Chapter 84

People watching the live broadcast found it hard to believe that Whitebeard would actually die at the hands of a fat guy who looked ordinary and unremarkable, except for his ugly face.

And this guy even manipulated the Sengoku and treated the Marines as his pawns.

This made them deeply realize how true the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is.

After revealing the correct answers, Luo Ke continued speaking.

"Five questions have been asked so far. The Whitebeard Pirates have correctly answered three of them. Now, we will play the related footage and continue with the next five questions after that.

Once all the questions are answered, the rewards will be distributed."

After Luo Ke finished speaking, everyone's faces first showed a momentary surprise, followed by anticipation.

The previous five questions had revealed a lot of crucial information, such as Ace being captured and defeated by Teach, Teach taking away a large number of pirates from Marineford, and Teach killing Whitebeard...

These were all significant pieces of information, but they were just mentioned. When they heard these questions, they were eager to see the footage that Luo Ke would play.

They all wanted to know what happened between Ace and Teach, and how exactly Whitebeard died.

With this thought in mind, everyone stared intently at the screen, which had turned black.

Soon, the screen brightened, and the scene changed to a different location.

It was a town on an island, but for some reason, there wasn't a single person on the streets.

On the eaves of a building, a man sat, wearing a black hat, bare-chested, with a string of beads around his neck, and a tattoo of the infamous Whitebeard Pirates logo on his back.

He sat on the eaves, looking down at several people below.

"Oh... Ace... Captain!" Teach grinned.

"Do you call me Captain now? Only those who respect me would say that.

Captain Marshall D. Teach of the Blackbeard Pirates," Ace replied, creating a peaceful atmosphere, as if old friends had reunited.

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates witnessing this scene couldn't help but grit their teeth.

Indeed, it was this guy, Teach. He had already established the Blackbeard Pirates and betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates!

Seeing Teach's confident demeanor when facing Ace, everyone realized that Teach probably had the strength to confront Ace head-on without losing. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so self-assured.

However, the Ace in the footage was not aware of this.

Thinking about Ace being defeated by Teach and handed over to the Marines, triggering the Summit War, and eventually dying at Marine Headquarters, they couldn't help but have the desire to stop Ace.

But that was impossible. This was just a recording, and Ace's fate had already been determined in the footage.

Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, when the Blackbeard Pirates appeared, Sengoku immediately said to Blueno, "Find out who these people are."

"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Blueno replied.

At the same time, the conversation between Ace and Teach began in the footage.

Teach extended an olive branch(symbol of peace) to Ace, inviting him to join the Blackbeard Pirates and conquer the world together, explaining his plan to Ace.

However, when Ace heard that Teach's plan was to kill Luffy and hand him over to the World Government, he became furious.

Seeing this scene, everyone finally realized that Teach initially didn't intend to hand Ace over to the World Government in exchange for becoming a Shichibukai. His original target was actually Ace's younger brother, Luffy.

Admiral Garp's already dark expression at Marine Headquarters became even more grim after hearing this.

If Ace hadn't found Teach, Teach would have gone after Luffy. In other words, the target of the public execution this time would either be Luffy or Ace, both of whom are his grandsons.

"That bastard!" Garp exclaimed in anger.

After the negotiations broke down, a battle immediately ensued. The allies that Blackbeard brought with him were nowhere near strong enough to fight against Ace, who had already become the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. So Teach told them to step aside and engaged in battle with Ace himself.

During this time, Teach also explained to Ace the reason for killing Thatch, which was exactly as Luo Ke had said. Thatch obtained the Devil Fruit that Teach desired, so Teach killed him in order to claim it for himself.

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates looked at Teach. If it hadn't been for today's events, Thatch would have likely fallen victim to this guy's treachery.

Then, the footage showed the terrifying power of Blackbeard.

An endless darkness spread from him, devouring everything it encountered.

In the blink of an eye, the town that was once filled with houses turned into a flatland, with Blackbeard exclaiming in liberation.

The houses that were just swallowed up fell from the sky as if they had been crushed, heading towards Ace.

However, they were instantly incinerated by Ace's flames, followed by several bursts of flames shooting towards Blackbeard, igniting him and causing him to writhe in pain on the ground.

Teach's performance in this scene left those who witnessed it feeling somewhat puzzled.

Is that all?

Is this the extent of the power of the person who manipulated the Summit War and played both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines?

It's a bit weak, isn't it?

Even ordinary people who witnessed this scene felt that it was underwhelming because they had previously seen the battles between Whitebeard and the Admirals during the Summit War. Seeing Blackbeard being easily defeated by Ace's ordinary attack, it was honestly disappointing.

However, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

Black smoke suddenly emanated from Blackbeard, who was still writhing on the ground in the footage. The flames on his body vanished as if swallowed by darkness.

Blackbeard stood up from the ground and reached out his hand towards Ace. Ace, as if being pulled by gravity, fell into Blackbeard's hand.

His ability had been nullified.

Blackbeard struck Ace's chest with a powerful blow, sending Ace flying. This time, Ace's Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit couldn't protect him from harm.

The ensuing battle showed everyone the terrifying nature of the Dark-Dark Fruit.

Every attack launched by Ace against Blackbeard was devoured by the Dark-Dark Fruit, and Ace's proud Flame-Flame Fruit ability became his fatal weakness in the fight. He was restrained, nullified, and absorbed...

In the end, after both of them unleashed their final and most powerful attacks, Ace fell.

Seeing such a battle, all Devil Fruit users couldn't help but shudder. The Dark-Dark Fruit was simply the nemesis of Devil Fruit users. It lacked the elemental effects of a normal Logia-type ability, but it countered everything else.

Devil Fruit users would be attracted to it, nullified by it, and devoured by it, ultimately becoming as vulnerable as an ordinary person in its presence.

For those who relied heavily on their abilities, this was a terrible situation. Crocodile, Moriah, and others watching this scene felt a chill in their hearts.

Now they finally understood why Teach believed that obtaining this fruit would give him the strength to become the Pirate King.

Truly terrifying!

For the Marines, this feeling was even worse because now this fruit had fallen into the hands of the Whitebeard Pirates rather than the traitor Teach. This made the Whitebeard Pirates even more formidable.

At this moment, Brannew approached Admiral Sengoku and reported:

"Admiral Sengoku, we have identified the individuals accompanying Blackbeard. They are Lafitte, with a bounty of 42 million berries, and the Fighting Champion Jesus Burgess, with a bounty of 20 million berries..."

Sengoku nodded and said, "Double their bounties and intensify the pursuit."

"Yes, Admiral Sengoku."

Meanwhile, the footage shifted to another scene.

The familiar sight appeared on the screen, clearly indicating that it was the Summit War.

Soon, they saw a familiar face there—Whitebeard. At this moment, Whitebeard was on the Moby Dick, and a person appeared behind him.

Seeing this person, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't help but have a slight change in their expressions. It was none other than Squard, the one who had betrayed their father.

So, that's what happened at that time?

In the footage...

Whitebeard turned around and looked back. "Squard, are you okay? I just contacted you..."

"Sorry, Dad. The pirate crews in the rear were badly beaten..." Squard spoke while walking towards Whitebeard, his face devoid of any unusual expression. However, this sight caused everyone who witnessed it to feel a knot in their hearts.

At that moment, just as Squard, who had drawn his sword, was about to head towards the frontlines, he suddenly turned around. Then, without warning, he stabbed directly at Whitebeard's chest with his large blade.

No one could react to this sudden turn of events, and even Whitebeard, who was impaled, had an expression of astonishment in his eyes.

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates who were watching the footage were deeply disturbed. The first injury their father received in this war was caused by one of their own.

That damn Akainu actually used their comrades to stab their father!

"Damn it!"

"Curse him!"

"Squard, that idiot, how could he have believed Akainu's words so easily!"

...

In the footage, after Squard stabbed Whitebeard, he started "revealing" Whitebeard's conspiracy to the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.

It was the information Akainu had told him, claiming that Whitebeard intended to sacrifice their 43 subordinate pirate crews in order to secure a path for Ace's escape.

Then, the footage switched to a scene where Akainu and Squard met alone behind the battlefield.

"I won't be fooled by you!" Squard shouted angrily at Akainu.

"You won't be able to say such things anymore. If you think I'm deceiving you, then watch closely."

The following concentrated attack... the paper attack against your subordinate pirates.

We won't launch any attack against the Whitebeard Pirates!"

As if in accordance with Akainu's words, on the battlefield, the 43 pirate crews under Whitebeard's command were subjected to a full-scale assault by the Marines, while the Whitebeard Pirates themselves remained unharmed.

This scene completely convinced Squard of Akainu's words, leading to the earlier incident of the sword of filial piety.

However, in the face of Squard's questioning, Whitebeard only scolded with a stern face.

"Squard... You actually raised your hand against your own father... You truly are an irredeemable foolish son."

After speaking, Whitebeard bent down and embraced Squard in his arms.

"Even if you're a foolish son, I will still love you..."

Witnessing this scene, tears welled up in the eyes of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Dad!"

"Dad!"

...

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates looked at Whitebeard with respect and moved by his actions. He was not just their captain; he was a man they deeply respected and followed. He was not only their leader but also a father figure whom they believed in and admired.

Even ordinary people couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Whitebeard was indeed a worthy father. He was willing to sacrifice his own life to save his son and chose to forgive him even after being stabbed. Such generosity and magnanimity were traits that even many biological fathers couldn't possess.

Unfortunately, this man was a pirate.

On the other hand, Sengoku (Akainu) and the Marines felt quite uncomfortable. They were the Marines, the side of justice, doing everything in their power to eliminate pirates. However, their behavior in the footage made them look like villains, further highlighting the deep father-son bond within the Whitebeard Pirates.

One could only lament that Whitebeard was indeed a respectable enemy, but sadly, an enemy nonetheless.

As the footage of Squard and Whitebeard's reconciliation ended, it switched to another familiar scene—one they had witnessed before—where Ace had died, and Luffy, broken in spirit, looked up at the sky as Akainu prepared to strike him with a punch.

"Finally, we've reached this point," Whitebeard said, glancing at Marco beside him. At this moment, Marco was also watching the footage with great interest, accompanied by the members of the Whitebeard Pirates. It was a subtle feeling, watching Whitebeard fighting Akainu.

In the footage...

Akainu's fist was about to strike Luffy, but at this crucial moment, Marco arrived in time and intercepted Akainu's scorching hot punch.

Jinbe seized the opportunity and carried the distraught Luffy away.

Just as Akainu was about to chase after Luffy, a shadow suddenly appeared behind him.

Akainu instantly felt a sense of danger.

However, before he could react, Whitebeard, filled with rage, landed a punch directly on Akainu's face, sending him crashing to the ground, shattering the entire area with its immense force.

Akainu was covered in blood from the impact of the punch.

But Akainu didn't fall just yet. He quickly got up and retaliated with a punch toward Whitebeard, his fist engulfed in molten magma. Although it grazed past Whitebeard, he was struck by Whitebeard's punch as well.

Whitebeard and Akainu exchanged a few blows, but everyone could see that Akainu was on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown by Whitebeard.

Finally, Whitebeard grabbed Akainu and threw him into the air. A radiant glow emanated from Whitebeard's left hand as Akainu's body descended. Whitebeard's punch landed directly on Akainu's side, and in that instant, the main building behind Akainu collapsed with a deafening crash. The power of the radiant glow, along with the collapsing building and the ground, shattered everything.

A deep chasm appeared on the ground, and as Akainu, covered in blood, coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body lost consciousness and fell into the abyssal crack, disappearing from sight.

This was the true power of the Yonko, Whitebeard. In just a few exchanges, Admiral Akainu was rendered helpless.

Witnessing this scene, everyone was shocked.

They had expected the Marine Admiral to put up a better fight against the Yonko Whitebeard, at least to have a back-and-forth battle. However, they never imagined that Akainu would be overpowered so decisively. If Whitebeard hadn't let him fall into the abyss, Akainu would likely have met his end there.

Indeed, even a heavily injured Yonko should never be underestimated, and this was especially true for a rampaging Yonko.

At the Marine Headquarters, Admiral Akainu's face looked terrible, feeling as if his face had been smashed to the ground just like in the footage.

This kind of performance is simply unacceptable. He actually lost like this?

Now he understands why he wasn't the one to kill Whitebeard in the end.

Emotionally, Whitebeard has completely dealt with him. It's none of his business anymore.

Damn it... Akainu slammed the chair, his face looking very grim.

Others could also sense Akainu's anger and instinctively distanced themselves from him.

However, they didn't expect Akainu to fare so poorly against Whitebeard. After being hit like that, Akainu must be seriously injured.

What's even more worrisome for Sengoku (Akainu's real name) is how to handle the Blackbeard Pirates who will appear later. The Marines can't afford to be beaten by the Blackbeard Pirates after their battle with the Whitebeard Pirates. It would be a huge blow to the Marines' reputation.

However, as Akainu pondered, the Marines still have Aokiji, Kizaru, himself, and Garp. There shouldn't be any major problems even if Blackbeard shows up.

But at this moment, what could possibly be the reason for Blackbeard's arrival at Marineford?

Could it be that he really came all this way to kill his father?

Or perhaps Blackbeard has become so ambitious that he wants to wage a deadly battle with the Marines as soon as he forms his crew?

Just then, in the footage, after defeating Akainu, Whitebeard didn't choose to leave. Instead, he used his Devil Fruit ability to tear the ground apart between the Whitebeard Pirates behind him and the Marine forces in front, creating a massive chasm.

Whitebeard himself stood on the side of the Marines like a war god, blocking their pursuit and buying time for the Whitebeard Pirates to retreat.

At the same time, several figures appeared on the execution platform.

As the camera zoomed in, a familiar face appeared before everyone.

"Oh... finally noticed me!"

Blackbeard and his Blackbeard Pirates, a group of powerful pirates recently recruited in the New World, appeared on the execution platform.

Teach gazed at Whitebeard on the opposite side, and his laughter echoed throughout Marineford.

"Hehehe... long time no see!

Luckily, I made it just in time to see you one last time!

Old man!"

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=> The day of studying in Hogwarts.

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(End of this chapter)