Rocks Band: I have 48 Imperial Arms.

“We’re not here to die, we’re here to find Ace,” Locke said. “413, you men are nothing but dust.”

Locke's swordsmanship became increasingly fierce, and his attacks became faster and faster, causing Maki to feel somewhat flustered.

But Maki did not give up. Instead, he fought with increasing ferocity. His black blade slashed at Locke, and a powerful black energy burst from the blade, instantly shaking the surrounding trees.

"It seems you are not strong enough."

"Stop daydreaming," Maki scoffed.

“We will not give up,” Locke said, his eyes gleaming with fearlessness and determination. “We will fight on until we find Ace.”

Locke's words shocked Maki; he hadn't expected these people to be so determined. But he didn't give up; instead, he launched an even more frenzied attack.

The battle reached its climax, with both sides unleashing their ultimate moves. Locke's sword dance was as swift as the wind, each attack carrying astonishing power, while Maki's black blade radiated boundless dark energy, each strike making the surrounding air heavy.

Finally, Locke's sword dance struck Maki's black blade, knocking his weapon away. Maki stared at his weapon in astonishment, never expecting these people to be so powerful.

"Who...who are you?" Maki asked.

“We are just ordinary adventurers, but we have an unwavering determination,” Locke said. “Now, tell us, where is Fire Fist Ace?”

Maki was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Ace is in a cave deep in the valley, but you'd better be careful, he's not someone to mess with."

“Thank you for reminding us,” Locke said. “We’ll be careful.”

Ace was shocked to learn of this. He decided to personally test the young pirate. So, he invited Locke to his ship for a duel...

"Why did you become a pirate?" Ace asked.

“Because I want freedom,” Locke replied. “I don’t want to be bound by anyone; I want to freely pursue my dreams.”

“Very good!” Ace nodded. “Freedom is what every pirate pursues. But, do you know, becoming a pirate is not easy. You need to put in a lot of effort and sacrifice to achieve your goal.”

“I know,” Locke said. “I’m ready.”

"Alright, then I'll test your abilities."

Ace said, and a flaming sword appeared in his hand.

Locke was also ready; he drew his 0.6 weapon, a sharp longsword. The two began a fierce battle, their swords clashing and sparks flying.

Locke fought with tremendous effort, fully utilizing his strength and willpower. Although he hadn't awakened Conqueror's Haki, he relied on his own hard work and willpower to wage a fierce and arduous battle against Ace.

Chapter 320: Whitebeard's Praise!

In the end, Ace was defeated by Rock. He was very surprised; he hadn't expected this young pirate to be so powerful.

Locke's victory over Fire Fist Ace quickly spread throughout the New World. People began to pay attention to this young pirate, discussing his strength and courage.

Locke and his companions continued their voyage, searching for more treasures and adventures. Their strength grew steadily, and Locke performed exceptionally well in every battle. His name began to spread throughout the New World, and many wanted to befriend him.

At this time, Whitebeard heard the name Locke and became very interested in the young pirate. He decided to become Locke's protector and make him his son.

“Rock, you are an outstanding pirate,” Whitebeard said. “I heard you defeated Fire Fist Ace, which is a remarkable achievement.”

“Thank you for your compliment,” Locke said. “I just did my best.”

"Your efforts and courage have deeply moved me," Whitebeard said. "I want to help you become an even stronger pirate."

“I appreciate your kindness,” Locke said, “but I still want to become a powerful pirate through my own efforts.”

“Very good, I like people who are confident and ambitious,” Whitebeard said. “But you also need to know that becoming a powerful pirate is not easy. You need to work hard and struggle constantly to achieve your goals.”

“I know,” Locke said. “I will keep working hard until I achieve my dream.”

“Very good, I believe you will achieve great things,” Whitebeard said. “But before you become a great pirate, you can become my son first. I will provide you with protection and guidance so that you can grow faster.”

Locke was touched by Whitebeard's words. He had always been a lone pirate, without a family or crew. Now that he had a protector like Whitebeard, he felt at ease.

“Thank you, Lord Whitebeard,” Locke said. “I am honored to be your son.”

"You're welcome," Whitebeard said. "I've been looking for promising young pirates, hoping to cultivate a group of excellent pirate crews. You have great talent, and I believe you will become an outstanding pirate."

Hearing Whitebeard's praise, Locke became even more determined. He resolved to strive to become a great pirate and win honor and victory for himself and Whitebeard.

"Lord Whitebeard, I recently heard that Blackbeard stole the Dark-Dark Fruit. What are your thoughts on this?" Locke asked.

"Blackbeard?" Whitebeard frowned. "He's just a nobody, not worth our time and effort to chase."

“But the Dark-Dark Fruit is an extremely powerful ability. If Blackbeard were to master it, he could become even more powerful,” Locke said.

“I know,” Whitebeard nodded, “but we have more important things to do now. We need to establish our position and influence in the New World. The Dark-Dark Fruit is just a power; it doesn’t determine everything.”

"Yes, Lord Whitebeard." Locke nodded. He understood Whitebeard's words. The Dark-Dark Fruit was only one part of the path to becoming the Pirate King. Without great strength and influence, even if one possessed the Dark-Dark Fruit, one could not truly become a great Pirate King.

Chapter 321: Marco's Conversation!

“You still have a lot to learn, Locke,” Whitebeard said. “You can learn a lot in my crew, including combat skills, leadership, strategy, and so on. You need to keep improving yourself to become a true Pirate King.”

“I will study hard, Lord Whitebeard,” Locke said. “I will become an excellent pirate and win victories for you and our crew.”

“Very good.” Whitebeard said with a smile, “I believe you will become an excellent pirate. Now, we need to start planning our next move.”

Locke and Whitebeard began to discuss the situation and their adversaries in the New World. They needed to determine their goals and strategies in order to establish themselves in the New World.

Marco the Phoenix explained his abilities to Locke, telling him that his powers came from the Phoenix, which allowed him to revive and possess powerful physical abilities.

“This is an incredibly powerful ability, Marco,” Locke exclaimed. “Your ability gives us much more confidence when we face Blackbeard.”

“Thank you for your compliment, Locke,” Marco said with a smile, “but my ability is not perfect; it has some limitations.”

"What restrictions?" Locke asked.

“First of all, my ability requires a certain amount of time to revive,” Marco explained. “If I am killed in battle, I need a certain amount of time to revive. During this time, I am unable to participate in combat.”

“I understand.” Locke nodded. “Are there any other restrictions?”

“Another limitation is that my abilities need to be activated. If I don’t receive a sufficiently strong attack, my abilities cannot be used,” Marco said. “So, if we are to use my abilities against Blackbeard, we need him to launch a sufficiently strong attack on me.”

“This sounds very dangerous.” Locke frowned. “We need to make sure you’re safe.”

“I will do my best to protect myself, Locke,” Marco said, “but if we want to win this battle, we must take some risks.”

“I understand.” Locke nodded. “We need to develop a detailed plan to ensure our actions are carried out in an orderly manner.”

“Yes, we need a precise plan,” Marco agreed. “I believe our team is capable of completing this plan.”

As time went on, Locke, Whitebeard, and Marco successfully assembled a powerful team, and they began their operation against Blackbeard. During the battle, Marco's abilities played a crucial role; he used his phoenix powers to draw Blackbeard's attacks while simultaneously protecting himself.

Although the battle was extremely difficult, Locke and his team ultimately succeeded in defeating Blackbeard. Locke and Marco cooperated closely during the battle, and their team executed their plan precisely, ultimately achieving victory.

"Congratulations, you did an excellent job," Whitebeard exclaimed. "This battle proves the strength and teamwork of our team."

“Thank you for your support, Whitebeard,” Locke said. “It was a very difficult battle, but we succeeded.”

Chapter 322: Creating a New Order!

“Yes, we succeeded,” Marco said with a smile. “This is a victory for our team.”

Locke and Marco shook hands in celebration of their victory, knowing what this battle meant. They had proven their strength and demonstrated their teamwork and coordination.

Locke and his crew successfully defeated Blackbeard, but this doesn't mean their mission is complete. Blackbeard left behind many problems and dangers that Locke and his team need to solve and deal with.

“Now we need to put Blackbeard to trial,” Locke said. “We need 427 to make him pay for his crimes.”

“Then how are we to try him?” Marco asked. “We have no court, and no judge.”

“We can set up our own court and conduct a fair trial,” Locke proposed. “We can invite some independent observers to oversee the trial process and ensure its impartiality.”

“Good idea,” Whitebeard agreed. “We need to hold Blackbeard accountable for his crimes.”

So Locke and his crew began the trial of Blackbeard. They set up a makeshift courtroom on a desolate (chag) island and invited some independent observers to oversee the proceedings. Blackbeard was brought to the courtroom to face Locke and his crew.

“Blackbeard, you are accused of multiple crimes, including murder, terrorism, and breach of peace,” Locke said. “What is your defense?”

Blackbeard was silent for a moment, then said, "I admit I committed these crimes, but I did it to achieve my goals."

"What is your goal?" Locke asked.

“I want to break the balance of the world and create a new order,” Blackbeard said. “I believe that only through destruction can something new be created.”

“Your thinking is wrong, Blackbeard,” Locke said. “Your actions will only bring pain and disaster to humanity and the world.”

“You may disagree with my views, but you cannot deny my power,” Blackbeard said. “I have the ability to control the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, and I can create endless darkness.”

“Your power is not invincible, Blackbeard,” Locke said. “We have proven that unity and faith are the forces that overcome darkness.”

"So how do you intend to punish me?" Blackbeard asked.

“We will make you pay for your crimes,” Locke said. “I will judge you and determine your punishment.”

Locke began Blackbeard's trial, listening to all the witness testimonies and evidence, and finally delivered his verdict: "Blackbeard, you have committed numerous crimes, and you shall be sentenced to life imprisonment."

Blackbeard did not resist. He was taken to a remote island and imprisoned in a specially made cell. He was stripped of his powers and unable to use the Dark-Dark Fruit.

“Blackbeard has been imprisoned, which has brought peace to humanity and the world,” Locke said. “But we still need to deal with the dangers he left behind.”

"Are you referring to the Dark-Dark Fruit?" Marco asked.

“Yes, the Dark-Dark Fruit is an extremely dangerous Imperial Arm; it must be destroyed,” Locke said.

On the remote island where Blackbeard was imprisoned, Locke led Whitebeard and the Phoenix to an ancient temple.