His face alternated between flushing red and turning pale. Never in his life had his expressions been so vivid and dramatic. After thinking for a long time, he finally nodded.
Then he struck without mercy, using magma to smash Blackbeard's arms and legs right off!
His magma was incredibly destructive—both of Blackbeard's arms and legs were burned to ashes the moment they were hit. There was absolutely no way they could ever grow back!
Blackbeard was still unconscious, but the searing pain suddenly jolted him awake. He was drenched in cold sweat, glaring fiercely at Akainu.
"Akainu! You're looking for death!!!" Blackbeard roared in fury.
Akainu looked up. El had vanished at some point. He knew there was no way to explain this anymore.
Even if Akainu told Blackbeard exactly what conditions El had set, Blackbeard would never believe him.
Besides, Akainu was never the kind of man who bothered to explain himself.
His face stony, he stood up and limped all the way back to the ranks of the Marines.
Kizaru and Aokiji, who had escaped serious injury, watched him go. They knew he was essentially finished.
The severe wounds to his body were the least of it—far worse was that his spirit had been completely crushed by El.
The ferocious, unyielding look that used to burn in his eyes was gone forever.
The other Marines stood silent, watching him, too stunned to speak.
Over on Blackbeard's side, he let out a bloodcurdling scream, shrill and agonizing like a pig being slaughtered.
The pain was unbearable. His limbs had been shattered and burned to nothing—agony far beyond what any ordinary person could endure.
And Blackbeard's sensitivity to pain was twice as acute as a normal person's! For him, this was worse than execution itself.
Countless Marines and pirates stood rooted to the spot, their minds reeling in shock.
The pride of the Marines, Admiral Akainu, had been utterly defeated and grievously wounded!
Blackbeard, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the vilest of villains, lay crippled and broken!
And El had done all this with just a single move!
They gazed up at El, floating high in the sky, filled with awe and reverence. In their eyes, he looked as majestic and invincible as a god.
"Incredible… absolutely incredible!"
"So this is El? He's truly a living legend of the seas!"
"He's kept such a low profile all this time, everyone underestimated him! But he's clearly the strongest pirate alive!" people murmured in amazement.
All across the world, countless others watched the scene of El and were struck breathless.
"Is this what the strongest man in the world looks like?"
"With a pirate like him around, the Marines are nothing but trash!"
"How do I join El's crew? I'd give anything to be part of it!"
Whitebeard, standing at the center of the battlefield, threw his head back and laughed heartily.
"Gu la la la!"
"Men! Did you all see that?!"
"The strongest man in the world has cleared the path for us! Charge toward the end!"
"Oohhh—!"
The pirates raised their arms and weapons high into the air, shouting in wild excitement.
Pirates shall prevail!
Even Whitebeard himself had declared El the strongest man in the world. There was no longer any doubt about it.
El looked over at him. "You old man… you sure know how to build up a reputation, huh?"
Whitebeard grinned. "Thank you. You've helped us take our revenge at last."
Without El, Ace might never have been rescued. And Blackbeard would never have suffered such a miserable fate. There was deep gratitude in Whitebeard's eyes as he spoke.
El waved it off casually. "It's nothing. More importantly, you need to take better care of yourself."
Whitebeard had never been in good health, and now he was exhausted and badly injured from the battle. It was plain to see how weak he had become.
El glanced down at Blackbeard lying on the ground. "What do you plan to do with him?"
Before Whitebeard could answer, Blackbeard began begging shamelessly, completely stripped of all pride.
"Father! Please, spare me!"
"I know I was wrong! Aren't I still your son?!"
"A son who makes mistakes deserves to be forgiven, right?!"
Whitebeard looked down at him, his expression grave and stern.
Just then, Ace walked over.
"Father," Ace said, "I know exactly what to do with him."
There was no question—Ace hated Blackbeard more than anyone else in the world.
Blackbeard had once been a member of his crew; they knew each other well.
But the man Blackbeard had revealed himself to be was nothing like the one Ace thought he knew.
He had been deceived and fooled by that cunning, treacherous man for years.
And that wasn't all. Blackbeard had defeated him, handed him over to the Marines, and nearly gotten him killed.
These were crimes soaked in blood and deep hatred—feelings no one else could ever truly understand.
Right now, Ace's eyes burned with pure, unadulterated loathing.
Blackbeard shrank back, terrified to say a word.
He knew begging Whitebeard for mercy might still work—after all, the old man was like a father to them all, and his heart could be soft.
But with Ace, there was no chance at all. The hatred Ace felt toward him was absolute and unforgivable. Blackbeard felt as if he were standing before the judgment of fate itself.
Many others from the Whitebeard Pirates had gathered around too—Marco the Phoenix, Diamond Jozu, Vista the Flower Sword, and the rest.
They stood in a circle, looking down at Blackbeard with cold, hard eyes.
"Blackbeard… I never imagined you were this kind of person," Marco said, his voice icy with disgust.
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