke another major enemy. With the battlefield already in chaos and the Whitebeard Pirates still standing, adding the Blackbeard Pirates into the conflict would only push the Marines into a dangerous position. He spoke coldly, "Then why are you here, Blackbeard?"
Hearing that Sengoku had no intention of attacking, Akainu let his magma recede, though his gaze never left Blackbeard. In his mind, eliminating Blackbeard would not take long. Even if the Devil Fruit was troublesome, his mastery of Armament and Observation Haki could compensate. The real threat had always been Whitebeard.
Blackbeard's grin widened sinisterly. "Zehahahahaha! Of course I came to settle things with the Whitebeard Pirates, and with Whitebeard himself. Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you would not mind handing him over to me, would you?"
To Sengoku, it made no difference who ended Whitebeard's life. One Pirate destroying another only worked in the Marines' favor. "Very well," he replied coldly. "Do as you wish."
Blackbeard understood that Sengoku was using him, but that fit perfectly into his own design. He strode toward Whitebeard with predatory delight. "Zehahahahaha! Pops, I know how badly you must want to kill me!"
Whitebeard struggled for breath, blood pouring from his wounds, but his gaze was as cold and unwavering as ever. "Teach… only you were never worthy of being my son. You broke the one iron rule of my ship, never kill your own. Today, I will use your life to honor Thatch's soul."
Whitebeard clenched his fist. Though his body was failing him, his will remained unbroken. He was determined to erase Teach from this world before drawing his final breath.
"Zehahahahaha, I was thinking the very same thing," Blackbeard replied, utterly fearless as he faced the dying giant. "You know, Pops, once upon a time I truly admired you. If I had never found that Devil Fruit, I might have stayed on your ship forever. But Thatch found it first. The Dark-Dark Fruit, the fruit I waited decades for. For this power, I would betray anyone."
Whitebeard did not respond, only fixing Teach with a gaze of pure killing intent.
Blackbeard's smile sharpened. "But words are meaningless now."
He turned sharply toward his crew. "This is a duel between me and Whitebeard. No one interferes."
Then he faced Whitebeard once more. "Come on, Whitebeard."
---
On the outskirts of Crescent Bay, Aokiji witnessed Blackbeard's sudden appearance. Marco's earlier words echoed in his mind, sending a chill through him. He spoke grimly, "So this truly was Blackbeard's scheme…"
His expression darkened further as he turned to the Vice Admiral at his side. "Momonga."
Momonga hurried over at once. "What is it, Kuzan?"
They were old classmates, both former students of Zephyr, though Kuzan had always stood at the top of their batch.
Aokiji said in a low, serious voice, "Take command here. I must report something urgent to the Fleet Admiral."
Momonga nodded solemnly. "Is this about what Marco mentioned earlier?"
Aokiji gave a slight nod. "Yes. Whether it proves true or not, it is better to be cautious. The sea is frozen, the Pirates cannot escape for now."
---
Back in Marineford Plaza, Whitebeard and Blackbeard finally clashed.
Already gravely wounded, Whitebeard found himself at a rare disadvantage. Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit nullified Devil Fruit abilities upon contact, suppressing Whitebeard's quake power each time they collided. For a brief moment, even the mighty Whitebeard was pushed back.
From the sidelines, Sengoku and Admiral Akainu watched with narrowed eyes, both surprised by the sheer threat Blackbeard now represented.