Seeing Teach's subordinates blasted away, Whitebeard looked weakly at Doflamingo, his tone carrying a bit of displeasure as he said, "Don't casually interfere in other people's family matters, you brat. I haven't fallen so low as to need someone's pity."
"Fuffuffuffu, I just saved your life, don't be ungrateful, old man," Doflamingo teased with an arrogant expression.
If it weren't for his cooperation with Allen, he wouldn't have bothered to intervene. After all, Whitebeard's death causing turmoil in the New World would only be more beneficial to him.
However, if they wanted to kill Blackbeard, letting Whitebeard live a little longer was obviously more advantageous to the situation.
Otherwise, relying solely on him and Allen to fight the entire Blackbeard Pirates would be too much pressure.
"Doflamingo, why would that guy help us?"
"Aren't the Warlords of the Sea on the Marines' side?"
"No, strictly speaking, attacking that bastard Teach doesn't count as standing against the Marines."
Regarding Doffy's intervention, the bystanders were more puzzled than shocked, but they didn't say much.
After all, to the Marines, Blackbeard was indeed an enemy. A Warlord of the Sea helping the Marines deal with Blackbeard was considered normal, though they didn't know if he had any other motives.
On the other side, after Whitebeard was pulled away by Teach's ability, Akainu and Kizaru were finally freed.
"My, my, Whitebeard, the Golden Lion, the escaping Straw Hat kid and Ace, and now Teach. What a headache." Kizaru tapped his head, looking troubled. "There are so many targets to deal with, I can hardly choose."
"Whitebeard must die today. This concerns the Marines' future plans, and it is the ultimate goal of this war!" Akainu's tone was resolute. He stared coldly in the direction of Whitebeard and Teach, instructing Kizaru without looking back, "There's something I'm a bit concerned about. Borsalino, go intercept Ace and the Straw Hat kid. Leave this side to me."
"Oh? Are you sure you'll be fine alone, Sakazuki? Blackbeard's ability doesn't seem simple." Kizaru couldn't help but glance at Akainu, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.
Akainu's eyes showed a hint of anger as he growled, "Cut the crap. Just make sure you don't slack off."
"How scary. I'm working very seriously, Sakazuki," Kizaru spread his hands helplessly. Seeing Akainu glaring at him unkindly, he knew when to stop. "Well, since you think you'll be fine, I'll be going then."
With that, Kizaru's body turned into light and dispersed on the spot, quickly flying away from the area.
Akainu turned back. His hanging right arm quickly transformed into crimson magma. Scorching white smoke rose, and viscous magma dripped onto the ground, sizzling and smoking.
In the distance, after Doffy cleared out Teach's subordinates, the recovered Whitebeard charged forward once again to clash with Teach.
Even with his abilities suppressed by the Dark-Dark Fruit, Whitebeard still held the upper hand relying on his superior Haki and physical strength, practically beating Teach to a pulp the entire time.
During this, Teach constantly tried to find opportunities to counterattack. After using his palm to release gravity and grab Whitebeard, his steel claws successfully pierced the latter's abdomen once.
But that was the only time.
After a few exchanges, Whitebeard also noticed Teach's flaw: the move that suppressed Devil Fruit abilities seemed to only be executable through his palms.
Having grasped this, Whitebeard immediately tested it out.
He no longer struck Teach directly. Instead, he punched the air with his tremor power, using the large-scale shockwaves generated by the tremors to blast Teach's body from a distance!
This strike instantly sent Teach flying dozens of meters away, smashing heavily into the ground and creating a deep crater.
After confirming that Teach indeed couldn't nullify such large-scale shockwaves from a distance, Whitebeard's eyes darkened. Gripping Murakumogiri, he leaped high into the air.
Infusing the blade with tremor power, he slashed down fiercely before falling back to the ground!
Boom!!
The terrifying shockwave triggered by the tremor power crushed down, shattering and tearing the earth apart under its devastating impact!
"Pfft-gah—!"
Teach spat out a massive mouthful of blood with an agonized expression. His face contorted under the pressure, blood continuously seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His entire body was embedded into the earth as if he were about to be crushed into a meat patty!
Bang!!
Whitebeard descended from the sky with his eyes wide in fury. His feet shattered the ground as he landed. Reaching out a large hand, he grabbed Teach by the throat, lifted him up, and growled, "Teach, I told you I'd send you to the underworld. Once you're there, make sure to repent to Thatch."
"Wait... wait a minute, Pops... I know I was wrong, please let me go..."
Beaten bloody and bruised, Teach's eyes rolled back as his throat struggled to let out a hoarse voice.
It wasn't until he truly faced death that the fear in his heart surged out all at once. With tears and snot smearing his face, he begged Whitebeard for mercy in the most pathetic manner.
Seeing him in this state, a hint of hesitation flashed in Whitebeard's eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a touch of compassion.
However, this thought only flashed by for a moment.
"Look at this battlefield, Teach. At this point, you can no longer be forgiven."
Whitebeard gritted his teeth and hardened his heart. His five fingers exerted force, tightly gripping Teach's throat. His nails dug into the flesh as a sphere of white tremor energy formed in his palm.
As long as this sphere of energy erupted, Teach's cervical vertebrae would be shattered into pieces in an instant.
But right at that moment, a figure launched a surprise attack from behind Whitebeard!
"Hellhound!!"
Sakazuki roared, his five fingers curling into a claw. His magma-transformed arm swelled violently, striking out with astonishing speed!
Bang!! Bang!!
Whitebeard's eyes suddenly widened in disbelief. The terrifyingly powerful magma claw pierced through his body from behind, and then, with undiminished momentum, pierced through Teach as well!
"I said it before, not a single pirate will leave here alive today. Especially you, Whitebeard..."
Sakazuki revealed a gloomy expression and violently retracted his magma arm.
"Pfft-gah—!!"
Whitebeard's eyes bulged red as he couldn't help but throw his head back and spew a massive mouthful of blood. With a large hole blown through his chest, he could no longer support his body and dropped to one knee on the spot.
At the same time, he loosened his grip, letting Teach fall to the ground.
"Uwaaah—!! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!"
"It's so hot, you bastard!!"
"I'm going to die!! It hurts to death!!"
Teach, who also had a hole blown through his chest, fell back to the ground. He howled in agony, rolling back and forth on the floor as copious amounts of black smoke continuously billowed from his body.
The black smoke concentrated and gathered toward the wound, slowly healing it bit by bit.
Akainu stepped forward step by step, magma dripping from his arm all the way. His eyes were gloomy and cold. While observing Teach's expression, he said, "Marshall Teach, son of the most heinous pirate in history, Rocks D. Xebec. We already know all about your conspiracy."
"You...!!"
The moment he heard these words, Teach's eyes widened. His pupils dilated in shock, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.
He had hidden this identity until now. Not even his crewmates on the Whitebeard Pirates, whom he had lived with for decades, knew about it. Why would Akainu recognize his identity!
"You... what the hell are you talking about! What Rocks? I've never heard that name before!"
Teach loudly and flatly denied it. Besides the anger in his tone, his face also carried a hint of panic.
However, Akainu had only said it to bluff him from the start, so he had naturally been paying close attention to the changes in Teach's expression.
From the momentary slip-up when panic flashed in Teach's eyes, it was enough for him to conclude that the other party was indeed the son of Rocks.
"I don't need evidence. As long as there is enough suspicion, the bloodline of sin must be eradicated!"
Akainu's eyes showed absolute resolve as he spoke with finality:
"This is Absolute Justice!!"