Chapter 455: Dreams Never End, But People Do

Hearing this, Sachi’s face darkened with reluctance; he wanted to refuse outright, but seeing the resolve in Blackbeard’s eyes, he slowly nodded.

“Tichi, I’ll… try…”

As the Whitebeard Crew’s chef, Sachi was among the few on the Grand Line with Barzab Seven’s Den Den Mushi number, simply for easier exchange of culinary insights.

Not long after, Sachi ended the Den Den Mushi call.

“Tichi, Barzab Seven will arrive shortly—hurry and eat more while it’s still hot.”

“Alright.” Blackbeard smiled and picked up the cherry pie.

But the cherry pie, once sweet and soft, bringing him joy with every bite, now tasted strangely bitter in his mouth.

Blackbeard couldn’t tell whether the moisture sliding down his chin was saliva clinging to the lingering flavor—or tears of regret.

Just as he had once said: dreams never end, but people do…

When a man dies, his light goes out.

Once breath is gone, his new bride Lingshi, his unborn child, his dream of becoming King of the World—all vanish into nothing.

Nothing remains.

Years from now, who will remember Blackbeard?

Probably no one will.

After all, who remembers a failure?

Worse still, he didn’t even have the right to stand before Bai Mao.

The former King of the World, Yimu, though banished by Bai Mao eight years into the future, had at least ruled as King for eight hundred years.

And Blackbeard? He was nothing.

As Blackbeard wept, chewing the cherry pie he once loved most, he suddenly noticed time itself had frozen, as if paused by a hand.

Beyond the Sea-Prism Stone bars, Sachi, the remnants of the old era imprisoned in other cells, and the Den Den Mushi constantly monitoring the prison—all were frozen in place, like stone statues.

Then, ripples stirred across the space.

From the ripples surged dark mist, gradually coalescing into a black throne, upon which sat the figure Blackbeard had longed for—Bai Mao.

The sight left Blackbeard stunned.

“You ate the Dark-Dark Fruit?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t resist.” Barzab Seven didn’t hide it.

More precisely, with the Devil Power of the Hitomi Hitomi no Mi, Mythical Zoan: Satan Form, Barzab Seven had already surpassed the limits of Devil Fruit consumption.

Moreover, not only was the original source of the Satan form Devil Power, but the dark mist of the Dark-Dark Fruit was also part of Devil Power.

“How wonderful.” A strange light flickered in Blackbeard’s eyes.

“Everything I begged for twenty years and never obtained… everything I fought tooth and nail for—yet for you, it was effortless.”

In truth, Blackbeard envied Barzab Seven—so much he ached.

Born with a handsome face, he carried Lunaria blood yet lacked its flaws, never exposing his identity.

Unlike him—black, fat, and ugly.

And when Bai Mao was nine, he became a chef on Roger’s crew through sheer culinary brilliance.

Back then, how did Blackbeard join the Whitebeard Crew? He knelt before Whitebeard, pounding his head against the deck until he was accepted as an intern.

After that, the gap only widened.

Bai Mao, upon setting sail, met Mihawk, Tenghu, Big Mom, Jin Ni… even the legendary pirate Golden Lion joined his ranks.

Even Rafet, the most trusted lieutenant Blackbeard had gathered over years at sea, was Bai Mao’s man.

After these thoughts, Blackbeard wiped the tears from his eyes, feeling ashamed to weep before Bai Mao.

“Bai Mao, I have one question for you.”

“Mm, go ahead. I’m listening.”

Honestly, Blackbeard hated Barzab Seven’s tone—ever since childhood, it had always been as if he controlled everything.

But now, the gap in status was too vast; even if Blackbeard had ten thousand grievances, he had to swallow them.

“Suppose,” Blackbeard hesitated.

“If after leaving the Moby Dick, I had joined the Morning Star Crew instead… would you have taken me in?”

Facing imminent public execution, Blackbeard wanted only one answer before death—a small, unimportant one, but one that might ease his heart.

One that would let him believe his failure was simply because he’d chosen wrong.

Hearing this, Barzab Seven smiled.

“No. I would’ve refused you outright.”

“Why?” Blackbeard couldn’t understand.

“We’ve known each other since childhood. We weren’t as close as Shanks or Red Nose, and I never revealed any ambition back then—why refuse me?”

“Was I too weak then?”

Blackbeard had assumed Bai Mao had simply looked down on him, seeing through his hidden strength.

“It has nothing to do with that,” Barzab Seven paused.

“In our hometown, there’s a saying: look at a child at three, and you’ll know his whole life. From the day I met you, I knew exactly what kind of man you were.”

“Someone like you isn’t fit to be a friend. And if you were your father, Lo Kesi , I might consider it—but not you.”

At these words, Blackbeard’s world collapsed.

“So that’s… it.”

The last shred of hope was crushed by Bai Mao’s own hand; Blackbeard abandoned all desire to live.

“Thank you for letting me die with clarity.”

The space rippled again; Barzab Seven looked at Blackbeard, as if bidding farewell.

“Is there anything you want me to tell Lo Kesi ?”

Blackbeard stood frozen, utterly confused by the words.

“I need to return to the past for a moment—I’ll likely encounter Lo Kesi . If you have any message for him, I’ll deliver it.”

Blackbeard finally understood: Bai Mao could travel through time—and would meet his living father, Lo Kesi .

“To lose to someone like you… I don’t regret it.”

“Tell my father… the Dai Wei bloodline has an heir.”

“Goodbye, Tichi.”

With that, Barzab Seven vanished from Blackbeard’s sight, and time resumed as if nothing had happened.

Everyone else, except Blackbeard, remained unaware that time had been paused—this realization brought him slight comfort.

To lose to a foe like Bai Mao—inhuman, almost divine—was truly, truly, truly no shame.

Father, mother, I’ll soon be with you.

We’ll never be apart again.

When Blackbeard pulled his wandering thoughts back, he saw the mist in Sachi’s eyes, and his heart warmed.

“Sachi, thank you for coming. Go back now—someone might see you and it’ll cause trouble.”

Blackbeard sincerely, from the depths of his soul, thanked Sachi for coming—making his failed life end not so lonely.

“Tichi, after I bury you tomorrow…”

Blackbeard slowly shook his head.

“Sachi, cremate my body and scatter my ashes into the West Sea. I miss home.”

After years away, he could finally return home, finally reunite with his father and mother, with a true brother seeing him off—Blackbeard suddenly realized his life had been quite remarkable.

At least… it wasn’t in vain.