Meanwhile, deep in the New World.
The battle had already ended.
Gekko Moriah lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious and broken. Blackbeard stood over him, his clothes torn and his face smeared with blood, yet his grin was wider than ever.
"Zehahahahaha!" Blackbeard sneered. "So you really were worthy of being a former Shichibukai. You actually had some tricks up your sleeve!"
His eyes glinted with excitement.
"That shadow-merging move of yours—now that startled me. But you haven't fully mastered that power yet. Otherwise, there's no way I'd have beaten you so easily."
Nearby, Shiryu stepped down hard on a strange man with a lion-like face, pinning him to the ground.
"Teach," Shiryu said calmly, "I've decided. I want this guy's Devil Fruit."
Blackbeard glanced at the man beneath Shiryu's boot and chuckled.
"Oh? The Clear-Clear Fruit, right? He vanished completely earlier—even I was caught off guard."
He waved a hand casually.
"No problem. Leave it to me."
Before long, the deed was done.
Gekko Moriah's Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability—and Absalom's Clear-Clear Fruit—were both taken.
Blackbeard clenched his fist, staring at the shadow stretching beneath his feet. His grin grew feral.
"Shadow… swap."
In the next instant, his upper body exchanged places with his shadow.
Blackbeard stared at his own reflection—his body standing opposite him, half-solid, half-shadow. Ideas exploded in his mind, countless ways to exploit and refine this power.
"Zehahahahaha!" he roared. "I get it now! The true power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit!" He laughed wildly.
"What a waste it was in the hands of that useless Moriah!"
"Congratulations, Captain!" Burgess shouted excitedly from nearby.
Even the usually blasé Vasco Shot couldn't hide his shock.
"I still can't believe it… You actually became a Dual Devil Fruit user!"
Blackbeard corrected him smugly, "Wrong. I'm a Triple Devil Fruit user."
He raised a finger.
"I can still eat one more. But that last Devil Fruit? I'll have to choose it very carefully."
At that moment, Shiryu's body flickered—then solidified once more as he deactivated his transparency. Feeling the power course through him, he smirked.
"With this ability, I can completely erase my presence… and kill with a single strike."
He looked at Blackbeard, his eyes sharp.
"It seems my choice back then was the right one, Teach."
Blackbeard threw his head back and laughed.
"Zehahahahaha! Of course it was, partner! We're just going through a rough patch right now. Reaching the summit is only a matter of time."
"Captain," Doc Q said casually, pointing a pistol at the trembling Hogback, "what should we do with this one?"
Hogback nearly screamed in terror.
"W-Wait! I'm not a fighter! I'm just a doctor!"
Blackbeard stepped forward, his shadow looming large.
"Zehahahahaha… I know who you are. Doctor Hogback—the so-called genius surgeon of the West Blue."
He glanced at the stitched corpses scattered around.
"All these seams on the zombies… your handiwork, right?"
Hogback nodded frantically, eager to prove his worth.
"Yes! Yes! Zombies may be immortal, but their bodies still get damaged—and I'm the one who repairs them!"
He swallowed hard.
"Let me join you! If you help me revive Cindry, I'll help you create an even larger zombie army!"
Blackbeard's smile widened.
That was exactly why he had targeted the Shadow-Shadow Fruit in the first place.
"Zehahahahaha! Perfect," he said. "The Blackbeard Pirates always welcome geniuses."
He spread his arms.
"Welcome aboard, Hogback."
Shiryu snorted, clearly unimpressed by the addition of a non-combatant. He turned to Blackbeard and asked,
"Teach, what's next? The Phoenix Pirates declared war on the Wang Zhi Pirates not long ago. Are we getting involved?"
Blackbeard paused briefly—then sneered.
"Zehahahahaha, no need."
"Now's not the time to clash with the Phoenix Pirates. Besides, with how much Marco hates me, he'd probably tear me apart the moment I show my face."
He shook his head.
"I don't feel like being dogpiled."
Shiryu's lips curved into a cruel smile.
"Then we proceed with the original plan."
"I just hope it succeeds."
—
Ten days later, Shihblan Island.
More than forty ships bearing the banner of the Phoenix Pirates and their affiliated crews had gathered offshore. Over 23,000 men stood ready. For this campaign, Marco had mobilized nearly every available force—leaving behind only the bare minimum needed to guard their territory.
This was no ordinary battle.
Marco had just defeated Big Mom and ascended to the rank of Yonko. The coming war against the Wang Zhi Pirates would be the Phoenix Pirates' first battle as a true Yonko crew—and it had to be nothing short of overwhelming.
Aboard the Moby Dick, Marco addressed the assembled division commanders.
"Brothers," he said calmly, his voice carrying authority, "this will be our first war as an officially recognized Yonko Pirate Crew."
"The Wang Zhi Pirates number just over three thousand. We have nearly eight times that force."
His gaze swept across the deck.
"So this battle must be decisive. We will win—and we will win spectacularly. The entire world will witness the strength of the Phoenix Pirates."
The response was immediate. Morale surged through the ranks.
Since Marco's victory over Big Mom, the lingering uncertainty that followed Whitebeard's death had finally vanished. The former Whitebeard Pirates no longer hesitated—they now truly saw themselves as members of the Phoenix Pirates, and they were prepared to follow Marco without doubt.
Ace stepped forward without hesitation.
"Marco, let me lead the vanguard."
Marco turned to him.
"Ace, among all of us, your Mera Mera no Mi has the greatest destructive power. Whether we minimize casualties and end this war quickly will depend largely on you."
Ace laughed confidently.
"Leave it to me. Burning things down is what I do best. Even if they hide underground, I'll smoke them out."
Marco nodded, then continued,
"Based on intelligence from the past few days, Beehive Island is heavily fortified. Wang Zhi prepared for a defensive war long ago—back when our father was still alive."
"Turrets. Bunkers. Tunnel networks."
His tone hardened.
"Despite our numerical advantage, we cannot afford to be careless. If we underestimate them, we'll pay in blood."
The commanders nodded solemnly.
"Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit," Marco added.
"We will crush them in one decisive blow—no room to recover, no chance to regroup."
He then turned to Jozu. "Jozu. Is what I asked for ready?"
Jozu nodded.
"Yes. We've printed thirty thousand copies of the surrender notice."
Marco took one and glanced over it.
The contents were brutally simple.
A bounty on Wang Zhi himself.
One arm: 200 million Berries
One leg: 300 million Berries
His head: 1.5 billion Berries.
In addition, any pirate who surrendered would be given a chance to join the Phoenix Pirates—or become an affiliated crew. Those who resisted would be executed once the assault began.
Ace frowned slightly.
"Marco… will something like this really throw them into chaos?"
Marco smiled faintly, clearly satisfied.
"Of course. Attacking the heart is always better than attacking walls."
"In the face of absolute disparity, resistance means certain death. Those who value their lives only need to surrender."
He continued evenly,
"Even if Wang Zhi can suppress dissent at first, time will work against him. Among three thousand pirates, there will always be those who start thinking for themselves."
"Join a Yonko crew. Earn massive bounties. Or die."
His eyes sharpened.
"Some of them will choose the first option."
Jozu, however, frowned.
"Marco… if those pirates really do surrender, do we actually let them join us?"
He voiced the concern everyone felt.
"Men who can betray Wang Zhi can just as easily betray us."
Loyalty, after all, was the one thing the Phoenix Pirates could not afford to gamble with.
"Of course," Marco replied without hesitation. "The word is already out—there's no turning back now."
"Our situation is completely different from Wang Zhi's," he continued calmly. "We're strong, and they're weak. If they refuse to surrender, there's only one road left for them."
"As long as we remain strong, even if a few people harbor ulterior motives, there's no need to worry too much."
He paused, then added, "That said, those who surrender won't be absorbed directly into the main Phoenix Pirates crew."
"They'll be dispersed among our affiliated crews instead. Given enough time, we'll see clearly who's truly loyal and who's merely pretending."
Since taking over the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco had also inherited many of Whitebeard's original principles.
The Whitebeard Pirates had always been a family. Every member of the main crew had been taken in and raised by Whitebeard himself. Loyalty wasn't enforced—it was absolute.
The Phoenix Pirates, as Whitebeard's spiritual successors, would continue that tradition.
Reinforcements for the main crew would only be drawn from the affiliated pirates—those who met uncompromising standards of both strength and loyalty. The main force would remain capped at 1,600 members.
"I understand," Jozu said, his respect for Marco deepening.
Marco nodded once.
"Good. Enough discussion—it's time to move."
He turned to the dozen or so division commanders and began issuing orders with crisp clarity.
"Ace—you'll lead the Second, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Divisions, along with five thousand affiliated pirates. Surround Beehive Island from the east."
"Jozu—you'll take the Third, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Divisions, plus five thousand affiliated pirates. Seal off the south."
"Vista—you'll command the Fifth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Divisions, along with another five thousand affiliated pirates. You'll cover the west and north."
"The main front," Marco said evenly, "will be handled by me."
He then turned to Jinbe.
"Jinbe, you'll lead the Sun Pirates. Monitor the waters beneath Beehive Island and make sure no one escapes by submarine."
Jinbe nodded firmly.
"Leave it to me."
Marco continued, "Once all units are in position, our first move will be to sink every Wang Zhi pirate ship. If we can end this before it truly begins, all the better."
"If they choose to turtle up and rely on their fortifications," he added coldly, "then we scatter the surrender notices across the island and broadcast calls for surrender nonstop."
"We won't rush them. We surround, apply pressure, and wait."
"When their morale collapses and they fall into chaos," Marco concluded, eyes sharp, "we strike—and wipe them out in a single decisive blow."
The commanders nodded in unison.
The plan was set.
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