Chapter 69

Setting aside the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit,

the fact alone that he could scratch a wound across Shanks's eye means his physical techniques are not something Zoro can handle.

And...

If a real conflict broke out, Sima Di was confident he could defeat Blackbeard, but should he kill him?

If he killed him, wouldn't the "Marineford War" be gone?

That place is a gathering spot for famous scenes!

"It's me. Any problem with that?" Sima Di said calmly.

"Oh hahaha— as expected!" Blackbeard laughed loudly, baring his gap-toothed mouth: "Come be my partner! I'll take you to conquer this world!"

Sima Di's expression turned strange!

It wasn't because Blackbeard had actually invited him — the wildly ambitious man recruiting powerful allies was only natural.

It was because...

【Ding! Congratulations on signing in at the famous scene "Blackbeard, whose everything except his teeth is black, even the Devil Fruit!" — sign-in reward obtained: *Senju Tobirama's Dark Release Art*!】

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*Senju Tobirama's Dark Release Art*: A genjutsu that creates visual hallucinations and steals away all light from the enemy!;

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Sima Di never expected that Blackbeard laughing would count as a famous scene?

Truly worthy of the man who would replace Bai Huzi in the future and become one of the new Four Emperors!

Blackbeard was also an extreme gambler, staking all his ambition on a single "Dark-Dark Fruit" — if he couldn't obtain it, he would have stayed a good boy in the Bai Huzi Pirates forever.

He gambled right, so he became the Emperor of the new era.

Unfortunately...

"I have no interest in Contending for the World, I just want to experience interesting adventures," Sima Di refused.

But Blackbeard clearly wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Isn't contending for the world interesting enough? Once we become the new Sea Emperors, won't we gain even more fun?" Blackbeard coaxed patiently.

In short — drawing a big pie.

This Sima Di was familiar with!

"Is that so?" Sima Di lowered his head in thought, then said: "How about this — as long as you can pull off some major event that interests me, I'll go join you. But before that, I'm very interested in Sky Island, I need to go there first."

Isn't it just drawing a big pie?

Sima Di could do that too.

Blackbeard clearly hadn't expected Sima Di to make such a demand, and couldn't help squinting as he sized Sima Di up.

What gives you such nerve?

Zoro and Nami both secretly readied themselves, thinking Blackbeard would fly into a rage and attack.

But...

"Then let's see whether you have the qualifications to make me do that!"

This was a challenge.

Sima Di wasn't about to back down either — this fight was unavoidable.

And...

Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit had no elementalization, but could absorb damage with double the pain, so the experience of the "Pregnant Gaze" would also be super-doubled — that taste would definitely be quite something, wouldn't it?

Sima Di looked at Xiang Na and the others: "You three go back to the ship first, I'll come back a little later."

Apart from the mysterious Crocus, Sima Di was currently the strongest on the ship.

Therefore,

Zoro and the other two knew full well that staying would only be a burden, said a quick "be careful," and left directly.

But Luffy had no self-awareness.

"Let me do it! I'm a great pirate with a bounty of one hundred million Beri!"

Zoro obviously wasn't going to pay him any attention — you're still pregnant, what are you fighting for?

Blackbeard treated his "companions" quite well, and didn't stop Zoro and the other two from leaving — as for the great pirate with a hundred-million bounty Luffy was talking about?

Hah!

A hundred-million bounty was a dime a dozen even on the Grand Line, and in To the New World it was straight-up the bottom of the barrel.

"Your partners have left, now we can fight, right?" Blackbeard grinned: "Don't disappoint me, otherwise... you'll die!"

"Whoosh—"

Blackbeard vanished on the spot, reappearing with a black fist already blasting toward Sima Di.

Sima Di also condensed Armament Haki and blasted back with a reverse punch, without any other abilities attached — he wanted to test his approximate current level too.

"Boom—"

The clash of black fists shattered the ground beneath their feet. After a brief stalemate, Sima Di was still forced back half a step, while Blackbeard only swayed slightly.

After all, this was the man whose physical techniques could wound Shanks, and he was still in his prime.

"Intermediate Armament Haki? And you've awakened Conqueror's Haki? At your age, you're truly a genius!" Blackbeard said excitedly: "You're a swordsman, right? Let me see your sword!"

This suggestion made Sima Di's expression very interesting.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh hahaha— I've even fought Great Swordsmen, so just draw your sword without worry!" Blackbeard said full of confidence.

Then...

He was on his knees in front of Sima Di with a dumbfounded expression, his hands pressed together holding the flat-extended blade of Sima Di's sword.

One hundred percent empty-handed catch of Bai Ren!

"See? I told you to confirm first," Sima Di chuckled.

6. House of Time and Spirit! Kurokasa's Deal!

Finally realizing Sima Di's trouble, Black Hu Zi ceased his assault.

"Dark Vein!"

Darkness oozed from beneath Black Hu Zi's feet, then swallowed everything around, dragging Binglunwan and Sima Di into it like a giant mouth ready to devour them.

Now Sima Di's disadvantage became clear—whether using his Word-Spell ability or releasing Binglunwan, he had to speak.

While using the Appraisal Technique,

his mouth would involuntarily chant the "incantation," leaving no time to stop or change it.

So...

Sima Di decided to push through to the end and face Black Hu Zi head-on!

"Do you know~ the greatness of maternal love?"

"Appraisal Technique!!!"

Golden light blazed forth,

Black Hu Zi's belly visibly swelled, followed by a deafening, full-day scream!

"Pain pain pain—"

"Aaaah—"

"What kind of strange ability is this?!"

Meanwhile,

Sima Di found himself suspended in the dark sky, his Observation Haki sweeping out to detect countless treasures and items.

It seemed this was an independent space similar to "Shinrai," used by Black Hu Zi as a storage dimension.

Then...

"Sharingan—"

Though surrounded by darkness with no sight, the BUG of Tenshō was that it burned everything!

Sima Di directly targeted the "darkness" before him as the object of incineration; black flames spread through the dark space, about to engulf the entire dimension.

Sima Di calmly pulled out the Hearthstone and rubbed it.

The glow of the magic array was swallowed by darkness; he vanished silently from there, reappearing on the deck of the Golden Merrie.

The speed was astonishingly fast,

so fast that Nami and the others hadn't even returned to the Golden Merrie yet.