Naruto: Copy System

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“Blackbeard wants to become a Warlord?”

In his office at Marineford, Fleet Admiral Sengoku’s expression was unreadable.

He was, of course, well aware of the Blackbeard incident that was causing such an uproar on the seas. As Fleet Admiral, if he didn’t know about something this big, the Five Elders would probably be looking for his replacement.

“Tsuru, what’s your take on this?” Sengoku asked, turning his gaze to the Staff Officer standing beside him.

“From our perspective, Blackbeard wanting to become a Warlord isn’t a bad thing,” Tsuru said after a moment of thought. “We’re currently down two Warlords. From a purely strategic standpoint, this benefits us.”

She was right. The Seven Warlords were short two members.

The first was Crocodile, who had been killed by Momousagi. The second was Mihawk; after Akainu had been sent to deal with him, he had naturally withdrawn from the organization.

It wasn’t in Mihawk’s character to stick around after the Marines had openly tried to kill him.

With two members gone, the threat level of the Warlords had dropped significantly. They needed a powerful new recruit to fill the gap.

Of course, they couldn’t just let anyone join. The candidate had to be strong, but not too closely aligned with one of the Four Emperors.

This Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, had zero bounty to his name.

All they knew was that he was a former member of the Whitebeard Pirates’ 2nd Division. Beyond that, his file was empty. For such an unknown figure to suddenly kill the 4th Division Commander, Thatch, was a major development.

“To be able to kill a Whitebeard Division Commander, whether by ambush or by sheer strength, means he can’t be weak…” Sengoku mused.

He was already leaning toward accepting.

Blackbeard had made an irreconcilable enemy of Whitebeard. After killing one of his ‘sons,’ Whitebeard would never let him live. They were now enemies to the death.

“Still, we need to be wary of this man,” Tsuru added, her tone carrying a deeper meaning.

Sengoku understood perfectly.

Blackbeard’s ambition was clearly massive. To stay hidden for so long and then announce himself by killing a division commander… this wasn’t someone to take lightly. If he didn’t have serious goals, he never would’ve betrayed Whitebeard to begin with.

“By the way, Sengoku, Blackbeard said he’s bringing you a gift. I wonder what it could be,” Tsuru said.

“Let’s see if he even has the guts to show his face at Marineford.”

Sengoku stood and walked to the window, his gaze fixed on the distant harbor.

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A few days later, Blackbeard arrived, bold as brass. He wasn’t alone.

Slung over his shoulder was the unconscious, beaten form of Fire Fist Ace.

Blackbeard was a mountain of a man—rough-looking, covered in thick body hair, and towering over even the three Admirals.

“Marshall D. Teach,” Sengoku said, his voice cold and expression stone-faced. “You actually had the balls to show up here. Do you have any idea where you are?”

“Zehahahaha! Surely you wouldn’t make a move on me, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I don’t even have a bounty,” Blackbeard laughed, showing not a shred of fear.

“You’re a pirate. A bounty is irrelevant. I can issue one for you right now,” Sengoku replied coolly. He was annoyed. For this man to show up at Marineford without a hint of fear… was he mocking them?

“Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I want to become one of the Seven Warlords,” Blackbeard declared. “And this… is my gift to you.”

He walked back to his ship and unceremoniously dumped Ace’s unconscious body onto the pier.

“Fire Fist Ace.” Sengoku’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of genuine surprise on his face as he looked from the body to Blackbeard.

“You captured him yourself?”

He knew Ace was no pushover.

The user of the Logia Flame-Flame Fruit had been a Supernova when he first set out to sea, drawing Sengoku’s attention immediately. When he joined the Whitebeard Pirates, he became an even greater threat.

Ace’s potential was immense.

“Of course,” Blackbeard said with a proud grin.

Back on Whitebeard’s ship, he had played the part of a humble, unassuming crewmate. Now, his true, wildly arrogant nature was on full display.

This was the real Blackbeard.

“Blackbeard, you came all this way. Aren’t you afraid I’ll just keep you here?” Sengoku’s gaze was sharp.

He needed to re-evaluate this man’s strength. To be able to defeat Fire Fist Ace meant he was far more powerful than their intel suggested.

Blackbeard’s pupils contracted slightly.

Of course, he was afraid. But he was a gambler by nature. He had waited twenty years on Whitebeard’s ship for the slim chance of finding the Dark-Dark Fruit. This was no different.

If he lost this gamble, he’d be thrown in Impel Down. But if he won, his grand plan would be one step closer to completion. He could recruit powerful crewmates and begin his conquest of the New World.

His ultimate ambition was to become the Pirate King.

“I doubt the Fleet Admiral would do such a thing,” Blackbeard said, forcing a casual expression.

“Besides…” he added, his smile turning into a grotesque leer that showed off several missing teeth—a souvenir from a past encounter with Shanks. “I have a big secret to tell you. I’m sure once you hear it, you won’t be so eager to arrest me.”

“A secret? About the Whitebeard Pirates?” Sengoku asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Not about them,” Blackbeard chuckled. “It’s about Ace. You see… Ace is the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.”

“…” Sengoku felt a jolt run through him.

He stared at Blackbeard, his mind reeling. He was skeptical. Everyone related to Roger was supposed to have been eliminated years ago.

How could he possibly have a son?

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