"It's time for us to pay Blackbeard a visit."
Ryuuto looked up, spotting a small town in the distance. He spoke in a low, serious tone before being the first to leap off the deck of the Sword of Xebec.
"Let's go."
Ace tipped his hat down over his eyes and followed, jumping down from the ship.
"Captain! No, Ryuuto, wait for me!"
Seeing the others leave, Nami quickly vaulted over the ship's railing. She had almost called him 'Captain' out of habit, but after hearing Hancock say 'Ryuuto' so often these past few days, she felt it sounded more intimate. She decided then and there to call him Ryuuto from now on.
"Wait for this one!"
Hancock leaped gracefully from the ship, landing silently beside Ryuuto.
Ace, now at the rear, suddenly stopped. He slowly raised his gaze from under the brim of his hat, and a ball of fire ignited in his right hand. With a sharp motion, he flung it backward.
BOOM!
The explosive flames engulfed the Sword of Xebec, instantly setting the entire vessel ablaze. It was Ace's declaration of war against Blackbeard. On the small island of Banaro, a towering inferno would light up half the sky, a signal that Blackbeard couldn't possibly miss, no matter where he was.
Ryuuto felt the heat of the fire behind him and paused for a moment before continuing his steady walk forward. Against the backdrop of the burning Sword of Xebec, four figures marched slowly toward the town. If Morgans had been there, he would have killed to get a picture of this moment.
Meanwhile, inside the town's "Rift Kettle" tavern, Blackbeard and Jesus Burgess were busy demolishing a massive platter of food, piled high with several huge cuts of roasted lizard.
"Captain, where are we heading next?" Burgess asked, forcing down a large chunk of meat and looking at Blackbeard Teach beside him.
"Zehahaha! Roasted meat and juice, now this is a great meal! Zehahahaha! As for what's next... I plan on heading to Impel Down to find some like-minded partners!"
Blackbeard wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took a huge gulp of cactus juice before answering with a booming laugh.
"Impel Down, huh? Wihahaha, sounds good to me!" Burgess glanced at Teach and chuckled in agreement.
"Captain, do you think Ace will show up?" Burgess asked, taking another huge bite of roast meat as the thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Zehahaha! I can already smell him," Blackbeard said confidently after a brief, thoughtful pause, his eyes glinting. His laughter grew even louder. He had, after all, deliberately spread word of his whereabouts along his route. If his former crewmates hadn't caught on by now, he'd be sorely disappointed.
"Wihahaha, you're right!" Burgess's mood was infectious, and he joined in the laughter. "That young punk is in for a big surprise!"
The Rift Kettle was filled with other patrons, and the owner was busy behind a bar made of a half-height stone wall. The kitchen was just behind it, where massive lizard steaks sizzled on huge grills over open flames.
"Trouble! Something's on fire down at the port!"
Suddenly, the tavern doors burst open and a panicked figure rushed inside, shouting.
"What? At the port?" Burgess shot to his feet, lunged forward, and grabbed the man by the collar. "What's going on?" he demanded.
"I think... I think a big ship is on fire!" the man stammered, terrified by Burgess.
"Captain?" Burgess dropped the man and looked over at Blackbeard Teach, his eyes asking for confirmation.
"I can smell Ace," Blackbeard stated, slamming a fist on the table as he rose to his feet.
"Zehahahaha! Right on time!"
With that, Blackbeard snatched a giant piece of roasted meat and strode out of the tavern. Burgess followed close behind, a wide grin stretching across his face.
Ace, huh? Time to finally meet him, Burgess thought. He had heard Teach mention Ace's name more times than he could count.
Ryuuto's group walked onward, their feet crunching on the dry, yellow sand. Banaro was a desert island, and the most common sights were cacti and large lizards skittering across the ground.
"Ryuuto, this place looks a little like Alabasta!" Nami chattered away beside him.
Hancock clicked her high heels on the ground with a rhythmic tap, tap, tap. Every so often, she would lift her chin and shoot a haughty glance at Nami, who was on Ryuuto's right. Hancock's mind was, of course, a whirlwind of activity. On one hand, she desperately wanted to cling to Ryuuto's side just like Nami. On the other, she found such behavior a bit childish.
"Still, I can't help but feel like I'm having some bad luck," Hancock muttered to herself as she effortlessly dodged another small pebble that came flying her way.
Hearing this, Nami shot a slightly guilty look at the cool, elegant beauty beside her.
As more and more houses came into view, Ryuuto, Ace, and Hancock stopped in unison. Nami, caught off guard, was pulled to a halt by Ryuuto just in time.
She was about to ask what was wrong when she noticed that the other three were all staring straight ahead.
Standing before them were two men.
The first was Marshall D. Teach, wearing a black bandana and a captain's open-fronted shirt that revealed a hairy chest and a large belly.
The other was Jesus Burgess, wearing orange goggles. His upper body was a grotesque mountain of muscle, and a conspicuous champion's belt was wrapped around his waist.
The two stood in silence, their gazes fixed on Ryuuto's group. An immense pressure washed over them.
"Ace, this meeting is a little different from what I had in mind," Blackbeard Teach said, breaking the silence.
"Teach. I've finally found you," Ace replied, stepping past Ryuuto to stand at the very front. His voice was low and heavy with purpose. "You murdered a crewmate, a crime that can never be forgiven. I swear I'll take your head back to the Moby Dick!"
"Zehahahahaha!"
Blackbeard threw his head back and roared with laughter. Crewmates? What a joke! To achieve his goals, such things were meaningless. Even his current crew were just allies of convenience. All this talk of partners and family was just plain stupid.
As Blackbeard's laughter echoed, Doc Q slowly emerged from the shadows, riding his horse, Stronger.
"Cough... Cough!"
A series of rasping coughs accompanied Doc Q's appearance. As he covered his mouth, a faint green mist seemed to seep from between his fingers.
"I've been waiting for you too, Ace," Blackbeard said, his laughter subsiding as he fixed his gaze on his former crewmate. "But first, aren't you going to introduce your friends?"
Blackbeard slowly shifted his attention to Ryuuto and Hancock.