"Why?" That was the question that greeted F!Vista when he appeared next in the meeting room, where everyone had agreed not to leave until all of their future visitors have visited.

"We got the gist of it. We had a battle involving Admiral Akainu, where Oyaji and Ace most likely died. Somewhere along the lines, either before or after that battle, Thatch was killed by Teach. But why? Why would Teach kill Thatch? And why were we fighting an Admiral?" Vista asked his future self. F!Vista's eyes darkened.

"Teach." He hissed out.

"Teach? You mean, everything happened because of Teach?" Haruta asked. F!Vista nodded.

"Then…why all the other warnings," Ace asked, "when we can just get rid of Teach before anything happens?" F!Vista stared straight into his eyes.

"A precaution."

"A precaution." Vista repeated, after his doppelganger disappeared. "Just in case one warning didn't work out, another could help prevent what was to happen." Whitebeard nodded in agreement.

"So something happens if I chase Teach, and if I confront Akainu." Ace concluded. "I know from the sight of my other self that I most likely died from Akainu. But how the hell did we end up in a fight against Akainu? And the part about chasing after Teach… Did I chase him for attacking Thatch?" He frowned.

"Sounds possible, yoi. Akainu is a believer of Absolute Justice, so it's likely that Teach maybe tipped him off on our location and he decided to fight us, yoi." Marco frowned as well. "But I'm not sure what's in it for Teach for doing that, yoi. And why did Teach kill Thatch, yoi? Why specifically Thatch, or did Thatch just happen to be in his way, yoi?"

"Maybe." Thatch agreed with a shudder. "I think he attacked me while we were preoccupied with the battle with Akainu. It would explain my future self's warning to 'watch my back'."

"But if I died in that battle with Akainu, then why would my future self warn me against chasing Teach? Unless there's another reason I chased after him."

"Maybe we fought the Admiral again?" Haruta asked. "I mean, let's assume Oyaji's injuries were from fighting Akainu because he was weakened by his illness, then it would make sense that we would get distracted. And while we were distracted, Teach killed Thatch for whatever reasons, and then escaped. Ace chased after Teach, and Akainu probably gave chase? And then you confronted him and got killed?" He gave an unsure shrug. "I don't know, I'm not sure."

"We'll find out." Whitebeard said gravely. They were not looking forward to it at all.

When F!Blamenco appeared, they repeated their assumptions to him.

"Did we get it right?" Rakuyo asked worriedly. F!Blamenco opened his mouth and then closed it again, before making a gesture that conveyed 'somewhat'.

"Okay, so what happened first then?" Fossa asked.

"Teach killed Thatch." They were still frozen in shock when F!Rakuyo appeared, looking at them curiously.

"Teach… He killed me?" Thatch was the first to speak, swallowing hardly. "Was that what started this whole mess?" F!Rakuyo nodded. Ace stepped up, telling F!Rakuyo of their assumptions and what F!Blamenco had replied to it.

"So did Teach kill Thatch while we were distracted in the battle with that Admiral?" Ace seethed. F!Rakuyo shook his head, gesturing 'before'. "It happened before we fought the Admiral?" F!Rakuyo nodded grimly.

"It was intentional, yoi? Like, he specifically targeted Thatch, yoi?" Marco asked in disbelief, receiving a nod in reply.

"Why?!" They demanded from F!Rakuyo, who's gaze darkened, matching F!Vista's look.

"Yami no Mi."

"Yami no Mi? A devil fruit, perhaps?" Vista suggested.

"Just for that? But I would've given it to him if he wanted it!" Thatch exclaimed.

"I'll go check up on everything I can find about the Yami Yami no Mi." Haruta said, before rushing out of the meeting room.

"That bastard!" Ace snarled, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "And I guess, this is where I chased after Teach."

"And knowing you, you probably rushed off without any plans, yoi." Marco agreed. "But why weren't we with you, yoi?"

"Because I wouldn't have allowed it."

"Oyaji?" Marco looked over to Whitebeard, as did everyone else in the room. Whitebeard had been quiet for most part since F!Thatch left. While it was normal for the old man to be content to simply sit back and let his children figure things out by themselves, his expression was the exact opposite of content. "What do you mean by that, yoi?"

"I know how dangerous Teach can be. He often leaves me with an uneasy feeling. If he really did manage to kill Thatch and escape, I would not have allowed any of you to go after him." Whitebeard sighed.

"And I definitely would've gone after him even if it meant I'd be going alone against your orders. We all know how blind I can be when I'm angry." Ace winced. "Ok, now my doppelganger's words make more sense."

"Did we get that right, Namur?" Rakuyo turned to F!Namur, who nodded.

"What happened next?" Haruta inquired. "What happened to Ace after he went after Teach?"

"Turned Ace In."

"You mean I lost to that bastard?!" Ace yelled, but F!Namur was long gone.

"It must've been because of the Yami Yami no Mi, Ace. I mean, there's got to be a reason why he wanted the fruit so badly that he'd kill Thatch for it." Vista pacified the flaming teen.

"Guys, listen to this!" Haruta burst into the room, shutting the door behind him.

"What? What is it, Haruta?" Thatch asked worriedly.

"The Yami Yami no Mi is a Logia type devil fruit. It allows the user to create and control darkness at will." Haruta said, reading off the paper in his hands. "It's considered the 'most evil' devil fruit. And listen to this, it has the power to nullify other devil fruit powers."

"Nullify our powers, yoi? Does that require contact, or can it be done from a distance, yoi?" Marco asked, his worried frown deepening. Haruta shook his head.

"Unfortunately, not much is known about it. This is all I could find out about it. And how it looks like." He said, holding up a picture of a round purple fruit with swirls.

"So we have next to no idea what the fruit is truly capable of. But with the power to nullify other devil fruits, it sure sounds like a powerful and useful ability to have." Thatch said.

"That explains why I lost." Ace grumbled. "I may be an idiot, but even I can recognise that I'm quite dependent on my devil fruit powers."

"Most devil fruit users are dependent on their devil fruit, yoi. Even me, Ace." Marco admitted.

"I can see why Teach would want it, but I still can't tell what he's after. I seriously can't understand him at all anymore." Thatch scratched his head in frustration.

"Wealth, Fame and Power." Marco growled. "Everything pirates usually seek, yoi." The realisation dawned on them as they all voiced it out simultaneously.

"The One Piece…"

Sorry for the long wait! I was admittedly a little lost on how to continue... But I managed somehow, and even got a few ideas to add in from the reviews on here and AO3, so look forward to it!

I hope you enjoy this update, and reviews are always welcomed!