Having failed to obtain the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Blackbeard did not immediately leave Marineford after eliminating the Pacifista and Sentomaru.
His meticulous scheming to become a Warlord of the Sea had been aimed at accomplishing three key objectives in this very moment:
First, to free the Level Six prisoners and bolster his crew's strength.
Second, to acquire the devastating power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Third, to showcase his newfound power to the entire world, making a grand statement to pave the way for his eventual bid for the rank of Yonko.
But due to Maude's intervention, Blackbeard had lost his chance to seize the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Without this ability, he could not display the terrifying power he had planned to reveal to the world.
Even so, Blackbeard had no intention of leaving the battlefield in disgrace.
With both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines suffering heavy casualties, he figured this was the perfect time for him and his crew to make their presence known.
And before that—
Whether Marine or pirate—
He would slaughter at least a thousand or more before making his next move!
"Zehahaha! What a shame I couldn't get the 'power of quakes.' Otherwise, I would have sunk Marineford into the ocean."
Blackbeard withdrew his gaze from Maude and instead looked toward the battlefield where the Marines and pirates were locked in fierce combat.
The blood and lives of these people would serve as the grand 'introduction' of the Blackbeard Pirates!
Clang—!
Shiryu slowly unsheathed his famed blade, Raiu, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for slaughter.
"As a parting gift, let's take another hundred lives."
"A hundred? That's way too few."
Burgess cracked his knuckles with a grin. "At least five hundred would be satisfying."
Ignoring Burgess, Shiryu followed in Blackbeard's footsteps toward the plaza.
"Fate is often used to measure a person's worth."
Doc Q, slumped over his white horse, weakly glanced at the nearby pirates and Marines. "And those farthest from the 'eye of the storm' are often the ones abandoned by fate…"
"Duh-dum… hic Can we just kill everyone?"
The perpetually drunken Vasco Shot, his eyes hazy, wiped away a mixture of drool and liquor from his lips.
"Zehahaha! Kill as many as you can!!!"
"How vile… our captain truly is…"
The massive battleship of a man, Sanjuan Wolf, giggled as he covered his mouth.
Evil King Avalo Pizarro cracked his knuckles and smirked. "I've already stretched my muscles, so I'll take it easy this time—maybe just a thousand or so, meow."
"Hahaha!!"
Led by Blackbeard, his ferocious crew advanced toward the battlefield.
...
At the execution platform—
Ace declared his freedom with a blazing Mirror Fire Flame attack.
With Aokiji no longer restraining him, the roaring flames spread like wildfire, carving a path through the Marines' encirclement.
"We're getting out of here!"
Ace's eyes reflected the fiery blaze as he charged ahead, drawing enemy fire.
"Shishishi!"
Luffy flashed a wide grin and followed closely behind with his comrades.
Revolutionary Army commanders Morley and Karasu exchanged glances with Sabo, who was still battling Aokiji. After a brief hesitation, they decided to follow Ace's lead.
With Ace spearheading the charge, Morley and Karasu flanking the sides, and Bartolomeo's impenetrable barriers shielding them—
Their formation was like a dagger, piercing through the Marines attempting to block their escape.
"Stop them!!!"
"We cannot allow Fire Fist Ace and Nico Robin, inheritors of evil bloodlines, to escape!!!"
"No need for prisoners—execute them on the spot!"
Marines swarmed in, attempting to close the gap left by Ace's flames.
"Get out of my way!"
Flames surged from Ace's shoulders as he swung his arms, unleashing a massive Fire Fist toward the intercepting Marines.
A tidal wave of fire instantly engulfed them.
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
Marines, their bodies consumed by flames, let out agonized screams before perishing.
Ace remained resolute, unfazed by their cries.
"I can't let Pops' resolve go to waste… I have to escape with my comrades!!!"
With Bartolomeo's barriers shielding them, Ace continued launching Fire Fists to fend off the Marines.
On the Marine side—
Watching Ace's relentless advance, the Vice Admirals mobilized.
"We need to take out that barrier user first."
Chaton narrowed his eyes, observing Bartolomeo's unusual gesture—his fingers crossed to activate his ability.
"Hm… That hand sign must be a prerequisite for his power. Which means… it's also his weakness."
"I assume we're thinking the same thing."
Vice Admiral Onigumo appeared beside Chaton, coldly staring at Bartolomeo's barriers, which continued to repel their attacks.
The enemy force was fewer than twenty.
With their overwhelming numbers, this battle should have ended quickly.
But Bartolomeo's barriers had singlehandedly nullified their advantage in concentrated firepower.
"Create an opening for me."
A fragrant breeze accompanied Gion as she arrived, looking toward Chaton and Onigumo.
Chaton glanced at the golden blade, Konpira, in Gion's hand and nodded. "No problem."
Onigumo remained silent, simply nodding in agreement.
When it came to speed in thrusting attacks, he was no match for Gion.
"Let this old man handle it."
Just as Gion, Chaton, and Onigumo were preparing to eliminate Bartolomeo, a steady voice sounded from behind them.
"Fujitora…"
Gion and Onigumo turned, surprised to see Issho approaching step by step.
"Issho."
Chaton addressed him by name before pointing at the floating islands above, reminding him, "Your priority should be ensuring that those don't fall."
"Those islands no longer pose a threat."
Fujitora spoke calmly, his blank white eyes seemingly fixed on Bartolomeo, who was shielding Ace and the Straw Hats.
Above them, the aerial battle was also reaching its conclusion.
Once Kizaru officially engaged Golden Lion, Fujitora would have more freedom to act.
And right now was as good a time as any.
"I want to see if this 'barrier' of yours… can withstand gravity itself."
Before Chaton and Onigumo could react, Fujitora unsheathed his cane-sword.
Seeing him draw his blade, Gion tensed, ready to strike at any moment.
Fujitora reversed his grip on his sword, and a violet aura pulsed along the hilt.
Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!
He swung his blade through the air toward Bartolomeo's barrier.
Instantly, a massive horizontal gravitational force surged forward, colliding with Bartolomeo's barrier in an instant.
"Eh?"
The moment he sensed something off, Bartolomeo looked up—
His once-unshakable barrier warped under the force.
"WAAAHHH!!!"
Before he could react, a violent gust sent Bartolomeo, Luffy, and the others flying backward.
"What the hell?!"
Bartolomeo crashed to the ground, utterly baffled.
With the barrier gone, a fragrant silhouette flickered behind him—Gion, her blade poised at his neck.
Without hesitation, she swung.
If she could eliminate the barrier user, the remaining pirates would lose their greatest advantage.
—————————
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parentheses ( )]
NOTE: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon!