I'm in One Piece, and I'm Luffy's childhood friend.

"A powerful elbow strike!!"

"Poison Scythe - Cleave!"

"Falling Feather Slash!"

"boom!"

The Blackbeard Pirates attacked from four sides.

Burgess delivers a frontal elbow strike.

Poison Q rode in from the left, wielding a poisoned scythe.

Lafayette sprouted wings, soared high into the air, and swiftly thrust down with the cane-sword in her hand.

Oka then engaged in long-range sniping.

If it were still Bai Yun from that night in Mogu Town, with just these four, Bai Yun would still be disdainful.

However, he is currently only using Ai Baiyun as a clone, and such a surrounding attack has reached a fatal level.

But Bai Yun is no longer a novice in combat, and so are his clones.

Ai Baiyun held a knife in his right hand and a pistol in his left.

The pistol fired two shots, stopping Oka's bullets.

With his right hand, he slashed at the venomous Q coming from the left, unleashing the cry, "Overlord!"

Therefore, Lafayette and Burgess could only endure the attacks head-on.

First, Lafayette stabbed his collarbone and drew blood, then Bages elbowed him so hard he coughed up blood and flew out.

The blade scraped against the ground, and Ai Baiyun finally stopped.

The pain was twice as intense, making him grit his teeth.

Ai Baiyun chose the Dark-Dark Fruit as his Devil Fruit ability.

That's why he chose to block the attacks from Oka and Poison Q.

As mentioned earlier, the Dark-Dark Fruit can transform physical pain into mental pain, thereby allowing one's injuries to heal.

However, poison, being an external substance, cannot be converted, or rather, the conversion rate is slower than the rate at which the poison takes effect. That's why Blackbeard was defeated in one move by Magellan, who possessed the Venom-Venom Fruit. It was only then that Blackbeard realized that poison wounds could not be converted.

"The scars have disappeared."

"It's our captain's ability that's to blame."

Lafayette said.

"That's clever, here's a reward..."

"Dark acupoint!"

Black smoke billowed from Ai Baiyun's body as he pressed his palm down on the ground, spreading darkness.

Upon seeing this, the four immediately jumped onto the building.

However, the darkness hadn't spread out much when Ai Baiyun withdrew his hand, turned around, and ran to find Ace. That bastard Blackbeard had already chased after him.

"Oh no! He got away!!"

Burgess exclaimed in surprise.

"We all saw it!"

Lafayette replied.

"This was so much easier than last time. You're so lucky, Lafayette!"

Poison Q said while coughing up blood.

And through the scope on Oka's face, Ai Baiyun's silhouette was visible; he only said...

"What fate..."

"Come on!"

........

While Ai Baiyun was fighting against Blackbeard's four henchmen.

Despite prioritizing the greater good, Ace was stopped by Blackbeard, and the two arrived at a plaza on the island.

"We haven't seen each other in so long, why are you running away the moment we meet, Captain!"

"Hahaha!!"

Seeing Blackbeard's expression, Ace clenched his fists involuntarily, "Teach..."

Blackbeard noticed this. After all these years, he knew Ace well—a hot-blooded young man who couldn't hide his emotions! He could use this!!

"It's me, Teach!"

"Soon, this name will be known throughout the world!"

"For my great cause, Captain, you are an indispensable asset."

"However, Captain, you can leave, and then my stake will shift to Straw Hat Boy. He's related to you, isn't he?"

"If it were him, I'd chase him to the ends of the earth! Hahaha!!"

Chapter 545 He's my younger brother!!

"If it were him, I'd chase him to the ends of the earth! Hahaha!!"

"It's a real pity. I originally wanted to invite Captain Ace to join us, but you're connected to Long-Haired White Luffy and Straw Hat Luffy."

"However, you can also choose not to let them join!!"

"To conquer the world! Nothing is worth giving up!!"

Blackbeard didn't know the relationship between Ace and Luffy, but whatever the relationship was, he was willing to use it.

The goal was to provoke Ace into fighting him, not to run away. Given Ace's strength, it would be impossible for Blackbeard to capture Ace completely if he tried to fight while fleeing.

But to Blackbeard's surprise, Ace didn't get angry; instead, he laughed.

"Bai Yun and Luffy are both my younger brothers."

“Someone like you wouldn’t understand, Teach.”

"besides"

"Do you dare, Tim...Blackbeard!"

The change in address signifies that Ace has completely severed ties with Blackbeard. After all, if Blackbeard wanted to harm his own brother, what friendship could there be?

"Do you dare go find Luffy? You lost an arm to Haku, do you still dare to go now?!"

Aren't you afraid you'll end up without even one hand?!

Instead of provoking people, I was provoked.

Upon hearing Ace's words, Blackbeard's face instantly darkened.

He doesn't dare?

What he's thinking right now is that he doesn't dare—no! It's not that he doesn't dare, but that he's not in a hurry! He'll bide his time and seek revenge later; that's Blackbeard's style—no rush.

But now, he really needs the leverage to become a Shichibukai.

Currently, Luffy and Bai Yun are together, and they are the only two people on this route who are qualified to be used as bargaining chips. However, given the possibility of Bai Yun cutting off his hand, Blackbeard is hesitant to act rashly.

Therefore, Ace is the only chance! Otherwise, he would have to go to Sabaody Archipelago or other pirates who are qualified to be used as bargaining chips and whom he can afford to offend right now!

The only chance!

Without a word, Blackbeard unleashed his "Dark Water!" attack.

Black smoke billowed from his entire body, a black hole appeared in his right palm, and suction force erupted.

Ace lost his footing and was instantly sucked in. The moment Blackbeard's palm touched his chest, Ace could indeed feel the connection between the Flame-Flame Fruit power within him being severed. In the past, he only needed a thought to unleash the flames, but now it was no use no matter how hard he tried.

"Hahaha, this is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!!"

"That bastard with long hair and white hair must really want to replicate this ability..."

"Uh!"

As Blackbeard was speaking, Ace stabbed him in the left chest, near his armpit, with a dagger. The Dark-Dark Fruit can only cause the user who comes into contact with it to lose their ability, not to make them completely immobile. Without the fruit's power, there's still the knife. Even without a knife, the most primitive way to attack is to punch him.

"As Bai Yun said, you talk too much. Be careful you don't die from talking too much!"

Pain surged into his mind, and Blackbeard slammed Ace to the ground and kicked him away.

He then pulled the dagger out of his chest, crying out, "Ouch!!"

Blackbeard howled in pain, and then the knife wound on his chest slowly healed, as if time had reversed.

As soon as the fight broke out, the residents who had been watching the spectacle scattered instantly. Watching and observing was fine, but danger was not an option.

It was better for the residents to disperse; Ace was afraid of hurting them, but Blackbeard didn't care.

This way, Ace can be more carefree.

Ace got up, but he didn't have Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit ability to regenerate; he already had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth from Blackbeard's two attacks.

Seeing the scar on Blackbeard's chest disappear, Ace understood why Bai Yun was so wary of him.

"Musketeers!"

Ace raised his index and middle fingers like guns, pointing them at Blackbeard, and fired a series of small flames at his opponent.

"A little trick!"

Blackbeard still faced the black hole in his palm, and all the fire bullets fired by Ace were swallowed up.

Ace narrowed his eyes and scrutinized him, raising his hand to the gun stance again. Blackbeard, smug, thought Ace was still not giving up and continued to use the black hole in his palm against him.

"Fire...Fist!!"

Unexpectedly, Ace changed his attack midway, clenching all his fingers into a fist and unleashing a giant fire fist.

Unable to be absorbed by the black hole, Blackbeard was engulfed by the flames and rolled on the ground in pain.

"Ah! Ah!! Ah!!!"