Lindbergh had no idea that Whitebeard had already fallen at Blackbeard's hands. He frowned and asked,
"Since he's still alive, how are you able to use the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit?"
The moment he spoke, the Blackbeard Pirates burst into arrogant laughter. Lindbergh's expression darkened, and he replied coldly,
"What's so funny?"
Teach raised a hand, and Burgess and the others immediately fell silent, showing the authority he held over his crew.
With a sinister smile, Teach looked at Lindbergh and said,
"Dragon and the other three Army Commanders are dead. That makes you the leader of the Revolutionary Army now, right?"
Faint arcs of electricity flickered around Lindbergh's claws. He nodded slightly and answered in a low voice,
"That's right. What business do you have here?"
Teach spread his hands casually.
"Hey, no need to be so tense. I just came to confirm whether our cooperation is still in place."
Lindbergh paused, clearly confused.
"Cooperation? Since when did we have any dealings with you?"
Teach answered without hesitation,
"With your Revolutionary Army. Your former leader Dragon intended to work with the Whitebeard Pirates. Even if he's gone, that agreement should still stand, shouldn't it?"
Lindbergh raised a brow, his tone sharpening.
"You already left the Whitebeard Pirates. That means there's no cooperation between us."
He had no respect for Blackbeard. In his view, Whitebeard was most likely dead, and Teach had somehow stolen his Devil Fruit power. If that were true, then this was nothing but betrayal. Someone like that had no place standing beside the Revolutionary Army.
Teach clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed.
"You're stubborn."
Burgess suddenly stepped forward, shouting,
"Captain! This guy is asking for it! Let me deal with him!"
Before anyone could stop him, Burgess charged forward. He bent his arm, and a powerful shockwave burst out from his elbow.
"Wave Elbow!"
Lindbergh snorted. His right arm instantly turned jet black as Armament Haki coated it, faint lightning crackling along its surface. With a single claw strike, he shattered the incoming shockwave.
The impact sent Burgess flying backward, his body hurtling toward Teach.
At that moment, a pair of pure white wings unfolded from Laffitte's back. In a flash, he appeared in front of Teach and caught Burgess midair.
However, Lindbergh's strength was far greater than expected. Even after catching him, Laffitte was pushed back by the force, only stopping when Teach reached out to steady them.
Teach frowned and scolded,
"Burgess, that was rude. You attacked without warning. And do you really think he's someone you can handle?"
Burgess shook his head, still dizzy from the blow.
"Sorry, Captain… this guy's tougher than he looks."
Teach waved it off.
"Laffitte, take him back."
Laffitte adjusted his black top hat with a refined gesture.
"As you wish, Captain."
With a flap of his wings, he retreated, dragging Burgess along.
Once they were out of the way, Teach looked back at Lindbergh, smiling as if nothing had happened.
"Leader Lindbergh, my subordinate may have been rude, but your response was a bit excessive. Aren't we supposed to be partners?"
Their earlier performance only reinforced Lindbergh's opinion that this crew was disorganized and unreliable. Hearing Teach still talk about partnership made him scoff.
"My apologies," Lindbergh said mockingly. "I didn't expect your man to be so fragile."
Teach continued smiling, unfazed.
Behind him, Burgess grew angry again, but Laffitte quickly covered his mouth.
"Quiet, unless you want the Captain to lose patience."
Nearby, Doc Q casually pulled an apple from his coat.
"Want one? It might help."
Burgess flinched and paled instantly.
"No thanks. Keep it."
Lindbergh, seeing that Teach was still maintaining a polite front, waved his hand dismissively.
"Since you were once part of the Whitebeard Pirates, I won't pursue this any further. I have important matters to handle. Take your crew and leave."
Even after being told to go, Teach remained where he stood.
"And our cooperation?"
"That's your misunderstanding," Lindbergh replied. "Our alliance was with the Whitebeard Pirates, not you."
Teach nodded slowly, a faint smile lingering on his face.
"I see. What a shame."
Lindbergh turned away, signaling his subordinates to withdraw.
At that moment, Axiu's eyes widened.
"Watch out!"
She didn't need to say more. As a Mink, Lindbergh's natural instincts were already screaming danger. The fur on his body bristled as he spun around.
A sharp cracking sound echoed through the air.
A massive shockwave surged from behind him, infused with overwhelming force. Lindbergh reacted instantly, slashing forward with his claws, sending out several silver gusts.
A deafening explosion followed.
A blinding white light engulfed the battlefield, and the ground shook violently. Lightning-like energy spread across the sky like silver serpents.
As the smoke cleared, two figures stood facing each other.
Teach and Lindbergh.
Everything around them had been reduced to ruin, the ground shattered beyond recognition except for the space they occupied.
Laffitte and the others had already surrounded Charlotte Chiffon, shielding her from the aftermath. Once the tremors subsided, they slowly stood upright again.
The Revolutionary Army suffered heavy losses. Many soldiers lay paralyzed on the ground, while others had fallen into the deep cracks formed by the impact.
Teach remained in his striking stance, a faint ripple of translucent force still visible around his fist.
Across from him, Lindbergh gritted his teeth. His right arm trembled slightly.
Drops of blood fell from the tip of his claw onto the broken ground.
Though it had been a rushed counterattack, Lindbergh specialized in close combat. Even so, that single clash made one thing clear.
The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, combined with Teach's own strength, was overwhelming.
He had underestimated his opponent.