After addressing the pirate crew's issues, Liu Feng slowly turned to face Blackbeard, and everyone else followed suit. Blackbeard stood frozen for a moment, then forced a stiff, sycophantic smile.
"Well... I'll also join the new navy," he said, trying to appear cooperative, though his words were tainted with arrogance.
Liu Feng sneered, his gaze cold and unwavering. "I don't plan on inviting you."
Blackbeard's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly masked it with a forced chuckle. "What? You don't trust me? I can be an ally, I've got connections, power—"
Liu Feng's voice interrupted him, sharp as a blade.
"I don't trust you. You killed your own family for power, Blackbeard. You're a traitor. You think I'd let someone like you anywhere near the new navy?"
He paused, letting the silence hang heavily in the air.
"You may be powerful but I got Roger, Shiki, Big Mom, even Zephyr so none of that matters. You're weak. You're nothing but a coward who betrays everyone for his own selfish gains."
Blackbeard's smug grin faltered as he tried to regain his composure, but the words hit him hard. He clenched his fists, but there was no denying the truth in Liu Feng's words. He could see the disdain in Liu Feng's eyes.
Liu Feng's expression darkened even further. "What is the value of someone like you to me? Nothing. You're just a tool in the hands of your own ambition."
Blackbeard's face twisted in fury. "You can't do this! I'll—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Liu Feng's power surged.
With a cold, calculated movement, he unleashed the full force of his Dark-Dark Fruit.
The air around them thickened, and a suffocating black mist began to swirl, engulfing Blackbeard in darkness. He felt the eerie pull of the void as his body was forced into an inescapable grip.
"What's this?" Blackbeard gasped, his heart pounding as he struggled against the pull of Liu Feng's power.
Liu Feng's eyes glowed with a malevolent gleam as he extended his hand. The darkness around Blackbeard intensified, and suddenly, with a snap of Liu Feng's fingers, Blackbeard's Temor Temor Devil Fruit was ripped from his body, floating in the air as if it were an object of no value.
Blackbeard screamed in agony, the sound echoing across the sea as his power was drained away.
"No!"
"Ahhhh!!"
"My Tremor-Tremor Fruit!!"
"That's my power!!!"
"How could you?"
In the vast prison corridor, a thick, dark aura swirled, stirring up a cold wind that mixed with Blackbeard's agonizing cries.
The powerful shockwave surged forward, forcing Golden Lion and the others to step back instinctively, their expressions shifting with unease.
The darkness, swirling like a vortex, disturbed the very air above the prison, taking on the form of a massive, formless, hellish demon. Blackbeard's screams grew increasingly shrill as the dark aura thickened, becoming even more terrifying. It seemed to consume everything it touched, pulling it in, devouring it whole, and choking the life out of it.
Even those at the peak of power—the strongest individuals in the world—couldn't shake off the creeping fear this strange aura evoked.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit's ability... it's the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit users!!" one of them muttered. "Is this the plundering power of the Dark-Dark Fruit?"
Golden Lion muttered under his breath, his eyelids twitching as if painful memories resurfaced in his mind.
Whitebeard let out a heavy sigh. "What a shame. The power to plunder."
Byrnndi World also observed the scene with a puzzled expression.
Just as various thoughts flashed through their minds, the dark hurricane suddenly erupted, transforming into a pitch-black gale that spread in all directions.
Boom!!
The darkness dispersed, and everyone instinctively squinted, only to see Blackbeard collapsed on the ground like a lifeless heap. His face was pale, devoid of any color, his pupils dilated, and cold sweat drenched his body.
At first glance, it seemed as though his very essence had been drained.
His face was contorted in misery, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Liu Feng with pure hatred. "You damn brat!" he roared.
"How dare you take my power!! I'll kill you!!"
But his threats rang hollow. The seastone shackles still bound him tightly, rendering him powerless.
The most important thing was feeling the power in his body that was strong enough to destroy the world go away and leave his body, making him feel an unprecedented emptiness.
The hideous bloodshot lines filled the pupils.
For an ambitious man like Blackbeard, who worships power, the loss of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was a heavy blow to him; it would be even more painful than killing him directly.
On the other side, Zephyr's tall figure suddenly stepped out of the dark storm. In the shocked eyes of everyone, he slowly opened his eyes, and the cold light burned in his eyes like a raging flame.
"How is my power?"
Whitebeard couldn't help laughing and asked.
Through his Observation Haki, Whitebeard sensed the immense power emanating from Zephyr, growing at an astonishing rate—deep, majestic, and overwhelming.
Zephyr could feel the mighty energy coursing through his body, and a satisfied smile slowly crept across his face.
"Whitebeard, you really possess an extraordinary ability," he remarked.
The two locked eyes for a moment before breaking into simultaneous smiles.
Yes, Zephyr had been recognized by Whitebeard!
The once-mortal enemy of the Navy was now worthy of wielding the power to destroy the world!
"Blackbeard, don't mistake this," Zephyr warned, his voice calm but firm. "This is not your power. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit was never truly yours. You stole it."
Liu Feng sneered at Blackbeard.
"Besides, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit in your hands can't unleash its true potential," he remarked.
Liu Feng spoke the truth. The real power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was far beyond its basic ability to cause earthquakes and tsunamis. That was just the surface level of its potential. Anyone who acquired the fruit could use it for such effects, but that wasn't where its true power lay.
The true strength of this Devil Fruit came in close combat. The destructive force of the shock was concentrated at close range, capable of shattering even the strongest defenses in an instant. During the War at the Top, Whitebeard demonstrated this by beating Akainu senseless, despite being gravely wounded.
Just think about it—the force of a shockwave strong enough to flatten an entire island, concentrated into a single punch.
The damage it could cause was catastrophic. Even Akainu, with his elemental powers and overwhelming Haki, was seriously injured.
As for Blackbeard, he possessed the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, yet he used it only to clear out minor enemies. He lacked the ability to utilize its full power on the battlefield. The contrast between the two was stark and unmistakable.
Only Zephyr, with his bold and direct fighting style, could truly unleash the full power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, just like Whitebeard!
One punch would be enough to shake mountains, to tear open the very sea itself! It could swallow thousands of miles in its wake!