Chapter 14: To Stop a Monster

Marshall D. Teach couldn't believe his luck. The cook of all people was the one to find the devil fruit; his devil fruit. He had been searching for years for this fruit. He had known that this fruit existed when had heard a few pirates talking about it as a young kid. After hearing of its capabilities he had known that he was destined for it. Now he had it in hand and he would use it to create a new age and become the one that Roger had spoken about years ago. The one who would topple the government and bring a new era into existence. First though he had to escape this damn ship!

The thundering stomps of a beast coming after him caught his attention. Gazing over his shoulder, Teach saw old man Whitebeard tearing through the ship halls. His shoulders breaking doorways that happened to be in his path. "TEACH!" Edward Newgates voice echoed through the hall. His Pops voice was angry and hurt. Suddenly a power slammed into him, conquerors haki. It made his spine tingle as the full force hit him and threw him up and out of the ship's entrance onto the top deck. Teach tumble onto the deck. Lifting his head he found himself facing two the top five commanders of the Whitebeard pirates.

Former brothers now, the commanders had been told by Marco to keep an eye on Teach and if they felt either Marco's or their Pops haki to know that Teach had indeed betrayed them.

The big, very muscular, broad-chested, heavily-armored and dark-skinned man, one could call a giant, stood before Teach. He had a long face with black stripe-like patterns for a beard and hairstyle. His legs are relatively thin in comparison to his muscular arms. The impassable form of the third division commander Diamond Jozu.

Standing next to him was a tall, muscular, broad-chested, tanned man with a curly, black mustache, a dark blue top hat, and an earring in each ear. On his hips was a belt that held two sword sheaths, two sabers, one for each hand. The fifth divion commander of the Whitebeard pirates, Vista of the Flower Swords.

Only two. He could take them on easily or so he thought. However, he had to act quickly. "Zehahaha." He laughed. Placing the fruit in his chest pocket, Teach rushed at Vista first, as he was the closest. He supposed he was lucky it was only these two and not all the commanders that had showed up. The feeling of doom suddenly filled him as Whitebeard slammed his fist into the air causing the air itself to crack as he activated his devil fruit. Both Jozu and Vista looked panicked as the deck of the ship cracked, the wooden board bending unnaturally before breaking. Even if it was a small section of the ship it still would take days to repair after this fight.

"You think attacking your brother will go unpunished you impudent boy!?" Newgate yelled. At this moment he wasn't Teach's Pops, he was Edward Newgate - Whitebeard the captain and father of the man Teach had attacked. "All of this over a devil fruit! One that was your brother's by right!" He swung his naginata, Murakumogiri, narrowly missing Teach's head.

Activating is devil fruit, Jozu turned his body into diamond before actively slamming his body into Teach who grasped at the diamond infused body of his former brother. This was bad. He had not expected the fight against his brothers and father. Just then from behind Vista slash his saber blades down the middle of Teach's back.

Gasping in pain, Teach grasped his pistol and got a single shot off towards Vista who was instantly protected by Jozu and his diamond body shield. The bullet bounced off him. Vista jumped over Jozu and with a swipe of his saber swords in an X pattern came down upon Teach's chest, cutting into him. Jozu used his speed to once more body slam into the traitor.

Teach realized now that he had miscalculated his own strength against them. He had thought by taking out Thatch like he did that Pops and a Marco would be too busy trying to save the weakling which meant he'd escape. Even if one or two of his brothers had attacked he had estimated he could fight them off. Perhaps not eating the fruit when he had the chance had been the flaw in the plan. He should've eaten it the second he had taken it. Now he couldn't afford a second to reach into his pocket and swallow the damn thing!

In his peripheral vision he saw Whitebeard swing his naginata downward again before he could move from above fire slammed into him as a clawed foot grasped his head and pulled him upwards. "You're a fool to think we'd ever let this happen and not retaliate, yoi!" Marco snarled as his fury was on full display. His Phoenix form flashed wildly in anger. The flames from his power exploded from where he had Teach gasped on his head with his talons. The flames shot downward engulfing Teach from head to toe in burning flames. Burning him alive.

If the chase through the ship hadn't caught any attention the screams of Teach burning did. The other Commanders and lower ranked individuals came out of the ship like a rat nest being disturbed. They watched in horror as Teach's head was taken off by their Pops. His blade coming down on his head, beheading him like the traitor he was.

Marco allowed his power to dissolve away, though his eyes still flowed from his anger, his flames lightly dusting his shoulders and hair. Pressing a hand to his head he looked towards his Pop. "Oi, you need to tell them now Pop." he stated as he picked up the head. He could see the panic in the younger men, even some of the seasoned commanders.

Old eyes looked weary and sad at his eldest son, the one who had been with him the longest. He knew his boy was right, he just wished tonight hadn't happened. "Your brother became a traitor tonight." He stated with a deep sadness in his voice. "Several weeks ago we were warned by Ace's brother that Teach was no who he pretended to be. This was not the first time I had been told this." That statement had Marco's head snap towards him, his eyes widening at the revelation. "I didn't want to be either warnings were true; however, the last warning had Marco and I taking precautions in case the rumors were true." He took a shaky breath, as his heart was pained from having to kill one of his sons. "Your brother Thatch found a devil fruit and instead of asking for it, Teach hatched a plan to kill his brother for it. Tonight he attacked your brother." His heart grew heavy. He had rushed after the traitor and didn't even know if his boy was alive or not. His thoughts going to memories of Thatch learning to bake to his rivalry with Marco to learn to read.

As if sensing his thoughts Marco continued. "Pop took after Teach and I took care of Thatch. He will live but has lost his right arm. He almost bled out but I was able to use my healing flames to seal the wound. He is in medbay unconscious with the nurses taking care of him."

Whitebeard felt a weight on his shoulders being lifted with the news of his son being alive. "As you heard I took off after the traitor and was assisted by Commanders Vista and Jozu. The battle ended when Commander Marco came into the fight and burned Teach in order to distract him for me to finish him."

Even if the death had been justifiable the group of men were still shaken. Never in the history of their group had one man tried to actually kill the other. Pop had never needed to enact justice. What was going to happen now?

Marco walked over to the body and search the pockets coming in contact with the object that had caused all of this. The unassuming devil fruit. Handed it over to his Pop, the old man looked at the fruit in his palm. He couldn't believe something so stupid had caused all this damage and drama. He had a feeling this wasn't over yet, that this fruit would cause more damage if they let it. "Once Thatch awakens, he will decide the fate of this fruit." He turned it over in his palm. He could feel the dark tendrils of darkness coaxing him, tempting him with power. Perhaps if he was a lesser soul, he would be tempted to allow the fruit to become his, even if he hadn't already eaten one.

Evil indeed.

M-Angel: Dun, Dunn, Duuunnn! Oops, I killed off the traitor.