Chapter 82: The Trap Springs Shut
"Is that the ship at the harbor... the Queen of the Pleasure Street's vessel?" Van Augur mused, his sniper rifle held steady as he analyzed the situation with cold logic. "Did she leak our information to the Marines?"
"The Emperor of the Underworld... providing intelligence to a mere Rear Admiral?" Lafitte added, fluttering down from his aerial reconnaissance. "It seems unlikely. They don't move in the same circles."
"Forget it," Blackbeard Teach grumbled, exhaustion and frustration warring within him. "Let's rest for a few minutes. We'll move again once the Marines have pulled back further." He still couldn't fathom how Jock Ian had found them. Placing his hands behind his head, he prepared to lie back on the massive root to rest.
But as he reclined, a black dot in the sky caught his eye. It grew larger with terrifying speed, plummeting directly toward them.
"Uh... this is..." Teach's eyes widened.
"Scatter!" he roared, his survival instincts screaming.
The core members of the Blackbeard Pirates reacted with preternatural speed, throwing themselves backward in all directions.
BOOM!
A fist wreathed in immense force slammed down from the heavens, obliterating the thick tree root where Teach had just been resting. The impact carved a deep crater into the ground, sending shards of wood and stone flying like shrapnel. The crew members, forced to retreat further, had to create a wide berth to avoid the devastating shockwave.
"Hah... hah... That was too close!" Teach gasped, his face a mask of exaggerated horror as he stared at the destruction. "What kind of monstrous power is that?"
From within the settling dust, Jock Ian landed gracefully on a nearby root, his navy coat flapping behind him. His presence was overwhelming.
"Member of the Whitebeard Pirates... Marshall D. Teach!" Ian's voice cut through the grove, sharp and accusatory. "Have the Four Emperors grown so bold they send their men to my island at will? Do you think having a Pirate Emperor as your backer lets you roam my territory freely?" A cold, confident smile touched his lips. "I dared to fight the Beasts Pirates. Did you think I would hesitate to fight Whitebeard's?"
Teach's mind raced, discarding the question of how Ian knew. Survival was all that mattered now. He was a pragmatist, a man whose grand ambition allowed him to swallow any pride, to play any part.
"No, no, no, Major General Ian!" Teach waved his hands frantically, a picture of placating innocence. "I bear you no hostility! This is all a big misunderstanding! I never intended to harm any Celestial Dragon! Some bastard fed you false information! I was just passing through!" He took a step back, his expression one of earnest pleading. "I've left the Whitebeard Pirates! I'm no longer under a Four Emperor's flag! I know this is your territory. Just let us withdraw, leave this island, and we'll be gone! We won't cause you any more trouble!"
After all, his crew had committed no major crime on Sabaody yet. Perhaps a fight could still be avoided. His plan was to create a reputation, capture a high-bounty pirate, and present them to the World Government to secure a Warlord title. An all-out battle with a Marine supernova like Jock Ian was the last thing he needed; killing a Marine hero would shatter his chances.
But Jock Ian only smiled, a predator's grin.
"Did you all hear that?" Ian's voice rang out, not to Teach, but to the surrounding grove. "These guys aren't part of a Four Emperor's crew anymore! Engaging them doesn't require special clearance from Headquarters!"
The response was immediate.
Crack!
The sharp report of a whip echoed through the trees. Doc Q, displaying surprising agility for his sickly appearance, slid from his horse, giving the beast a sharp kick to send it clear. Both man and horse narrowly avoided the lashing strike.
"I hear you clearly, Major General Ian!" Peacock's voice purred from the shadows as she stepped into view, her combat whip coiling back. "They're just a few rootless pirates. We'll capture them for sure!" She positioned herself, cutting off their most obvious escape route.
Bang!
A sniper round tore through the air, forcing Van Augur to slide rapidly along a tree root. He moved with fluid grace, his own sniper rifle already being assembled. "They disappeared... so fast," he muttered, impressed despite himself. "Are all the officers under the 'Sea King' this skilled?"
Swish!
A crescent of sword energy sliced upward. Lafitte, still airborne, banked hard, his wings beating to adjust his flight and dodge T-Bone's attack. Hovering, he looked down with a grimace. "What a nuisance. A master swordsman."
At the far end of the clearing, Jesus Burgess looked around, his hulking form turning in confusion. "Huh? No one's coming to stop me?" he grumbled, his pride wounded. "Damn Marines, they don't take me seriously at all!" It was one thing to be challenged, but to be ignored was an insult.
"Hey! Big idiot, isn't your opponent right here?"
Jesus Burgess looked down. Standing beneath the tangle of roots was Nami, her Climate Baton held firmly in her hands. She had arrived with the others, her small stature causing Burgess to overlook her completely.
"You? You are my opponent? Huh?!" Burgess scoffed, his laughter booming. "How disrespectful! You actually sent a weak little girl to deal with me?"
Nami didn't flinch. A determined glint shone in her eyes. The training, the determination to stand by Ian's side—it all culminated now. She would not be a liability. She would prove her worth.
"Yeah…" she said, her voice steady as she took her stance. "That's right."