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[TIOP] Chapter : 65
🕑 Added 2025-03-09 05:55:35 +0000 UTCWhile Jack was chatting with Nami, Sanji, and the others, Luffy and Zoro were catching up with Coby. Normally, Nami would have eavesdropped out of curiosity, but Jack's presence kept her in check.
After reminiscing about the past, Coby and Helmeppo departed with Jack.
Before leaving, Jack took a moment to warn Luffy and his crew. Due to the events at Ennies lobby, they were now firmly on the radar of the World Government and the Navy’s top brass. He also explained why the World Government was so intent on capturing Robin—being the only scholar capable of deciphering the ancient Poneglyphs made her an invaluable and dangerous figure.
Of course, judging by Luffy’s blank expression, Jack knew his warning had gone in one ear and out the other. Fortunately, the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates were paying attention, so he chose to address Luffy at this moment regardless.
After departing, Jack and his group returned to the warship. However, they didn’t set sail immediately. As expected, Garp had reported Luffy’s identity to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, but rather than arresting him, Garp simply let him go. The outcome was predictable—Garp was thoroughly scolded by Sengoku.
Even so, Garp refused to capture Luffy. Instead, he chose to wait until his grandson set sail, intending to see him off one last time.
As for Jack, he had little interest in staying aboard the warship. With so many pirates gathered in Water 7, he took Lena and a small squad of marines to round up bounty targets. It was a perfect opportunity—not only could he claim some rewards, but he could also present the captured criminals to Sengoku as compensation for Garp’s insubordination. Killing two birds with one stone.
“Old man, Luffy and the others are having a banquet. I really want to join them. Are we seriously not going?” On Garp’s dog-headed warship, Jack gazed at the lively festivities in Water 7, his tone filled with boredom.
“No. If I go, I’d have to capture my grandson, and they wouldn’t even have a chance to escape. But if we turn a blind eye when they set sail, they might still have a shot,” Garp replied, shaking his head.
“I figured as much. Don’t worry, I’ve already captured plenty of bounty hunters. That should be enough to report to the Fleet Admiral when we return,” Jack said with a playful smirk.
Garp thought for a moment, then waved his hand. “Forget it. You go if you want—I’m staying.”
“Alright then. If you’re not going, I’ll head over by myself. Lena, are you coming?” Jack shrugged indifferently.
Lena hesitated for a moment before replying, “Sir, you should go ahead. I’ll stay here and keep the Vice Admiral company.”
“You’re a good girl!” Garp beamed, clearly pleased with her choice, completely ignoring Jack in the process.
Not wanting to waste his time, Jack quickly left the warship and made his way toward Luffy and the others. He had to admit—he was craving Sanji’s cooking.
However, before he could get close, he sensed Aokiji’s presence. Jack’s brows furrowed as he recalled that in the original events, Aokiji had approached Robin for a private conversation.
But with his interference at Enies Lobby, the situation might not play out the same way. There was no telling if Aokiji would still let Robin go. With that thought, Jack changed course—he needed to see what was happening.
When Jack arrived, he found only Robin standing there. Aokiji was already gone.
"Was Admiral Aokiji here just now?" Jack asked, noticing the grim expression on Robin’s face.
Robin nodded. "Yes. Why are you here again?"
"I was originally heading over to grab some food, but then I sensed Aokiji’s presence. I was worried he might try something, so I came to check on you," Jack replied bluntly.
"Thanks, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of taking action," Robin said, her expression relaxing slightly.
"In that case, let’s not waste any more time. We can’t miss the banquet!" Jack grinned, choosing not to pry into her conversation with Aokiji.
Meanwhile, as Jack, Luffy, and the others enjoyed the feast, far away on a small island in the Grand Line, Blackbeard Teach was also catching up on recent events through the newspaper.
"I heard they stormed Enies Lobby. Their bounties are bound to skyrocket," Van Augur remarked calmly, scanning the article.
As the sniper of the Blackbeard Pirates, known as "The Supersonic," he possessed an almost supernatural sharpshooting ability.
"Ennies lobby, huh? That means they must have used the Sea Train from Water 7," Navigator Lafitte noted with a smirk.
"If that’s the case, they’re not too far from here. It must be fate," Van Augur mused.
"Ahem... to think they’ve wandered right into our crosshairs. How unfortunate... how pitiful..." the ship’s doctor, Doc Q, muttered between coughs, his ever-present aura of doom lingering in the air.
"Captain, let's set sail!" Helmsman Burgess shouted excitedly.
"Of course! Get ready, men—we're heading out!" Blackbeard Teach roared in response, his enthusiasm infectious.
But just as the crew was preparing to depart, a voice interrupted them.
"Teach. I've been looking for you for a long time."
Perched leisurely on the rooftop, Fire Fist Ace gazed down at Teach, his expression unreadable.
"Oh~ Captain Ace!" Blackbeard greeted him with a wide grin, seemingly pleased by the encounter.
Although his primary target was Luffy, he certainly wouldn’t turn down a confrontation with Ace.
"Don’t call me that," Ace replied coldly. "A captain is someone who understands loyalty and respect. But I see you've claimed that title for yourself now—Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates, Marshal D. Teach."
"Hahahaha, it’s been a while, Ace! What brings you here? How did you even find me?" Teach asked, still smiling.
The one thing he feared most was Whitebeard personally hunting him down—he wasn’t yet strong enough to challenge the legendary pirate.
"Teach, cut the nonsense. You already know why I’m here," Ace said, his piercing gaze locked onto Teach.
"I get it, I get it," Teach replied before letting out a low chuckle. "Then let me ask you something instead—Ace, why not join me? Let’s conquer the world together. I’ve planned everything carefully. Whitebeard’s era is over, and I will be the next Pirate King! My first step? Taking down the Straw Hat who stormed Enies Lobby. Right now, he’s in Water 7. I’ll capture him and hand him over to the government."
His voice grew more manic with every word, his ambition undeniable.
"What? Straw Hat?" Ace cut off Teach mid-sentence, his voice laced with surprise.
"That's right—Straw Hat Luffy," Teach replied seriously.
Ace adjusted his hat, his expression darkening. "Watch your mouth. That’s my brother."
Just as the words left his lips, a gunshot rang out. A sniper’s bullet tore through Ace’s body—only for the wound to burst into flames and vanish. Thanks to his Flame-Flame Fruit, physical bullets were useless against him.
Before he could fully react, Helmsman Burgess charged in from behind, lifting a small house as a weapon.
"Stop! Burgess, Van Augur—stand down!" Blackbeard shouted in alarm.
But it was too late.
Ace wasn’t about to give them a chance. With a rapid flurry of attacks—Fire Lance, Flame Ring, Fire Pillar—he not only neutralized their assault but also launched a fierce counterattack.
"You idiots!" Teach bellowed at his fallen crew. "Don’t act on your own—you’re no match for him yet!"
But there was no time for further words.
"Fire Fist!"
Ace’s next attack was already coming.
After being struck by Ace’s Fire Fist, Teach’s body erupted in flames. His crew scrambled to douse the fire, and though they managed to extinguish it, Blackbeard was left gasping for breath.
"Hahaha... so that’s how it is," Teach wheezed, rising shakily to his feet. "Ace, you came here to kill me. Well, I can’t blame you—after all, murdering a crewmate is an unforgivable crime!" A twisted grin spread across his face. "Yes, I killed Thatch, the captain of the Fourth Division. But I had no choice! The Devil Fruit I’ve spent my entire life searching for... ended up in his hands."
"So you killed him just to take it?" Ace asked, his brow furrowed in disgust.
Even though Ace himself possessed Devil Fruit powers, he would never believe that any fruit—no matter how powerful—was worth betraying a comrade.
"That’s right!" Teach declared proudly. "I spent over a decade lurking in the Whitebeard Pirates, waiting for my chance! And fate delivered it to me—right into the hands of a crewmate. What else could I do?" His grin widened. "Thatch didn’t choose the fruit. The fruit chose me! Zehahaha!"
Ace’s expression hardened. "No matter how you justify it, betraying and killing a comrade is an unforgivable crime. You’ll pay for what you’ve done."
"Is that so?" Teach chuckled darkly. "You still don’t get it, Ace. Thanks to this fruit, I’ve become stronger than ever! Even among the Logia types, its power is extraordinary!"
But as he spoke, a new thought crossed his mind—one that made his grin even wider.
Capturing Ace and handing him over to the Navy… Now that would be a prize worthy of a Warlord of the Sea.
