Chapter 18: Blood-Man
Egghead
The Blackbeard Pirate Commodore and Emperor landed on the wreckage of Egghead Island. Facing Ezekiel the Elder, Kizaru the Admiral, and several Vice Admirals along with their men.
Marshall D. Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard, surveyed the scene with his piercing gaze, his dark eyes scanning over the chaos that lay before him. The once-thriving island of innovation was now a jagged mess of twisted metal and shattered dreams. The smell of burnt circuitry and seawater mixed in the air, creating an acrid scent that clung to the pirates' clothes and the nostrils of their enemies alike.
"You're too late, Teach. Even if you had the manpower, you'd never have the brains to replicate it.," said Red King.
"Zehahaha. I would've liked it, but the goal for me was always something else. To take it all because everything was taken from me...by you guys.," he said to the Vice Admiral.
"What nonsense.," said Hound as he turned into a bloodhound hybrid before Teach used his Black Vortex to draw in the Zoan before using his Tremor-Tremor to pummel the Vice Admiral.
"Hound!," shouted Doberman.
Blackbeard grinned, his teeth glinting in the light of the fires around them. Red King lunged his extendable gauntlet but to his surprise Teach used an advanced use of Conquerors Haki to stun and knock out the Vice Admiral from a distance.
"A coward like you having Conquerors' Haki...It seems rats can be brave when cornered.," said Bluegrass as she rode one of the remaining Pacifista.
The battlefield grew tense as the Marines watched Teach's unpredictable power. The air crackled with the energy of their clashing Haki. Blackbeard's grin twisted into a snarl. He pointed his Logia-infused hand at the Pacifista, his fingers curling into a fist. The very fabric of the air around the mechanical monstrosity trembled before it exploded into a maelstrom of blackness, sending the robotic warrior hurtling into the sea.
Bluegrass was about to drown before one of the soldiers dived to rescue her.
Guillotine, Pomsky in his hybrid form, Urban, and Doll all prepared to attack at once but were sniped from several directions by Augur.
"Thanks. Aug. All that's left are the bosses. I've been waiting to test something out.," said Teach.
"Sure. Boss.," said Burgess.
He did the Luffy pose of Gear 2 but with the opposite limbs.
"That looks like what Straw Hat Boy did 2 years ago...," said Kaku, having remained on the island due to orders as did Lucci.
"No, this feels sinister...in comparison.," said the leopard user.
"I used this to knock Ochaku out of leadership. I wonder if it's good enough for the likes of ya.," said Teach. Red Blood began to pour out of his body in large puddles. His skin turned deathly pale, his ears elongated, his teeth became yellow and fanged, his eyes became blood red, and he then snarled.
Kizaru looked at the sight in confusion as he turned to Ezekiel.
The Elder was stunned.
"To think that power would be in this era. It was lost to time...and we thought it was a Logia due to it resembling the Darkness-Darkness Fruit enough...but the inconsistencies of the intangibility didn't make sense. Now it's clear. It's the Mythical Zoan: Human-Human: Madden.," the Elder explained.
"Whoa...that's surprising...," spoke the Admiral.
"Indeed," said Elder Ezekiel calmly. "But, it's not the time to be surprised. We must retreat and report this to the higher-ups. This changes everything we know about the balance of power in the world."
The blood rose as demonic hands grabbed Ezekiel and Kizaru and swatted them together. Kizaru dissipated to restructure himself in another location and Saturn regenerated from the strike.
"I've taken measures to ensure this. Ezekiel. Don't you remember? Of course, you can't. I'm just one of countless lab rats.," explained Teach.
Kaku and Lucci entered their Awakened Hybrid forms, using the strongest variants of their attacks- Giraffe Pasta Machine Line and Leopard Six King Gun. Firing Giraffe and Leopard-shaped strikes at the enemy.
However, the other puddles of blood emerged as draconic heads to swallow and negate the attacks.
"I'm not interested in the petting zoo. Go back to the nursery kiddos!," Teach spoke as he generated blood bats as they bombarded the CP0 Agents, knocking them out of the fight.
"What even is that?," asked Kizaru.
"Gear 2: Blood-Man.," Teach replied.
"So tacky.," Devon noted.
"So that's where you are!," Kizaru said as he picked up the light distortions around a section of the area. It caused Shiryu to fall backward.
"You're an Admiral and an Elder. I can't be so reckless.," Teach replied.
Shot emerged to fire flames at the Elder, but this annoyed him releasing his Gyuki form as the clown-like criminal was restrained by his telekinetic powers.
Wolf appeared and proceeded to stomp on the Elder, but the Ankylosaurus spikes of his other power were unleashed to cause the Giant to reel back in from his foot being injured.
Emeth the Iron Giant remained unharmed by the damage and remained still on the island.
"That guy's from Joy's crew... can't move without a drum beat huh?," asked the vampiric Pirate as Kizaru began to build speed. He then blitzed directly into Teach's gut as he spat out blood.
"Wrrryyyyyyy!," he cried as he fell on his back.
"You're truly a creature of darkness, ain't ya. I'm not taking it easy since I'm carrying baggage from today.," said the Admiral as he summoned a barrage of light swords to impale Teach.
"Futsushimitama-no-tsurugi.," he declared as they rained down on the Emperor.
He charged up a beam to fire through his head to finish the job...but noticed the blood bat biting into his artery. He swatted it as the bat flew back to Teach and exploded as the Pirate Commodore rose to his feet fully recovered.
"This stinks...A protracted fight is just going to go in your favor.," said the Admiral.
He touched the ground as the island rumbled.
"Borsalino...you're...," noted Augur as he observed the sight.
Kizaru was engulfed by light as the entire island was converted into a photon construct. Blackbeard looked at the imposing figure that Kizaru had become-
A four-winged angelic monkey with a halo.
"So that's what a Logia Awakening looks-," Teach said before he lost all vision causing him to stumble around for a brief moment.
He lunged at the entity only for it to be a hologram. The real Kizaru had camouflaged himself while also attacking at light speeds. Even when Teach hit him, it passed through- going beyond Haki touch negation.
The Marines watched in shock and awe as the legendary fruit's power unfolded before their very eyes. The sheer speed and precision of Kizaru's new form was unparalleled.
Kizaru used his tail to grab and toss the vampire around as he continued to squirt out blood. He also used his laser eyes to pierce through Teach.
"Takamikura.," Kizaru as he released his trump card- summoning a throne room of a wano-style palace with a closed throne that opened to reveal a bright brilliance that seemingly erased Teach.
Kizaru smirked but was then stabbed from behind by a blood-red skeleton summoned by Teach's constant spilling of blood. Whether it was intentional or using on the spot. It was enough to severely injure the Admiral.
"Gahh!," he exclaimed.
Kizaru's Past
Borsalino was a child born in South Blue, a poor child with an aptitude for learning and keeping a smile to avoid being punished. He would rise the ranks merely because it was expected him to do so. At 26, he joined the Marines because it was expected of him and became close to Sakazuki as they were obedient to the law.
He was disappointed when his mentor, Zephyr left the Marines after suffering a trauma caused by Hanafuda killing his loved ones.
He would follow orders to the letter.
At 26, he befriended Vegapunk and Sentomaru, but it was somewhat distant at times.
He met a Marine named Bellemere and was uncharacteristically smitten by her, but was disappointed when she abandoned the title to raise some children in a war-torn country.
He would cause harm to the Sun Pirates, which in turn led to events that caused Bellemere's death inadvertently.
He later met with Bonney and Kuma and danced with them to ease the latter's pain.
He came to regret how passive he was.
Present
Kizaru with the last of his power attempted a zero-range energy blast at Teach. It caused a column that could be seen for miles. However, Teach regenerated from it and fired a plasma-blooded sword through his head.
Kuzan on the skull island gritted his teeth at the sight while Garp was too paralyzed with numbing agents to act on his anger.
Mary Geoise
Sakazuki felt a pat on his shoulder as he briefly glanced behind him, but he saw nothing. Feeling like something important was gone now.
"What's wrong?," asked Abraham as the Fleet Admiral dismissed it.
Egghead
Ezekiel looked at the dried-up husk of Borsalino with Teach generating tendrils to drain his blood.
"You're next.," said Teach, pointing at the Elder.
Elder Ezekiel took a step back, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Kizaru's lifeless body.
"You manifested up to Gear 2. It would be dangerous if you reached the equivalent of Gear 5 or beyond.," he spoke rationally.
"You're not bothered he's dead?," asked the pirate.
"When you're immortal. Insects come and go. No need to become attached.," Saturn spoke.
"We lost Kizaru! We don't stand a chance!," shouted a Marine. They grabbed the Vice Admirals, Kaku, and Lucci and fled onto the ships to keep their distance.
"Fire!," shouted Doberman. The ships fired on Teach but he generated blood shields to bounce them back onto the ships that fired them.
"Go back. You'll only be a hindrance.," said Ezekiel to Doberman as the latter relented reluctantly as the ships sailed away.
"I didn't think you felt for the gnats?," asked Teach.
"It's not a matter of feeling. It's the principle of fighting without restraint," Elder Ezekiel replied, his eyes cold and unwavering. "I'll be able to fight as I desire."
He flashed a terrifying smile as he began to chant in an old tongue.
"Zehahaha. You exterminated Ohara for learning that language...when you guys practice it behind closed doors.," Teach remarked as he blindly walked into the dark-blue orb that he had summoned. He started to generate Tanzanite-like growths on his body.
"You-you bastard.," shouted the Pirate.
"I do it to bugs that particularly annoy me...like that Ginny woman and it was inherited by her daughter.," spoke Ezekiel as he summoned his Ankylosaurus tail in an attempt to club him to death.
However, Stronger the Pegasus horse flew in to rescue him in time to retreat back to the base.
He then went to Doc Q as he demanded-
"Oi. Oi. You got a counter disease right? Do it already!"
The sickly doctor nodded and injected his hand into Teach, causing the growths to dissipate as he returned to the battlefield.
"You're reliant on those gnats.," said the man.
"A good crew is something a leader can depend on to benefit themselves in areas they can't do on their own.," spoke the Commodore as he generated blood scythes to slice at the Elder.
"You brought up an interesting subject matter. I saw Roger at night. I can't sleep due to what you did to me. I notice his blood congealed into gold fragments. He had a disease that has been extinct for nearly 1000 years...you dog...you poisoned him with curses out of spite.," Teach remarked.
Ezekiel's eyes upwards creepily.
"And his reaction to it was satisfactory...almost as much as him learning he didn't discover Laugh Tale as we made an example of him. Of course, we want what's on there for ourselves. But only pirates can get it. So we have to tolerate a necessary evil and to then rob them blind.," the Elder replied.
Teach's grin grew wider.
"That sounds very pirate-y to me.," he replied, which managed to irk Ezekiel significantly.
He spat out a purple poison orb to silence Teach but he generated a blood skeleton golem to mitigate the explosion.
"This isn't going as planned.," Elder Ezekiel thought.
He then combined his Ankylosaurus and Gyuki powers as he flew with his multiple legs and rammed into the golem.
Teach rode on a blood road as he pulled out his guns to fire blood bullets at the Zoan.
"Zehaha-huh?," he said before the spikes erupted and skewered Teach.
"Yowwwouch!," he cried as he rolled on the ground.
Ezekiel then generated electrical-based Haki as lightning markings appeared on his skin as he rammed into Teach, causing him to scream even further.
"We were going to extract Garp's grandchild's fruit, but copying your lineage factor would give rise to an army of threats to pirates and rebels.," he said while blatantly hiding his true sadistic reasons.
He then generated nanomachines out of his body as they took the form of chainsaws.
"How will your pain receptors deal with this? Ezezezeze.," he snickered before Shiryu attempted to slice his back as an opening but it was blocked by the spiked shell.
"Tch. Too shallow.," he cursed before he was swatted away by the club tail.
The chainsaws grew in number, swarming around Teach like a tornado of destruction.
However, he began to feel an odd sensation. The easily cuttable flesh was being replaced by a much more durable metallic exterior.
Ezekiel stopped with Teach revealing a new form- his skin becoming grey with segmented patterns and his face being covered by a knight helmet with narrow slits.
"Gear 3: Knight-Man form of Absolute Defense...This fight...is going to be my test run!," he shouted.
Next Chapter: Mad-Man
Author Notes: I always envisioned initially in the Egghead arc that instead of Luffy, Teach was going to play a part in killing Saturn (Ezekiel in my version) and the blame would be placed on Luffy's shoulders.
I also had the headcannon Teach is so odd due to Saturn's experiments long before he was revealed to be the science guy.
It was a shame to throw Kizaru under the bus, but he was someone who threw away his agency so he died as a pawn in the larger scheme of the fight.