Shiryu glared at Zoro with murder in his eyes. He swallowed the blood in his throat, turned away, and retreated rapidly toward the Blackbeard Pirates' ship. Zoro could only watch him go; while it was a pity that their duel remained unfinished, his priority was the safety of his crew. He turned his attention toward Chopper's position, choosing to ignore the retreating swordsman for now. He knew that if the Straw Hats ventured into Blackbeard's territory, they would cross paths again, and he was confident he would defeat Shiryu then.
Sanji relentlessly bullied Burgess. Although the captain's wave punches were powerful, Sanji's superior speed and advanced Observation Haki kept him completely suppressed. Burgess was not as strong as commanders like Pizarro or Catarina Devon, and after taking several heavy, debilitating blows from Sanji, he retreated to the ship. Meanwhile, the others also disengaged. Lafitte took to the sky to escape Zango, and Dajiu Joate broke off his stalemate with Jean Bart to return to the vessel. Van Augur had remained on board throughout the skirmish, never needing to retreat in the first place.
The two pirate crews withdrew with remarkable speed. Katakuri managed to gather the surviving members of the Big Mom Pirates and threw them onto their main ship, though many of Blackbeard's subordinate fighters were left behind on the wreckage.
Thief hahaha! You won this time, Straw Hat Boy! Blackbeard laughed, black mist pouring from his body in a frenzy. Luffy stayed back, wary of the dark energy. He watched as the mist spread across the sea, swallowing the water and creating a massive whirlpool that caused the sea level to drop visibly.
What is this bastard doing? Marco and Jinbe frowned. The Straw Hat crew retreated to their own ships to stay clear of whatever foul move Blackbeard was preparing. As the whirlpool expanded, they saw the head of Sanjuan Wolf rising from beneath the center of the vortex.
That guy Blackbeard, is he saving his partner? Isn't that funny? Marco remarked with a sarcastic smirk.
No, he is not saving his partner! He is preparing an attack using the seawater, Jinbe replied with a grave expression.
It was likely a coincidence that Wolf was pulled up by the vortex. It was hard to believe that a man who had killed his own shipmates and betrayed his adoptive father would go to such lengths for a crewmate. Blackbeard, however, was delighted to see the giant gasp for air; he had feared the giant would drown, but Wolf's massive lung capacity had kept him alive. Blackbeard manipulated the nearby wreckage to lift the giant out of the water. While he had lost many low-level fighters, he considered this a minor loss, though he remained humiliated by Luffy's thrashing and the fact that Wolf had become a target.
The Big Mom Pirates had suffered a total disaster. They had failed to eliminate the Straw Hats and instead were soundly defeated. With Smoothie and Cracker downed, and Big Mom and Katakuri severely injured, they were forced to flee for their lives as the Whitebeard Pirates approached. Big Mom was so furious that she lost her appetite for the sweets she had been craving.
Blackbeard! Charlotte Linlin! You want to run away? It is not that easy! Luffy yelled, frustrated that his enemies were trying to escape.
Thief hahaha! Before I leave, I will give you a big gift! Blackbeard released the massive volume of seawater he had swallowed, creating a violent tsunami that rocked the Sunny and the submarine. Sanji immediately used the ship's defensive systems and electromagnetic control to hoist them high into the air, narrowly avoiding the wave.
When the crew regained their composure, they saw the enemy ships fleeing. However, a massive whale-shaped ship suddenly appeared below. Whitebeard stood at the bow, looking up at Blackbeard with a stern, dangerous smile.
Teach! Do not leave just because you came! Whitebeard roared, punching the air itself.
The shockwave smashed the Blackbeard Pirates' ship into splinters. The crew was forced to crowd onto Sanjuan Wolf's back. The giant coughed up blood, having taken the brunt of the impact due to his immense size.
Dad, you are really heartless to smash your son's boat! Blackbeard shouted back.
I am not only going to smash your boat, I am going to kill you, you bastard! Whitebeard ignored him and struck the sky once more.
Blackbeard controlled Wolf to dodge the attack, but this gave the Straw Hats time to catch up. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Jinbe, and Marco launched a coordinated assault.
Rubber-Rubber Ape King Gun! Three Swords Style: Three Thousand Worlds! Thor Thunder Pillar Kick! Fish-Man Karate: Five Thousand Brick Fist! Blue Phoenix Strike!
The combined blast slammed into the Blackbeard Pirates. They scrambled to defend themselves, but the speed of the attack left them unable to mount a perfect defense. An explosion roared through the air, and the Blackbeard crew fell, scorched and battered. Even the tougher members were bloodied, and those like Van Augur were severely injured.
Damn Straw Hats! I will fight you to the death! Blackbeard cursed, though he continued to command the giant to fly higher and higher, clearly desperate to escape.
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