"Teach!!!"
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard sat on his wide chair and slammed a massive fist into its armrest.
The wood cracked under the force, his pupils narrowed with fury, and an overwhelming burst of Haki erupted from his body, shaking the surrounding sea for several kilometers.
The air trembled as if an explosion had gone off, and the waves surged violently around the main ship, churned up by his uncontainable rage.
"Medical team! Medical team!!"
The panicked shouts of nearby pirates rang out as the shockwave finally subsided, and the wind began to die down.
Several young nurses, still feeling the lingering pressure of Whitebeard's Haki, rushed to gather scattered medical equipment—infusion bottles and catheters had fallen to the floor.
One of them, noticing Whitebeard's heavy breathing, quickly pulled out a tranquilizer and injected it into his vein.
"Breathe… calm down, Pops."
Slowly, the overwhelming Haki began to fade. Before him stood Ace—solemn, silent—as well as four trembling crewmates from the night shift.
After the horrifying murder and theft, those who witnessed the incident had immediately reported it to Whitebeard, aware of how serious the situation was.
Whitebeard wasted no time, issuing an emergency assembly order. All sixteen divisions gathered on the Moby Dick.
At the center of the investigation were Second Division Commander Ace, and the four crewmembers who had been on duty that night.
Following Ace's interrogation of the crew, the evidence all pointed toward Teach—formerly known as Marshall D. Teach, who had fled the Whitebeard Pirates.
Two years ago, in front of the crew, Teach had tacitly admitted to injuring Red-Haired Shanks with a steel claw.
Now, on Thatch's body—slashed across the chest—there were wounds nearly identical to the scar on Shanks' face.
Teach had encouraged Ace to attack the Black Pearl Pirates, who were rumored to carry the Yami Yami no Mi—the Dark-Dark Fruit. But Thatch reached them first… and was killed.
At the scene, half of the Devil Fruit remained beside Thatch's corpse, the other half clearly consumed by the murderer.
Thatch had been beheaded brutally, and witnesses later reported seeing Teach flee Ship No. 4—carrying the severed head.
In the chaos that followed, it was Iggy who acted without hesitation. He went to sea alone in pursuit of the criminal. Since then, his whereabouts—and his fate—remain unknown.
All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. It didn't take a genius to deduce the truth:
Teach murdered Thatch, stole the Dark-Dark Fruit, deserted the crew, and committed a crime against his own family.
For the Whitebeard Pirates, bound by the ironclad rule of never killing one's own crewmates, this betrayal was unthinkable.
For twenty-five years, Teach had fought loyally under Whitebeard's banner. Who could have guessed such ambition lay hidden beneath that humble facade?
The crew stood in silence, seething with rage. But no one was more devastated than Ace.
Two people he trusted had vanished overnight—one dead, the other gone rogue.
One, a brother-in-arms turned traitor who committed the ultimate crime.
The other, a younger brother who vanished into danger, chasing after justice.
Ace's fists trembled. Finally, he could hold it in no longer.
"Dad," he said, voice thick with emotion, "I take full responsibility for this. Please… allow me to bring back Teach and Iggy. I need to answer to the crew."
With those words, Ace dropped to his knees before Whitebeard. In front of everyone, he prostrated himself, arms stretched forward, head bowed low.
All eyes were on him.
Everyone knew Ace's pride—and for someone like him to kneel publicly, the weight of his decision struck the crew deeply.
What they didn't realize was that this moment would become a farewell in disguise.
The tranquilizer had calmed Whitebeard's fury. Looking down at the son of his rival—Roger—he felt an ache he couldn't explain.
He knew Ace would never let this go. This kneeling wasn't just a request—it was a farewell, and a promise that might cost him his life.
"…Ace."
Whitebeard's voice was low and heavy. His usually mighty expression was lined with sorrow. He suddenly looked much older.
Those who had followed him for years could see it: beneath the calm, Whitebeard's heart was in turmoil.
After a long silence, he finally gave a faint nod. His moon-shaped mustache lifted slightly as he answered:
"I grant your request. But you must promise me one thing—come back alive."
---
Far across the vast sea, Iggy drifted swiftly on a small raft. But he had already strayed from the path that would have led him directly to Teach.
He could feel the swirling presence of darkness around him, and in his mind, he tried to recall the timeline of events from the world of One Piece.
Having gained the Dark-Dark Fruit, Iggy was far from satisfied. He already had his eyes set on his next goal.
"I'm sorry, Ace."
Iggy knew exactly what Ace would do. Once he learned the truth, Ace would never let it go. He would chase down Teach—risking life and limb.
Just like in the original timeline.
Ace would be defeated on Banaro Island, and then handed over to the World Government—becoming the spark that would ignite the Paramount War.
Letting these events unfold was all part of Iggy's revenge plan. It was how he intended to throw the world into chaos.
Only in the storm of war would he find the opportunity he needed—to seize the Gura Gura no Mi, the Quake-Quake Fruit, with the power to destroy islands in a single blow.
For Iggy, revenge against the world itself was the only reason to live. Nothing else mattered.
People, alliances, even brothers—they were all tools. And right now, the brother who trusted him completely would have to be sacrificed.
(Bro mind got broken, after spending 10 years living in darkness)
But one thing still haunted him.
In the Enies Lobby arc, CP9's Blueno had once explained something crucial:
A normal person will die if they try to consume two Devil Fruits. Their body simply can't withstand the power of two demons.
The only known exception was Marshall D. Teach. According to Marco, it was due to his "unique body"—something different from ordinary humans.
But even with knowledge of the original story, Iggy couldn't figure out why Teach was able to survive.
After days of pondering, a memory returned to him—of the first place Teach went after gaining the Dark-Dark Fruit.
"The first half of the Grand Line… the medical sanctuary of Winter Island—Drum Kingdom!"
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