As the person with the lowest status on this ship, Blackbeard had no way to refuse.
Especially after his escape plan had been ruined by this vine-man, Blackbeard was now very unhappy as well.
"Let's go. This old man will send you up there."
After saying that, Issho turned around directly.
Blackbeard clenched his fists, then followed him.
When they arrived on the bow deck, Blackbeard raised his head and looked at the spire-like top of Impel Down.
Since Issho had said he would send him up, that meant the vine-man was up there, right?
Unless the other party also possessed an ability similar to Golden Lion's.
The sudden appearance of another person on the ship made the Marines and jailers outside Impel Down tense up.
Blackbeard was not particularly eye-catching among the Whitebeard Pirates, but he was still a member of Whitebeard's crew. Quite a few Marines recognized him after seeing him.
However, none of them understood what Issho and the others on the ship intended to do.
Then they saw the tall blind swordsman suddenly draw his blade.
Before they could react, Blackbeard, who had just appeared, shot up from the deck and flew toward the top of Impel Down.
"Issho, what are you doing?"
Vice Admiral Momonga pressed a hand against the hilt of the sword at his waist, his expression serious.
"Don't be nervous. This old man bears no ill will. It just seems someone does not want us to get along peacefully."
Hearing that, Issho calmly sheathed his sword and answered.
Hm?
Momonga froze.
The next moment, an explosive boom sounded from above Impel Down.
Everyone instinctively raised their heads toward the place where the sound had come from.
A large mass of vines and trees twisted and grew wildly like living tentacles.
Then another explosive boom rang out.
Dark lightning from Conqueror's Haki erupted above.
"As expected."
Seeing this, Robin nodded lightly.
"Anyone Cyrus deliberately mentions really is special. Blackbeard is indeed unusual."
Although Blackbeard had fought Issho for quite some time before, he had not shown anything particularly special back then, nor had he revealed his Conqueror's Haki.
"Those who possess Conqueror's Haki either have ambition or conviction."
Issho raised his head slightly.
Although he could not see, his Observation Haki clearly sensed the battle above.
Blackbeard's Conqueror's Haki was filled with a wicked flavor.
This was a man with great ambition, and worse, he had the ability to realize it.
He was dangerous.
However, with Cyrus around, Blackbeard probably could not stir up any great storm.
"Chairman Cyrus should have other plans."
Baby 5 now had some understanding of Cyrus too.
"Even if he really does possess Conqueror's Haki, in Chairman Cyrus's eyes, that probably isn't too special. Since the chairman kept him around, he must be useful."
As she spoke, Baby 5 looked toward Issho.
"Mr. Issho, is that person using vines and trees really not a problem? Blackbeard should be useful. If he accidentally dies, Chairman Cyrus may become angry."
Hearing her reminder, Issho paused, then shook his head.
"It's not just him. However, whether the others make a move depends on them. As for above, have a little confidence in that fellow. His strength is not weak."
Issho was speaking sincerely.
At the very least, judging from the strength Blackbeard had displayed after unleashing Conqueror's Haki, he was probably one of the strongest people in the Whitebeard Pirates.
Yet a man like that had never even been a division commander in the Whitebeard Pirates.
He had deliberately hidden his strength, perhaps because of his ambition.
It might also be the reason Cyrus paid special attention to him.
The battle above reached its climax almost instantly.
"Zehahaha! You bastard, you ruined my good plan!"
Even without eating a Devil Fruit, Blackbeard's physical combat ability alone was enough to place him among the first tier of fighters on this sea.
Armament Haki wrapped around his fists, while Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body.
Blackbeard laughed furiously and charged toward the tree-man formed from vines and wood.
"The Logia-type Woods-Woods Fruit. What a pity! If only I'd met you after finding that thing."
Blackbeard's vision had never been narrow.
In his eyes, there were never only a few powerful Devil Fruits worth caring about.
Having memorized the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, he recognized his opponent's ability at a glance.
Boom!
Just as the tree-man finished forming, Blackbeard's fist slammed directly into its chest.
A pulverizing force spread outward from the point of impact.
Then the tree-man's chest exploded apart.
"Found you, you bastard."
Blackbeard looked at the figure condensing inside the huge hole he had blasted open, grinning as his eyes filled with fierce light.
"What a pain."
The figure that condensed there had green hair.
His body was not exaggerated, and his whole person looked somewhat listless.
"Wouldn't it be better if you just obediently cooperated with me?"
Aramaki.
During the World Government's great recruitment this time, many powerful people had joined.
Of course, most of them were interested in the authority and convenience that came with joining the Marines.
As for Aramaki, he was not interested in those things.
However, he greatly approved of the Celestial Dragons' status.
As a Logia ability user, the moment he appeared, he was immediately recruited by the World Government—or rather, by the Celestial Dragons.
He had gladly accepted.
And this time was his first operation, as well as the first major mission he had carried out.
Unfortunately, everyone he encountered was stubborn.
He still did not know that his sudden appearance had ruined Blackbeard's escape plan, which was why Blackbeard was so unhappy with him.
Bang!
Blackbeard did not wait for him to finish speaking. His figure had already charged in front of Aramaki, and his palm pressed directly against Aramaki's face.
Then Aramaki's body was forcibly torn away from the enormous tree-man, causing a large spray of green tree sap to burst out.
Bang!
With another loud impact, Blackbeard smashed Aramaki's head heavily into the spire-like top of Impel Down.
Cracks spread in every direction, and one of the spires collapsed and fell away.
Aramaki's head was smashed directly to pieces, green liquid splattering everywhere like blood.
"Bastard!"
Blackbeard suddenly released his hand and retreated.
Wherever the green liquid splashed, vines and saplings began growing rapidly. They moved as though alive, twining toward Blackbeard from every direction.
"As expected, it's not that easy!"
Blackbeard withdrew rapidly, avoiding the encirclement of plants.
"Easy? I'm a forest man who ate the Woods-Woods Fruit. I am undying."
On a thick tree, a face identical to Aramaki's surfaced.
At this moment, he looked smugly at Blackbeard.
To a certain extent, what he said was not wrong.
There were very few people on this sea who could restrain his ability.
And by using his ability to absorb life force, he could maintain his peak condition for an extremely long time.
But after saying this, Aramaki suddenly thought of a figure.
The clone he had planted through his seeds had been completely burned away by flames.
The feeling of being roasted inside those flames had been transmitted to him with terrifying clarity.
Cyrus's ability restrained him very severely.
Or rather, it was the natural enemy of his ability.
That man had to be dealt with. Solving it here would be best.
Seeing Aramaki fall still, Blackbeard's eyes began to shift.
The guy in front of him was not weak.
Perhaps he could use this person to get away.
As long as he held back slightly and allowed himself to be knocked down into the sea below.
Blackbeard quickly calculated whether this plan was feasible.
He needed to account for Issho's ability.
With Issho's power, even if Blackbeard was knocked away, Issho could use gravity to stop his body from falling.
He had to make sure Issho could not spare any attention.
Thinking to this point, Blackbeard felt that the plan was very feasible.
As long as he escaped, he could hide his name, change his appearance, and infiltrate the Hunter Guild to see whether there was a chance to obtain some control over part of the Guild.
That way, he could use the Guild's power to search for that Devil Fruit.
The plan would work.
It was feasible!
Next, he had to consider how to make Issho unable to spare any attention.
Blackbeard's thoughts moved quickly, but to avoid revealing any flaws, he raised his fist and charged forward again.
Although these vines and trees were annoying, they were not difficult to destroy under his strength and Haki.
"You're dead!"
Countless vines lashed and twisted, their tips covered in Haki.
They were like steel whips, and under a special technique, the soft lashes turned rigid, stabbing toward Blackbeard like long spears.
Swish!
Blackbeard's figure disappeared from where he stood.
Countless hardened vines wrapped in Haki struck the place where he had been standing.
"Hm? Found my chance!"
On the solid stone tower roof where the attack landed, cracks appeared and began spreading outward.
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