Chapter 417: A Man's Dream Will Never End
New World · Unnamed Deserted Island
Night fell, the sea breeze carrying a chilling bite.
A campfire crackled, its light reflecting on five gloomy faces.
Lafitte's cane tapped the ground unconsciously, making a hollow tap, tap sound.
Van Augur stared into the flames through the cold glint of his sniper scope, his eyes bottomless.
The apple in Doc Q's embrace was rotting bit by bit, emitting a pungent sour stench.
Jesus Burgess clenched his fists tightly, his muscles trembling like taut iron.
They looked at each other in silence until Burgess finally broke the dead quiet, his voice hoarse: "Captain..."
"Are we... still going out to sea?"
In the flickering firelight, Teach remained motionless.
A hint of crimson flashed in the depths of his pupils. His mouth twitched, but he couldn't even squeeze out his usual "Zehahaha."
"Pirates? Heh..."
He sneered lowly, violently grabbing a bottle of rum and tilting his head back to take a huge gulp.
Liquor ran down his beard, mixing with saliva and dripping at his feet.
"The seas today... have no room left for pirates!!!"
With a boom, he suddenly stood up, his massive shadow looming over the four of them like a fierce beast.
"HOWEVER—!!!"
He spread his arms wide as if to embrace the entire night, his voice deep yet soul-shaking.
"My dream has never been some child's play title like 'Pirate King'!!!"
A manic light ignited in the depths of his eyes, his voice roaring like thunder:
"What I want to become is—the King of the World!!!"
"Ze—hahahaha!!!"
The laughter echoed across the deserted island, as if trying to tear apart the silent night sky.
Lafitte, Van Augur, Doc Q, and Burgess all looked up in shock at their manic captain in that towering silhouette, their minds violently shaken.
But right at that moment—
Swoosh—
The firelight was suddenly stretched long.
Behind Teach, a figure suddenly appeared, arriving silently as if stepping out from the void.
"Oh?"
A deep voice pressed down as if from the firmament, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"What kind of king... did you say you wanted to become?"
"SWISH—!!!"
Lafitte's wings burst open with a bang, instantly spreading into a defensive posture.
Van Augur spun his sniper rifle backhand, the cold muzzle pointing straight at that shadow.
The scythe in Doc Q's hand slipped, crashing heavily to the ground.
Burgess leaped to his feet, arching his back like a startled beast.
Teach's breath caught. He slowly turned around, the firelight reflecting in his pupils, which had violently shrunk to the size of pinpricks.
The figure stepped forward slowly, a faint, almost imperceptible curve tugging at the corner of his lips:
"Marshall D. Teach... or should I say—Davy D. Teach?"
"Your ambition... is even more interesting than I imagined..."
The campfire on the deserted island flickered violently in the wind. Moonlight spilled coldly through the thin clouds.
The moment Teach clearly saw the newcomer's face, cold sweat poured down like a waterfall. His heart felt as if it were gripped by iron tongs as he roared hoarsely:
"Stop!!! Put your weapons down!!! Do you guys not know who he is?!!"
Lafitte violently retracted his wings; Van Augur's eyes went wide as the muzzle of his gun dropped with a clatter;
Burgess's knees went weak, nearly falling to the ground; the poisoned apple in Doc Q's arms rolled out, tumbling into the campfire with a sizzle and a puff of acrid smoke.
All four of them trembled in unison, feeling as if they had been thrown into an ice cavern. Their voices shook: "R-Roy?!!"
As the firelight flickered, Teach finally managed to tear a shred of reason free from the suffocating terror.
But that name, "Davy," struck his heart like a heavy hammer, causing his expression to change drastically. Forcibly suppressing his panic, his voice came out dry and trembling:
"Roy... how... how do you know?!!"
Roy's gaze swept over Teach—this man who, despite being tormented by him and Vegapunk for years, could still stand firm. He thought inwardly, 'This guy is much tougher than that pink-haired brat who pissed his pants just from seeing me...'
He waved his hand, and a Dark-Dark barrier roared to life, rising like a pitch-black curtain of the sky, completely cutting off the firelight.
"VROOM—!!!"
The four crew members were instantly isolated from Teach, their minds violently struggling: Flee? Or fight to the death???
Just as their nerves were stretched to the breaking point, a fiery glow slowly illuminated their backs.
Ace's figure emerged from the firelight, golden-white flames burning in his palm. His voice was low but absolute:
"Big Brother Roy is having a chat with him. You guys better stay quiet..."
He locked his cold gaze onto Van Augur, his pupils burning like a volcano, shooting out killing intent.
"Just now... it was you who pointed a gun at Big Brother Roy, right?!"
"BOOM—!!!"
Blistering flames instantly violently erupted, tearing through the air outside the dark curtain. Heart-wrenching screams echoed into the night sky of the deserted island.
...
Inside the barrier—
Teach was trembling all over. His pupils dilated rapidly as he looked at the darkness that seemed to swallow heaven and earth. His face was filled with absolute despair:
"This... this is... the Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit)?!!"
He abruptly looked up, his bloodshot eyes staring dead at Roy. His voice was laced with disbelief: "Isn't your ability teleportation?!"
"Why... why do you have the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!!!"
In this instant, it was as if he saw the future he had obsessed over for his entire life being ruthlessly snuffed out.
—With the Dark-Dark Fruit in Roy's hands, all his wild ambitions would be reduced to nothing but a pipe dream!
Roy chuckled softly, indifferently. "Don't be too surprised... Can't you consume multiple fruits yourself?"
"But, that is our clan's—"
As soon as those words left Teach's mouth, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Suddenly realizing his slip of the tongue, his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly covered his mouth, cold sweat pouring down like rain.
Seeing this, Roy clicked his tongue lightly. "Tsk... You're quite sharp for a fat guy."
His footsteps were slow but heavy, each step seeming to strike directly at Teach's heart. "Decades of hiding, only to ultimately choose to struggle... roar... betray... plunder..."
"Did you think you could steal the future with such despicable methods?"
"With just this, you want to become a King?!"
Roy raised his eyes slightly. His Conqueror's Haki was unleashed like a crashing tsunami! In an instant, the entire barrier transformed into a world of raging, churning waves!
Heaven and earth roared. Darkness and Haki intertwined and warped, pressing down so hard that Teach's knees suddenly gave out, nearly sending him to the ground.
But right under this suffocating oppression, the image of his father's back suddenly appeared in his eyes, the cries of his clansmen echoing. That obsession buried deep within his bloodline erupted violently!
"UURRGGHHHHAAAAAH—!!!"
Gritting his teeth, he forcibly pushed his body up! Under the suppression of a fifth of Roy's Conqueror's Haki, he trembled but slowly straightened his spine!
His voice started out hoarse, gradually growing louder, until it finally transformed into a manic laughter that shook the night sky:
"Zehaha... ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA—!!!"
"You're right!! I am a thief! I stole Thatch's light! I stole Whitebeard's destruction!"
"And I will steal everything else I can get my hands on!! Power! Fame! Territories!—Even history itself!!"
He spread his arms wide, his entire body exuding a manic and stubborn aura. It was as if he wasn't welcoming death, but embracing the destiny that belonged to the abyss!
"On this sea, you either laugh to your heart's content, or cry in agony! What's wrong with me choosing to laugh out loud?!!"
"I am a rat that crawled out of the gutter! But even a rat—has the right to look up at the stars!!!"
"What I want to be... is the King of the World who controls everything!!!"
His eyes were blood-red, his roar tearing at his lungs: "I will thoroughly swallow this sky, this earth, this ocean... and you! And those bastards up there who call themselves gods!!!"
"I won't leave a single trace of light!!!"
Heaven and earth seemed to tremble along with his laughter. The darkness within the barrier churned, as if responding to his madness.
Teach violently grabbed at the air with his arm. His face was contorted and hideous, yet it burned with a manic conviction. He used his final drop of obsession to shout out his own eternal creed—
"BECAUSE—!!!"
"A MAN'S DREAM..."
"WILL NEVER END!!!"
"ZE—HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!"
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