Whoosh!
Marco descended from the sky, his blue flaming wings cutting through the wind as he landed with a heavy gust.
The wind whipped across the shoreline, sending "Blackbeard's" tattered black coat fluttering violently. His smile twisted into sothing more sinister—distorted, nacing.
He didn't react to Marco's furious glare, instead speaking casually,
"You still found your way here. But... you're too late."
Marco's eyes narrowed.
"Too late? No, I'd say the timing is perfect."
He glanced up at the lingering darkness swirling above "Blackbeard"—the sa power that had consud his previous attack.
After a mont of silent observation, Marco turned back to him, fury smoldering in his voice.
"This is the power you stole by killing Thatch, isn't it? Just as black and filthy as your heart."
"Jie jiejiejie! You've got the wrong guy, Marco. I didn't kill Thatch."
"Liar! Even now, you're pretending?!"
Marco shouted, though doubt flickered in his heart. Sothing wasn't right—the tone, the posture, even the laugh. Teach always laughed 'zehahaha'... not this creepy 'jie jie'...
Was it all fake? If so, that made things even worse.
"Blackbeard" didn't bother responding directly. He simply raised a hand and said,
"Even if I explained it, you wouldn't believe . So, let calm you down first. Dark Water."
Buzz!
Marco's body jerked as an invisible force pulled him forward. The gravity of the darkness was undeniable.
"Nani!?"
Marco's instincts took over. Just as he was being dragged toward "Blackbeard," his leg shifted into a golden talon and kicked toward the enemy's palm.
But "Blackbeard" remained unfazed, continuing to draw Marco in with Dark Water.
The mont Marco's golden claw touched his hand, it reverted back to normal, the force of the kick dissipating as if sucked into a void.
With a smirk, "Blackbeard" gripped Marco's ankle.
Watching Marco's shocked expression, he sneered,
"Losing your abilities… hurts, doesn't it? This is the Dark-Dark Fruit Teach worked so hard to obtain—it nullifies any Devil Fruit power."
He added silently,
Except for that monster Admiral Purple Kirin...
Marco gritted his teeth.
"So this is why you hid in the shadows for so long. You really can endure, huh?"
"Jie jiejiejie! Teach might agree with you there. But too bad—I'm not him."
Without warning, "Blackbeard" tightened his grip—crack!
"AHHH!!"
Marco scread as his ankle snapped. In a flash, he swung his arm at "Blackbeard's" face.
But "Blackbeard" smoothly tilted his head aside and released Marco, avoiding the strike.
Marco stumbled back, biting down the pain, and tried to activate the regenerative abilities of the Phoenix Fruit...
Nothing.
His connection to the Devil Fruit had vanished.
This was the first ti since eating it that his powers hadn't responded.
Still, Marco was no pushover without them—his close-combat skills remained top-tier.
"Blackbeard" watched him with sothing close to admiration.
"Marco... Newgate's old. All he does now is rot away on his ship. Why not co with ? You'd have a far brighter future."
The irony of "bright" coming from a man bathed in darkness wasn't lost on either of them.
Marco spat,
"You? Don't make laugh. You could never compare to Pops."
"Jie jiejiejie… But your beloved 'Pops' used to be my subordinate."
"Nani?! Are you insane, Teach!?"
"Jie jiejiejie!"
The twisted laugh rang out again. Then, spreading his arms wide, "Blackbeard" shouted to the heavens,
"Not just Newgate—Big Mom and Kaido too! They were all once under … because I am Rocks!!"
The mont the na left his lips, an overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki burst forth—black lightning crackled, and the ground beneath him split apart from the sheer force.
Marco's pineapple-shaped hair blew backward from the pressure, his face frozen in disbelief at the sheer apocalyptic aura surrounding "Blackbeard."
He could feel it—it was undeniably Conqueror's Haki. And it wasn't weak. It rivaled even Shanks'.
But Teach never had this kind of Haki. No way. Soone with this level of willpower could never have hidden for so long under Whitebeard.
And then the pieces started to fit together.
Whitebeard had once briefly ntioned his old captain to Marco—Rocks—but never spoke about it again.
That na... it wasn't sothing the old Teach could've known.
Marco frowned, voice guarded.
"You say you're Rocks. Then where's Teach? Why are you in his body?"
"Hmph. I've been inside him for years. That fool never even realized it. But he's gone now—killed by Marine Admiral Purple Kirin. Ask anyone here, they'll tell you."
But Rocks had overlooked sothing. His Conqueror's Haki had knocked everyone out cold. There was no one left to confirm a word of it.
Marco clenched his jaw, trying to resist the crushing Haki. He looked down—and saw small wisps of blue fla beginning to gather at his feet.
His eyes widened.
The Phoenix was returning.
His connection to the Devil Fruit was gradually restoring itself. And with it, his ankle could soon be healed.
Once his regeneration was active again, he could choose to fight… or retreat if necessary.
He wasn't afraid—but the things he'd heard today were too important. He had to warn Whitebeard.
In comparison, Teach seed irrelevant now.
Thinking fast, Marco played for ti.
"So… how'd you end up inside Teach's body in the first place? Doesn't exactly sound natural."
"Tell , Marco. Have you ever heard of the God Valley Incident?"
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