Chapter 432 - 271

Chapter 272: The Grudge Match (1)The New World.An island town that once bustled with life had now been reduced to a hellish ruin.On the streets, corpses lay scattered in various twisted poses, blood long since soaking into the crevices of the brickwork. The air was thick with the pungent, choking smell of gunpowder, charred remains, and gore.In the center of the ruins, several figures stood or sat, taking advantage of this brief moment of tranquility to recover."Captain! No sign of the Whitebeard Pirates' ships within scouting range!"At the highest point of the town, atop a clock tower that had barely escaped collapse, the sniper Van Auger knelt on one knee, his ultra-long sniper rifle, Senriku, held perfectly steady.He scanned the distant horizon through his high-powered scope, his gaze calm and his voice devoid of any emotion."Hahaha! They couldn't have been scared witless by the reputation of our Blackbeard Pirates and gone into hiding, could they?!"Burgess, built like a small mountain, let out a crude laugh through his wide mouth, waving his arms vigorously as if he wanted to plaster his triumph across his entire face."Zehahaha!! What's the rush, Burgess!"Blackbeard sat on a massive section of broken wall, clutching a bottle of strong liquor he'd found from somewhere, and took a large swig, gulping it down.He grinned, revealing several missing teeth, and his signature laugh was filled with the scent of ambition and cruelty."Waiting for the fattest prey to swim onto the hook... that's what you call the patience of a top-tier hunter!!"Before his laughter even faded, his face, hidden beneath a thick beard, suddenly twitched as if he had caught a special scent drifting in the wind.He slowly turned his head, narrowing his eyes hidden in the shadows. The greed and cunning flickering within them were almost tangible as he stared fixedly at the distant sea in a certain direction.Where the sea met the sky, a small black dot was rapidly growing larger, cutting through the calm surface as it rushed toward them.The murderous aura was so sharp that even from a great distance, it felt like an unsheathed blade scraping against the skin."Look—"Blackbeard stood up abruptly, his massive frame casting a heavy, dark shadow.He spread his arms wide as if to embrace the entire long-awaited feast of slaughter, the smile on his face becoming increasingly wild and hideous."Aren't they here?!""The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates... they've finally decided to deliver themselves to their deaths."Nearby, Shiliew of the Rain, leaning against a half-charred pillar, slowly raised his head.He stuck out his crimson tongue, licking his somewhat parched lips, while his other hand gently stroked the scabbard of his sword, raimei, with a motion as tender as if he were caressing a lover's skin.As if sensing its master's desire, the blade gave a faint hum within the scabbard, a sound filled with bloodthirsty longing."Hmph... they're finally here?"A morbidly excited light burst from Shiliew's eyes, and his lips curled into a cold, cruel grin."Just as well... my raimei has been starving for a long time. I hope these fellows... can give me a somewhat satisfying slaughter."Whether it was the arriving Whitebeard Pirates or the waiting Blackbeard crew, both sides had only brought their core executives and combat forces.In a confrontation of this level, ordinary crewmen and subordinate forces were simply throwing their lives away and might even hinder their own side.What was about to unfold was a slaughter between the truly powerful.It was a head-on collision of will, power, and conspiracy. The winner would take everything, while the loser... would likely not even leave behind a single bone.Above the ruins, two murderous auras gradually solidified, clashing violently in the air and making even the atmosphere tremble... "Mera Mera no Mi, Phoenix Fruit, Kira Kira no Mi... tsk tsk, all top-tier goods famous throughout the seas!"Laffitte leaned on his cane like a gentleman watching a play, a flamboyant and greedy smile on his face, his voice high-pitched and piercing."If we can take all of these for ourselves... how much would our strength expand? Just thinking about it is enough to make one's blood boil!""Zehahaha!! That's right! All of them are good things!"Blackbeard Teach threw his head back and laughed wildly, but there wasn't a hint of mirth in his eyes, only naked brutality and an extreme thirst for power."What a pity! This body of mine can no longer accommodate the power of a second Devil Fruit!!"He suddenly clenched his fist, and wisps of pitch-black aura seeped out from between his fingers. His voice sounded like an echo crawling out from an abyss."So! The old rules still apply! Whoever catches them personally has the right of first refusal! Want more power? Then use your own skills to seize it!!"He grinned hideously, as if he could already see the scene of his subordinates killing each other for these top-tier abilities and ultimately becoming stronger and stronger.This cruel 'Gu-rearing' rule was one of the foundations that allowed the Blackbeard Pirates to grow so rapidly.However, in the very next second after his words fell—Swoosh—!!In the distant sky, a dazzling orange-red phantom, moving faster than the human eye could track, tore through the heavens and suddenly appeared directly above the ruined town!The moment that figure halted—Boom!!!It was as if a miniature sun had exploded at low altitude, and a terrifying heatwave instantly swept outward!The clouds in the sky were forced aside by this heatwave, creating a scorching vacuum around the orange-red figure!Immediately after, upon the figure's raised right fist, raging flames converged, compressed, and solidified like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea!A calm, low shout, yet carrying a will that could incinerate all, pierced through the rolling heatwaves and echoed across the entire battlefield:"Fire Fist!!"Rumble—!!!In the next instant, that highly compressed destructive energy transformed into a pillar of orange-red flame dozens of meters in diameter, connecting heaven and earth. It slammed down from the zenith of the sky toward the position of the Blackbeard Pirates!Before the pillar of flame even landed, the world-destroying heat and air pressure caused the ruins below to crack inch by inch, and even the stones began to melt!The pupils of Blackbeard and the others shrank violently. In their vision, only this catastrophic pillar of fire, carrying the wrath of the 'Entei' and the will for revenge, remained as it instantly consumed everything!Bang—!!!!!!An earth-shattering explosion erupted, accompanied by a shockwave powerful enough to overturn an entire hill!The flames and shockwave spread wildly in a circular pattern. Wherever they passed, the already dilapidated buildings were instantly ground into dust!Scorching debris and dust were violently swept into the high altitude, condensing into a terrifying mushroom cloud of fire and smoke that completely covered most of the ruined town!..."Zehahaha!!! Captain Ace, it really has been a long time!!!"Amidst the rolling smoke and dust, a low, raspy, wild laugh exploded.Following that, a darkness so thick it nearly solidified surged and spread from the center of the explosion.Wherever it passed, the orange-red fire that could incinerate all things seemed to have its breath cut off, rapidly dimming until not even a single spark remained.Blackbeard Teach's figure slowly paced out from the ink-thick darkness.His arms were spread wide, and his face wore that nauseating, hypocritical enthusiasm as he looked toward a building that had not yet completely collapsed.There, wearing an orange cowboy hat and with the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates branded on his back, Ace stood alone."Captain Ace!"Blackbeard grinned, his smile with missing teeth looking terrifyingly hideous, while a cunning light swirled in the depths of his eyes."We've finally reunited after so much trouble. Why start with such a big temper? Why don't we... have a good talk?""Look, the New World is changing rapidly these days, and the legacy Pops left behind has long been precarious. Relying on you alone, or me alone, to protect all this and recreate the glory of Pops' time... it's too difficult!"He suddenly spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the entire world."But what if we join forces? Let the Whitebeard Pirates and my fleet become one! With the strength of the two of us, what power on these seas would dare covet Pops' territory again!""We will become the new legends! Isn't that exactly what you want to see? Zehahaha!!"Facing the blatant traitor before him, hearing him shamelessly speak the word 'Pops' and throw out such a hypocritical proposal for an alliance... Ace's gaze was unusually calm, devoid of the expected explosive rage.He merely gave a soft "tsk," his lips curling into an extremely cold arc.An alliance? With Blackbeard?This man's ambition had only ever been about consumption and conquest. Any so-called 'cooperation' was nothing more than a stepping stone for him to achieve his goals.The sweet words at this moment were nothing more than a distraction for—Swoosh!!!The air a hundred meters behind Ace rippled with a strange, water-like fluctuation without any warning!There was no precursor; even the slightest hint of murderous intent had been perfectly hidden.In the next instant, an afterimage so fast it nearly tore the retina, carrying a bone-chilling and concentrated killing intent, transformed into a piercing crimson light. At supersonic speeds, it stabbed directly toward Ace's defenseless back!The timing, angle, and speed were all ruthless and cunning, absolutely flawless.It was the exact moment Blackbeard feigned negotiation to distract Ace!This feint-and-strike assassination had quietly raised its curtain.