Arceus's Pirate Journey

Chapter 986: Chapter 985: Annihilation on the Soul Level

Blackbeard gritted his teeth and revealed the intelligence he had deduced, now having no chance for cries of pain, forced to seize every moment available.

”I have a plan! A plan that’s enough to turn the entire world upside down! By then, it will definitely satisfy your need for revenge! Killing me means nothing to you, but as long as I’m alive, I hold more value!”

Beggars have learning curves too, and the method of begging varies with different enemies.

In the original timeline, facing Whitebeard, Blackbeard would shout such shameless words as [I’m also your son!]

Although he had already violated the iron rules of the Whitebeard Pirates, Whitebeard wouldn’t let him go, but knowing Whitebeard’s character, that moment of hesitation also saved his small life.

But he and King share no such relationship; if recognizing him as a father could stop King, Blackbeard might consider it. However, King’s crazed manner is clearly not interested in listening.

Blackbeard desperately needed a reason for the other party to stop at this moment.

If his guess was correct, then King and the World Government had an irreconcilable blood feud, which was Blackbeard’s last chance.

The outside world did not know much about the Lunarians, but they weren’t completely clueless either. Whitebeard himself had heard stories about the Divine Realm and even mentioned them to some of his sons.

Earlier, when the ability only worked halfway on King, Blackbeard hadn’t connected the dots, especially with Drake’s precedent. But with Shaina’s appearance, the overly similar powers of the two made Blackbeard suspicious.

The Dark-Dark Fruit doesn’t always fail but is occasionally effective.

It’s certain that the Hundred Beasts have some power that could ignore the Dark-Dark Fruit, like Queen’s rumored mysterious technology.

Obviously sealed off in King was the power of the Devil Fruit, leaving nothing but his inherent strength.

Strong flame defense, wings to soar the sky, the refusal to reveal his true appearance; all these convinced Blackbeard of his judgment.

King’s attack hesitated briefly, making Blackbeard feel his words had an effect.

”It’s only an eye of a subordinate; that’s really nothing, right? That woman isn’t even your kind; why go to such extremes?”

Swish!

A flash of blade left several houses behind Blackbeard neatly cleaved in half by King’s Sword Qi, while Blackbeard’s chest was enveloped by darkness, beginning to absorb the harm left by King.

”Ah! It hurts! You madman!”

King didn’t listen to him; he was merely accumulating power for his move, and suddenly Blackbeard noticed King’s expression seemed even more ferocious than before.

”Now there’s another reason why you must die.”

”I’m not threatening you... I hate that bunch from the World Government too; don’t you want to live under the sun?”

Your captain isn’t that great either, all these years without actually solving the problem. If you join me, I could soon help you solve this issue!”

The darkness extinguished the flames attached to his body, and Blackbeard’s tone grew more panicked, yet at this time, King lowered his weapon.

”Pirate hahaha, tempted?”

”What I detest most is people like you, self-righteous, knowing nothing yet daring to boast in such a place!”

King reached towards his back and drew a new weapon.

”After the last departure, I’ve been pondering how to completely kill a freak like you.

Your body’s vitality is tenacious; few I’ve met can compare, but I want to see if your soul is just as strong.”

The blade in King’s hand pulsed with unsettling black-purple hues, and an eerie eye appeared at the hilt.

Prior to departure, he borrowed a sword from Kozuki Hiyori—a blade long transformed into the Honedge known as Enma.

To completely kill an anomaly like Blackbeard, King encompassed his soul within his slaying range.

When borrowing the blade, Kozuki Hiyori had no objections, even planned to offer Ame no Habakiri, yet King declined, as he wasn’t versed in Dual-Sword Style; a single Enma sufficed for him.

.....

King’s Haki concentrated wholly into his right hand grasping Enma, Lunarians’ racial gift bestowed them with immense defense power, thus they could focus all Haki for combat.

Originally, Enma was a sword that autonomously released its user’s Haki, allowing the bearer to harness tremendous might, but untamed, would drain Haki dry, leading to death.

With Honedge modifications, Enma’s newly conscious state managed this capability, preventing arbitrary draining while users could voluntarily boost Haki input for heightened impact. ℯℯ𝑙.

”Rock Lock Seal!”

Four giant stones descended from heaven, sealing Blackbeard’s movement paths, simultaneously, the ground beneath, seemingly alive, bore rock-formed dragons that lunged its jaws at the forefront Blackbeard.

Rock locking confined mobile space, Earth Power manipulated the ground to control Blackbeard’s movements.

The Dark-Dark Fruit countered Devil Fruits’ powers but was ineffective against already formed objects, not to mention King’s utilization of Aerodactyl’s ability in this move, requiring time for Blackbeard to absorb all into Dark Space.

This time frame was lethal.

”Final Blade Flame Slaying Emperor!”

Blue flames adhered to Enma’s blade, King’s body emanated a peculiar radiance, a precursor to Giga Impact, akin to Hyper Beam, an immensely powerful yet commonly known skill.

For Pokemon, it’s a high-damage move achievable by the body, but for King at this moment, it was merely a booster.

Giga Impact’s force didn’t erupt but integrated into King’s hands under his control, and King gripped Enma’s hilt with both hands simultaneously.

”Damn it! Stop!”

Watching King ready to strike, Blackbeard’s heart filled with terror, the shadow of death enveloping his soul.

The process seemed slow but in truth was instantaneous, and as Blackbeard called out, Enma’s blade already pierced his chest, pinning him against the rocky wall behind.

Until then, King seemingly charging from his original spot slowly faded—no Stand; it was King’s speed left as an afterimage.

Boom!

Splat...

A copious gush of blood spurted from Blackbeard’s mouth, interspersed with chunks of flesh, the entirety of Giga Impact’s energy compressed by King into the blade and completely erupted within Blackbeard.

Even though he was an anomaly, his chest cavity had turned a sheer blur.

”No matter what kind of anomaly you are, regardless of your motives, today, you must die here!”