Chapter 454: I Want to See Bai Mao

Navy Headquarters, New Marineford.

To be precise, this was Blackbeard's third time arriving at New Marineford; each visit brought a different feeling, each more desperate than the last.

His first visit was many years ago.

At the time, the World Government deployed Admiral Garp, Admiral Akainu, Admiral Aokiji, and Admiral Kizaru to capture Blackbeard alive.

But due to the Four Emperors' chaos in New Marineford, Blackbeard barely escaped with his life.

At the same time his lineage as the son of Rocks was exposed, the Four Emperors gained a reputation for Heavy on Emotion.

His second visit was when he fell into Garp's hands.

At that time, Blackbeard had just absorbed the Krieg Pirates in the East Blue, and his Blackbeard Pirates reached their largest strength in history—only for Garp to crush his dream of kingship with a single punch.

Not a single one of his thousands of subordinates survived; Blackbeard himself was captured by Garp and sent to Punk Hazard for Vegapunk's modifications.

Now, this is the third time.

After waiting twenty years for the Dark-Dark Fruit, only to have it stolen by the traitor Lafitte, Blackbeard nearly collapsed.

In his despair, upon realizing Lafitte was Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's man, Blackbeard pretended to be insane to evade the United Kingdom's scrutiny.

As long as he survived this crisis, Blackbeard believed he would one day have the sea and sky open before him.

So what if he pretended to be mad?

Great men don't fuss over petty details!

But Blackbeard never imagined the United Kingdom's high command had no honor—they directly ordered his public execution alongside New Marineford.

Not even a sliver of room for negotiation.

Not even a trial—directly sentenced to death.

Worse still, his patrons—the Old Era Remnant Alliance—had been completely eradicated and would be executed alongside him.

New Marineford, Prison.

Inside the prison, entirely constructed of Seastone, the Old Era Remnants glared at Blackbeard with hatred, wishing to tear him apart with their teeth.

"Eight years ago I said this guy was unreliable, but you didn't listen—now look, we're all suffering because of Blackbeard."

"What's the point of saying this now?"

"I even suggested we all defect to Saint Barzab—why didn't you listen?"

"We underestimated Saint Barzab's resolve."

The Old Era Remnants all assumed Barzab would spare them; they never expected this waiting trap.

Had they known, they'd have fought to the death—better than this humiliating end.

Familiar names finally made Blackbeard lift his head, sneering at the Old Era Remnants.

"Bai Mao is ruthless… right?"

Blackbeard muttered to himself.

"Twenty years ago, Bai Mao and two others kicked out three of my teeth—just because I complained to my parents afterward, he held a grudge against me for twenty whole years."

"Twenty years—

How many twenties does a man get?"

Hearing this, the Old Era Remnants fell silent; compared to Blackbeard's tragic past, their own suffering seemed less unbearable.

At least they'd enjoyed eight extra years beyond those Old Nobles executed at the founding of the United Kingdom.

How many eights does a life hold?

And in their lifetimes, they'd enjoyed everything they should and shouldn't have—perhaps their only regret was not joining Saint Barzab sooner.

Had they boarded Saint Barzab's new-era ship like Kobra did, they might still be nobles today, high above all others.

Green Pepper, captured alongside the Old Era Remnants, heard Blackbeard's words and sighed.

"This little thing… holds a grudge for twenty years?"

"Eight Treasures Club… water army… no wonder."

Green Pepper couldn't understand—if Saint Barzab was as petty as Blackbeard described, why did so many follow him?

Wouldn't serving such a man mean constant vigilance?

Surely not everyone who followed Saint Barzab was a masochist… enjoying being abused?

The more Green Pepper thought, the more confused he became. Since he'd be executed tomorrow anyway, he might as well die with clarity.

"Blackbeard, if what you say is true, shouldn't no one want to follow Saint Barzab?"

The Old Era Remnants suddenly realized.

"That's right."

"If Saint Barzab were this petty, how could the Navy, Army, Air Force high commands, the Four Emperors, Elbaf… all follow him?"

Blackbeard's smile vanished. He paused, then replied softly.

"He's extremely generous to his own people, kind to strangers—his pettiness is reserved only for enemies…"

Upon hearing this, both the Old Era Remnants and Green Pepper, who clung to them, were filled with crushing regret.

They should have joined Saint Barzab earlier!

The boundless wealth and glory of being founding heroes—slipped through their fingers.

The Old Era Remnants suffered in silence, but Blackbeard's suffering was known only to himself.

Now he realized: leaving the Whitebeard Crew was the worst decision of his life.

Had he stayed with the Whitebeard Crew, relying on his past loyalty in defending the Hive Island for the Morning Star Crew, and on Whitebeard's relationship with Bai Mao…

He might not have become a division commander like Marco, but at least he'd have held a position in the United Kingdom.

With that power, wouldn't finding the Dark-Dark Fruit have been effortless?

How could he have ended up like this—a condemned prisoner awaiting public execution, even without a single soul visiting him before death…

At that moment, a familiar shout pulled Blackbeard's thoughts back to reality.

"Tichi, Tichi, I've come to see you."

Blackbeard squinted—and saw that the visitor was none other than Sachi, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Fourth Division and their chef.

"Brother Sachi… I…"

Seeing only Sachi had come, Blackbeard instantly realized: Whitebeard, and all the other division captains, had utterly abandoned him.

He was, after all, a traitor who had rebelled, while the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates now held high positions as nobles of the United Kingdom.

They were no longer on the same path.

"Tichi, I made your favorite cherry pie."

Sachi's words made Blackbeard's eyes well with hot tears, as if the years of suppressed grievance had finally found an outlet.

"Brother Sachi, thank you. If I'm reborn, I'll repay your kindness."

"Sigh." Sachi sighed, pulling from the food box a steaming cherry pie and a bottle of long-hidden fine wine.

"Just made it in the Navy mess hall—eat it while it's hot. This is the dandelion wine the Old Man hoarded for years… I was going to open it on Little Sister's wedding day…"

Blackbeard knew that the "Little Sister" Sachi meant was Eustass, Whitebeard's beloved daughter.

It was said Bai Mao had named her.

And as for this dandelion wine, only Bai Mao brewed the most delicious across the entire sea.

Even the Seastone cell imprisoning him was produced by Bai Mao's Raikiri.

Realizing this, Blackbeard froze in stunned silence for several seconds, then burst into laughter.

"How foolish."

Without his noticing, Bai Mao's influence had seeped into every corner of life—and he had unconsciously ignored all of it these past years.

Before the overwhelming tide of the unified seas, not even the Blackbeard Pirates—or the Old Man Rocks himself, if alive—could stand against it; they'd be crushed to dust.

"Brother Sachi, I want to see Bai Mao."