On the streets of Mock Town, swathes of buildings lay damaged and collapsed, and the passersby had the good sense to flee far away.
In the middle of the street, Charles and Stella faced off against a group of strangely assorted people.
Charles's gaze swept over each of the people in front of him, and he showed a peculiar expression.
So this is what they mean by something falling into your lap. Turns out there really are times when your target jumps out on their own.
Roll back ten minutes: Charles and Stella had just left the tavern and stepped onto the main street when they saw a very distinctive group of five blocking their way.
"Zehahahaha! Didn't expect to run into you here. Looks like you and I were fated to meet!"
The short, heavyset man laughed with several missing teeth on full display, clearly in a very good mood.
Charles couldn't help a wry smile. What exactly is this guy so happy about? Running into me like this isn't good news for him, because I stayed in Mock Town specifically to deal with him!
The people blocking Charles were the newly formed Blackbeard Pirates, and the man speaking was the comrade-killer Marshall D. Teach.
Blackbeard stared straight at Charles. "I've been hearing your name a lot lately. Now that I've met you, I can tell you're as impressive as they say.
Let me introduce myself! My name is Marshall D. Teach, and I have an ambition…"
As he spoke, Blackbeard extended a hand like he was grasping something in his palm.
"And that's to turn this world upside down!
Whether it's the Marines, the World Government, or those high-and-mighty Celestial Dragons, I'll drag them down and stomp them underfoot!
And you're the man I've set my sights on. How about it—join us! You can have anything you want… so long as you become my right hand."
After betraying the Whitebeard Pirates and getting the Dark-Dark Fruit he'd searched for, Blackbeard had been seeking comrades who could help him realize his ambition.
He had, in fact, found several whose strength and ambition matched his standards.
But he knew that headcount was far from enough. Although he knew that once his plan succeeded he could get ample combat power from the lowest level of Impel Down, he needed to recruit as many strong fighters as possible before then.
Charles, who had suddenly appeared and defeated Crocodile, had become his target.
Since the next island on the route from Alabasta was Sky Island, Blackbeard guessed Charles would show up here and rushed over.
In the original story, for the same reason, Blackbeard—hoping to trade Luffy to the World Government for a Warlord seat—came to Mock Town to wait for the Straw Hats.
And once they met, Blackbeard was absolutely certain the trip was worth it.
Just facing him, Blackbeard knew Charles was stronger than he'd expected. With Charles's help, his plan would go much more smoothly.
So he spoke straight out about making Charles his right hand; he truly wanted to recruit him.
Charles's expression grew even more peculiar. Back in the day, Golden Lion only dared say things like that after surrounding Roger's crew with an overwhelming fleet. Blackbeard doesn't even have a proper pirate ship right now—where does that confidence come from?
Blackbeard thought he'd shown his mettle and sincerity, but to Charles it didn't even spark a ripple.
Perhaps sensing Charles's indifference, Blackbeard's expression changed.
"Looks like you're turning me down. But if it's only words, you might not understand us. I'll show you that joining us won't leave you at a loss."
With that, unmistakable malice poured off Blackbeard. It seemed he meant to force Charles into joining by strength.
Charles finally spoke, though there was no particular emotion in his voice.
"Now that's more like it—either way, we were going to fight. I can't be bothered with preaching, and you don't deserve to hear it."
In that instant Blackbeard understood: Charles could never be his subordinate; their worldviews were diametrically opposed.
More than that, the searing hostility rolling off Charles said this wouldn't be a fight that ended with deciding victory and defeat.
"Zehahaha! Looks like I misunderstood something…!"
Halfway through, Blackbeard slapped a hand to the ground, and a black substance rapidly spread from his palm, reaching the space beneath Charles's feet in an instant.
"Black Hole!"
Drawing an opponent's attention with words and then launching a sudden attack—this was pure ambush.
Once he confirmed his opponent was an enemy, Blackbeard struck with ruthless decisiveness.
As the Dark-Dark Fruit user, Teach could freely manipulate darkness, and that darkness was a gravity so strong it swallowed even light.
That gravity could absorb the powers of all Devil Fruits—and even the very concept of damage.
But for the same reason, as a man of darkness Blackbeard's physical body was also subject to attraction; he couldn't elementalize, and though damage would be absorbed, he would feel double the pain.
Everything on the ground covered by the darkness was dragged in, with faint sounds of crushing coming from within.
Charles felt the immense force beneath his feet trying to drag him into a lightless abyss.
But he just lifted a foot and broke free of the force, and as it came down again, a sea of fire spread out, directly repelling the dark substance.
Blackbeard's pupils tightened. He hadn't imagined anyone could counter his Black Hole like that.
"Liberation!"
Shock didn't slow his response. He immediately disgorged everything the darkness had sucked in and hurled it at Charles.
Charles folded his five fingers one by one, and the surrounding flames gathered with them, surging forward with his punch to meet the incoming rubble.
Whether stone, wood, or steel, everything was swallowed by flame and reduced to ash.
Just then, Charles heard the sound of air being pierced.
A lead bullet sheathed in a black sheen punched through the flames, flying straight for Charles's brow.
The Blackbeard Pirates clearly weren't the type to fight fair. After the captain's ambush, the crew likewise showed no "honor" and attacked together.
Sniper Van Augur raised his beloved rifle, Senriku, and fired a lethal shot at Charles.
Whether it was the rifle's superior performance or Augur's Armament Haki, the bullet's speed was astonishing; the average person might be hit before they could even react.
But someone was faster. Stella stepped in front of Charles and swung the Feilong Sin Sword, cleaving the lead bullet in two.
The still-burning flames rippled, and a massive body burst through the fire in a rush.
The masked man with a gold championship belt was the Blackbeard Pirates' helmsman, the Champion, Jesus Burgess.
Burgess threw a punch, a shockwave blasting forward at Charles.
But Stella, who had just split the bullet, raised her free hand and blocked Burgess's fist.
With the Dragon God's possession, Stella's arm strength was such that even Charles in his normal state might not match her.
In the future, after he acquired the Strength-Strength Fruit's power, Burgess might be able to arm-wrestle her. For now, all he could do was get manhandled.
Expression calm, Stella slammed the stunned Burgess hard into the ground.
"Don't you dare mess up Charles's fight!" she declared.
More than once, Charles had thought his girlfriend was absolutely stunning.
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