Chapter 18

Xilan was thoroughly disgusted with poverty, and people who were both poor and untrustworthy annoyed him even more. If Blackbeard dared to play any tricks, he would make him question his very existence.

"Are you serious?" Doflamingo asked, familiar with Blackbeard's reputation. This was the man who had offered a reward of zero to capture Ace alive, nearly igniting a major battle.

"In total, it will cost..."

Doflamingo glanced at the black dragon's box on the second floor, and the black dragon raised two fingers.

"20 billion berries," he stated.

Doflamingo regarded Blackbeard with suspicion. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the holes in his red coat and the slight tears in his trousers. This man was indeed quite shabby.

"It's a trifling matter," Blackbeard remarked, reaching into his hip pocket with his large hand and pulling out a pale note.

With a swift stroke of his pen, he wrote a few simple words and arrogantly swung it towards Doflamingo. The words on the note were clear, causing everyone present to chuckle.

It read: 20 billion!

Doflamingo's face turned green, realizing that Blackbeard had come to disrupt the proceedings. He asked coldly, "What does this mean?"

"Can't you see? It's an IOU, an IOU!!" Blackbeard shook the note in front of Doflamingo. "I don't have 20 billion at the moment. When I become one of the Four Emperors in the future, you can use this to withdraw the money."

"Impossible!" Doflamingo angrily refused on the spot.

The black dragon in the second-floor box wore a cold expression. This kid was truly audacious. He stared intently at Blackbeard, suddenly grinning.

"This might be a business opportunity. Capture Blackbeard and sell him to that guy Whitebeard. It would fetch a hefty sum of money," the black dragon thought to himself.

He rubbed his chin, his eyes growing increasingly unfriendly. How could he remain indifferent when such an opportunity presented itself on a silver platter?

"Then I have no choice but to seize it!" Blackbeard let out a strange yell. "Men, let's get to work!"

Boom! The first attack came from Blackbeard, as a dense fog, as black as ink, poured forth from his body, engulfing the entire auction house.

"Quick, run!"

"It hurts so much!"

"Damn you, Blackbeard! How dare you lay hands on us?"

"Damn it, we'll chop him up later!"

The chaos erupted as the attendees scrambled to escape the encroaching darkness. Curses and shouts filled the air as the battle between Blackbeard and the unsuspecting crowd unfolded.

...

The chaotic scene unfolded before them as powerful pirates and attendees fought desperately to escape the encroaching black mist. Among them was Jack, the representative of the Beasts Pirates, who had vowed to tear Blackbeard into pieces. However, Blackbeard smirked with contempt, thinking to himself that he could tear them apart first while they worried about him.

The sulfuric acid-like mist corroded the skin of those unfortunate enough to be caught within its grasp, reducing some weaker individuals to mere piles of dry bones in an instant. Blackbeard advanced step by step, his sights set on Shiryu of the Rain.

Having heard tales of Shiryu's power, Blackbeard saw him as a potential asset to help him rise. But as he moved closer, a sudden impact caused him to clutch his head in pain.

"It hurts!" Blackbeard exclaimed, rubbing his head as if he had hit a wall. The entire venue was enveloped in the black mist, rendering human eyes useless in navigating the chaos.

"Could it be that Shiryu took advantage of the chaos to escape?" Blackbeard pondered, his excitement turning to confusion. He strained his eyes, trying to discern the figure in front of him.

"Shiryu, you are truly impressive... Wait, who the fuck are you?!" Blackbeard's shock turned into screams as he stared at the mysterious being before him.

The entity standing there stood about seven meters tall, entirely black in appearance, with dragon scales covering its body and horns protruding from its head.

"Well, I am a bit overweight," the hoarse voice of the black dragon echoed through the air. His tone turned cold as he continued, "I'm just curious if there is any strength that matches your audacity."

Blackbeard's eyes widened, his expression shifting with a mixture of surprise and awe. He asked in disbelief, "Are you the black dragon?"

To Blackbeard's surprise, the black dragon appeared in a different form than he had anticipated. Most black dragons were known to be large, dark dragons, but this dragon-man hybrid was something new to him.

The realization of the Black Dragon's true strength caused Blackbeard's arrogance to wane, and he attempted to backtrack, his voice tinged with nervousness. "I, um, it was a misunderstanding. I wanted to issue an IOU and pay later. Money has been tight for me recently."

"Recently?" The black dragon raised an eyebrow, scoffing at Blackbeard's claim. When had he ever been rich? A fool who couldn't even support himself and relied on the strength of others.

"It's easy for me to forgive you," the black dragon remarked nonchalantly. "Kneel down and kowtow, and then compensate me with 5 billion berries for the mental damage caused."

"Kneel?!" Blackbeard's pupils twitched violently as his flattery turned to anger. His face contorted with a murderous intent. "You'd better go to hell, Black Dragon!"

His large, rough hand opened, and the dark fog erupted instantly, enveloping the surroundings. The black dragon felt a gravitational force of immense density, uncontrollably being drawn towards Blackbeard.

As a Logia user of the Dark Fruit, Blackbeard had the power to control darkness and manipulate gravity, akin to a black hole. The thick fog splashed and the black dragon was sucked into Blackbeard's hand. Along the way, he felt the invasive and uncomfortable power coursing through his body.

"Jie hahahaha~~~" Blackbeard emitted a strange laughter, his eyes gleaming with an evil light. "You can't use your Devil Fruit powers anymore. Those captured by the Dark Fruit lose their ability to access their Devil Fruit abilities."

"It's over, you idiot!" Blackbeard clenched his other hand into a fist and struck forcefully.

He reveled in his triumph, his eyes filled with fanaticism. He believed that defeating the black dragon, who had a bounty of 4.1 billion berries, was a stepping stone towards claiming the One Piece.

The black dragon met his gaze with a cold stare, observing Blackbeard's expression, and an even greater sense of disdain filled his being.

What a delusional patient, completely consumed by his obsession.

—

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