Chapter 42: Escape Through Darkness

Words : 1179 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

"He actually managed to escape like this?" Roy stared at the mess in front of him, deep in thought. The second time. It was the second time Teach had escaped from his hands. How should he put it? He hadn't expected the Dark-Dark Fruit to have this kind of ability. Touted as the most sinister Devil Fruit, it truly lived up to its name, capable of nullifying other Devil Fruit powers and devouring everything into darkness before spitting it back out. But it also had drawbacks. First, unlike other Logia users, Teach couldn't transform into his element—his body remained solid. Second, the pain he suffered was doubled, making injuries even more excruciating. And now, Teach had revealed a fifth ability. Devouring himself. Roy had been careless. He hadn't anticipated Teach having another trick up his sleeve—using his darkness to swallow himself whole. Using this, he made his real body escape through the darkness. Where he had gone specifically, Roy had no idea. There was absolutely no way of knowing. At the very least, he was no longer anywhere near Jaya Island. Roy's Observation Haki didn't pick up his presence anywhere on the island. "What a slippery bastard. To think he had this kind of escape method... Where the hell did he go?" Roy muttered. If Teach could flee like this, he'd have to be more careful next time. Outside Jaya Island, on a raft made of tied-together logs. Burgess clutched a swirling mass of darkness in his hands. The moment he'd received it, his first instinct had been to flee the island with Van Augur and Doc Q. "Are you sure? Was this the captain's order?" Doc Q wheezed weakly. "Yeah. He said if his power appeared before me alone, I had to take it and leave immediately," Burgess replied, uncorking a jar and releasing the dark substance inside. The dark mass spread out, forming a black hole. A huge burst of dark energy erupted, creating a swirling vortex. From inside it, Teach crawled out with difficulty, blood streaming down his body, his face pale as a sheet. "Guh... Hah...It hurts like hell! AAAAAGHHH!!!" His agonized screams echoed across the sea. A gaping hole the size of a fist had been blown through his chest. The bones inside were shattered, and his internal organs were clearly injured. "Captain!" Burgess shouted in alarm. Even Van Augur was stunned. This was the first time they had seen Teach so gravely wounded. From the West Blue to now, Teach had always seemed invincible. This was the first time they saw him so close to death. "Doc Q, hurry and treat the captain!" Burgess pressed Teach down. "Painkillers first." Though half-dead himself, Doc Q moved swiftly, pulling out a medical kit and jabbing a syringe of painkiller into Teach's arm to reduce his suffering. He knew that Teach's willpower was too strong for normal anesthesia to work.—Doc Q knew that much. He calmed Teach down by easing the pain, then began surgery, extracting fragments of the bullet that had burst inside Teach's body. "With a wound that big, I thought it was a cannonball. How the hell did one bullet do this?" Doc Q was shocked, holding up the extracted projectile. Van Augur reached out. "Let me see." Doc Q tossed him the bullet. Van Augur inspected it, just a regular bullet. Nothing special. In fact, it seemed weaker than what his sniper rifle used. Then he looked at Teach's wound. Normally, bullets cause cavitation effects after piercing through the body. You could see this in how bullets tore through gel materials. Once inside, the tail of the bullet would cause a burst of air, creating expansion. If it hit internal organs, survival was unlikely. But this bullet hadn't exploded after penetrating; it exploded outside the body, shredding Teach's outer defenses and blasting a massive hole in his chest. It wasn't like a bullet hit him; it was more like a cannon blast. What kind of power gave such a tiny bullet such terrifying force? As a sniper, Van Augur couldn't fathom how such a small bullet could unleash such destructive force. Doc Q's hands were covered in blood, but he finally finished treating Teach. The wound was too large, so he cut a chunk of flesh from Teach's stomach and grafted it over the hole. "That should do it." Doc Q panted and collapsed onto the deck. His white horse, Stronger, also fell beside him like it had done hard labor too. Both master and pet looked like sickly invalids, barely alive. "Captain... who did this to you?" Burgess demanded. "R-Roy..." Teach was still conscious. The painkiller was helping a little, but due to the nature of the Dark-Dark Fruit, it still hurt like hell. Especially after surgery, the recovery pain was intense. But people in this world were monsters. Even fatal wounds healed fast. "Roy? Who's that?" Van Augur asked. "Vice Captain... of the Whitebeard Pirates." "Whitebeard Pirates..." "Vice Captain?!" Burgess and Van Augur sucked in sharp breaths. Thank god they'd fled. If they'd stayed, they'd be dead alongside Teach. That overwhelming power—they hadn't even seen the enemy before nearly collapsing. "I've never heard of a Vice Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, but if he holds that rank, he must be incredibly strong," Doc Q groaned, sprawled on the deck. "Give me food. I need to eat," Teach demanded. Burgess pried open a hollow log, revealing stored provisions, and handed them over. Teach devoured them ravenously. The more he ate, the faster he'd recover. His wound was already beginning to itch and burn, a sign of regeneration. "We need to run. We need to find a target. Only under the protection of the World Government. Only then can we escape that monster's pursuit," Teach growled between bites. Fear of Roy had consumed him. That level of Haki was beyond his current strength. He wouldn't dare face any of the Four Emperors head-on. That's why, the moment he got the fruit, his first instinct was to run. Even an aging Whitebeard could still easily kill him. And now, with Roy in the picture? He refused to die. Especially not by Roy's hand. Right now, all Teach wanted was to get as far away as possible. Back on Jaya... Roy sighed as he confirmed Teach's escape. "Gone. He really got away," he muttered. "Hey, UNCLE!" Luffy, Luffy, and the others called from behind him. Roy turned. "Well, this is where we part ways. I need to keep searching for Ace. You're heading to Skypiea, right? On the other side of the island, there's a mansion. Find the man inside—he knows how to get there. Oh, and the sky island has a surprise for you." With a casual wave, Roy walked toward the shore. ....... If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead. [email protected]/DaoistJinzu

Chapter 42: Escape Through Darkness

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