-Lilith POV-
I had already decided to defeat Blackbeard in human form, and to do that thing. It would make it more interesting and I wanted to draw this out. Blackbeard deserved a slow, tortured death but - unfortunately - it was unlikely that I could do that here. I didn't have anything with me other than the traditional blades and I still had a den den mushi to cope with. I was unlikely to win any sympathies by torturing someone so visibly. That being said, there was no reason not to use a little psychological warfare. Mental torture could be just as satisfying after all.
Blackbeard was armed. Mentally, I registered his weapons: three flintlock pistols in his sash - the fourth still in his hand from shooting Whitebeard - and four steel claws attached to his left hand. I carried neither type of weapon - the pistols because my aim was beyond shitty and the claws because I could grow my own. That being the case I decided to go weaponless. When I wanted to make it clear just how superior to an opponent I was I fought in the same style - species and weapon - and I definitely wanted to do that to Blackbeard. In some cases it put me at a disadvantage because I couldn't imitate a person's Devil Fruit, but that was okay. I didn't mind.
I unsheathed my sword on my back, cracked my knuckles, and charged in headfirst.
-Blackbeard POV-
The girl was doing nothing but dodging, the coward. She was even weaker than I expected. Most obviously all talk and no game. Then again, she was just a little girl after all. And she had already gotten herself injured quite obviously, half her side missing and there was a gaping hole there. How's she still fighting? Sure enough there was a surprising lack of blood when she moved but it was obviously hampering her ability to dodge.
And that was all she was doing. I swung my claws and she dodged, losing ground. I tried to grab her with my other hand and she twisted away, again losing ground. So far, she'd been unable to land a single attack. I growled internally. Just hold still you little brat!
And that was when I felt my blades imbed themselves in what was left of her stomach, just over the gaping hole and right beneath her ribs, forcing her to cry out in pain.
-Whitebeard POV-
I was carelessly swinging my bisento and sending yet more Marines flying when I heard Lilith cry out. I was unconcerned. So she's doing that thing again, huh? I'll admit I felt a modecom of approval. Teach actually deserved it. It was impossible to steal something he trusted from him, he had nothing like that. But it was possible to rip his victory out from under his feet. And that's what Lilith would do. I smiled to myself for half a second. Lilith could be a touch sadistic when she got like this. That was fine though. Teach deserved it.
"Is no one strong enough to challenge me?!" I bellowed. Seriously, if nobody shows up to fight me soon I'll just end up sucumbing to my wounds. I'd prefer to avoid that.
"Ooh, how scary," I heard someone drawl slowly, "Whitebeard's still this strong even after all this." A laser bit through my arm and disappeared, signaling the arrival of my opponent. Well then, brat, let's see how much you're got in you.
-Lilith POV-
Blackbeard's four curved gently curved claws were roughly imbedded in my stomach. I looked down. Four spots of blood bloomed on my clothes, growing until they molded together. An additional trail of dark crimson, nearly black against the material of my shirt, trickled down, further straining it. I could feel the hot drip of liquid against my skin and the sharp bite of the man's claws.
Blackbeard laughed his strange laugh. "I told you you couldn't beat me!" he shouted, loud enough for the rest of the battlefield to hear. He considers this a show not a fight. I realized. Don't look down on my you fat bastard. I could vaguely make out people screaming my name. I was still being held aloft by the blades in my stomach.
I grinned. By the taste of blood in my mouth I guessed it was staining my teeth. "So I take it you think you've won, do you?" I sneered around the pain. Blackbeard's face clearly said that yes, he did and yes, he was enjoying it. "Good," I grunted out, "It's more fun this way. I love doing this thing."
Blackbeard laughed, apparently not understanding. "What do you mean, little girl? Are you really in such a hurry to die?"
"Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat is just so much more fun," I said. "I'm not done yet."
Blackbeard stopped smiling. He may not think I was much of a threat but he was a crafty bastard. And he knew better than to take chances with someone using my kind of attitude. It was safer just to kill people like me before we could make trouble. Blackbeard pulled one of the pistols from his belt. I could feel the small circle of cold metal as he pressed it against my skin, just over my heart. "Just die," he ordered and pulled the trigger.
Armament Haki is just such a wonderful thing, especially against weak opponents like this. "You're not strong enough," I said simply. There was the sound of a crumpled bullet falling and clinking against the ground. I waited until it stopped rolling to look Blackbeard in the eyes. "But I am." With both my hands on his wrist, I twisted.
There was a loud crack and I fell to the ground as his blades stopped supporting my weight properly. Blackbeard called out in pain. "Dammit! It hurts! Damn little girl!" he shouted.
"This little girl just broke your wrist," I informed him. "Do you want to see what else she can do?"