"What?"
"What is he talking about?"
"Still… now that you mention it, Blackbeard really did vanish at the very start of the Marineford War. Where did he go?"
The Marines murmured among themselves, clearly unsettled.
The Whitebeard Pirates were no less confused, all eyes turning toward Marco.
Marco took a deep breath and began, "Then let me start from the beginning. Blackbeard's body is… abnormal. During the more than twenty years he spent aboard the Whitebeard Pirates, he barely slept. And when he did, it was never deep sleep—just brief, shallow rest."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"The reason is simple. Blackbeard has three hearts. Because of this, he can remain active twenty-four hours a day without rest. This wasn't speculation—it's something that has been true ever since he joined our crew."
"Three hearts?!"
"That's impossible!"
"How can a human have three hearts?!"
Even the Marines couldn't hide their astonishment.
On the pirates' side, realization dawned.
"So that's why Teach never slept…"
"But Marco—why does that mean he wants Pops's Devil Fruit?"
Marco's gaze hardened as he addressed both sides.
"This is the conclusion Pops and I reached after investigating in secret. The Dark-Dark Fruit isn't just another Logia. It's the most dangerous—and the most sinister—of them all."
He continued, voice heavy.
"Not only can it create darkness that swallows everything, it can also suppress the abilities of other Devil Fruit users. But that isn't its greatest secret."
Silence fell.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit can steal Devil Fruit abilities… and even transfer them to others."
"What?!"
"Steal Devil Fruit powers?"
"And give them to ordinary people?!"
Both Marines and pirates were stunned. The idea sounded absurd—yet terrifyingly plausible.
Vista's expression darkened.
"You mean… Blackbeard plans to steal Pops's Tremor-Tremor Fruit."
"Exactly," Marco replied without hesitation.
"And that's why he went to Impel Down. His goal was to recruit powerful criminals and promise them Devil Fruit abilities. I'm certain Blackbeard and his new companions are already on their way to Marineford."
Marco's voice dropped.
"He'll appear the moment Pops falls… and take the Tremor-Tremor Fruit for himself."
"That's impossible!"
"Such a power defies reason!"
"This has to be a lie!"
The Marines reacted with disbelief.
But on the pirates' side, panic spread.
"Then Pops—"
"We have to go back!"
"We can't let Blackbeard steal Pops's power!"
Marco suddenly roared,
"Enough! Don't move on your own!"
The Whitebeard Pirates froze.
"Pops never intended to leave this battlefield alive."
The words struck like a hammer.
Marco continued grimly,
"As the strongest man in the world, Pops has his pride. He would never allow himself to fade away from sickness or old age. If he dies, it will be in battle—at his peak. And his final order was for us to return to the New World."
He clenched his fists.
"If you rush back now, you won't be saving him—you'll be insulting the strongest man in the world."
Silence followed.
One by one, the Whitebeard Pirates lowered their heads, grief etched into every face.
Marco then turned back toward Aokiji, catching the solemn shift in the Admiral's expression.
'Good,' Marco thought. 'Now it's sinking in.'
What he wanted was simple—to redirect the Marines' attention toward Blackbeard.
Marco knew Blackbeard would come. He always did.
If he could use the Marines to clash with Blackbeard, even better. If not, then at the very least, Blackbeard could buy them precious time to retreat.
As long as they escaped.
With time—and the system—Marco was confident. Reaching Admiral or even Yonko level was only a matter of time.
But right now?
He was still too weak.
Strong enough to spar with an Admiral—but nowhere near strong enough to stop one who was truly serious.
Marco continued, his gaze fixed on Aokiji.
"As I said earlier, Blackbeard's body is abnormal—he has three hearts. That means he can withstand three Devil Fruits. The next one he intends to steal is Pops's Tremor-Tremor Fruit."
His voice dropped, heavy with implication.
"And once the battlefield falls into chaos, he'll likely seize the opportunity to kill Fleet Admiral Sengoku—or even one of the Admirals—and take yet another powerful Devil Fruit. If he succeeds… Blackbeard will become an existence that surpasses even Roger and Rocks."
The words detonated like a bomb.
"He can eat three Devil Fruits?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Everyone knows a person can only eat one Devil Fruit!"
"Three at once—how could that even happen?!"
Both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines were shaken to their core.
Aokiji frowned deeply. He didn't fully believe Marco—but Blackbeard's absence from the war was undeniable. More importantly, Marco's claims aligned disturbingly well with intelligence the Marines had received before the battle: Blackbeard's crew had indeed been sighted at Impel Down, severely injuring its guards.
At the time, the execution of Ace had been imminent. Marineford had taken priority. No reinforcements were dispatched.
If Marco was telling the truth, then Blackbeard's threat far exceeded that of Fire Fist Ace.
And yet…
Everything Marco said was still speculation.
No one on the Grand Line had ever survived consuming two Devil Fruits—let alone three. From a rational standpoint, Marco's words could easily be dismissed as a desperate lie meant to secure Ace's escape.
Still, Aokiji hesitated.
That was simply his nature.
Even if it was a lie, there remained a sliver of doubt—because Blackbeard really had gone to Impel Down. And no one knew what condition the Great Prison was in now.
Aokiji's eyes sharpened as he finally spoke, his tone cold and decisive.
"Whether what you're saying is true or false—even if it is true—I cannot allow Fire Fist Ace to live."
He paused, the weight of justice pressing down on his words.
"I can overlook the other pirates. But Fire Fist Ace… must die."