Because Jozu’s ability had been seized by Teach, Whitebeard, caught in a moment of shock, was struck by a punch infused with the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. The blow pierced through his abdomen, dealing a catastrophic wound. For the first time, Whitebeard sank to one knee, heavily injured.

"Pops!"

Jinbe shouted in panic. Slamming both webbed palms onto the ground, he uprooted a massive slab of stone, just as Jozu had done at the start of the war. The slab, nearly the size of a football field, was hurled violently toward Teach’s crew below.

"Shallow tricks like these won’t stop me!"

Dark Water surged around Teach, spiraling upward like a black tornado. It crushed the massive stone slab instantly, grinding it into countless jagged fragments that he rained back down on Jinbe like bullets.

"Kuhk...!"

Jinbe had no time to dodge. He crossed his arms to shield himself, but his blue skin was shredded by the debris, and blood began to flow.

"Dammit..."

Crocodile, having escaped from Impel Down, couldn’t help but roar at Whitebeard: "What the hell are you doing, Whitebeard?! I don’t remember losing to a pathetic disgrace like you!"

Seeing Whitebeard "kneeling" before Teach felt like a personal insult to Crocodile, prompting his outburst.

"Hey, look... Teach’s left arm. Isn’t that the Third Division Commander’s ability?"

"It looks like it. He just blocked Whitebeard’s blade with it..."

The Marines and the members of the Whitebeard Pirates whispered fervently, unable to believe the sight before them.

"Arara. There really are plenty of monsters in this world."

Kuzan wore a weary expression, his gaze drifting unconsciously toward Alucard. "Though, I’ve already seen a monster far more terrifying."

"Dual Devil Fruit abilities?"

Sabo also instinctively glanced at Alucard. "I’ve seen that before, too." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Compared to Teach possessing two Devil Fruit powers, Ace was more consumed by rage at the sight of Jozu lying face-down behind Teach.

Having inherited a portion of Roger’s ability to Listen to the Voice of All Things, he could sense it. Jozu... was dead!

It wasn’t just Ace; the other members of the Whitebeard Pirates felt it too.

Izo, Commander of the 16th Division, had tears welling in his eyes. "That bastard Teach... after Thatch, now Jozu has been..."

"DAMMIT!!"

Ace let out a guttural roar and prepared to charge back into the fray, but Sabo slammed a palm into the back of his head, sending him face-first into the dirt.

Sabo’s face was grim. "Who do you think they died for? If you don’t want their sacrifices to be in vain, then get out of here—now!"

BOOM!!!

The roar of displaced air returned. Marine soldiers looked up and screamed: "Run! Admiral Fujitora has started another round of attacks!"

Streaking down from the heavens, meteors enveloped in purple flames descended. It was the handiwork of Fujitora, Issho.

CRASH!

A meteor smashed into another pirate ship, ensuring that at least one more crew would never leave Marineford alive.

"I’m starting to think this Blackbeard fellow is more dangerous than he looks," Doflamingo remarked, crouching atop a pile of rubble.

Robin stood beside Alucard, looking at him sideways. "Master, do we not need to take action?"

"Unlike that failure Redfield, Newgate has dignity."

Alucard looked down, a thin smile playing on his lips. "In these final moments of his life, I’ll give him a chance to perform."

"But Whitebeard’s stomach has been pierced. If he continues to fight..."

Robin frowned as she looked back. With a literal hole blasted through his midsection, she doubted he could even stand.

But the moment Robin turned her head, the scene before her left her stunned once more.

Whitebeard stood tall again. He looked no different than when the battle began—no, with his muscles bulging to the point of bursting, he appeared even more ferocious, like a primordial beast. His voice boomed like a great bell: "TEACH—!"

"POPS!!"

The Whitebeard Pirates cried out in unison.

Vroom... vroom...

A sphere of energy erupted from Whitebeard’s left hand. Seeing this, Teach broke into a cold sweat. He activated the Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit’s power, turning his entire body into diamond, save for the left side of his face, just as Jozu used to do.

It held.

"A diamond form even harder than Armament Haki. This is the perfect counter for you, Pops!"

Teach laughed manically. He had originally planned to steal Whitebeard’s ability first, but the old man’s resilience had exceeded his expectations.

Furthermore, while Alucard wasn’t helping Whitebeard, no one knew what that unpredictable monster would do next. Teach had decided to absorb Jozu’s diamond power first to bolster his defenses before moving on to Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Devouring one new ability only to immediately seek another, a third power.

Even with Teach’s unique physical constitution, this was a move fraught with extreme risk. But he was going all in; the temptation of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was simply too great.

"...Hrrnnngh!!"

Whitebeard’s hands vibrated with raw energy. He slammed them into the ground, tearing a bottomless trench in a two-mile radius. The massive circular chasm completely cut him off from the rest of his crew.

As a result, the only ones trapped within the inner circle with Whitebeard and the Blackbeard Pirates were Alucard, Robin, and Marco.

"Pops... Pops has cut us off!"

Gazing at the chasm spanning over ten meters, it was a distance most pirates and Marines could not cross.

"Everyone, get back to the ships!"

Whitebeard glanced at Jozu’s body. "I will not allow anyone else to follow in Jozu’s footsteps!"

Marco’s beak-like mouth twitched as he started to protest, but Whitebeard cut him off instantly: "You too, Marco! This is... my final order as Captain!!"

Tears fell from Marco’s eyes as he spread his wings and flew away.

"Robin."

Alucard set down his wine glass. "Withdraw."

Robin crossed her arms, manifesting giant wings behind her back, and soared across the chasm.

"Even Yonko Alucard has stayed on the other side."

Many felt a chill in their hearts. "What is about to happen next?"

No one saw it, but Jozu’s lifeless body began to manifest a featureless, gaseous silhouette. It slowly drifted into a dark, murky river that seemed to flow directly into Alucard’s body.

This river was named Styx.

"His soul is incomplete... because the Devil Fruit was ripped away?"

Alucard thought to himself. His eyes locked onto the clash between Whitebeard and the Blackbeard Pirates. "How about I send you to reunite with your son, Newgate?"