Chapter 431: Sunk into the Sea Again

Regarding why Blackbeard had come, Aokiji had considered a thousand possibilities, but never imagined this short, black, fat man had come to challenge him.

“A showdown between real men?”

“I’ve been disrespected.”

It is well known that there are three Marine Admirals, yet Blackbeard did not challenge Akainu or Kizaru—he chose to challenge Aokiji instead.

Isn’t this clearly a sign of disrespect toward Aokiji?

You little black fat man, I hope your fat is as tough as your mouth.

Aokiji tore off his Marine cloak with one hand; Virgo instinctively reached out to catch it.

Seeing this, Blackbeard’s eyelid twitched wildly—he had a terrible feeling he was about to be brutally beaten by Aokiji.

Just moments ago, Aokiji was smiling cheerfully—how could his aura have changed so suddenly?!

Even the onlookers felt the temperature plummet, as if they were standing in a frozen wasteland, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Blackbeard immediately felt the urge to retreat.

But remembering he still hadn’t secured funding from the North Blue Noble Alliance, he gritted his teeth and leapt into the arena.

At that moment, Avaro Pizarro, the champion of the North Blue Arena and known as the Tyrant King, bowed slightly to Aokiji.

“Admiral, let me handle him.”

The Tyrant King despised the fat black man—he had spent years as a pirate, barely won the North Blue Arena championship, and was about to fully clean his name and go ashore.

Once he reached the Holy Land Sky City for the finals, even if he didn’t win the title, he could at least secure a minor official post in the United Kingdom.

But then this ugly, fat, black man suddenly appeared and dismissed his match as child’s play.

If he could tolerate this, he wouldn’t be called the Tyrant King.

“Next time. Next time for sure.”

Aokiji refused the Tyrant King’s request and smiled faintly at Blackbeard.

“A true man’s duel doesn’t allow surrender.”

To Blackbeard, that smile looked like a demon that had starved for ten thousand years, crawling out from the deepest pits of hell, fixated on his living flesh.

“Second place is fine, friendship comes first.”

Blackbeard reignited his Luffy-blood flame, wrapping his vital areas in fire, fearing Aokiji might use underhanded tactics.

His grandfather had sons. His father had sons.

Yet Blackbeard himself had never fathered a single child—he absolutely could not let that part freeze.

“Of course, of course.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Aokiji moved.

“Ice~Age~”

Seeing Aokiji unleash his ultimate technique immediately, Blackbeard summoned every ounce of his strength, pushing his Luffy-blood flame to its peak.

Blackbeard knew the Ice Age technique all too well—it could instantly freeze entire seas across multiple islands, forming ice layers ten to dozens of meters thick.

Years ago, right here in the North Blue,

Blackbeard had been captured by Aokiji this very way—his escape by sea completely cut off.

In an instant, his legs were frozen solid, immobile.

Then, a fist the size of a sandbag, wrapped in flowing Armament Haki, slammed straight into Blackbeard’s face.

*Thud~*

Blackbeard’s fat face caved inward—blood gushed from his nose, and two front teeth were driven straight down his throat.

Blackbeard’s mind held only one thought: Lafitte, you’ve doomed me.

Using the force of the punch against his face, Blackbeard channeled all his Luffy-blood flame into his legs and barely managed to retreat backward at the last possible moment before Aokiji’s second punch landed.

But Aokiji’s iron fists followed relentlessly behind him.

At that very moment,

Blackbeard finally realized: Aokiji’s fist techniques likely came from Garp—years ago in the East Blue, he had been beaten exactly like this by Garp.

Unpleasant memories surged back.

It seemed every top Marine except Admiral Kizaru had beaten him: Garp in the East Blue, Akainu in the West Blue, Kizaru in the South Blue—each had struck him down.

If you counted this time, Aokiji had now beaten him twice in the North Blue.

Perhaps he hadn’t yet adapted to the combat style of his Luffy-blood and Ancient Giant bloodlines, or perhaps his Baccania bloodline hadn’t fully fused.

Blackbeard was finally caught by Aokiji, pinned to the ground, and pummeled relentlessly, punch after punch.

*Thud~ Thud~ Thud~*

Blackbeard was filled with regret: Why had he suddenly lost his mind and chosen to challenge Aokiji?

Yet as Aokiji’s fists kept smashing into his face, Blackbeard, despite the agony, was stunned to discover—his Ancient Giant bloodline, which had never shown any power before, seemed... to have awakened.

“Auuuugh~”

After a horrific roar, Blackbeard’s body swelled—within a blink, he grew from over three meters to more than thirty.

Seeing this, Aokiji cursed under his breath.

Damn it, Vegapunk—what the hell did you do to Blackbeard these past years?

You gave him Seven’s identical flame, and turned him into a giant.

“Hehehehe~”

The giant Blackbeard raised his massive fists and laughed wildly: “Admiral, thank you for helping me awaken.”

“Now it’s my turn.”

“Is that so?” Aokiji leapt backward, instantly summoning multiple ice spears and a colossal ice bird.

“Two-Spear Lance—”

“Raging Bird Beak—”

Blackbeard realized with horror: his legs were frozen again—and now, with his giant size, he was a perfect stationary target.

Four spears, eight spears, sixteen spears... countless ice spears pierced his body.

From afar, he looked like a living ice porcupine.

At this moment, Blackbeard finally understood his true strength: he was infinitely close to an Admiral.

Leaving aside Loki, who possessed King-level power,

it was precisely because of this gap that he could never defeat Admiral Aokiji, would be crushed by Akainu, and couldn’t even touch Kizaru’s sleeve.

Never before had Blackbeard so desperately desired the Dark-Dark Fruit.

If he possessed the Dark-Dark Fruit’s power right now, he wouldn’t be crushed and battered by Aokiji—he might even win.

With his last strength, Blackbeard raised both hands high, deciding to surrender for now.

“I surrender~”

“I surrender~ I’m a law-abiding citizen under the United Kingdom, a very good citizen indeed.”

Hearing this, Aokiji sneered.

Then, mimicking Garp’s punching stance, he gathered all his martial arts, fruit powers, and Haki into one final punch and launched Blackbeard, now giant-sized, flying into the sea.

On the distant tower, Lafitte and Lu Bianyi each held a telescope, watching the battle closely.

Seeing Blackbeard sink into the sea again, Lu Bianyi fell silent for a long while, then muttered:

“The captain’s sunk again.”

Lafitte nodded: “I saw.”

“Let’s sail over—our captain has Luffy-blood; he might surface tomorrow like nothing happened.”