Chapter 196: Blackbeard Living in the Shadows!
Even now, Blackbeard found it hard to believe what had happened.
When he’d first drafted his grand plan, the Dragon Hunter Pirates hadn’t even existed. Ryuunosuke wasn’t even on his radar.
And yet—they had become the biggest disruption to his ambitions.
The plan he once considered perfect had almost ended with his death.
This time, there would be no mistakes.
Blackbeard raised his massive blade into the air.
"We flatten Baldigo—wipe White Soil Island off the map!"
At his command, the armada behind him surged forward.
These weren’t just his original crewmates. Over the past months, Teach had attracted countless pirates—madmen, criminals, and power-hungry drifters.
The chaos at Marineford had elevated Blackbeard’s name. His strength, his ambition, and his willingness to challenge the world had turned him into a dark beacon for outcasts.
And now, with the promise of attacking the Revolutionary Army, their bloodlust boiled over.
But Blackbeard had more than just numbers.
And only his core crew knew what weapons he had brought to this battlefield.
As Baldigo emerged on the horizon, the crew began to speak.
"So this is the Revolutionary Army’s base?"
"Pretty plain-looking."
"Without an Eternal Pose, you’d never even find this dump."
"How do they even survive out here? No booze, no fun. What a miserable life!"
They laughed, mocking the simple outpost nestled in the cliffs of White Earth Island.
But despite their jeering, a tension settled over them. Beneath the mockery was fear—they were about to face the Revolutionary Army.
And not just their soldiers.
"Captain! Suspicious ship spotted in the distance. Should we engage?"
A lookout shouted from the mast.
Blackbeard grinned. "Zehahaha... Sure. Let’s take care of it on the way. Just a warm-up."
Three ships from Blackbeard’s fleet changed course, moving toward the unknown vessel.
Blackbeard, meanwhile, stayed on target—heading straight for Baldigo’s bay.
"Captain! Something’s wrong!"
One of the scouts called down.
"They’re not chasing us... and—!"
Van Augur raised his sniper’s scope, but as he focused, his fingers started to tremble.
A sniper’s fingers were sacred. A calm hand was a matter of life and death.
"Van Augur?" Blackbeard frowned. "What is it? What did you see?"
Van Augur didn’t answer right away.
Then he spoke, voice tight with shock:
"Whitebeard Pirates...!"
Blackbeard’s voice cracked, and he grabbed the scope from Van Augur’s hand.
Ships flying the mark of Whitebeard’s crew—already positioned and waiting for him.
"They... they were expecting us!?"
Panic swept across the deck.
Facing the Revolutionary Army was already risky.
But if the Whitebeard Pirates were here too...
"This doesn’t make sense," Blackbeard muttered. "We didn’t leak anything. The World Government wouldn’t sell me out, would they...?"
But even as he asked, a name came unbidden to his mind.
A wild grin, sharp eyes, and monstrous strength.
He wasn’t here—but Blackbeard knew this had his fingerprints all over it.
"Teach, we need to retreat," Lafitte urged, appearing at his side.
"If they’ve cut us off—and you only have one more use of that ability left—then staying means death."
He didn’t wait for a reply.
"Captain! More ships on the rear flank!"
The lookout’s voice rang out again.
"The Revolutionary Army’s fleet is returning!"
"No! They’re cutting us off!"
Blackbeard’s face twisted.
They were surrounded.
The only path left was forward.
His shadowy escape technique—the one that had saved his life countless times—couldn’t be used recklessly. The backlash alone nearly destroyed him last time.
And if he used it again... it would trigger a cooldown of over a year.
If he couldn’t escape next time...
Blackbeard barked the order.
"We’ll take hostages. Everyone on that island belongs to the Revolutionary Army. We’ll use them as bargaining chips!"
There was no other way.
Even if it was risky—he knew Dragon’s forces wouldn’t sacrifice innocents. Not after their recent rescue operations.
This... this was his only shot.
And for the first time since they’d set sail—
Blackbeard felt confident again.
They docked at Baldigo.
Blackbeard stormed ashore, blade in hand, scanning for targets.
But the first figure to appear wasn’t a civilian.
Standing tall at the frontlines, backed by commanders and soldiers of the Revolutionary Army.
"Oh?" Sabo smirked. "Took you long enough."
Blackbeard froze mid-step.
They weren’t just ready—they were waiting.
This whole thing... had been a setup from the start.
"Your big plan didn’t go unnoticed, Teach," Sabo said casually.
"Big brother told me days in advance. We had time to prepare."
"Now the question is—are you ready to die?"
Blackbeard’s eyes widened. "Big brother...?"
He stared, mouth dry. "You mean... your big brother is... Ryuunosuke?"
"My brother is Ryuunosuke of the Dragon Hunter Pirates."
Blackbeard’s heart sank like a stone.
The trap had been baited long ago.
Before he could respond, Sabo burst forward, coated in blackened Armament Haki, fire flaring around his fists.
"Revolutionary Army—attack!"
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