Chapter 434 - 273

Chapter 274: The Battle of Settlement (3)New World, an unnamed ruined island.The life-and-death clash between the Blackbeardand Whitebeard Pirates had long since descended into the abyss of a white-hot bloody battle.Rumble—!!The entire island trembled violently, like a dying behemoth with intermittent wails escaping its throat.At the core of the distant battlefield, boundless darkness expanded and writhed frantically, greedily devouring light and sound, compressing the air until it stagnated.Occasionally, orange-red flames or the blue-green fire of the Phoenix exploded, attempting to tear through this curtain of despair, only to be completely swallowed by thicker shadows in an instant, leaving not even a spark behind.Gazing at that dark domain symbolizing destruction and devouring, a bone-chilling cold welled up in the hearts of the Whitebeard Pirates' Division Commanders, mixed with unbelievable horror.That Teach... that traitor who was once unremarkable on the ship, doing nothing but grinning foolishly and talking big;That scum who used the most despicable means to kill Thatch and steal Pops' power... how could he have grown to such a terrifying and suffocating level in such a short time?Was that darkness, which seemed capable of annihilating everything in the world, truly something human strength could control?!"Hahaha—!! Do you see clearly now? The era of your Whitebeard Pirates... is long over!!"The arrogant laughter made eardrums ache as Burgess, The Champion, covered his body in thick Armament Haki. Each step he took cracked the ground, and his fists, as large as clay pots, carried the explosive roar of tearing air as he ruthlessly smashed toward "Diamond" Jozu!"The end of the Whitebeard Pirates... is not for trash like you to judge!!"Jozu's eyes suddenly filled with hideous bloodshot veins, and his upper body, along with his arms, instantly transformed into the hardest, most brilliant Diamond form.Carrying an indomitable will to crush everything, he charged forward and collided head-on with Burgess's Iron Fist!Bang—!!!!!!The Diamond body and the Armament-clad Iron Fist collided with a resounding boom, devoid of any trickery!The loud crash was like two mountains slamming into each other, and a violent shockwave swept out in a ring, sending the surrounding rubble and debris flying several meters!"Ugh—!!"In the next instant, the sneer on Burgess's face suddenly froze, replaced by extreme pain and shock.A sharp pain of shattering bones came from his Armament-covered fist. He was sent flying dozens of meters like a discarded sack, coughing up blood as he smashed heavily into a pile of ruins, unable to struggle back up for a moment."Cough, cough... Ha... ha...""Diamond" Jozu suddenly straightened his back, raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and held his blood-stained fist high. Using all his strength, he let out a roar like a wounded lion:"Everyone—pull yourselves together!!"The roar rolled across the bloody battlefield like muffled thunder, drowning out the clashing of blades and the roar of explosions, clearly reaching the ears of every member of the Whitebeard Pirates:"Look at the symbol you wear!! We are—the Whitebeard Pirates!!""Pops gave us this flag not so we could hang our heads in dejection, and certainly not so we could... bring shame to it!!""Show all your grit!! Let these traitors see what true 'family' is, and what true 'glory' is!!"This roar was like a shot of adrenaline, or a bolt of lightning cutting through the haze!The confusion and horror in the Division Commanders' eyes quickly faded, replaced by a blazing, high-spirited fighting intent.It was an unshakable resolve born of blood and faith!"Oooooh—!! For Pops!!""Kill these traitors!!"The earth-shaking battle cries erupted once more, more synchronized and violent than before!The Whitebeard side, which had been in a scattered and declining state due to Blackbeard's terrifying power and schemes, actually pulled together as one in this instant!In contrast, although the members of the Blackbeard Pirates were each fierce and possessed strange abilities, they mostly fought individually, even showing signs of mutual wariness and petty desires to hog the credit.As one side waxed and the other waned, the tide of the battlefield was actually turned slightly from its decline by the Whitebeard Pirates' sudden outburst and cooperation!"Humph, the death struggles of a motley crew... do they think they can influence the final outcome?"A cold, raspy voice rang out behind Jozu without warning.Shiliew of the Rain's figure emerged like a ghost, the blade of his famous sword "raimei" entwined with eerie, blood-red lightning. With a flick of his wrist, the blade slashed down mercilessly toward Jozu's back!Clang—!!!!!Relying on his battle-hardened instincts, Jozudodged to the side at the last second, while positioning his Diamond-coated shoulder and arm behind him to block.But this hasty defense could not fully withstand Shiliew's long-premeditated and vicious strike!Jozu's mountain-like frame shuddered violently, and he was sent flying uncontrollably, tumbling miserably over the rubble-strewn ground for a dozen rotations before crashing through half a ruined wall to finally stop."Cough... Damn it!!"Jozu knelt on one knee, propping himself up with his Diamond arm, coughing violently as a striking trail of blood seeped uncontrollably from the corner of his mouth.A deep, bone-chilling slash had appeared on the Diamond shell of his shoulder, wreathed in an ominous red light that made even the Diamondtremble slightly."The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates... today, you shall be... completely annihilated here."Amidst the billowing dust, Shiliew of the Rain, holding the dripping "raimei," stepped out slowly like a soul-reaping death god, each step feeling like it was treading on one's heart."—Don't even think about it!!"A sharp cry filled with fury exploded like a clap of thunder!The nearby ruins suddenly exploded, sending debris flying!A silver figure, covered in blood yet still standing straight as a spear, shot out like an arrow from a bow!It was none other than "Flower Sword" Vista, who had been heavily injured by Blackbeard earlier!With the fires of vengeance burning in his eyes, he crossed his twin swords and transformed into a chilling silver storm, piercing toward Shiliew with the sound of breaking wind!—Clang!!!!!Blades collided violently once more, sparks showering out like a waterfall, dazzling the eyes!Vista and Shiliew were eye-to-eye, inches apart.Through the crossed bloody blades, Shiliew stared into Vista's strikingly bright eyes, his mouth slowly curling into a strange, bloodthirsty, and playful arc."Foolish idol worship, cheap camaraderie, the self-deceiving game of 'family,' and those boring emotions you can't let go of..."He shook his head slightly, his tone filled with extreme sarcasm and contempt:"Who would have thought that the Whitebeard Pirates, who once shook the four seas, were actually playing such... ridiculous games of house on the inside?""True power comes from devouring, from plundering, from trampling everything underfoot!""That old, rotten stuff of yours... should have been buried in the grave along with Edward Newgatelong ago!!"——————————In the center of the battlefield, at the core of that all-consuming dark domain.Boom—!!!Accompanied by a loud bang, the ink-thick tide of darkness churned and exploded violently once more!Two figures, blasted out by the sheer force of the impact like broken kites, flew backward from the center of the darkness and crashed heavily onto the scorched, cracked ground, plowing two long furrows.They were Ace and Marco!"Zehahaha—!!!"From the center of the darkness, Marshall D. Teachstepped out slowly, brushing off non-existent dust from his clothes, his face wearing an undisguised expression of contempt and a cruel sneer."Captain Ace! Captain Marco! Do you see? You're so weak right now!! So weak that I can't even get excited!""Under the shroud of my 'Dark Curtain,' all Devil Fruit abilities are significantly suppressed and weakened!""The flames and regeneration you're famous for are like candles in the wind here!""How is it? This feeling of being stripped of power, of being as helpless as a mortal... it's painful, isn't it?!"He suddenly clenched his fist, darkness wrapping around his fingers like a living thing. With a disdainful gaze, he declared:"In this domain, I am the absolute ruler! I am—the King of Darkness!!"On the other side, Ace and Marco supported each other as they struggled to stand. Their appearance at this moment could only be described as tragic.Ace's orange jacket was already in tatters, revealing a solid chest covered in char marks and bloodstains. His breathing was rapid and erratic.Marco was in no better shape; his blond hair was matted with dust and blood, and his once-flowing blue flames were now much dimmer. One of his arms hung unnaturally, and his face was pale from excessive blood loss.Looking at Teach, who stood like a demon god in the darkness, their two battle-hardened hearts sank uncontrollably into a cold abyss."This monstrous rate of growth..."Ace whispered through gritted teeth, his voice raspy from exhaustion. "Aside from that idiot Luffy... this is the first time I've seen..."Marco swallowed a mouthful of iron-tasting saliva, his eyes filled with the same unbelievable horror and heaviness.When did this sea start producing one 'freak' after another who completely defies common sense and climbs to the peak at such an unthinkable speed?!"Ace..."Marco turned his head to look at the "younger brother" and Captain beside him—much younger than himself, yet equally battered. His voice carried uncontrollable worry."Your body... can it still hold up?"Ace took a deep breath, the air mixed with gunpowder and the scent of blood stinging his lungs."Of course—it can!!"He squeezed out a firm answer through his teeth, each word sounding like a red-hot branding iron:"It seems now... that ordinary means are useless against this traitor!""We must... fight with our lives on the line!"Hearing this, a complex yet incredibly relieved smile slowly appeared on Marco's pale, weary face.Although his aura was extremely erratic due to the suppression of the darkness, the pride and unyielding spirit of the "Phoenix" had never been extinguished."Ah... you're right."He responded in a low voice, his gaze locking back onto Teach in the darkness, his eyes becoming sharp as knives.The awakened Dark-Dark Fruit, combined with Teach's own unfathomable physical techniques and Haki, had forcibly raised Blackbeard's strength to a standard 'Admiral' level!Even more so for those who relied heavily on fruit abilities, Teach's danger factor was several times higher!"Whether it's for Pops' glory, for Thatch's revenge, or for ourselves and all the 'family' members still alive..."Marco's voice wasn't loud, but it reached Ace's ears clearly, as if he were also declaring it to himself:"Now... the final moment has come where we must risk everything!!"As the words fell, the two stood shoulder to shoulder once again. Though their bodies swayed and their wounds throbbed with pain, their eyes were more burning, firm, and filled with fighting spirit than ever before!Like two swords about to burn themselves out to pierce the darkness, they locked onto the abyss-like figure ahead!The final charge was about to begin!