Chapter 77 Luffy Reveals Secret, Shocking BlackbeardBlackbeard's expression changed drastically, and he crushed the wine glass in his hand!
The fact that Ace was the orphan of the Pirate King was something only he and his father knew in the entire Whitebeard Pirates. Where did this Vice Admiral get this information?
Blackbeard stared intently at Luffy: "How did you know this earth-shattering secret? Since you know his identity, you should understand how heavy this stake is, right? Why should I trade?"
Luffy grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth: "Why?"
"Because Ace is my sworn brother. To be precise, that guy was raised by my grandfather. You should be able to understand the weight of that, right?"
Upon hearing this, Blackbeard's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Luffy's background had already been the talk of the town at the previous medal ceremony.
The name of Marine Hero Garp might only be a legend in the four seas.
But in the New World, it was a nightmare that struck fear into the hearts of countless great pirates, especially for Teach, who had grown up alongside Whitebeard and knew all too well the terrifying power of Garp.
He was the ruthless man who ended the Rocks era.
Remember, back then, the Rocks Pirates had three of the current Four Emperors as subordinates, plus the ridiculously strong captain Rocks himself, yet they were still utterly crushed by Garp.
Not to mention, even the later Pirate King Roger was chased all over the world by Garp. It's safe to say that this old man is currently the ceiling of the entire combat power system.
No wonder no one has uncovered Ace's background for so many years, no wonder Ace was able to escape the Celestial Dragons' purge.
It turns out that behind all this was the protection of that legendary strongest marine.
Luffy, observing Blackbeard's fluctuating expression, chuckled, "I think you understand the gravity of this situation."
"Your plan is theoretically sound. Handing Ace over to the Marines will give Sengoku the opportunity to eliminate Whitebeard."
"But the fact that Ace was raised by my father is no secret among the Marine high command," Luffy lazily sipped his drink. "I'd stake my life on it. If you really hand Ace over to the Marines, at least two of the three Admirals will shirk their duties when the war starts, and my father would absolutely never lay a hand on his own grandson."
"What do you think the chances are that Whitebeard will leave Marineford alive under these circumstances?"
"If Whitebeard isn't completely dead, you'll face relentless pursuit from both the pirates and the Marines! With your current resources, how many episodes do you think you can survive?"
Luffy's calm voice sent a chill down Blackbeard's spine, as if this young man had seen right through his schemes.
"So, according to you..."
Blackbeard asked, his face grim, his tone softening.
"Hey, what bad intentions could I have? I'm just kindly reminding you, Whitebeard has more than just Ace as his adopted son. You've been there for so many years, don't you know what kind of temper the old man has? Forget Ace, even if you just grab any captain, that old man would risk his life to storm Marineford."
"As a person, you need to broaden your horizons, learn to get the biggest benefit with the smallest investment. Young man, your thinking is very promising. I have faith in you, keep it up!"
After saying that, Luffy grinned and downed his drink in one gulp, then turned and walked out of the tavern without looking back.
A short while later.
A suffocating darkness suddenly engulfed the entire tavern, and the next second, all the pirates inside, along with the entire building, were instantly crushed into dust by the darkness.
"Zehahahaha! Monkey D. Luffy, huh? I'll remember you!! Zehahahaha!"
Blackbeard's arrogant laughter echoed through the empty street.
The pirates who had been watching the spectacle were terrified, wishing they had extra legs to escape this dangerous place.
"Hey, Luffy, that guy seems to have wiped out everyone in the tavern."
Zoro glanced back at the ruins and said, frowning.
"Standard procedure. That's a real daredevil, unlike those childish pirates. He doesn't want the conversation to leak out; after all, the World Government's intelligence network is all-pervasive," Luffy said with a smile. "Mind your own business. This island is a pirate haven anyway; if they all die, it'll be doing the people a favor."
Zoro thought about the row of pirate ships in the harbor and nodded. There was really nothing to sympathize with.
"But what you told him earlier, was it all true?"
Zoro asked curiously, "Is Ace really the Pirate King's son? You went through all that trouble just to save Ace?"
Luffy's expression remained calm, and he nodded slightly, giving an affirmative answer.
"That's certainly not a lie, but my actions aren't solely for rescuing Ace."
"On the contrary, that fire-playing guy has already been moved to a safe zone."
"Since Blackbeard is so eager for the Shichibukai position, he'll be like a headless fly trying to find Ace anytime soon."
"So even if I keep quiet, Ace won't face any real danger for the time being."
"My current elaborate scheme... is simply to prevent that bastard Teach's plot from succeeding."
As Luffy spoke, a terrifying aura, seemingly capable of changing the very fabric of the world, suddenly erupted from his body.
That invisible Conqueror's Haki swept through every corner of Mock Town like a whirlwind.
"I will plant the Navy's banner throughout the New World. Since Sengoku couldn't complete his grand ambitions, I will fill in the final piece of the puzzle for him."
The butterfly effect triggered by Ace's defeat led to a collapse in morale among the Navy's top forces. Some slacked off, while others merely watched from the sidelines.
The grand plan to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates and seize control of the New World was completely ruined by letting most of the enemy's elite forces escape.
What's even more infuriating is that Blackbeard, that treacherous villain, reaped a huge advantage.
But in this life, as long as it's not Ace kneeling on the execution platform, and Luffy isn't interfering,
a frail, elderly Whitebeard, hooked up to an IV drip, trying to confront the Navy Headquarters at its peak is simply courting death—a death wish!
Garp alone, with his Iron Fist, would be enough to give the Whitebeard Pirates a run for their money.
At this very moment, amidst the ruins of a ravaged tavern...
Blackbeard Teach felt the suffocating pressure emanating from him, his fleshy face contorted with utter horror.
Then, as if he'd heard the funniest joke, he let out a maniacal, ear-piercing laugh.
"Zehahaha! Who would have thought that a place as strictly disciplined as the Navy would produce another monster with Conqueror's Haki?"
"Monkey D. Luffy! Remember this: a person's dream never ends!"
Luffy, hearing that signature raspy voice from afar, curled his lips into a cold smile