Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Cunning Blackbeard
Explosions reverberated endlessly across Jaya Island.
The battlefield between Karl and Teach had long shifted away from Mock Town and into the dense forest.
Meanwhile, Shanks had boarded his small boat and was quickly sailing away from Jaya Island.
The island before him was shrouded in fierce winds and swirling mist, with massive waves rippling across the surrounding sea.
Shanks couldn't help but sigh at the sight, though he wasn't discouraged. Pressing his straw hat firmly onto his head, he muttered in a low voice:
"Karl, I'll be back. The next time we meet, I'll defeat you and avenge Captain Roger!"
Shanks didn't dwell on whatever connection might exist between Blackbeard and the Rocks Pirates.
After all, he wasn't a firsthand witness to those events, so it held little personal significance.
At most, he understood that Karl was hunting down remnants of the Rocks Pirates to exact his vengeance.
Additionally, Shanks had never been particularly close with the Whitebeard Pirates, so he saw no reason to involve himself with a dangerous figure like Blackbeard or oppose Karl.
It wouldn't benefit him at all.
"Next stop, the East Blue. I should visit the Captain's hometown again…"
Meanwhile, deep in Jaya's forest, Karl and Teach were locked in a relentless chase.
In terms of Armament Haki and Observation Haki, the two were evenly matched. However, Karl's swordsmanship, physical strength, and martial arts far outclassed Teach.
Especially his Devil Fruit powers, which left Teach completely disoriented.
The battle had dragged on for quite some time. Were it not for Teach's cunning and his skillful use of the terrain to escape, Karl would have already captured him and sent him to reunite with the Rocks Pirates.
Even so, Teach was nearing his limit. His situation looked increasingly dire.
His body was covered in wounds, with a gaping, fist-sized hole in his abdomen—a result of Karl's Devil Fruit ability, which condensed wind into a pseudo-Rasengan.
While not on par with Naruto's Rasengan, it proved surprisingly effective in close combat.
Whether fighting at close range or launching long-distance attacks, Karl handled everything with ease.
Yet, their battle had now lasted over an hour, and Karl's stamina was beginning to wane—a weakness he was acutely aware of.
Teach, on the other hand, still seemed as energetic as ever, showing no signs of fatigue.
This reminded Karl of his past life, where official sources described Teach as a monster who never needed sleep, with inexhaustible stamina and mental energy.
It explained why Teach grew stronger so quickly. With double the time of an ordinary person, endless training could yield extraordinary results.
Gritting his teeth, Karl increased his pursuit speed and aimed for Teach's unprotected back.
"Persistent Navy brat! Die already!"
As Karl closed in, Teach abruptly spun around and charged at him head-on.
Karl reacted without hesitation, slashing with his blade.
A massive burst of sword energy tore through the forest, severing countless trees.
Teach, enveloped in Armament Haki, caught the sword energy with his bare hands and slammed it into the ground.
The resulting explosion devastated the forest, but Karl quickly summoned a powerful windstorm, trapping Teach in its vortex.
"Zehahahaha! You can't kill me, Navy brat!"
Though trapped in the storm, Teach's immense weight and Armament Haki shielded him from fatal damage.
Karl, however, knew he'd need a decisive strike to finish him off.
"Tired of hearing yourself talk?"
Coating his Sandai Kitetsu with Armament Haki, Karl used Soru to close the gap in an instant, thrusting his blade straight at Teach's heart.
To Karl's surprise, Teach dropped his Armament Haki defense as if surrendering.
Sandai Kitetsu pierced Teach's heart effortlessly, but something felt off.
Then, with a sinister grin, Teach gathered all his strength and launched a punch at Karl's chest.
"Die, brat!"
"Trying to go down with me?"
Realizing Teach's intent, Karl quickly withdrew his blade and leapt back.
But Teach's attack took an unexpected turn, slamming into the ground instead.
The impact cracked the earth, sending a massive shockwave that hurled Teach into the air.
"This guy wasn't aiming for mutual destruction—he's trying to escape?!"
Seeing Teach propelled into the sky by the recoil, Karl was momentarily stunned.
Without hesitation, he launched himself after the fleeing Blackbeard.
However, Teach somehow altered his trajectory midair, plummeting straight into the sea below.
By the time Karl reached the spot, Teach had vanished beneath the waves.
Even with Observation Haki scanning the area, the ocean seemed to swallow him whole, leaving no trace.
"Pierced through the heart, and yet… he's still alive? Not even the system registered his death."
Frowning, Karl pondered the implications.
"Does this guy really have more than one heart?"
Karl couldn't help but feel frustrated. He had let his guard down after landing a seemingly fatal blow.
Under normal circumstances, even Whitebeard couldn't survive a pierced heart—his injuries in the Paramount War had severely weakened him.
Similarly, Doflamingo had entered a near-death state when his heart was damaged, only surviving thanks to his exceptional mastery of the String-String Fruit.
Not everyone had Kaido's near-immortal resilience.
But Blackbeard was an enigma. The scant information available about him left Karl uncertain about the full extent of his peculiarities.
Elsewhere, Teach swam rapidly underwater, leaving Jaya Island far behind.
Dragging his heavily injured body, he found a pirate ship and slaughtered everyone aboard to claim it. Only then did he finally catch his breath.
"What a monster! If I hadn't sacrificed one of my hearts to catch him off guard, I really might've died back there!"
Sitting atop a pile of corpses, Teach tended to his wounds while muttering bitterly to himself.
His hatred was clear: first, he needed to find the Dark-Dark Fruit; next, he would take down Karl. After that, it'd be Shanks' turn!
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