On White Sand Island, Teach emerged from his quarters and stepped into the conference room. Mostima, Ares, and the others were already waiting, having received his summons.
He no longer wore his usual headscarf. His wavy black hair hung loose to his shoulders, brushing against the collar of a black pirate coat layered over a dark blue shirt and cropped brown trousers. Around his wrist gleamed a skull-shaped emerald bracelet; at his throat, an obsidian necklace strung with a silver dagger charm. Gauntlets covered his forearms, the metal wrapping down to the webs of his hands.
The aura radiating from him was different tonight—undiluted, domineering, and heavier than ever before. Mostima and the others exchanged glances; they could feel he had changed. Ares, however, simply folded his arms. For him, Teach always looked this way when the promise of battle lingered in the air.
Teach was no longer suppressing his spirit. Today he cast aside disguise and hesitation. Today he would break free of the Whitebeard Pirates' shadow and claim his own freedom. Even now, he could feel his Conqueror's Haki rising, his soul straining against its limits and growing sharper. [T/L: Very confused here. The premise of camping on wb is for the dark devil fruit and training. Yet now he wants to leave?]
"Zehahahahaha! Today, I'm going to say farewell to my comrades. Come with me—meet my old man, the strongest man in the world!" His black eyes gleamed with dangerous excitement as he looked at his crew.
Mostima's lips curled. Ares's massive frame tensed in anticipation, already eager for a glimpse of the man Teach had spoken of so often.
"But listen well," Teach warned, his tone turning hard. "No matter what happens, you are not to interfere. This is between me and the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Understood," Mostima replied immediately. He knew this moment would define Teach's path.
Ares, intoxicated by the thought of Whitebeard's power, only gave a simple nod.
Night had fallen by the time Teach's ship crossed into Whitebeard's territory. Onboard the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates were in the middle of a rowdy banquet.
Teach's boat approached unhindered—he was family, after all.
"Oh! Teach, you're back at last!" a drunken crewmate called from the rail, raising a sake bottle in greeting. "Perfect timing—join the feast!"
Teach smiled faintly, nodding once, and kept walking. Behind him followed Ares and Mostima, their massive presences drawing wary eyes. The rest of Teach's crew remained on the smaller boat; they weren't yet worthy of stepping aboard Whitebeard's flagship.
Powerful auras pressed in from all sides. Even without turning his head, Teach knew how many formidable warriors were watching him. To Ares and Mostima, it felt as if they had stepped into the den of a god.
And at the center of it all sat Whitebeard. Even seated, the towering man radiated overwhelming presence, every breath weighing like a mountain.
Conversations trailed off. The laughter of the banquet dimmed. All eyes followed Teach as he strode toward the old man.
Whitebeard said nothing. He simply looked at Teach, and the air thickened.
Teach met the gaze with a sharp smile. His own aura surged outward, colliding with Whitebeard's like a storm. The air shook under the force of clashing Conqueror's Haki.
For years Whitebeard had known this day would come. He had seen the ambition lurking in Teach's shadow.
But he answered anyway. His Haki erupted in full, a wave of dominance that split the night sky. Clouds scattered, moonlight spilling over the deck.
Even Ares and Mostima struggled under the weight of their spirits. Ares's jaw clenched as he recognized raw power greater than his own, a force capable of shattering mountains.
The weaker crewmates dropped unconscious where they stood. Only the strongest—the commanders, Marco, Vista, Jozu, Mobius, Peto, Voss—remained on their feet, eyes wide with dawning realization.
"Teach! What are you doing?!" Marco demanded, feathers blazing as he fought against the suffocating aura.
The ship fell silent. Whitebeard's sons stared at their brother, dread growing in their hearts.
At last, Teach pulled his Haki back, and Whitebeard followed. The oppressive air lightened, but unease remained.
Teach's smile widened. "Old man, this ship is too small. I'm leaving."
The words struck like cannon fire.
Ares and Mostima didn't flinch, they had known this was the purpose of tonight. Mobius and the others who had followed Teach from White Sand Island were the same. But for the Whitebeard Pirates, it was unthinkable.
"Teach… what are you saying?" Vista's voice shook. He had always shared drinks with Teach, sparred with him, laughed with him. "We're comrades! You can't just walk away!"
"I've made my decision. No one can stop me." Teach's voice was calm, cold, resolute.
Marco and the other commanders stepped forward, forming a wall across the deck. "If you want to leave, you'll have to go through us," Marco declared.
Ares and Mostima instinctively released their auras, ready to fight. But Teach raised a hand.
"This is my battle."
Reluctantly, his companions withdrew to the sidelines.
Teach glanced at his former brothers, his grin twisting cruel. "Let me see your strength. Show me if you're worthy of stopping me."
Marco launched forward first, his body erupting into blue flames as he transformed into a phoenix. His talons slashed down—only to strike air as Teach sidestepped and clamped a clawed hand around his throat.
The deck cracked as Marco's body slammed down. Teach hurled him across the ship like a ragdoll.
"I told you, Marco. I understand you. You don't understand me."
Vista's twin swords flashed like silver blossoms. Teach ducked his head, grinning. "Still holding back, Vista? Too soft." His foot snapped out, a Haki-imbued kick hammering Vista's guard.
The swordsman strained under the blow. Teach drew the Dragon Abyss from his back, its blade gleaming cold. He brought it down, forcing Vista to catch it with a desperate block. Sparks flew as Vista's arms shook violently.
Teach's claw lashed toward his chest—then stopped. His hand swung to the side instead, intercepting a diamond fist hurtling in from the flank.
Jozu's strike met Teach's claws with a thunderous crack. Teach vanished in a blur, reappearing above, heel descending toward Jozu's skull.
A wave of freezing air surged toward him. Teach twisted midair, boots striking empty sky as he used Moonwalk to evade Whitey Bay's icy chill.
Fossa's burning blade cut through the smoke. Rakuyo's meteor hammer whistled past. Attacks rained from every angle, but Teach flowed between them with surgical precision, his Observation Haki painting every motion before it happened.
"Face it, Marco. You're not my opponent." Teach's fist crashed into Marco's flaming skull, sending him tumbling once more.
Two years of ruthless training had brought Teach to the threshold of Admiral-level combat. His Observation Haki stretched farther and sharper than any of his so-called brothers could match. Against them, his every move was precise, decisive, overwhelming.
And tonight, the ties of family would be broken in blood and steel.