PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

The massive surge of darkness roared forth from Blackbeard's hands.

The sheer recoil from the blast created a powerful reverse thrust, launching the colossal raft through the waves at blistering speed.

In the span of just a few heartbeats, the raft had already traveled over a kilometer.

The velocity was so staggering that even Lafitte and Burgess were left speechless.

They were well aware of Blackbeard's natural tendency to run when things got dicey—after all, hadn't Ace chased him all the way from the New World to the first half of the Grand Line?

But never—never—had they seen their captain flee with such... ferocity.

It was as if the raft had grown wings.

At this rate, if they just had a few more seconds, by the time the Marine admiral broke through the dark curtain of the Dark Abyss Path, they'd be miles away.

Even if Luo Yu had the strength of a monster, there was no way he could catch up once they passed ten nautical miles.

"Teach, still the same coward as ever," Ace mocked with a cold smile, steadying himself despite being tied up like a rice dumpling.

"You came in acting like some fearless challenger of the Navy's new admiral. I actually thought you had the strength to back it up."

"Turns out your real talent lies in running away."

"Then again," Ace's smile faded, "even I don't have full confidence against that guy…"

"Don't forget—if not for those trash helping you, you wouldn't have caught me."

"Who are you calling trash!?" Burgess barked, veins bulging.

The memory of that fateful battle came flooding back.

Blackbeard and Ace had both collapsed, beaten half to death.

If the crew hadn't stayed out of the fight and swooped in at the last moment, they'd never have bagged the prize.

"Burgess," Blackbeard said coldly, still manipulating the reverse thrust as he glanced back at the black curtain where the Marine ship had vanished.

"No need to get riled up over Ace."

"Captain Ace," he sneered mockingly, "you'd better enjoy this moment while you can. It'll be your last chance to talk to an old friend."

"You see, in this world, running away is a kind of strength. Otherwise, you wouldn't have chased me so far and still fallen into my hands."

"Just give me another few minutes. Ten, maybe twelve miles is all I need. That rookie Marine admiral will miss his chance."

"And your fate, Ace, will remain unchanged."

"You...!"

Ace's expression darkened.

If only he'd listened to Whitebeard's warning, waited for reinforcements…

Maybe things would've turned out differently.

"Captain, we're already five or six nautical miles out!" Burgess called, grinning triumphantly as he looked back.

"No way they can catch up now. So much for that 'rising star' of the Marines—looks like even he got played like a fool by our captain."

"I agree," said Doc Q, pale and wheezing as ever. "That admiral won't be able to catch us now…"

But just as those words left his mouth—

Their expressions froze.

No—everyone on the raft felt it.

An abrupt, unexplainable chill—like a hand of death had brushed their spines.

Even Blackbeard Teach himself, who had remained bold and smug this whole time…

Suddenly felt a deep, gut-wrenching dread swell inside his chest.

It was the feeling of being watched.

Not by a man.

Not even by a predator.

But by death itself.

Even the fine hairs on Blackbeard's arms stood on end.

That eerie, chilling sensation caused a momentary pause in his hands. His gaze swept anxiously around, trying to pinpoint the source of this creeping dread.

Could it really be coming from the Marine warship shrouded in black mist… nearly seven nautical miles away?

Impossible.

They'd put that much distance between them.

And more importantly, that black curtain—the Dark Abyss Path—was the ultimate defensive move he had painstakingly crafted. It didn't just obscure sight and sense—it could absorb incoming attacks.

Even if someone could break through it, it would take time.

By then, he'd be long gone.

So… why did it feel like he was still being hunted?

Like a beast in the forest catching the scent of a predator, every battle-hardened cell in Blackbeard's body screamed danger.

He couldn't explain it. But he could feel it.

He slowly turned back, eyes narrowing in the direction of the black shroud—of where he'd just fled from.

BOOM!

Behind the curtain, a blinding white mist surged forth, forming a massive serpentine dragon of fog. It roared with crushing force, slamming into the black veil with the power to sink an entire pirate ship.

But the moment it struck the curtain—it vanished.

Like a rock dropped into a bottomless ocean, the white mist was devoured whole.

Slashes, cannon fire, smoke—all were swallowed up the same way.

Smoker, his body still wreathed in smoke, dropped to Tina's side and took a back-to-back combat stance. Around them, the Marine soldiers tensed, gripping their weapons as if waiting for a ghost to emerge.

"Admiral Luo Yu," Ain finally couldn't hold her voice in anymore. "Blackbeard's using his Devil Fruit to darken the entire sea and hasn't attacked again. Is he trying to wear us down?"

"And what is this black mist? None of our attacks are working on it!"

Despite all their efforts, every blow had felt like punching a cloud. Even Smoker and Tashigi were growing frustrated—exhaustion setting in from wasted strikes.

Just then, the bloodied, tightly bound Ulti let out a mocking snort.

"Hah! So much for the mighty new Admiral of the Marines. Trapped by Blackbeard's power and helpless, eh? Pretty soon, you'll be the one facing true terror."

Luo Yu stood silently at the bow of the ship, slowly lifting a bottle to his lips.

He drank.

Then spoke.

"Terror? Who said anything about that?" he said casually. "That guy's already running."

"Probably seven or eight nautical miles away by now."

Everyone turned toward him, stunned.

"And who said I can't break this mist?" Luo Yu added. "I'm just curious how pathetic Blackbeard's mastery of the Dark-Dark Fruit really is."

From the moment Blackbeard used his ability, Luo Yu had already locked onto him using both Night Sense and Observation Haki.

Blackbeard's escape? Not even a surprise.

In the original timeline, his fight with Ace had ended in a draw. His use of the Dark-Dark Fruit was utterly crude. Without Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor powers later on, or the anti-fruit effect of his darkness, Teach was barely above Warlord level.

"Admiral Luo Yu, did you just say Blackbeard ran away?" Tashigi blinked, dumbfounded. "Should we… should we contact Admiral Kizaru to pick up the exchange mission again?"

Smoker likewise turned, surprised by the remark.

But before either could finish processing his words, Luo Yu gave them an answer that made their minds go blank.

"Since when… have I ever been generous enough to let a paycheck escape?"