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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Eight: The Arrival of the Behemoth
The battle raged on.
Heckler endured the pain as he fought against Bashas, continuously pressing the attack. However, facing the frenzied Bashas, Heckler found it difficult to gain the upper hand in a short amount of time.
In another direction, Lafitte and Christmas were locked in a fierce struggle with Van Auga, neither side able to gain a decisive advantage.
Cecilia and Poison Q were also caught in a stalemate; both had sustained injuries and after their exchange, they separated once more.
No victor had emerged from the clashes.
Yet, no one was worried.
The members of Blackbeard's Pirate Crew found themselves at a temporary disadvantage, but they believed that Blackbeard would triumph over Ace and come to their rescue.
On the other hand, Eight was confident that Ace would emerge victorious.
As for the three members of Baroque Works, they firmly believed that their side would ultimately claim victory.
Everyone awaited the outcome of the distant battle.
...
Boom.
Ace was struck by a punch from Blackbeard but quickly pushed off with his right leg, kicking against Blackbeard's chest. He leaped backward into the air, crossing his index fingers as he aimed at Blackbeard.
A pillar of fire erupted, shooting towards Blackbeard and instantly striking his chest, leaving a scar behind.
Blackbeard raised his left hand, dark matter spreading out as Ace was uncontrollably drawn toward him. Blackbeard's right fist was already swinging.
However, Ace also lifted his right arm to block the incoming blow.
Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit allowed him to attract other Devil Fruit users and nullify their abilities, but it could not render them immobile.
Even without his powers, Ace still possessed formidable combat strength.
At the same time, Blackbeard could not turn intangible like other Natural Fruit users. If Ace's flames were unleashed, Blackbeard would still suffer damage in areas where dark matter did not appear.
The two engaged in a back-and-forth battle, inflicting wounds upon each other.
"Ace, you must win."
Nami prayed from a distance. She wanted to help but felt helpless; her horn had been shattered, and with her physical condition, she couldn't participate in the fight.
In this situation, she could only watch helplessly as the battle unfolded before her.
Ace found himself at a disadvantage.
"Cough cough."
Ace spat out blood, his expression grim as he looked at Blackbeard in the distance.
The opponent's ability countered his own; most of Ace's powers were ineffective, while Blackbeard's ability not only nullified Ace's powers but also inflicted damage on him.
Moreover, Blackbeard was physically strong, even stronger than Ace himself.
In terms of both physical prowess and abilities, Ace found himself slightly inferior to Blackbeard. The combination of these factors began to reveal his disadvantage.
He could not win.
As his injuries worsened, Ace came to this conclusion.
"Your ability can nullify any flames you touch, but is there a limit to it?"
Ace gazed at Blackbeard, contemplating. "And your own ability causes you double the pain. I wonder if you'll still be able to withstand it when that pain accumulates to a certain level."
At this rate, he would be slowly worn down.
He couldn't allow Blackbeard to exhaust him. Even if he were to lose, he had to ensure that Nami and those who had helped him could escape.
Thus, Ace decided to strike decisively and break through Blackbeard's threshold, inflicting damage on him.
"Then I'll use my strongest move."
With Ace's words, circles of flames appeared around him, expanding from the ground and occupying a vast area around him.
Then the flames slowly rose, occupying the surrounding space before condensing into a massive fireball.
Flames continuously flowed from Ace's body into the fireball, which kept intensifying, its color turning increasingly white until it became a gigantic white fireball.
"Great Flame Ring, Flame Emperor," Ace said softly, and in the next moment, he hurled the fireball.
On the other side, Blackbeard Teach extended his hands, darkness spreading around him and forming a vast black void. It then began to extend backward, with black matter gradually rising above.
At the instant the fireball was thrown, the darkness surged forward wildly.
Boom.
The fireball collided with the darkness, rapidly ascending and creating a bizarre scene.
A line appeared between the ground and the sky, as if someone had torn apart space itself.
On the left side was fire, while on the right was darkness.
The flames scorched the darkness, and the darkness devoured the flames. In their collision, they extended backward before exploding.
Boom!
The ground shook violently.
Flames and darkness slowly spread, eventually merging together.
"Not good!"
Nami quickly retreated, leaping down the hillside and hiding behind it, yet she could still feel the heat of the flames above.
"How terrifying."
Looking at the deep darkness and the bright flames in the distance, the eight combatants felt a sense of dread.
With such destructive power, even all eight of them together would likely struggle to harm any one of them.
This was the level of strength possessed by the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Who will win?"
As this question lingered, the flames and darkness began to reveal their victor, slowly dissipating.
Ace's fist struck Blackbeard's chest, causing blood to flow from Blackbeard's mouth. His expression was one of immense pain, with burn marks and bruises covering his body.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard's fist landed on Ace's chest. Ace stood there, covered in wounds, his left arm hanging limply by his side, unable to lift it. Yet he gritted his teeth and stared fiercely at Blackbeard.
Both had hit each other, but there was a difference.
Ace's fist had lost its flames, while Blackbeard's fist still bore the mark of darkness.
Puff.
Ace spat out a mouthful of blood, stepping back a pace. He pushed off the ground with his right foot, lunging forward with his left leg and throwing a punch.
Boom.
Blackbeard's fist struck his head, causing Ace's body to shudder. His vision darkened, and he slowly collapsed to the ground, his hat falling off.
"I lost."
Ace's back hit the ground hard as he tried to regain consciousness. His mind was foggy, his body battered and bruised; he was too weak to stand up again.
"Hehehe."
Blackbeard laughed, having defeated Ace. With Ace's position as the second captain of Whitebeard's crew, he was now eligible for a seat among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Of course, the Seven Warlords of the Sea were already at full capacity, so he would have to eliminate one of them.
However, the necessary preparations for his next move were already in place, making things much simpler from here on out.
"Ace."
At that moment, Nami rushed down the hill and reached Ace's side, her eyes red as she looked at him.
"Ace, why did you come here?"
Looking at Ace, despair flickered across Nami's face. "Why won't you run away?"
"You’re still here; how can I escape?" Nami cried out, her voice trembling. She then turned to Blackbeard, pleading, "Diki, I’m willing to join your Pirate Crew as a navigator. Please spare Ace."
"Sorry, but now that I have Lafitte, Ace is no longer valuable to me," Blackbeard sneered.
"You..."
Nami found herself in a dire situation. She had hoped to trade her allegiance to Blackbeard's Pirate Crew for Ace's life, but now it seemed her worth had plummeted.
"Die."
Suddenly, Nami stood up, swinging her left hand to kick up a cloud of dust that instantly enveloped Blackbeard.
Then she charged at him, her right hand gripping a dagger aimed at his abdomen.
This dagger had been hidden by Nami. Diki knew this but did not stop her; after all, a single dagger could not harm her.
But now it was different. After battling Ace, Blackbeard was already at his limit.
Seeing that Blackbeard had rejected her plea, Nami resolutely decided to take action.
Thud.
The dagger struck Blackbeard, but only grazed his arm, the blade sinking into his muscle.
"That really hurts," Blackbeard said coldly, lifting his right leg and kicking Nami in the chest.
Bang.
Nami was sent flying as if hit by a shield, landing beside Ace. She tried to prop herself up but coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"I remember you have a bounty too. I can hand you both over to the Navy," Blackbeard said with a grin.
Hearing this, Ace and Nami fell into despair.
Were they really going to die here?
But just then, a tremendous sound suddenly echoed from afar.
Thud, thud, thud.
The massive noise grew closer, causing the ground to tremble.
"Hmm?"
Blackbeard turned to look behind him and saw a gigantic figure emerging in the distance, faint yet imposing.
"What is that thing?"
Blackbeard slowly turned around, and as his figure approached, a massive beast appeared before everyone.
Its enormous body had a head adorned with large horns, a mouth resembling that of a crocodile, and sharp teeth that glinted ominously in the firelight.
It boasted towering dorsal fins that pointed straight into the air.
With six legs, it advanced step by step towards them, exuding a terrifying presence as it approached the three.
"Roar."
A deafening roar erupted, causing the ears of the three to ring, the sound vibrating through Heart and shaking their very souls.
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