Simultaneous traversal: All Abyss difficulty.

Chapter 767 Kill a few Celestial Dragons for fun

The Five Elders, who were just discussing the Fifth Emperor, are now so angry they're practically fuming!

Jaigorusia Satan's precious porcelain cup shattered, and he was completely unaware that the scalding tea had soaked through the Persian carpet.

He stared intently at the figure on the screen who had detonated the thunder, his voice shrill and distorted with extreme anger and unspeakable horror: "He! How dare he be so arrogant?! Declaring war on God in this way?!"

Environmental War God Marcus Mazsan's face was ashen, veins bulging on his forehead: "That madman! Destroying the Navy wasn't enough! Now he wants to humiliate the entire World Government via live broadcast?!"

The former naval officers who survived the catastrophe at Naval Headquarters and were transferred to guard the sacred site were ashen-faced, and their palms, gripping their weapons, were instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The snap of the fingers that detonated the thunder and the scene of world destruction on the screen made them feel the terror and arrogance of the "Fifth Emperor" more directly than anyone else.

The paper-thin illusion of security at the holy site was utterly shattered by this globally broadcast declaration of terror.

"We must find a way to counter that force as soon as possible!" Before the words of the Environmental Martial God Marcas Mazsaint could be finished, they were interrupted by a sudden and wild laugh.

"Hahaha! Hahahaha—!!!"

Heavy footsteps accompanied by unrestrained laughter approached from afar.

The magnificent door of the council chamber, a symbol of supreme power, was pushed open without ceremony, and a towering figure, draped in a black cloak, stormed in—it was Marshall D. Teach—Blackbeard.

The Five Elders merely glanced up slightly, their faces showing no surprise or reprimand for the intruders.

Inviting him was part of their plan, even though this greedy wolf always had a repulsive arrogance.

"Hahaha! Five gentlemen, how did the discussion go?" Blackbeard grinned, revealing his missing teeth, his ambitious eyes sweeping across the round table. "How are the things I asked for coming along?"

Jaigolusia Satan snorted coldly, his voice icy: "You want Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit? That's wishful thinking! Do you know what 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate means? He's the man who's known as the 'strongest in the world'!" His words carried a sense of apprehension towards his former rival's power, as well as a hint of disdain for Blackbeard's greed.

"Hahaha!" Blackbeard laughed even more gratingly, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "The strongest in the world? That's all in the past! Now, the title of the strongest on this sea belongs to only one person—the Fifth Emperor, Fang Yu! Isn't that right?" He bluntly exposed the powerlessness in the Five Elders' words. "Even your proud Marine Headquarters was destroyed by him. The title of the strongest has long since changed hands!"

Financial God of War Zambaron V. Nassjuro pushed up his glasses, his voice deep and authoritative: "Even so, Edward Newgate is still not an easy target to deal with. His Tremor-Tremor Fruit is a strategic-level power."

"Oh?" Blackbeard took a step forward, his massive body exuding a strong sense of oppression. He counted on his fingers, "As far as I know, Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji, Garp, Kong, and Fujitora—these former pillars of the Navy—are all recovering from their injuries, they're not dead!"

He spread his hands, his tone laced with blatant sarcasm, "Gathering all the remaining, still-functioning forces of your World Government, you think you can't handle an old man hiding in the New World to retire? Hahahaha!"

"Enough! You arrogant fool!" The God of Scientific Defense, Jeygolucia Satan, slammed his fist on the table, making a dull thud, his anger almost bursting forth. "Stop making unreasonable demands here! You need to know your place! The Blackbeard Pirates aren't the only pirates who can work for us! The World Government is already offering you the best possible terms!"

His eyes flashed with a cold light, and his tone turned icy and threatening: "If you don't know what's good for you and refuse to cooperate, then leave Mary Geoise now! However," he paused, his killing intent filling the air, "the next time we meet, you and your cronies will be the World Government's most wanted criminals! There will be no place for you on this ocean!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Doc Q, who was following behind Blackbeard, let out a sinister cough. Van Augur's finger silently touched the trigger of Thousand Six, and the tense atmosphere instantly reached its peak!

Almost.

It was so close.
Blackbeard's entire crew is going to die here!
Blackbeard's smile froze abruptly, and his unfathomable eyes slowly swept over the faces of the Five Elders.

Only heavy breathing and a silent killing intent remained in the hall.

After a few seconds of deathly silence, Blackbeard's mouth suddenly split open, and he burst into his signature, chilling laugh once more: "Zehahaha! Zehahahaha!!"

"It was just a joke, why get angry?"

As the laughter subsided, he stretched out his large, fan-like hand, his gaze fixed intently on Saint Satan, who sat in the center:

"Very well! I, Blackbeard, will accept this fruit!"

Blackbeard, with his signature maniacal laugh, stepped heavily onto his sinister pirate ship.

He casually held the Devil Fruit, a top-secret trophy he brought back from Mary Geoise, which shimmered with an eerie golden light and seemed to possess the majesty of Buddha, in his hand.

Shiryu of the Rain leaned against the ship's railing, his scarlet scabbard reflecting a cold light. His narrow eyes, sharp as a hawk's, locked onto the unusual fruit almost the instant Blackbeard stepped onto the deck.

He exhaled a smoke ring, his voice low and tinged with a barely perceptible probing: "A new harvest? Which 'legendary fruit' is this this time?"

"Zehahaha!" Blackbeard's laughter shook the deck. He proudly held the fruit high, the golden patterns standing out vividly in the dim light. "You'll be shocked when I tell you! This is the signature move of Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha! Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Great Buddha Form! Zehahaha!!"

Shiryu of the Rain's eyes narrowed sharply, and he almost crushed the cigarette butt in his hand.

The power core of the naval admiral. The temptation is too great! He licked his dry lips, suppressing the surging desire in his heart, and his voice became even hoarseer: "Oh? The admiral's 'Buddha power'? It seems that the captain has gained far more than we imagined in the Holy Land this time."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over Burgess, Van Augur, and the others beside him, whose eyes were equally burning with desire, before finally refocusing on Blackbeard's stubble-covered face. He asked the question that had been swirling in the minds of all the core crew members: "So... with such immense power, which lucky companion does the captain intend to bestow it upon?"

"Partner? Zehahaha!" Blackbeard burst into his characteristic, ambitious and mocking laughter again, his huge body doubled over with laughter, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

He finally managed to stop laughing, wiping away the tears that had streamed down his face. His eyes suddenly became extremely mysterious, gleaming with a cunning light. "Shiliu, don't be impatient! Come on, come closer. Next, I'm going to perform a magic trick for you!"

Before the words were even finished, Burgess and Doc Q, who had been working together, unfolded a huge, opaque black blanket and, as if by magic, covered Blackbeard's entire massive body with a "whoosh"!

From beneath the black cloth came Blackbeard's muffled yet smug voice: "Watch closely~ Zehahaha~ Witness the moment of miracle!"

The entire deck fell silent instantly, as if even the sound of waves crashing against the ship's side had been shut out.

All the cadres, including Yu Zhixi, held their breath, staring intently at the writhing black cloth, wondering what was happening inside.

An indescribable atmosphere, a mixture of anticipation and eeriness, enveloped Blackbeard's pirate ship.

"Hula-!"

The black cloth was suddenly ripped open from the inside by Blackbeard and thrown aside!
Golden light!

A dazzling, solemn golden light, imbued with supreme majesty and power, burst forth in an instant, like a small sun igniting on the dimly lit deck!

Amidst the light, a colossal figure, cast entirely in gold, replaced Blackbeard's position—a majestic and serene figure, its face serene and solemn, none other than the legendary phantom beast form of the Buddha's Warring States period—the Golden Buddha!
Shiryu of the Rain's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints! His usually cold and unyielding face was now utterly torn apart by unprecedented, pure horror!

The steely nerves he had developed over the years at the bottom of Impel Down snapped at this moment.

He instinctively took a half step back, almost dropping the famous sword Thunderstorm from his hand. His voice, shrill and distorted with extreme shock, completely lost its usual composure: "You...you can actually...eat...two fruits!!!"

Those golden Buddha eyes calmly looked down at the distraught Shiryu of the Rain, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"With this fruit, and by using the Fifth Emperor to weaken the World Government's forces, the day when I, Blackbeard, ascend to the throne will not be far off!"

Meanwhile, on the Ghost Carrot.

"I'm truly sorry, Five Emperors, but we simply cannot find the Devil Fruit of the Buddha Sengoku. Currently, I possess the Quick-Cut Fruit, the Rust-Rust Fruit, and the Wheel-Wheel Fruit."

"Stop it." Fang Yu interrupted the Devil Fruit vendor's rambling on the Den Den Mushi. "I only want the Buddha Fruit! Even if it's at the bottom of the deep sea, even if it gets eaten by the Celestial Dragons' leader, I'll get it!"

The fruit vendor was silent for a moment, then said, “Excuse my bluntness, Fifth Emperor, you have now declared war on the World Government. I am worried that even if you find the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Buddha form, you may still be unable to pay for it.”

Fang Yu laughed. "You mean, you're worried I can't beat the World Government?"

"No, that's not what I meant. Hey."

"Very well, then please watch the live stream, I will..."

"Kill a few Celestial Dragons to add to the fun."

(End of this chapter)