Chapter 24: What Could the Commanders Have in Mind?

Why was Ace covered in blood and unconscious? Because, while Lin Yan was sweeping through the Whitebeard Pirates, an intense battle unfolded on Banaro Island.

On one side was Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander. On the other was Marshall D. Teach, who recently obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit and defected from the Whitebeard Pirates.

They already bore a grudge. When Blackbeard and Ace met, they hardly exchanged a word.

After their encounter, they clashed fiercely without any warning. The collision between the Flame-Flame Fruit and the Dark-Dark Fruit was about to erupt on Banaro Island. The two fought fiercely, making the sky dark, with the sun and moon losing their light. The small island was flattened by their clash!

Blackbeard was scarred all over, but the excitement in his eyes was hard to suppress. Why? Because the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace, had been defeated by him.

"Zehahahaha!"

"Second Commander, thank you for presenting me with such a generous gift. In return, I will repay you by destroying the Whitebeard Pirates!" Madness flickered in Blackbeard's eyes. The reason he joined the Whitebeard Pirates years ago was very clear. He wanted to lie low within the Whitebeard Pirates, waiting for an opportunity to soar to the sky.

Now, the Dark-Dark Fruit has ignited his ambition! His goal was never to become a division commander or a Warlord of the Sea. From the beginning to the end, Blackbeard had only one goal: to replace the Whitebeard Pirates, establish a new throne, and become a sea emperor of a new era!

Thinking of his plan that had been brewing for years, and the future he had long planned for, Blackbeard could barely contain his inner excitement. And all of this starts with Ace in front of him, and with the Whitebeard Pirates!

At this moment, Blackbeard Pirates' Burgess handed over a newspaper. "Boss, there's news about the Whitebeard Pirates!"

In the news, Blackbeard saw that the Whitebeard Pirates had recruited a newcomer. "Lin?"

Although exhausted, Blackbeard did not pay much attention to Lin in the newspaper. A newcomer? How big of a wave could he stir up? He was just a little curious. When the Whitebeard Pirates are destroyed soon, would this newcomer regret joining them today?

"Van Augur, contact the Navy and tell them we have a big deal for them!" Blackbeard didn't linger. After capturing Ace, he immediately started contacting the Navy. The undercurrents of the Grand Line were starting to brew from this moment on!

Meanwhile, on Lin's side, after settling in, Izou began to introduce Lin to the various facilities of the Whitebeard Pirates, as well as the current situation on the Moby Dick. After about three to five hours, Lin got a general idea of things.

At this time, Izou looked at Lin with an awkward smile and said, "Can I... ask you for a favor?"

"A favor?" Lin paused. Izou had already secured ten times his salary for him. "Go ahead!"

"Can we have another fight?" Izou said with a look of anticipation.

Lin was surprised. He looked at Izou sideways. "Didn't we already spar before?" Lin asked, puzzled.

"Lin, let me be honest with you. Since sparring with you, I've felt lacking in many areas, both in strength and ability!" Izou explained, his expression earnest. "And the key is, after losing to you, my overall ability has improved significantly. So... how about another match?"

Hearing Izou's words, Lin smiled. He thought it was something major! "Alright!"

After agreeing, they moved to an open space. This was within the range of the Whitebeard Pirates' islands, where no one would disturb their match.

The battle was about to begin! It was just a spar, not a life-and-death fight, so they just went through the motions. However, the commotion caused by their fight was enormous! The entire archipelago echoed with their battle.

This caught the attention of the local Whitebeard Pirates crew members.

"Why is the ground trembling under our feet?"

"Is it an earthquake?"

"Could it be that another pirate crew is invading?"

"Quick, go and see!"

Many on duty immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed toward the source of the sound. Soon, they found Lin.

At this moment, many people's pupils constricted! They saw Lin holding Thor's hammer, releasing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Countless bolts of lightning were descending on Izou. Where the lightning passed, everything was destroyed, leaving devastation in its wake.

Before, on the Moby Dick, everyone knew Lin was a Devil Fruit user, but they hadn't seen what kind of Devil Fruit it was. Now, seeing Lin's raging thunder, the crew's mouths dropped open in shock.

"This is... Lin's Devil Fruit?"

"Such thunder and lightning... isn't this too terrifying?"

"Why is Lin sparring with Commander Izou?"

"Are they just sparring?"

"Great, we can observe them, maybe it will be beneficial for future training!"

With more and more people gathering, a large crowd joined in watching. Unfortunately, they didn't get to watch for long before the fight was nearly over!

Lin Yan hadn't planned on using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. However, at Izou's request, he unleashed its power. Within twenty minutes, a flash of lightning struck Izou squarely, sending him crashing heavily into the ground, creating a large pit. He was utterly shattered.

"Lin, you're so strong!" Izou exclaimed, feeling the vast chasm in strength between himself and Lin Yan.

"If you work hard, catching up is just a matter of time," Lin Yan replied earnestly.

Rejuvenated by Lin Yan's words, Izou suggested, "If there's a chance, let's go again!"

"Always welcome," Lin Yan said amicably.

For Izou, this was just a way to improve his strength. For Lin Yan, it was a gesture of gratitude, as Izou had negotiated ten times the usual pay for him. Unexpectedly, within a single night, news of their duel started spreading within the Whitebeard Pirates.

Previously, except for Jozu and Vista, the other division commanders regretted not having faced off against Lin Yan. Learning about the duel, the commanders quickly reached a consensus.

The next day, at dawn, just as the sun peeked over the horizon, all the division commanders, from Jozu to Izou, gathered outside Lin Yan's door. They had only one purpose: "We just want to challenge the newbie, what's wrong with that?"