"What?" Blackbeard's eyes widened in shock as the words sank in. How could the Marines possibly know his plan? He would have believed they were simply there to arrest him, but the idea that they had already uncovered the secret of his power chilled him to the bone. If the Marines truly understood his ability, they would never allow him the time to grow.
Sengoku stepped forward, watching Blackbeard's reaction with a faint, cold smile. "In the end, you are still too careless, Blackbeard. Every move you made was seen through by Whitebeard long ago. You thought you were using both the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates as stepping stones, but in the end, you were the only one being played."
Blackbeard frowned deeply, a wave of fear rising in his chest. "What are you talking about?"
At the same time, aboard the Moby Dick 5, a crew member rushed over to Jozu in a hurry. "Captain Jozu, there is a Den Den Mushi call from Captain Marco."
Jozu was puzzled. It had been a while since Marco had been kicked away by Kizaru. That kind of injury should not have been a serious problem for him. Why had he not already returned? Why was he calling instead?
Jozu picked up the Den Den Mushi at once. "This is Jozu."
"Jozu, it's me," Marco said in a low and steady voice. "Once everyone is on board, set sail immediately and leave Marineford. Do not wait for me."
Jozu's brow tightened. "What are you planning to do, Marco?"
"I am near the plaza right now," Marco replied quietly. "The Marines and the Blackbeard Pirates have already started fighting. I am going to find an opening and retrieve Pops' body. Do not worry, I will be fine."
Jozu fell silent for a moment. Retrieving Whitebeard's body was something none of them could abandon.
Finally, he said only one thing, his voice heavy. "Be careful."
"Got it," Marco replied, and the Den Den Mushi clicked off.
Now disguised in a standard Marine uniform, Marco blended into the battlefield without drawing attention. A Marine cap pulled low over his face and dried blood smeared across his features made him look like just another wounded soldier.
Without close inspection, no one would recognize him.
Marco was not overly concerned about whether Blackbeard succeeded in stealing the Tremor Tremor Fruit. If the Marines stopped him, all the better.
If they did not, it simply meant Marco would deal with him later. He was no longer the same Marco from the original story. With the system by his side, he no longer feared Blackbeard's growth, no matter how many Devil Fruits he gained.
As he moved quietly among the Marines, neither side noticed his presence.
Back at the center of the battlefield, Sengoku looked at Blackbeard with deep contempt. "You still do not understand?" he said coldly, then turned his head slightly. "Kuzan, explain it to him."
Aokiji nodded and spoke plainly. "To put it simply, everything you have done was within Whitebeard's expectations."
Blackbeard's face drained of color. "What does that even mean, Aokiji?"
Aokiji let out a faint sigh. "It means that after you captured Fire Fist Ace and handed him over to us, after you became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, every step you took was predicted by Whitebeard."
He continued, "He knew the Marines would use Ace to force a war. He knew you would become a Warlord only to enter Impel Down and recruit prisoners from Level Six. He even knew this war would happen."
"And finally, he knew you would come here to steal his Tremor Tremor Fruit."
Hearing this, Blackbeard snapped, terror creeping into his voice. "Impossible. How could that old man have known all of that? And he is dead now. If everything was really under his control, then why did I kill him?"
Aokiji's expression grew serious. "I also did not want to believe it. But Marco told me everything earlier."
"You possess three hearts and can hold three Devil Fruits at the same time. Your Dark Dark Fruit allows you to plunder the powers of others."
"That is why Whitebeard anticipated all of your actions, even this moment, when we would be waiting for you here."
He paused, then added quietly, "As a Marine, I should not say this, but Whitebeard truly deserved the title of the world's strongest. His power should never fall into the hands of someone like you."
Sweat poured down Blackbeard's face. The realization that Whitebeard had seen through him from the beginning crushed his pride.
Akainu looked at him coldly and snorted. "The only thing left to confirm is whether you truly can become a multiple Devil Fruit user. Once we capture you and send you to the laboratory, we will find out the truth soon enough."
Blackbeard finally understood. He had believed himself to be the one pulling the strings. In the end, it had all been within Whitebeard's calculations.
Surrounded by Sengoku, Akainu, Aokiji, Garp, and countless Marines, he knew that stealing the Tremor Tremor Fruit was no longer possible today. Survival was the only thing that mattered now.
Still, Blackbeard forced a wild grin onto his face. "Zehahahahaha. I never expected this. To think even in death, Pops still managed to corner me so perfectly. I truly do admire you."
His eyes darkened. "But before I reach the top of the world, I will not die here. Black Vortex!"
Darkness erupted from his palm, twisting violently. The Marines immediately tensed, fully aware of the danger of the Dark Dark Fruit.
Anyone who was caught by it would lose the ability to use their Devil Fruit.
In one swift motion, Blackbeard pulled the frozen Burgess, Doc Q, and Buster Call into the Black Vortex. These were the companions he had gone to great lengths to gather.
Once they were secured, he raised his voice and shouted, "Brothers, retreat!"
From the shadows of the battlefield, Marco watched everything unfold in silence, his eyes fixed on the shrouded figure of Whitebeard's body.
The time to move was drawing near.
_____
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