Chapter 165: Congratulations, Blackbeard

Boom, boom, boom—

At this moment, the ambitious Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, found himself trapped in a whirlpool of despair!

Shiro's terrifying strike sent him flying into the air. Before he could endure the searing pain to regain his balance, a gleaming azure slash followed closely behind, cutting a deep wound across his chest!

This was the strike of the world's greatest swordsman!

Blackbeard knew that if he didn't act fast, there would be no chance for a comeback. But Shiro's previous blow, imbued with immense haki and various natural energies, left him unable to use his Devil Fruit abilities for a short time. His prized Dark-Dark Fruit powers were rendered useless because he realized Shiro had barely relied on his fruit abilities—this was pure haki and physical technique overwhelming him!

And it wasn't over yet. Soon, an attack from Hancock, the Pirate Empress, slammed into his body, petrifying both his hands!

Without exaggeration, this was the most desperate moment Blackbeard had experienced since joining Whitebeard's crew. But what terrified him even more was the realization that the despair had only just begun.

Because Shiro was coming for him again!

"The Dark-Dark Fruit granted you great power, but it also made your pain double, right?" Shiro mocked, hovering in mid-air, surrounded by arcs of electricity as he looked down on the barely-moving Blackbeard.

To Blackbeard, Shiro's grin was no different from the face of a demon! He knew all too well what kind of brutal beating awaited him next.

Sure enough, in the next instant, a haki-infused fist crashed directly into his face!

Boom—Boom—Boom!

Crackle—Boom!

"Ahhhh! It hurts, damn it! Shiro, I'll kill you!" Blackbeard roared in agony, his voice laced with fury and pain.

After fifteen minutes of this relentless assault, Blackbeard's mangled body crashed to the ground. At that moment, Blackbeard couldn't comprehend why things had turned out this way. He had gained the power of darkness. But now, he was utterly defeated by Shiro, with no strength to resist!

"How could this happen? This has nothing to do with my grand plan!"

"You know quite a lot, Teach," Shiro said coldly as he wiped the blood from his hands. "In that case, let me help you a little."

He unleashed another arc of electricity that struck Blackbeard in the mouth, turning his teeth and tongue into charred remains. Now, Blackbeard could only let out muffled groans, incapable of even crying out in pain.

"Should we kill him now?" Hawk Eyes, the world's greatest swordsman, glanced at the utterly broken Blackbeard and asked calmly. Even Hawk Eyes, renowned for his cold demeanor, felt a slight chill at the sight of Blackbeard's pitiful state.

Shiro shook his head.

"Not yet. We'll hold off for a while, then publicly execute him."

Killing Blackbeard now would be too merciful. This kind of suffering was the true punishment he deserved. Besides, inviting Whitebeard to witness the execution would be a favor to him.

"Congratulations, Blackbeard. You're about to become the second prisoner of Central Authority, and the first pirate to be publicly executed."

"Mm! Mm!" Blackbeard groaned in fear.

"Curious about who the first prisoner is? It's someone you know well—Magellan, the former chief warden of Impel Down."

Meanwhile, back on Amazon Lily, the remnants of Blackbeard's pirate crew were being swiftly wiped out. With Kuzan blocking the sea routes, there was no escape for them. On the island, Crocodile and other powerhouses from Impel Down's Level 6 were slaughtering Blackbeard's forces without mercy.

Yes, because Shiro still didn't fully trust Crocodile and his crew, he brought them along on this mission, leaving Jinbei behind to assist Domino with her work. With Crocodile and the other former Level 6 prisoners, along with Enel leading the Seven Cloaked Warriors and the Kuja Pirates, the remaining Blackbeard pirates stood no chance!

This battle caused little damage to Amazon Lily. In fact, the island had thrived under Shiro's leadership as the Supreme Commander of Central Authority, with Boa Hancock as his fiancée. One of Shiro's engagement gifts to Hancock was a massive mountain of gold, created specifically for Amazon Lily. No longer would the Kuja warriors need to venture to Central Authority to mine for resources. This rapid development had transformed Amazon Lily into one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the Grand Line.

By the time Shiro and his group arrived on the island, the battle had ended. Kuzan and Enel had already led the Seven Cloaked Warriors back to Central Authority for the next operation. Shiro, along with other elites and Kuja warriors, boarded the warships to follow them.

However, before they could depart, an unexpected conflict arose.

It seemed that Zoro, who had been traveling with Hawk Eyes, got into an argument with a woman. When Shiro approached, he was stunned.

The woman Zoro was arguing with… was Nico Robin?

But wasn't Robin supposed to be with Momousagi at Central Authority? How could she be here on Amazon Lily?

"Hey, Robin, what's going on? Why won't you answer me?" Zoro asked, clearly frustrated. As a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro was happy to see Robin, but her strange behavior and silence had ignited his temper.

Just then, Robin looked up and saw Shiro approaching. Her expression changed instantly, visibly shaken by his presence.

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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg