Boom!!
The sky was filled with smoke, and the deafening sounds of artillery fire and explosions seemed endless.
Near the port, the civilians were running away in all directions.
Blood oozed from beneath the charred corpse, staining the ground red.
Houses collapsed one after another under the bombardment of artillery shells, crushing many civilians who had no time to escape.
Miserable wails rang out from every corner of the earth.
Countless civilians watched with grief on their faces as their loved ones and children died in front of them in the artillery fire of that war and cried bitterly.
They have never left this impoverished island in their lives.
Although life was hard, under the protection and assistance of Newgate, each of them cherishes the peaceful life in the past.
But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make sense of it.
Why would a pirate crew target their hometown?
This place—this peaceful island—held no treasure, no riches worth plundering.
Yet their questions remained unanswered. No reason, no explanation.
What awaited them wasn't logic or mercy but the cruel, echoing laughter of countless pirates storming the port. The invaders poured in like a flood, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust and their faces twisted with malice.
For the civilians, who had lived their entire lives untouched by the horrors of war, the sight was unimaginable. They had never witnessed such evil, such inhumanity.
These were no ordinary men. They were devils incarnate, driven by nothing but a thirst for destruction.
"Jeha-ha-ha-ha!!"
"My little ones!! Destroy all this for me!"
The center of the pirate crowd, Blackbeard opened his arms wantonly, with black smoke billowing out from behind his body. He looked like a devil from hell descending from the dark abyss, his eyes filled with suffocating ambition and murderous intent.
He looked at everything being destroyed before his eyes with a grin, his heart filled with unimaginable pleasure.
Yes, he wanted to destroy everything that man cherished most.
Only then—only with this—could he prove that he was stronger than Whitebeard.
To prove that he, Blackbeard, had not only replaced the legend but had become the master of this new era!
For years, he had waited, hidden beneath the shadow of that great man. Silently enduring the slow expansion of his own desires, his ambitions growing like a storm inside him. All the while, he was forced to watch from the sidelines, unable to act.
And now, with the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit in his hands, he had the chance to rise, to finally spread his wings and soar to the heavens.
But this moment wasn't just about power—it was about proving to himself that he had made no mistake.
This was an inhuman battle.
As the Blackbeard Pirates clashed with the might of the Four Emperors, the civilians of this quiet island had no hope of resistance.
They could do nothing but stand and watch, helpless, as their world was ripped apart and their lives snuffed out by the ruthless invaders.
In that moment, a voice—low and filled with seething hatred—cut through the air.
"Flower Sword: Rose Dance!!"
From the void above, crimson rose petals began to fall, scattering through the sky like drops of blood. The sight was hauntingly beautiful, yet laced with sorrow.
Swish!! Swish!! Swish!!
The sharp arc of the sword sliced through the battlefield, its gleaming edge a blur of deadly precision. Hundreds of Blackbeard Pirates were caught in the sweeping storm of sword winds. In an instant, deep gashes appeared across their bodies, the crimson spray painting the ground.
Screams echoed in the chaos as they collapsed, their blood staining the earth beneath them.
"Are you here?"
"Jihahahaha!!"
"Captain Vista, your two-sword swordsmanship is still as sharp as ever."
The sinister smile on Blackbeard's lips became more intense, and his violent eyes looked towards a corner.
There, stepping slowly from the shadows, stood Vista—the "Flower Sword." Clad in a black cloak, his presence was as sharp as the twin swords gripped in his hands. His expression was dark, a quiet storm brewing behind his eyes.
And then, the air trembled.
Boom!!
A figure, enveloped in blazing blue flames, descended from the sky with terrifying speed. The wings of fire flared behind him, cutting through the air like a comet streaking towards the earth.
In an instant, he collided with the pirate horde below, sending dozens of Blackbeard's men flying through the air, their bodies flung like ragdolls.
As the dust billowed and settled, a massive crater was left in the wake of the impact. The figure, still ablaze with blue flames, slowly emerged from the smoldering remnants, his form now fully visible through the smoke.
"Teach, that's enough."
"These are all unarmed civilians. Killing as many of them as possible won't prove anything."
Marco growled through gritted teeth.
Looking at the countless bodies of civilians lying on the ground in front of him, his heart seemed to be bleeding, and hideous streaks of blood quickly seeped out around the pupils deep in his eyes.
Blackbeard slowly narrowed his eyes and looked at Marco.
"Captain Marco, it's been a long time since we last met.You seem to have aged a lot in the past two years."
He then burst into wild laughter.
"As for murder?? Tell me, with my power, is there anyone who is not a weak and pathetic civilian in my eyes?!"
A milky white light quickly enveloped his fist.
Marco, Vista, and other White Group members who had arrived suddenly changed their expressions.
"The strong prey on the weak; this is the truth of this sea!!!"
"Only the strongest person can become the king!!"
"Otherwise, do you think I would stay under my father's command?"
"Isn't it because of his strongest power in the world?!"
"Jihahahaha!!"
Smirking, Blackbeard punched hard into the air!
Bang!! Crack!!
It was like the sound of glass breaking suddenly.
Cracks continued to appear in the air where the fist was, like a spider web.
Boom! !
Earth-shattering explosions and shockwaves rose above the island.