The visual Den Den Mushi broadcasting the arena’s progress had been repaired. Though the technical blackout had caused quite a stir, the commotion was swiftly suppressed; after all, this was Donquixote Alliance territory, and their control over the venue was absolute.
In the center of the arena, Ace had taken the initiative to confront Teach. Simultaneously, he kept a sharp eye on Queen and Weevil. He hoped for nothing more than to settle the score with Teach right here and now.
"Zehahaha!!"
The left side of Teach’s body transformed into shimmering diamond, gleaming brilliantly under the stadium lights, while his right side erupted with darkness, emitting an aura that made Devil Fruit users feel intensely uncomfortable.
"How about it, Ace? Why don’t we team up first to take care of Queen and that idiot Weevil? Then we can take our time discussing who gets the Tremor-Tremor Fruit."
Seeing the diamond transformation on the left side of Teach’s body only added fuel to the fire of Ace’s rage. He didn’t waste another word on the bastard, thrusting a fist forward. "Extinguishing Fist!"
"Truly merciless, Ace!"
Teach thrust out his right hand, sucking the fiery punch entirely into the Dark Water vortex in his palm. By then, Ace had already closed the distance, leaping three meters into the air to deliver a flying kick.
BOOM!!!
Ace’s leg, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, slammed into Teach’s abdomen, but all he felt was a numbing sensation.
Looking closer, Ace realized the spot he had kicked had turned into a layer of glittering diamond. Upon landing, he performed a backflip to put some distance between them, his face dark. "You’ve mastered Jozu’s ability even further, I see."
"Two years is a long time; I couldn’t exactly afford to stay stagnant, could I, Ace?"
Whether Teach truly missed the sarcasm in Ace’s voice or was simply feigning ignorance, he let out a boisterous laugh.
"I will never forgive you, Teach!" Ace spat, his teeth clenched in fury.
ROAR!!
Suddenly, more than ten water tornadoes erupted from the surrounding golden pools. In the center of the arena, Queen had entered his Gryphon Form. His massive wings flapped violently, using the wind to manipulate the golden liquid.
Weevil burst out from one of the water tornadoes, roaring in anger, "Damn you! How dare you... how dare you get in my way!"
Queen ignored Weevil’s outburst, his gaze scanning each water tornado. Suddenly, one of them exploded. Amidst the spray, the key was suspended in mid-air.
With a light hook of his front-left eagle talon and the aid of his wind, the key flew rapidly toward Storm’s grasp.
"I’ll deal with you later, Teach!"
Ace pivoted, flames erupting from his hands. He propelled himself like a loaded rocket toward Queen. In his mind, Teach could be dealt with at any time, but if an enemy ate the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, getting it back wouldn’t be a simple task.
"I’m not letting you have it, Queen!"
Ace crossed his index fingers. Lines of fire burst forth. "Shinka: Shiranui!"
"Troublesome."
Queen flapped his wings, creating ripple-like gusts of wind that acted as a shield to block Ace’s attack. Meanwhile, pushed by the wind, the key continued its trajectory toward Queen’s talons.
"THAT’S MINE!!!"
In a fit of emotion, Weevil cried out with an exaggerated mess of snot and tears. He swung his naginata, unleashing a display of raw strength that rivaled Whitebeard in his prime. Without relying on any Devil Fruit power, he forced Queen to bank sharply to avoid the blow.
With the wind control interrupted, the key began to fall. Weevil charged forward to grab it, only to find his feet unable to move, as if his soles had been glued to the floor.
Looking down, there was no glue; instead, the Dark Water of the Dark-Dark Fruit was anchoring Weevil’s feet, making it impossible for him to move an inch.
"A ’Whitebeard Jr.’ should just stay small. You aren’t worthy of Pops’ power!" Teach used his gravitational pull with one hand, drawing the falling key directly into his palm.
"Is the winner Blackbeard?"
Seeing Teach clutch the key, this thought crossed everyone’s mind.
At that moment, the chest was being held in place by Tesoro’s Gold-Gold Fruit power on a platform a hundred meters above the Golden Colosseum. The person closest to it should have been Queen.
However, since he was a Devil Fruit user, he was wary of getting too close to a chest made of high-purity Seastone.
Seeing Teach secure the key, Queen unhesitatingly abandoned his skirmish with Ace. A violent gale erupted, blowing the chest straight into the depths of the golden pool.
As the massive Gryphon landed on the ground, Queen’s lazy tone carried a heavy edge of provocation. "With the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Diamond ability... can you actually retrieve things from the water?"
Teach, who had been in a state of euphoria after grabbing the key, saw his expression darken. He forced a smile. "That’s a low blow, Queen."
"Sigh. Wouldn’t it have been easier if you just handed the key to me?"
Queen’s expression shifted instantly, his voice turning much more sinister. "Now I actually feel like killing the lot of you."
"Oh ho..."
Tesoro bared his white teeth, looking excited. "Is the lazy Queen finally going to get serious?"
...
Meanwhile, in the top-tier VIP lounge, the Den Den Mushi beside Alucard rang. He pressed the receiver on the shell, and Dr. Vegapunk’s voice came through.
"The outcome is decided. Fallon is heavily injured, but he’s managed to take down the Blackbeard Pirates. Shiryu of the Rain, Burgess, and Catarina Devon are neutralized. Doc Q is proving more troublesome; Bartolomeo has him isolated inside a barrier."
"Does that mean they aren’t dead?" Alucard asked.
"They’re close enough. I’m currently formulating an antidote for the virus."
"Kill them," Alucard commanded, issuing the order in two simple words.
Dr. Vegapunk didn’t offer a verbal reply. On the other end of the line, he simply made a horizontal "throat-slit" gesture toward Ivalis and Beckman.
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