Chapter 169: One Piece, And Fate

Nothing could be seen.

Instead of seeing, they only felt, the humidity that took over the area. The heat that rendered them nauseous.

The muffled sounds of bubbling were continuously heard as Smoker and Crocus rapidly flew through the tunnel of steam.

The blood dripped down from Crocus's thumb, disappearing into the thick layer of steam below.

'...Hurry,'

And Smoker, at his maximum speed, carried them through this vast sea of death. His eyes scanned through the layers of steam, searching for any possible sign of Blackbeard as they flew.

'Hurry...!!'

His free hand, one that didn't latch onto Crocus, was outstretched, pushing through the steam that parted a way open ahead of them.

Through the contact, he spread his senses. His Observation Haki desperately roamed in an attempt to detect Blackbeard. His eyes, gleaming in crimson, were under the continuous operation of the Observation Haki.

Yet, nothing could be detected, and this wasn't a good sign.

After all, this meant that there was a high chance that Blackbeard already...

'No.'

Smoker gritted his teeth,

'It isn't over until it's over.'

"Now."

Then, Crocus spoke. Smoker's eyes widened.

They've come out of what appeared to be an endless sea of steam and death.

The sunlight reached down onto them. But what caught Smoker's attention above all,

was the floating path of sea clouds, one that seemed as if it was about to fade at any time.

"You must follow that path!"

Crocus stated firmly,

"Hurry, before the sunlight fades—the road will disappear then, and we'll be left with no way of reaching the Laugh Tale!!"

Smoker immediately complied, blasting themselves from the spot by kicking off the air.

BOOOOM!

There was a ripple of the air from the sheer shock. Smoker and Crocus were propelled forth, accelerating at a phenomenal speed as Smoker's eyes focused on the continuing path of a white road, one that resembled the Milky Way in his eyes.

SWOOSH!

The water below them splashed and parted just from the wind that Smoker and Crocus's flight produced.

Crocus shielded his face as the wind strongly blew. Smoker's hair covered up his eyes, but he quickly slicked it back.

And in Smoker's sight entered the colour red.

"Red Line...!"

The road of sea clouds ended in front of the gigantic red wall

Crocus shouted,

"TRUST IN ME, SMOKER!!!"

Resisting the wind, he said in conviction,

"YOU MUST GO INTO THE WALL!! THIS IS JUST A MIRAGE CREATED BY THE ABNORMALITY OF THIS SEA, DON'T STOP!!!"

"Understood."

Crocus's eyes closed as they neared the red wall. He, even though knowing the truth, gritted his teeth as his body instinctively readied to brace for the impact.

Smoker, on the other hand, glared at the red wall as they flew at an incredible speed.

PUFF—!

And so, they flew through the red wall, without having received any damage.

Crocus opened his eyes and peaked.

He saw...

"...Here we are."

An island in the middle of nowhere,

"Laugh Tale."

Smoker and Crocus landed on this enigmatic island.

"To think I would come here once more..."

Crocus whispered in a tone of melancholy.

And upon landing, Smoker immediately spread his Observation Haki throughout the area.

"..."

There was no time to enjoy the view. Smoker's eyes darted downward as he sensed the presence, one that was on par with that of Nerona Imu's at the very least.

"Damn it..."

Cursing in urgency, Smoker's form blurred out, diving into the hole that lied in the middle of the island.

Crocus, grimacing as he witnessed Smoker's disappearance, quickly ran after him, toward the hole.

Boom.

Landing at the bottom of the hole, Smoker found himself within what appeared to be a hallway of an ancient ruin.

Towards the direction in which the presence was felt, he dashed, turning left and right as he went through the complex maze.

BOOOM!

Breaking through the walls if necessary, Smoker continued to descend downward.

The streaks of darkness, the indication of Blackbeard's presence, were getting thicker as Smoker traveled.

Cutting through the darkness, Smoker didn't stop, gritting as he put all his mind into reaching Blackbeard.

As if reflecting his determination, the Conqueror's Haki around him crackled, forming cracks in the walls and ceilings as he traveled.

And finally, leaving the dust on his track, Smoker reached the very center of the maze.

Ba-Bump.

Taking in a deep breath, Smoker stared ahead of him.

There stood a man.

Man of long, unkempt, and filthy-looking black hair. He, wearing a black-coloured captain's hat, had his back facing Smoker.

He was the man who went by multiple names and titles.

Rocks D. Xebec.

Captain of Rocks Pirates.

Behemoth.

Marshall D. Teach.

Crew member of Whitebeard Pirates.

Executive member of Pirate Alliance.

Blackbeard.

Ba-Bump.

"...Dark Dark fruit has no such a thing as awakening and resonance. It is simply incomplete, and it was meant to be that way."

Blackbeard then muttered.

"From its birth, its primary function, above all, was to take over Joy Boy's heart—to attain the infinite energy."

On Blackbeard's right hand was a brightly shining heart that was thumping without its user.

Smoker's eyes widened.

"Zehahaha..."

Blackbeard turned his head and glanced at Smoker through the corner of his eyes.

Below his chin was a long and messy black beard. His eyes, containing a psychotic gleam, seemed to be staring at Smoker in mockery,

"...you were one step late, White Hunter."

Blackbeard grinned widely, in a victorious manner.

Smoker ran forth with his hand outstretched toward the heart in Blackbeard's hand.

The air crackled in black lightning. The room itself began to shake.

"A mere nobody such as yourself isn't capable of intervening the fate. That's right, ZEHAHAHA!!!"

Time seemed to slow down as Blackbeard opened his arms wide and laughed boisterously.

"I WAS CHOSEN BY THE FATE!!! TO BRING BACK THE OLD GLORY!!!"

Then, the darkness exploded centering Blackbeard, and Smoker was knocked back from its sheer impact, along with the walls, ceilings, and other structures that were ground into dust,

"TO BECOME GOD OF THIS WORLD!!!"

Smoker, skidding down the crumbling ground, lifted his face and glared at Blackbeard with eyes that were burning brilliantly in white flame.

Seimei Kikan: Zenith.

His body flashed in bright white as he zoomed right in front of Blackbeard in a span of a microsecond.

PAZZZZZZ!!!!!

The black lightning crackled in all directions as Smoker's fist, one that contained the space-severing property of aether, met the incredibly dense dark matter, one that was imbued on Blackbeard's fist.

"My darkness is now complete, for it is infinite."

Blackbeard grinned.

From the impact of the collision between the strongest wills, the space cracked and fell apart, crumbling away and leaving a void around Smoker and Blackbeard.

Then, Blackbeard held his hand up, revealing a darkness above his palm.

Said darkness was unbelievably dense, brimming in energy.

And that wasn't the end. The darkness began to vibrate, before becoming something completely different.

Smoker, staring at the enigmatic energy atop Blackbeard's palm, manifested his own technique.

The aether, the matter that doesn't exist in this world surfaced, lighting up the area and combatting the approaching darkness.

The aether swirled. It then accelerated. Shining brilliantly, Smoker's strongest technique surfaced as he clenched onto it.

Then, he rushed at Blackbeard.

"Zehahaha... DARK ENERGY!!!"

The white struck the black,

'Supernova...!!'

and the entire surrounding exploded, consuming both Smoker and Blackbeard.

__________

"...What is happening?"

People murmured in worry. Some trembled in fear.

Every single one of them gazed at the sky, one that was being taken over by the vast darkness that was spreading at an incredibly quick rate.

The sun has disappeared before the darkness. The blue sky was gone. To maintain a light source, people quickly lit torches aflame.

Every part of the world was overtaken by the darkness.

"The sky..."

Standing at the top of the Marineford, Sengoku and Tsuru grimaced.

Next to them stood the marine soldiers with torches.

<<Purururu, purururu,>>

Sengoku answered the call.

"Dragon."

<<...And so, you too are witnessing it, I assume.>>

"Yes, indeed—"

"Speaking to every single human in this world..."

The voice boomed out from the sky full of darkness. It was the one that contained malice, one that Sengoku easily recognized.

"...Xebec."

"Rejoice, for your god has risen."

ZEHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Marines shivered from the might of Blackbeard's Conqueror's Haki.

Infusing into the darkness, it spread throughout the world, and this was the reason why he could relay his message to the entire world.

"A-Ah..."

People fell to their knees, being unable to maintain their strength in front of the otherworldly power.

"What's the situation in New World?!"

In another area, Dragon hurriedly shouted.

"It seems that they too are experiencing this darkness! Robin says that neither Smoker, Crocus, or Blackbeard have exited the boiling sea yet, but judging by how things are progressing currently..."

"Tch..."

And within the Sky Island that served as the base for Smoker and the others in the past,

"W-What is this?"

The children cried in fear.

"UAHHHH!!! Why is it so dark?!!"

Luffy, cried and yelped as he ran all around. Usually, Ace would've stopped him, but Ace too was far too shocked, standing still with a cold sweat as he stared at the sky.

Afraid, they were peaking through the windows from the inside.

Rosinante, who was embracing them, gazed at the sky with a concerned expression,

"Smoker-san... all of you... are all of you fine?"

__________

"...Stand by."

On the Lodestar island, Hina stated stoically as she held her hand up.

They witnessed the darkness spreading from the boiling sea and the steam beyond.

The most likely explanation for this was...

"...Blackbeard managed to seize One Piece."

Robin held her wrist to stop her arms from trembling. Though her lips were blue, she did her best to conceal her nervousness.

"Xebec..."

Gloriosa mumbled.

"Crocus-san... is he alright?"

Brook, in a worry, whispered.

"What happened to Smoker then?!"

Bastille shouted, and everyone's faces darkened.

"—LOOK!!!"

Then, a member who was holding onto a torch shouted as he pointed at the sea.

"The sea!!! Not just the sky, but the sea too is being—"

The sea was turning black. It was solidifying.

The steam began to subside upon the solidification. After, the sight beyond the steam was revealed, and,

BOOOOOM!

there was an explosive noise, one that caused many to flinch.

The air itself seemed to ripple from the impact, and two figures clashed.

"Huff... huff..."

Smoker was found with quickened breaths as he blasted his Haki-imbued fist onto Blackbeard's own, one that was imbued with the dense darkness.

The space cracked as the emissions of two fists collided. The black lightning of Conqueror's Haki crackled.

There was yet another explosion. Smoker was then flown away, and he landed back on the solidified sea, skidding backward from the momentum.

"Huff... huff..."

Smoker stood back up, unyielding.

Witnessing such a scene from Lodestar nearby, Hina noticed something strange.

There was no indication of Smoker using his Devil Fruit power.

Crocus, who was on his butt, stared at the clash between two figures from a far distance, with his eyes exhibiting that of despair as he gazed at Blackbeard.

"Zehahaha..."

Blackbeard, filled with nothing but amusement and exhilaration, laughed as he stared at Smoker,

"It's futile, White Hunter."

And Hina finally widened her eyes in realization.

Raising her hand, she muttered,

"I... can't use my Devil Fruit ability...?"

Others too, flinched upon hearing that.

Aramaki tried to use his Forest Forest fruit. Robin fried to use her Flower Flower fruit. Hancock too, tried to use her Love Love fruit.

...None of them worked. Nothing but the silence came in response to their efforts.

Hina raised her head to stare at the sky.

The darkness having taken over the world... meant far more than what is appeared to be.

BOOOOOM!

And even so, Smoker continues.