If it had only been Shiryu, it would've been troublesome—but not hopeless.
With his awakened Logia abilities and the near-immortality granted by his status as a God's Knight, Aramaki might still have had a chance to fight back… perhaps even win.
Almost instinctively, he began to stir his power. Beneath his feet, vegetation quietly surged to life. From the cracks in the walls and floor, tender green shoots pushed outward, subtle but relentless.
The thought to strike had just formed—he hadn't even had time to act.
"Zehahahahahahaha!!!"
A thunderous, unmistakable laugh—reeking of greed and arrogance—erupted from multiple directions, surging through the narrow corridor and swallowing it whole.
Footsteps followed.
From ahead, emerging from the shadows behind Shiryu, the towering, mountain-like figure of Marshall D. Teach—Blackbeard strode forward. A metal barrel—snatched from who knew where—rested casually on his shoulder. His jagged, missing-tooth grin looked especially grotesque under the dim lighting.
From a ventilation shaft on the left, a man slid out soundlessly, rifle cradled in his arms. His lifeless, fish-like eyes betrayed no emotion—Van Augur. The barrel of his sniper rifle drifted, almost lazily, until it aligned with Aramaki.
To the right, among a heap of discarded mechanical parts, Jesus Burgess clenched his fists. A grating crack of knuckles echoed as he spread his mouth into a feral, battle-hungry grin.
Behind him, at the far end of the corridor, cold mist seeped into the air. Kuzan stood there, hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall with a blank, indifferent expression.
Beside him, the "Plague Doctor," Samuel Cronos, toyed idly with something in his hands. Behind his mask, eerie green eyes glowed faintly, studying Aramaki with open curiosity.
Six of the Blackbeard Pirates' core combatants.
Complete. Intact.
They had sealed the corridor—trapping Aramaki inside.
…
That lineup…
The flicker of fighting spirit and calculation that had just risen on Aramaki's face was instantly doused, as if by ice water. His expression stiffened, turning grim.
Blackbeard himself—wielding two Devil Fruits.
Shiryu—the master swordsman.
Kuzan—a former Admiral.
Van Augur—the sniper.
Burgess—the embodiment of brute strength.
Samuel—the wielder of some unknown, eerie ability.
This lineup…
Even at full strength, facing just the first three would demand utmost caution.
All six at once?
And Kuzan was among them—a genuine monster.
He… couldn't win.
Escape might not even be an option.
A chill crawled up Aramaki's spine.
"Aramaki."
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi clenched tightly in his palm—forgotten in his earlier shock—crackled back to life. Saint Jaygarcia Saturn's steady voice came through, tinged faintly with impatience.
"What's happening? Why the sudden silence on your end? Has the signal been disrupted?"
Aramaki swallowed. His gaze remained locked on the Blackbeard crew before him, who watched him with the leisurely amusement of cats toying with a trapped mouse.
He spoke into the Den Den Mushi, his voice dry—laced with a hint of self-mockery and bitter irony.
"It's nothing… Saint Saturn."
He paused, then spoke slowly, each word deliberate.
"It's just… you never mentioned that your carefully chosen 'ally'—that greedy hyena… would also show up on this island."
His lips curled faintly.
"And judging by the look of things… its appetite is rather large."
The word hyena was bitten off with unmistakable disdain.
On the other end, within the halls of power at Mary Geoise, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn immediately understood.
That specific insult—combined with Aramaki's tone—
Blackbeard.
And the situation was bad.
Saturn's expression darkened, though his voice retained the commanding authority of one who stood at the pinnacle.
"Blackbeard. It seems… you've successfully landed on the island."
Blackbeard's eyes fell on the Den Den Mushi in Aramaki's hand, its face mimicking Saturn's.
He grinned, baring his broken teeth.
"Zehahaha! One of the Five Elders, huh? Your intel's pretty sharp!"
He chuckled, voice dripping with satisfaction.
"That's right. I'm on the island now. And the 'air' here… mm, suits my taste just fine!"
"Good," Saturn replied coolly. "Proceed according to the agreed plan. Your priority is to locate Vegapunk's main body and secure the core of his database. Ensure—"
"Bang!"
A gunshot cracked through the corridor.
Not the roar of artillery—but a sharp, compressed shriek as a bullet pierced the sound barrier, its report suppressed to a deadly whisper.
In the next instant—
A tiny hole appeared at the center of the Den Den Mushi's forehead.
Clean. Precise. No trace of powder burn.
The expression mimicking Saturn froze… then warped, blurred—
Pop.
The creature went limp, as though its life had been sucked out in an instant. Its glossy sheen dulled, its form collapsing into a lifeless husk.
One shot. Instant kill.
(For the Den Den Mushi.)
The tension in Aramaki's chest, which had loosened slightly upon hearing Saturn's voice, snapped taut again—pulled to its absolute limit.
He jerked his head up, staring in disbelief toward the source of the shot.
Van Augur slowly lowered his rifle, a faint wisp of smoke curling from the barrel. His dead eyes remained utterly unmoved.
"You… what are you doing?!" Aramaki demanded, shock and fury colliding as he turned to Blackbeard.
"Aren't we allies?! The World Government recognized your nation! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Blackbeard, however, looked as if he had merely brushed aside a trivial nuisance. He even gave Van Augur a thumbs-up of approval.
Then he turned back to Aramaki.
The grin on his face widened—wilder, greedier.
"Allies? Cooperation? Zehahahahaha!!!"
His laughter exploded through the corridor, rattling the metal walls.
"At first… that really was the plan!"
"To take advantage of those old fossils in the World Government, grab a legitimate status, squeeze out some benefits…"
His laughter abruptly cut off.
His gaze sharpened—burning with raw ambition—as it swept across the futuristic island around them, as though he were already surveying his dominion.
"But, you see… former Admiral."
"The moment I actually set foot on this island—saw all of this with my own eyes…"
"Vegapunk's insane technology. The ancient secrets that might be hidden here. And that drool-worthy Mythical Zoan fruit in Straw Hat's possession…"
Blackbeard licked his lips.
"I realized something."
"Everything on this island… is just too damn tempting!"
"So tempting that… just being a 'well-behaved ally' and taking that measly agreed-upon reward?"
He spread his arms wide, darkness and tremors faintly emanating from him.
"That would be a massive loss! Zehahahaha!!"
"So—"
"I've changed my mind."
His eyes locked onto Aramaki's pale face as he spoke, each word ringing like a declaration.
"This island—Egghead—and every 'treasure' on it…"
"Vegapunk. His database. The Seraphim. Ancient technology. And Straw Hat's 'Nika' fruit…"
"I'm taking all of it."
"As for the World Government? The Five Elders?"
He sneered.
"Heh… once I've digested everything here, I'll decide whether I still feel like playing their little 'allied nation' game."
"But for now…"
His grin twisted into something savage.
"Former Admiral… will you step aside quietly and become the first sacrifice to my grand plan?"
His gaze flicked to his commanders.
"Or… will you help us save some time searching for Vegapunk?"
The temperature in the corridor seemed to plunge to absolute zero.
The pressure of six monstrous presences crashed down like mountains upon the isolated Aramaki.
At this moment—
The fangs of betrayal were bared without the slightest attempt at concealment.