– Squard –

Things were going… not quite swimmingly but well enough. Especially when considering the stiff opposition.

In the first place, none of them had harbored any doubts as to Blackbeard's strength. Even if one discounted Ace's defeat, the mere fact that Teach had survived an encounter with Pops already marked him as one of the toughest bastards alive. The same went for his crew, who had been blown away but came back swinging. For this very reason, the Whitebeards had done everything in their power to achieve numerical superiority where it mattered.

As a result, the battle's momentum had shifted completely over to their side. Faced with a two vs one situation, Teach's senior officers had no choice but to remain on the defensive, doing their best to weather the storm. Yet, weather it they did.

If nothing else, this was a clear reminder that the Whitebeards' decision to strike sooner rather than later had been a good one. While it may have been understandable that those captains stemming from Impel Down's infamous sixth floor were equal or even slightly stronger than the commanders, the same shouldn't have been true for Blackbeard's original crew. Despite the many close calls and the numerous minor injuries they racked up, none of them had allowed the one critical blow to bypass their guard. And that made Squard uneasy.

Squard had no idea how Teach had done it and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know. But somehow, his original crew had undergone a dramatic transformation, going from not even posing a real challenge to being significant threats. All in the short timespan since their clash with Ace on Banaro Island.

Still, just because they'd achieved qualitative parity didn't mean that the Blackbeards were winning. They would break soon, Squard could feel it in his bones, if only he and his friends could push a little harder.

A brief glance around confirmed that yes, Teach still remained trapped within a three-way encirclement by Marco, Ace and Sabo. Off to the side, Jesus Burgess was slowly being tenderized by Jozu's and Kingdew's fists, while Van Augur was playing hide and seek with Izou. All the while, the island was being terraformed around them by the clash between Avalo Pizarro, Curiel and Rakuyo; with the Corrupt King screaming in pain whenever Rakuyo turned another part of his granite body into dust.

Sadly, things weren't only positive. Sure, Catarina Devon had lost an eye to Jiru's lance, but unfortunately their resident speedster was being carted away himself, bleeding profusely from the stump where his right arm used to be. Enraged, Vista was doing his best to return the greeting with Haruta's aid and he was getting closer by the minute. But that wasn't going to undo the damage already done. As for Vasco Shot, that man had given up trying to deep fry Atmos and Blenheim altogether, choosing to divert his attention onto the surrounding Whitebeard pirates instead. Naturally, when faced with the choice of taking his head or protecting their friends, the two commanders opted for the latter.

Yet, all in all, there remained not a single card Blackbeard had left to play that Squard could see. His horde was stuck in a brutal melee and his officers were preoccupied. Blackbeard himself wasn't getting out of that scrap alive and the hostages had been rescued. It was time to send in the reserves.

With a wave of his sword, Squard sped back towards the front, two hundred of their best and brightest following close behind. The enemy's defenses buckled as his unit made contact before disintegrating altogether, allowing Squard to rip his way through their lines nearly unopposed. Once they'd assumed positions behind the enemy, the rest was easy. Surrounding the enemy piecemeal, Squard began rolling up the front line bit by bit in a methodical manner. Surround and crush. Surround and crush. Again and again and again. Increasingly, fear entered his opponent's eyes as more and more Whitebeards flooded through the gap, reaching its zenith when Avalo Pizarro retired from the field.

They had done it. The battle was effectively won. The ships who'd been the diversionary force were about to enter port with further reinforcements. All they'd now need to do was…

"WEEVIL?!? What the fuck are you doing?"

"Treachery! The bastard has betrayed us!"

"The ships! Protect the ships!"

Squard's head snapped around, his trained eyes quickly finding the source of the disturbance. It wasn't very difficult to find. After all, how could he possibly miss the sight of their last remaining Moby Dick being cut in twain by the one Squard had believed to be Pops' son? With every swing another of the barely guarded ships met its end, the skeleton crews being unable to even delay Weevil by as much as a second.

Further damage was briefly stopped by Islewan and Jiru placing themselves between Weevil and his targets, though it immediately became apparent that they wouldn't be enough. Apparently, Sleepy, Forliewbs and Reforte had seen the same thing and were rushing to join the fight. And all Squard could do in the meantime was freeze in place and ask himself the following question.

Why?

He dearly wished that someone would explain it to him, because he just didn't understand. What did Weevil have to gain by betraying those who flew his father's flag? Why would he help his father's murderer? Why now? Why after they'd risked their lives to rescue him? Why? Why? Why?

"Above us!"

"Hard to port! We need to get out of the way! Hard to port, damn it!"

"It's big! Scratch that, it's fricking huge!"

"CANNONBALL!!!!"

"We're capsizing! We're CAPSIZING!"

"Teehee."

Focused on the Weevil, everyone failed to notice the threat approaching from the rear.

As such, Sanjuan Wolf's return caught them completely off guard. Some only noticed the danger when the seas were overturned and ships swallowed by the waves thrown up by the world's largest giant diving into the ocean. Half the ships Marco had held in reserve in case of an emergency were sunk immediately while the rest were scattered. Two more were crushed soon after when they didn't move out of reach in time, Sanjuan Wolf's hands treating them like toys. Not long after, the sounds of cannon fire reached Squard's ears, as Doma and McGuy tried their best to stop him from wading into port.

"Zehahaha! Give up Ace! You guys are trapped."

"Don't laugh too soon, Teach! It's not over yet!"

"Oh, but it is. Did you seriously believe that I didn't know about your spies? Your ambush only worked because I allowed it!" Blackbeard boasted. "Haven't ever wondered why I didn't stop you from gathering your allies? Why I chose not to attack you guys before you could muster your full strength? Surely, you didn't think that it was because I feared you?"

"You bastard! You baited us…"

"Of course I did. And lo and behold, you guys sailed right into my trap without suspecting a thing, zehahaha!" Blackbeard gloated. "I suppose I should thank you for saving me the trouble of hunting you down one by one. Admit it, you guys are finished."

"Not if we crush you first!"

"Maybe, but can you do it in time to save your friends?"

"What are you talking about, yoi? They can handle Sanjuan Wolf. They don't need saving."

"In that case, I should probably stack the deck in my favor, zehahaha. Oi, Doc Q! It's time!"

Wait, if that guy was here… then who the fuck were Whitey Bay and Epoida chasing?

"Haa…haa…I'm…here, Teach...haa."

"You want to know something interesting, Ace? Doc Q ate the Sick-Sick fruit, which allows him to afflict others with diseases!"

"What?!?"

"Let's see how well you fight when you're a bloody midget!"

"Haa…one shrinking disease…coming right…up…haa."

----------------------------------------

– Laki –

When they'd begun their hunt for Lafitte's ship, their target had been just that. A single ship with a single ship's crew. Instead, they found three frigates, packed to the brim with Blackbeard's new recruits all thirsty for blood and carnage. Veterans of the New World one and all, survivors of a thousand battles and the cream of the crop amongst those calling the pirate haven of Hachinosu their home. It was a force that would have made many a marine Vice Admiral balk and some Warlords think twice about attacking.

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They didn't stand a chance. Much like wheat before the scythe, they were mowed down by Commander Blamenco and the Decalvan brothers before they even knew what was happening. The only reason the Blackbeard pirates hadn't been immediately sunk, ship and all, was the need to confirm Lafitte's presence. Much to Laki's silent dissatisfaction, the Bellamy pirates had taken a bit longer to clear the frigate they'd been assigned. Though on second thought, what did it say about them that she was trying to compete with the Whitebeard pirates on an even footing?

However, whatever disappointment she may have felt in her own performance, it was outweighed by the sense of confusion. This was Lafitte's squadron, of that there was no doubt. One of the prisoners had revealed as much when they'd questioned him. In fact, the prisoner had claimed to have seen the Titanic Captain board the flagship before they'd left port.

So, that begged the question: where was Lafitte?

"Any luck, Captain Decalvan? Though from the looks of it, it doesn't seem like guys had any luck either." Bellamy asked once they'd joined the Decalvan brothers. However, the elder of the two was already shaking his head before Bellamy was finished speaking.

"Nay. None at all. Lafitte, that cowardly rat…"

"…isn't on this ship either. And we searched this ship high and low for him."

"Then he must be hiding from Commander Blamenco on that frigate over yonder." Bellamy mused, scratching his chin. "Though I haven't picked up any sounds of fighting from that direction for a while now. How about you, Aisa?"

"Nu-uh. It's all quiet."

"In that case, Blamenco probably crushed him already…"

"…or he wasn't here in the first place. Which means he's back on Hachinosu. They bloody bastards tricked us!" Decalvan Jr. cursed, seemingly frustrated by the subterfuge. And why wouldn't he? They'd been led on a merry goose chase.

"I guess, there's not much to do then apart from regrouping with Commander. If we return now, we should make it in time to help the main force."

"You heard the rookie!"

"Let's pick up Blamenco and get out of here!"

"Aye aye, captains!" With the order given, the pirates rushed to obey. Sails were unfurled and anchors raised, the seasoned sailors moving with a fluidity that could only come from years of experience. As such, they were ready almost as quickly as Laki and her friends.

"Don't worry about Commander Blamenco, Captain Decalvan. We'll let him know."

"Alright, rookie!"

When they approached the Whitebeard Commander's location, they could see him and his division members walking about on deck. That was when Laki's senses began tingling.

"Uh, Bellamy? I don't like it. It's too quiet." Aisa murmured; her eyes scrunched in concentration.

"Yeah, I feel it too. Let's hurry."

Tingling became warning bells, which increasingly turned into a muted brass orchestra the closer they got. The Whitebeard pirates seemed fine, their faces betraying no traces of anxiety or fear. Rather, they were peaceful and relaxed as they milled about, periodically moving below deck in groups until only Blamenco remained.

"Hoi! Commander Blamenco! If you guys are done searching for Laf… HEY, MOVE DAMN IT!"

"BEHIND YOU!!!"

Neither Bellamy's exclamation nor Aisa's warning scream managed to garner any sort of reaction from the 6th division commander. Rather, he remained passive as the enemy stepped into his shadow. As a result, when the Black Pearl pulled up alongside the captured Blackbeard frigate, the Bellamy pirates got a front-row seat to a blade being slipped in between the commander's ribs.

"Ah, you're right on time, ladies and gentlemen. I was just about to come looking for you."

"Lafitte!"

"The one and only. The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure." Lafitte smiled, tipping his hat by way of greeting. "I do hope you enjoyed my little opening act?"

"Opening act? This?" On the Captain's signal, the Bellamy pirates began spreading out and slowly surrounding Lafitte on all sides. Their opponent did nothing to stop them, casually wiping the blood off his sword stick with a piece of Blamenco's shirt.

"Oh, yes. What else would you call it?" Lafitte said airily. "Frankly, I'm a little insulted that Marco deemed a single commander enough to deal with me. He should have sent at least two if not three."

"Three? You think you can fight Whitebeard's commanders three-on-one and win?" Bellamy asked with a healthy dose of skepticism. Yet for all that he seemed outwardly relaxed, even going as far as to bury his hands in his coat's pockets, Laki knew that he was tense. After all, so was she.

"Dear heavens, no. I'm not delusional."

"…" Laki had been a huntress for near two decades. In that time, she'd faced predator and prey alike, not to mention that she'd been both more often than she'd cared to count. She knew what being faced by an apex predator felt like. That feeling of dread, the growing probability of death and the reflexive adrenalin rush, all those were familiar companions of a hunter's profession

"Why do you think I brought three ships with me in the first place?"

"…you wanted to split us up."

"Ding ding ding! Got it in one. Congratulations! Have a cookie!" The hum of a walking stick twirling around stopped for a moment, replaced by the slow sound of clapping. "A three-on-one would be tricky for me, but three one-on-ones? Now that's a lot easier. Especially if you all let down your guard like the late 6th division commander did."

Lafitte however, didn't give off such vibes. Instead of the overwhelming presence of someone like Enel, their current opponent was a blank. Despite staring at him with her own eyes, her observational haki seemed confused when it came to him. And that, if nothing else, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge.

"You intentionally sacrificed your men." Laki realized, her gut clenching at the very thought. That sort of thing was one of the greatest taboos that a leader could commit amongst her people. The tribe would fall apart otherwise and be unable to pool their strength when it really mattered. "All to lure us into a false sense of complacency."

"And it worked wonderfully. Commander Blamenco was so busy knocking my men about, he didn't sense me coming until it was far, far too late. After that…well, you saw the result." Lafitte smirked, his cane continuing to make circular motions.

"How did you know we were coming?"

"Oh please, surely you didn't expect us not to know. Especially not with how blatantly Marco was gathering men and ships. Figuring out the when was easy." he scoffed, seemingly unconcerned by the two rifles being trained on his head. "As for the where… seeing as I was the lure, the where was pretty obvious, no?"

"You're stalling." Bellamy realized.

"So were you." Lafitte pointed out. "But did you really think you'd survive long enough for the Decalvan brothers to rescue you?"

"If you knew that, then why wait?"

"Wasting time, mostly. I'd fly back if Teach needed me, but alas, he has more than enough cards to play without adding my humble personage." Lafitte grinned, before glancing at his watch. "I suppose I could let you in on a little secret. After all, it's about time."

"Time for what?"

"Time to decisively prove the new era belongs to Blackbeard. I guarantee you, Marco is about to have a very bad day. For that matter, why don't you join us, Captain Bellamy? Amongst your little group of rookies, you're pretty talented. I'm sure you'd do well under Marshall D. Teach and it isn't like you'd owe the Whitebeards anything after today."

"That's generous of you, but I think I'll decline. I don't like working for anyone else."

"More's the pity, I suppose. Well, I gave you a chance."

"Ready to fight, are we?"

"Oh please. Why should I fight you, when I can hypnotize you instead?"

With that, the circles stopped, and the cane came to a halt between Lafitte's feet with a soft clack.

Laki's world went dark.