Marshall D. Teach

Marshall D. Teach (マーシャル・D・ティーチ), commonly referred to as Blackbeard (黒ひげ), is the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates and one of the Yonko who rule over the second half of the Grand Line, the New World. He was formerly a member of the Whitebeard Pirates' second division until he murdered Fourth Division commander Thatch for the Yami Yami no Mi, and defected from the crew. He briefly held the position of Shichibukai after handing Ace over to the Marines and is one of the main antagonists of the series.

Appearance
Blackbeard is a middle-aged looking man with a massive build, a big mouth with several broken or missing teeth (though sometimes he does have a full set; whether this is an inconsistency error made by Oda or part of the story is unknown), a pronounced crooked nose and a very large and hairy chest and torso. Long, thick, curly black hair falls down the back of his neck, underneath a black bandana, and a small scruffy black beard (hence his epithet) grows around his jawline. As the series progresses, his beard becomes longer and scruffier. He is extremely tall, being exactly twice Luffy's (pre-timeskip) height.

At his first appearance in Mock Town, Teach wears an open buttoned white shirt with rolled up sleeves, green trousers with black line patterns, a yellow sash around his waist and classic black swashbuckler boots complete with large bronze buckles. During his raid on Banaro Island, he has added a large black and gold captain's coat over his attire, along with white beads on each wrist as bracelets and rings with gemstones on all of the fingers of both his hands (similar to his predecessor, Crocodile). At the Shichibukai meeting at the Marine Headquarters, he added a pair of necklaces of red as well as golden-yellow and blue beads to his dark orange sash and a traditional black tricorne hat over his grey bandana, as well as switching to a red shirt. He also has three flintlocks and a flask tied to his sash around his waist.

In Volume 63 SBS Oda drew the Shichibukai as children. Teach is shown wearing a baseball cap with a rolled up long sleeve shirt and dark shorts. He is also wearing black curled tip shoes, and unlike his usual cheerful expression, is crying for an unknown reason.

Personality
This "new era" they talk about is a load of shit. The age where pirates dream is over!? Eh!? Oi! Zehahahaha! PEOPLES DREAMS... DON'T EVER END! AM I RIGHT?

Many of One Piece's characters are given a distinct laugh. Blackbeard follows this tradition by starting his laughs with "Ze" (i.e Zehahahahahaha!). Though this laugh is not in the English Dub.



Blackbeard's personality seems to be a strange mix of courage and cowardice; strategy, in-consequence and stupidity. While at times his character looks strong and fearsome, in others he will seem weak and ridiculous. He is apparently very deceptive, joining the Shichibukai in an elaborate fashion for the sole reason of gaining access to Impel Down in order to find new crew mates and later resigning from it in front of the fleet admiral himself saying that he does not need it anymore. He is also exceedingly power-hungry and greedy, aiming to become the next Pirate King. His hunger for power lead him to fashion a very cruel way of recruiting only the best prisoners in Impel Down as comrades: he ordered them to murder each other, and would only take the strongest ones who survives. Though he betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates, Teach takes comradeship with the crew he formed to a high level, made evident when he was willing to make a trade with the Marines for a battleship big enough to hold all of them comfortably for the sake of one crew member, Sanjuan Wolf. Despite his obvious malevolent nature, he is also genuinely compassionate, caring, sympathetic and empathetic towards his crew's well-being and is willing to take assaults intended for his crew. He also has an extreme thirst for adventure, regularly traveling from place to place. However, he tends to let fate decide things.

Blackbeard, like others who carry the Will of the D., has a strong belief in fate and the dreams of men, but unlike the others, is the only one who truly seems to take it to heart. He shares several attributes with Luffy, including having a voracious appetite, carefree attitude, competitive and reckless nature, persevering no matter what happens, and huge ambitions to follow his dream of finding One Piece and become the new Pirate King. Despite that, there is also a great contrast between him and Luffy: primarily, Blackbeard fears death whereas other D. carriers embrace it if it comes, and was willing to betray his own friends for power. Just before his death, Whitebeard noted that Teach was not the one Roger had been waiting for and dismissed Teach as being incapable of continuing Roger's legacy.

Perhaps because of his strong belief in fate, Blackbeard is highly amoral. He believes that there is no inherent "good" nor "evil" in the world. He is also patient and conniving, having spent decades on Whitebeard's ship just to get his hands on the Devil Fruit he wanted, before killing Thatch and leaving the crew. His nihilistic tendencies are in line with the power of the Yami Yami no Mi he possesses, which is said to reduce everything to "nothingness". During his raid on Impel Down, he stated that his plans have not gone exactly as expected, but is willing to take these surprises in stride. He handed Portgas D. Ace to the World Government and finally killed his captain Whitebeard. Despite this, he still displayed respect for his superiors during the events, referring to Ace as his commander, and said that he aspired to be like Whitebeard. He showed his ruthlessness when he killed Thatch, and with his crew's help finished off his former captain, Whitebeard.

Blackbeard is often very calm, composed, relaxed, easygoing, cheerful, and free-spirited, but he can be surprised and startled, such as when Coby told everybody present to stop the war, or when Whitebeard had held him by the throat. He is very politely sarcastic and mocking towards those around him, such as when he taunted Luffy, about Ace's inevitable execution, or when he mocked Whitebeard for his age. He is also overconfident, and while very powerful, tends to converse and/or taunt his opponents in the middle of battle. He has done this in every battle he has been shown in, and as a result, he always suffers a heavy, painful attack while his guard is down. Such as when he taunted Whitebeard about not being able to use his powers, and nearly got cleaved in half with Whitebeard's bisento or when he boasted himself in front of Magellan and was drowned by the Hydra attack, luckily for him Shiliew gave him and his crew the antidote. His overconfidence also made him believe that he could do a trade with the Marines despite having betrayed them already, which once again proved his mistake. Since having acquired two Devil Fruit powers, he has developed a severe superiority complex, believing himself to be truly invincible and the strongest of them all, while revealing his goal of world domination. Despite his arrogance, Blackbeard does show a sense of caution, as he refused to fight Shanks and his crew, as well as Admiral Akainu when he was aboard the Marine battleship that they wanted.

Blackbeard Pirates
In contrast to his obvious malevolent nature, Blackbeard has shown respect and leadership for his own crew, such as when he told them to stay away from Ace. He has even taken an attack meant for them, despite his Devil's Fruit's weakness of increasing incoming damage. However in true to his way of letting fate decide things, he will allow his crew to get in the way with his Devil Fruit powers. Of particular note when he first gained the powers of the Gura Gura no Mi his efforts put their own lives at risk. They however are more than satisfied with things this way since all of them seem to believe in fate in some shape or form.

After the war, when they had the time to settle down, however, it was implied that Blackbeard receives a fair amount of disrespect from his crew from time to time, especially from the new recruits, but he seems to get over it all, though he did get rather snappish at Wolf for whining so much. He was also willing to perform a trade with the Marines for the sake of one of his crewmates, despite making enemies from the naval forces due to his actions.

Whitebeard Pirates
However, in regards to his old crew the Whitebeard Pirates, of which he was a member of, none of them can forgive or forget the things he has done to them. Whitebeard himself refused to acknowledge Blackbeard as his son before his end and the whole crew witnessed the death of their captain at Teach's hands.

Along with Teach mocking them about Thatch and Ace's deaths, it only angered them further. He had, however, previously been on good terms with them, having spent a few decades on their ship, even turning down the chance to be a commander amongst the crew, although that was most likely a measure to not make himself infamous before he was ready to reveal his plans. Still, the fact that he was not able to discern Luffy's relationship with Ace on their encounter (whereas many other Whitebeard Pirates did, as Ace spent much time telling them about Luffy) until it was pointed out by Ace himself showed his own ignorance in regard of his former crew.

He also genuinely respected Whitebeard for his power, but did mock his old age. Despite all the seemingly great times they once had, and with all the outward respect Teach gave to them, his only reason for even joining the Whitebeard Pirates was just to acquire the Yami Yami no Mi; he promptly betrayed and murdered Thatch to steal the fruit, and after his defection, he utilized the knowledge and experience he gained from the crew to arrogate Whitebeard's status of Yonko and annex all of his territories, all of which shows that he was exploited them for his selfish agenda for nearly two decades and had no genuine fellowship with the crew whatsoever.

Crocodile
Blackbeard met Crocodile in Impel Down. Crocodile was wondering how he was able to harm Luffy. After a short battle between Luffy and Blackbeard, Crocodile stepped in and asked him why he was so eager to give up his Shichibukai status. Blackbeard said that he was not obliged to answer him, but Crocodile responded that he did not care to hear any of his schemes offending Blackbeard, calling him short on manners.

Jinbe
Blackbeard also appears to know the fishman Shichibukai having commented on his friendship with Ace when he meets him in Impel Down. He tells him that he should not get worked up too soon and that he is only partially responsible for the Second Division Commander's incarceration and pending execution. After the battle for Fishman Island Jinbe warns the Straw Hat Pirates of Teach's usurpation of Whitebeard's Yonko status and the Blackbeard Pirates search for people with strong Devil Fruit abilities in order to absorb them citing they would be invaluable targets.

Monkey D. Luffy
Originally having given Luffy sound advice on being a pirate, this later becomes anger and despair as Teach was the one who put Ace on his path towards death. Luffy himself almost forgot his original mission to save Ace, resuming it only through Jinbe's intervention. The pair are considered enemies and with Ace's death taken into account, there is no certainty on how their next encounter will go. Luffy however, is hardly likely to forget what Teach has done. Despite this, Teach still seems to hold a good deal of respect for being a fellow "dreamer" and aspiring to find One Piece and become the Pirate King.

Shanks
Shanks also has a watchful eye out for Teach. Although exact events are unknown, Shanks previously admitted to Whitebeard that his facial scar came from a direct attack from Teach. Even at Marineford, Shanks addresses Teach in a terse manner, and he only seems to regard Teach as a significant threat compared to the Marines or the Whitebeard Pirates and their New World allies. Teach was initially surprised at being called out by Shanks, but having already proclaimed "his" era is beginning, unveiling the new members of his crew, and demonstrating control over two Devil Fruits, Teach said he had achieved his goal for the time being, also knowing he was not ready to face the Yonko.

World Government
Blackbeard exploited the benefits the Shichibukai title grants him in order to enter facilities that would otherwise have been unreachable to a pirate. Blackbeard only wanted to be a Shichibukai so as to be able to reach Impel Down in order to liberate several Level 6 prisoners and create a stronger crew.

He stole a Marine ship with his crew, using it to break into Impel Down. As soon as he achieved this ambition, he was no longer interested, and resigned from his Shichibukai title. Teach has also made enemies of the Marines, having abused his Shichibukai status solely to gain access to Impel Down, and then tossing it aside when he got what he wanted. The Marines hold themselves accountable for not only the potential power he wields, but also for the number of dangerous criminals he freed from Impel Down. Nevertheless, Teach tried to trade Bonney for a Marine battleship, which the Marines did not go through with, sending Akainu to deal with him instead.

It could also be presumed that Teach has dealt a powerful blow to the Chief Warden Magellan of Impel Down. Either way, Magellan was reported having suffered near-fatal injuries, but Magellan claimed that worse was done to his pride.

Jewelry Bonney
Bonney bears a grudge against Marshall D. Teach for his role at triggering the Whitebeard War by defeating and handing over Portgas D. Ace to the World Government for the vacant Shichibukai position. This hatred seemingly became more intensified after he and his crew dealt the final killing blows to Whitebeard, whom Bonney admired. She does not seem to fear him, and even going as far as maligning him at point-blank range. Blackbeard offered her to become his wife and join his crew, but she refused. Blackbeard even wondered how a girl like her could possibly have such a high bounty. When Akainu approached the Blackbeard Pirates, they fled; leaving Bonney behind.

Abilities and Powers
At some point in his life, after Roger's death, Teach once fought Shanks and gave him the scars on his left eye, although the Yonko's strength at the time is unknown. After the Battle of Marineford, Blackbeard proved to the Gorosei that he had a one-step lead to usurp the empty Yonko position that Whitebeard once held, which eventually came to fruition.

One of the more impressive feats he has committed was defeating two commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates; Portgas D. Ace and Thatch, when few other people would even dare touch a member of the Whitebeard Pirates for fear of incurring their captain's wrath. Ace also stated that Blackbeard could have been a commander when he was recommended for the position, indicating that his strength was equal with any of the other commanders, which is notable, as he had not yet eaten a Devil Fruit.

Blackbeard has shown himself to be an expert planner and a genius at orchestrating manipulative schemes provided he has a sufficiently advanced period of time to prepare: he waited two decades aboard the "Moby Dick" with the Whitebeard Pirates and even integrated with the crew dynamic, solely to increase his opportunities of obtaining the Yami Yami no Mi (he also collected his original crew members during this timeline, indicating great charisma and leadership skills even as a regular crew mate). He also went for the capture of either Monkey D. Luffy or Portgas D. Ace in order to guarantee an offer for the vacant position of the Shichibukai by the World Government, which in turn was simply sought for the free access across the Gates of Justice into the notorious Impel Down to recruit powerful "Level Six" prisoners to strengthen his crew.

He has shown to be knowledgeable of Haki as demonstrated in Impel Down when Luffy angrily attacked him, commenting on how his spirit has improved. As of yet, it is unknown if he can use any of the three kinds of Haki.

However, for all his combat prowess and intellect, Blackbeard has a ridiculous habit of conversing with his opponents too deeply, letting his guard down in the process, a defect he has demonstrated in his battles against Whitebeard, Luffy, Ace, and Magellan. This usually results in him suffering some critical injuries; in fact, if not for Shiliew's help, Teach's entire crew would have died from Magellan's Devil Fruit ability

Physical Prowess
Teach has an incredible endurance, as demonstrated when he took a point-blank quake bubble attack from Whitebeard, to his head and neck without losing consciousness, especially since his Devil Fruit causes him to receive even more damage. He has also taken a direct slash from Whitebeard's bisento without suffering any lasting damage and was able to shrug off a kick to his head from Supernova Jewelry Bonney. During his fight with Ace, he was pierced in the chest by two fire spears, but after putting out the flames, he was able to shake off the impact of the attack. Another indication of his sheer endurance is that he took a point-blank Gear Second attack from an enraged Luffy, and was hit by Sengoku in his Daibutsu form only to come out with minor injuries both times. Teach also possesses an incredible physical strength which is demonstrated when he seriously injures both Luffy and Ace in just one hit, sending them both crashing back with incredible force and distance.

Weapons


He was seen using a flintlock pistol when dealing the deathblow to Whitebeard along with the other Blackbeard Pirates, and also has three pistols tied in his sash. His accuracy with them is not completely shown, as he was only seen emptying his ammunition into Whitebeard at point-blank range.

When the Whitebeard Pirates started protecting Fishman Island, he is seen with metal claws on his left hand. Seeing their shape, he most likely used them to give Shanks his three scars.

Devil Fruits


Blackbeard has become the first and so far only user to wield the powers of two Devil Fruits at the same time. Through unknown means he acquired the extremely destructive powers of the Gura Gura no Mi from the dead body of Whitebeard and is now able to create earthquakes like his old captain. Marco speculated that this was possible due to an unstated peculiarity unique to Blackbeard himself, having to do with an "atypical body structure" of some sort. He also pointed out that the other Whitebeard Pirates should be aware of this fact. Teach also appears to be knowledgeable enough to know how to use the Gura Gura no Mi powers straight away after extracting it.

With the power of darkness (Yami Yami no Mi), which "reduces anything to nothingness", and the power of quakes (Gura Gura no Mi), which "brings destruction to all", Blackbeard claims himself to be truly invincible and the strongest of them all. During the two years, the Blackbeard Pirates went on to hunt down powerful Devil Fruit users to kill them and absorb their abilities, thus Teach (and possibly his comrades) has likely added more abilities to his arsenal.

Yami Yami no Mi
Blackbeard has eaten the Logia-class Devil Fruit Yami Yami no Mi. With it he can manipulate gravity, shown as an ebbing shroud of darkness. Teach demonstrates that the "darkness" is a void which devours anything, able to pull in (much in the manner of an actual black hole) and crush his surrounding environment into a pile of rubble. Due to the Yami Yami no Mi's gravitational ability, Blackbeard, unlike every other Logia user, cannot disperse and let attacks simply pass through him, drawing the attacks faster towards himself instead, meaning he takes equivalent or more damage than a normal human would.

However, Blackbeard states that the deficiency this presents is well worth the advantages the fruit bestows upon him, such as the ability to "absorb" certain projectiles and then hurl them back at his foes using moves like "Liberation". The second, and the most frightening power of the fruit is to nullify other Devil Fruit abilities through physical contact, allowing Teach to physically hit Ace, whose body was composed of intangible flames, and injure Luffy, whose body was made of rubber. Teach states that this is because the Yami Yami no Mi truly holds the power of the devil. As such, Blackbeard's style revolves around getting close to his enemy and grabbing them, canceling out any defensive abilities they have, forcing their own natural resilience to take Blackbeard's massive strength.

Blackbeard must however physically touch his enemy to cancel out their powers. This puts him at a huge disadvantage against enemies he cannot reach out and grab, even more so when the enemy can hurt him at a distance. However, this weakness can be rectified somewhat by his signature technique "Kurouzu", which utilizes his suction powers to drag his opponents towards him. This technique opens up another weakness since right after he uses it he is left open for an attack at close range.

Gura Gura no Mi
With the newly acquired powers of the Gura Gura no Mi, which is said to be the strongest Paramecia-class Devil Fruit, Blackbeard can create shock waves by shattering the air itself, creating devastating earthquakes that can destroy the Marineford main building itself. He can also focus his quake powers into a "quake bubble" on his fist, greatly increasing the damage in a single punch. He acquired this fruit after wrapping a black tarp over himself and Whitebeard. The process of how he got it is still unknown, though it can be assumed that he used the power of the Yami Yami no Mi in some way to acquire this power.

Teach acknowledged that he still does not have full control of his new destructive power though, so he does not have as much skill as Whitebeard with the abilities involved. This was perhaps first demonstrated when he chose not to directly confront Akainu, despite having two Devil Fruit powers at his disposal, whereas Whitebeard himself confronted the admiral directly. This strongly insinuates a difference between the skills of both Blackbeard and Whitebeard at wielding the fruit's powers.

However, it should be mentioned that Blackbeard, who has a much more careless and vicious personality than Whitebeard, can be considered as a far greater threat to the world than Whitebeard himself. A perfect example of this is when Marshall D. Teach was creating random earthquakes to test his acquired power in Marineford. He also sent a giant tsunami towards Sabaody Archipelago without even realizing it.

Riding with Whitebeard
Though details unclear at this point, his childhood seemed depressing as in a sketch depicting him as a child in an SBS, Blackbeard is shown crying in the dark.

Blackbeard aspires to become the Pirate King. In order to do this, he wanted the Yami Yami no Mi. At no older than 16, he joined the Whitebeard Pirates many years ago to search for it, thinking that he would have the best chance of obtaining it that way. He would then serve under Whitebeard for at least 20 years before his betrayal. 22 years ago, after Shiki escaped Impel Down, Blackbeard at age 18 was present amongst Marco, Jozu, Vista, Blenheim and Haruta while the Flying Pirate spoke to Whitebeard about his plan.

Blood and Murder


More than two years before the current storyline, Blackbeard and Shanks fought in a battle. During the battle, Blackbeard gave Shanks the three scars by his eyes. Blackbeard eventually became a member of the second division and encouraged Ace to seek the commander position, refusing it himself.

One day, Thatch, commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' fourth division, found a Devil Fruit. Recognizing it as the Yami Yami no Mi, the very reason he joined the Whitebeard Pirates for, Blackbeard killed Thatch to get the fruit and fled. For killing a comrade and betraying his "father", Second Division Commander Portgas D. Ace went after Blackbeard to kill him, despite Whitebeard's reluctance to send Ace to his possible doom. The time Ace began to chase Blackbeard was around some time after Luffy left Arlong Park since in a flashback, Ace was showing Whitebeard Luffy's first bounty and being proud of it. By this point, however, Blackbeard had already gained a crew and began open acts of piracy.

Blackbeard then assembled the Blackbeard Pirates, composed of Laffitte, a former policeman from the West Blue and the crew's navigator, Van Augur the sniper, Jesus Burgess the helmsman, Doc Q the doctor, and Stronger, Doc Q's horse. Some time after, his pirate crew pillaged the Drum Kingdom, causing its king, Wapol, to flee and ironically liberating Drum Kingdom from Wapol's tyranny.

Jaya Arc
After Luffy defeated Crocodile in Alabasta, Laffitte nominated Blackbeard to become one of the Shichibukai to take Crocodile's place, but the World Government declined, as Blackbeard did not have a reputation.

In a bar Luffy and a fat guy (who is later revealed to be Blackbeard) sitting next to him both suddenly make a remark about the cherry pie being served to them. Noticing that both their remarks oppose one another, Luffy and the fat guy decide to not mind each other and just drink some soda. At drinking the soda, they both once again make opposing remarks. Really noticing each other this time around,both of them are starting to get mad at the other's preference. The two then decide to have some food for take out, with Luffy ordering pieces of meat and Teach ordering cherry pies. However upon learning the number of food that the other is ordering, the two start competing about who can order more. At this moment, Luffy and Blackbeard decide to fight each other over the meaningless argument. Not wanting any trouble in his tavern, Terry gives Teach his pies and requests his leaving. As Blackbeard is leaving the tavern, Bellamy enters much to the other customers' surprise.



After the Straw Hats have taken a beating by Bellamy, Nami hears someone saying that Skypiea exists. It is the same man (Blackbeard) that they met in the bar earlier. He asks why Nami is sad since there is nothing to be sad about; that Luffy and Zoro won this fight. Blackbeard says that the "new age" they talk of is crap, and hollers that the age in which pirates dream will never end; that peoples' dreams are infinite. While he goes on with his speech, everyone wonders what he is yelling so loudly for. The man says that some battles are pointless, and laughs. Zoro starts to leave, and Luffy stares at the man. He also leaves, and wishes them good luck on their trip to the Sky Island. Blackbeard then laughs, saying that his rum tastes good today.

After learning his identity, Blackbeard plans to capture Luffy, who has a 100,000,000 bounty on his head and Zoro who has a 60,000,000 bounty. Before that however, he gave Luffy a friendly speech about how pirates will never stop dreaming, after Luffy was been ridiculed by the Bellamy Pirates for being a "dreamer". He tries to capture Luffy and Zoro, but his raft-esque ship is destroyed when the Knock Up Stream shoots the Straw Hats into the sky.

Post-Enies Lobby Arc
Blackbeard and his crew are seen again on Banaro Island. Having killed, knocked out or chased away all the inhabitants, Blackbeard reads from a newspaper about the Enies Lobby incident, and remarks that Luffy's bounty will surely rise. Before they can leave to chase him, however, Ace appears and challenges them.

Blackbeard calls him commander, but Ace tells him to save it. Blackbeard continues to act friendly, saying it has been a long time since they have seen each other, but Ace reminds him that he killed one of his comrades, and doing so is unforgivable. Blackbeard then offers Ace to join his crew, saying they would be invincible if he joined. He then goes on to say that the reign of Whitebeard will soon end, and their first step is Monkey D Luffy. He suggests Ace coming with him to kill Luffy (as he is still in Water 7 at the time), but Ace says that Luffy is his brother, and outright refuses to join his crew.

Van Augur attemps to shoot Ace who retaliates with Higan and shoots fire bullets rapidly at Van Augur, while Jesus Burgess tosses an entire house at Ace, though it is easily burned by a Fire Pillar. Blackbeard yells at Augur and Burgess, telling them Ace is way out of their league, and that they should fall back. But suddenly, Ace uses Hiken to burn Blackbeard to a crisp. Blackbeard manages to survive the attack and gets up. He admits that he killed Thatch, Captain of Whitebeard's 4th Division, as he had the Devil Fruit he had been searching for. He had researched the size and shape of the fruit, and recognized it, knowing it was the one. He reveals that he spent decades on Whitebeard's ship, because he knew he had a better chance of finding it there. He waited there for too long until it finally came to him in his commander's hands. He said that getting the Devil Fruit was his fate, and with it, he will be the greatest. His hand begins to dissolve into darkness, as he said that even for a Logia, this fruit is very special. His whole body begins to radiate in a black glow, as he says that he is "darkness".

Ace questions Teach's devil fruit abilities, but Teach states that his fruit, the Yami Yami no Mi, is said to be the strongest of the devil fruits, and that Ace cannot kill him. Meanwhile, the townspeople see black smoke in the town, and note that the pirates are still present, so they should run. The rest of the Blackbeard Pirates are fleeing, saying that Teach is about to go wild. Blackbeard sends tendrils of darkness in every direction, enveloping the buildings and scaring the escaping townspeople. Some citizens say that the smoke reminds them of a hole in the ground, but they continue through the forest and out to the coast. Teach explains that his darkness is infinite gravitation that sucks everything in, including light. Ace comments that the darkness is not approaching him, but Teach states that he is not attacking yet, but he is merely demonstrating. Suddenly, Teach activates his "Black Hole" and sucks all of the town's contents, including its buildings, into his darkness, making it disappear. Teach states that the darkness will draw in any object and crush it, and proceeds to tell Ace that he will show him the town in its ruined form. Teach then uses "Liberation" to send the ruined pieces of the town flying out into a ring around Ace and Teach. The civilians are stunned by the destruction of their town, but Teach simply brags about his ability.

However, he realizes too late the small points of flame from Ace's "Hotarubi" which explode, coating him in flame. While Teach rolls around in pain, Ace states that he understands the power of the Yami Yami no Mi, but says that if Teach was a logia, he should have been able to avoid his attack. The darkness quickly absorbs the flame, and Teach stands, saying that his fruit can suck in everything, including punches, thunder, flame, and especially pain, meaning he cannot fend off attacks like other Logia. Disregarding this flaw, Teach states there is one more thing he can do, and proceeds to drag Ace towards him with gravitation. Seizing Ace's shoulder, Teach states that Ace must have noticed the ability, and punches Ace hard in the stomach.

Ace is sent flying as Teach comments on how long it must have been since Ace was last punched. Teach explains that he can suck in the "devil's power" so that while he is touching a devil fruit user, they cannot use their powers. Teach states that he has gained a power that cannot be defended against for devil fruit users that overrate their abilities, to which Ace replies that is only if he is caught. Teach states that Ace cannot escape, and drags him forward with his gravity again. Ace launches two flaming spears that pierce and burn Teach's chest, but Teach lands a powerful punch that nearly breaks Ace's neck. Crossing his fingers, Ace fires a flaming cross, but Blackbeard merely grins. As explosions sounds out, Van Augur comments that he had thought that a Devil Fruit user would be weak and powerless without his ability, but that Ace's basic fighting power is amazing and had earned him a spot as Whitebeard's division commander, which is another one of fate's crossroads. The civilians watch as their island is destroyed and Banana Rock falls, stating that no human could do this damage and that their entire island is at risk.



Ace falls as Blackbeard states that nothing stands a chance in front of darkness, and offers Ace another opportunity to join his crew, as it would be a waste of his strength if he was lost. Ace refuses, saying that if he gives in, there will be no point in living. Teach laughs, saying that survival is what matters in the world, as Ace gathers fire around him before forming it into a large flaming orb. Teach states that only one of them can win, as Ace states his desire to make Whitebeard the king. Their attacks collide with no shown result, the only hint being Ace's trademark hat lying on the ground. This incident is described as the trigger for a later event coming soon.

Impel Down Arc


He answered to the call of Shichibukai to battle Whitebeard and was joining the war, and is later shown dining with the other Shichibukai, except for Jinbe and Boa Hancock. However, he has instead taken his entire crew to Impel Down and commenced an attack on the jailers. He excuses himself by stating that he is on "their" side. On his way through Level 1, the Crimson Hell, he encounters Shiliew, whom Blackbeard initially misidentifies as Magellan. He later inexplicably arrives at Level 4, where he and his crew take down both the Bazooka Unit and Hannyabal. Jinbe shows anger towards Blackbeard, while Luffy realizes that the man at Jaya who had told him to never stop dreaming is the same one responsible for his brother's imprisonment. Blackbeard taunts Luffy about Ace's oncoming execution, provoking his wrath.



Though Blackbeard tells Luffy to praise his good luck (as Blackbeard would surely have killed Luffy instead of just defeating Ace, had Ace let Blackbeard off the hook), Luffy angrily attacks the Shichibukai in Gear Second with Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol. The two have a small skirmish, and though it is stopped by Jinbe who tells Luffy not to waste time fighting Blackbeard now as he has to save Ace, Blackbeard notes Luffy's Haki has improved and admits he had underestimated Luffy's strength. When Magellan shows up, Blackbeard lets Luffy and the rest proceed to Level 3.

Blackbeard even receives a comment from Jinbe that his assault on the Great Gaol proved instrumental for the breakout, to which Blackbeard then replied that he is also grateful for them, since a panic within Impel Down prior to him and his crew's arrival was exactly what they needed, right before stating that his crew and him will "shake the whole world to its core". However, Magellan quickly captures and poisons the entirety of the Blackbeard Pirates with his Hydra. Blackbeard stated that the pain was unbearable and screamed, as Magellan walked past them to pursue Luffy.

Blackbeard and his crew survived from Magellan's poison by receiving an antidote from Shiliew. Blackbeard then comments that Shiliew would make a fine addition to his crew and invites him to join his crew again. Shiliew accepted, and states that he has been waiting for a man with such stature.

After recruiting Shiliew, Teach makes his way down to Level 6, where upon he invites anyone with the will to be free again to join his crew. However, there was one catch: the prisoners in their cells would have to kill each other in order to prove their strength to him, with only the sole survivors of each cage being allowed their freedom. It is unknown just how many prisoners died as the result, but Blackbeard got four more recruits: Sanjuan Wolf, Avalo Pizarro, Vasco Shot and Catarina Devon. With that, the newly reinforced Blackbeard Pirates left the prison and headed for Marineford, either not knowing or not caring that some other Level 6 prisoners survived and slipped out of prison.

Marineford Arc


Blackbeard later appeared at Marineford, having snuck in to see his former captain's death. He is seen with the new recruits from Impel Down. Blackbeard then tells Sengoku that the sole reason that he obtained the title of Shichibukai was to gain the means to break into Impel Down and gloats that he does not need that title anymore.

Acting as the vanguard of their attack, Blackbeard initiates his crew's assault by using his Devil Fruit powers to increase the gravity upon the ground from which Whitebeard stood, binding him in place, and then used Kurouzu to pull Whitebeard into his grasp to nullify the latter's Gura Gura no Mi powers. Unfortunately for Blackbeard, this did not completely deter the Yonko, who struck Teach down using his bisento, sending him to the ground. Whitebeard then proceeds to reprimand him that overconfidence and rashness are his weaknesses and continues by placing a strong grip around Teach's neck and sends a powerful shock wave bubble at point-blank range upon his head, once again sending a massive tremor throughout Marineford.



Having lost his composure, Blackbeard orders his men to fire everything they got upon his former superior. Despite this, Whitebeard held his ground with his final words being that Blackbeard is not the one whom Roger is awaiting. It was then that Blackbeard realized that Whitebeard died while still standing, much to his shock.

Despite this shock, Blackbeard and his crew quickly covered Whitebeard's body with a black cloth of sorts, which Blackbeard entered as well for a short time. After that, he emerged from the cloth, before showing off not only the power of the Yami Yami no Mi, but also the Gura Gura no Mi, as he inexplicably managed to extract that power from Whitebeard's body. With a mighty laugh, Blackbeard proclaimed to everyone present and everyone watching these events, that from that moment on, this was his era.



Overconfident with his newfound powers, he began to wonder if sinking down Marineford would have been a good start, only to be promptly sent flying, along with the rest of his crew, by an enormous shock wave delivered by Sengoku in his Buddha form. The fleet admiral warned him about his cockiness, and Teach replied that he was looking forward to see Sengoku protecting Marineford, prepared to continue the fight. In the anime, their fight is extended with his shockwaves and Blackbeard's quake punch tearing apart Marineford. Sengoku knocked Teach back with another shockwave, but he retaliates by tilting the island just as Whitebeard had done. He gets warned by his crew mates to not destroy the ground they are standing on. Blackbeard admits he is having some difficulty controlling the newfound power. Jesus Burgess jumps into the fight to assist, but is knocked back by the intervention of Garp. Blackbeard taunts Sengoku and Garp, stating he will end their age just like he ended Whitebeard's. He seemed to have been somewhat shocked by Coby's speech, and - upon Shanks's arrival - ultimately decides to leave Marineford, stating that he will fight the Red Hair Pirates another day.

Post-War Arc
Blackbeard makes his move in the New World, taking out Jewelry Bonney in the process. The crew is seen bickering amongst each other. The Blackbeard Pirates' raft was brought close to the point of destruction due to Sanjuan Wolf's size, and they seemingly got in contact with the Marines to trade Bonney for a battleship. Teach says Bonney is too weak to survive in the New World. He offers her the chance to be his woman and let her stay, but she turns him down, kicking him in the head (due to only her hands being tied up). Van Augur alerts Teach that the battleship has arrived, but not for trade because Akainu is on board. Knowing that the deal will not happen, the Blackbeard Pirates flee, leaving Bonney and her crew behind to be arrested.

Rise in Power
Sometime during the two-year timeskip, Blackbeard used his knowledge of Whitebeard's former territory to conquer it and become one of the Yonko. The Blackbeard Pirates are currently in the process of hunting down powerful Devil Fruit users in order to absorb their abilities.

Major Battles

 * Marshall D. Teach vs. Shanks (details unknown, yet left Shanks with his scar)
 * Marshall D. Teach vs. Thatch
 * Blackbeard Pirates vs. Drum Kingdom
 * Marshall D. Teach vs Sarkies
 * Marshall D. Teach vs. Portgas D. Ace
 * Blackbeard Pirates vs. Impel Down Guards (Level 1)
 * Marshall D. Teach vs. Hannyabal and Bazooka Unit
 * Marshall D. Teach vs. Monkey D. Luffy (interrupted by Jinbe)
 * Blackbeard Pirates vs. Magellan
 * Blackbeard Pirates vs. Magellan (second time, off screen)
 * Marshall D. Teach vs. Edward Newgate
 * Blackbeard Pirates vs. Edward Newgate
 * Blackbeard Pirates vs. Fleet Admiral Sengoku
 * Blackbeard Pirates vs. Bonney Pirates

Anime and Manga Influences
Historically, Blackbeard was as fearsome a pirate as he is portrayed by Eiichiro Oda in One Piece. Blackbeard's pirate ship was discovered in North Carolina in 1996, and possibly influenced Oda when he began One Piece in 1997, evidenced by Oda's statements that Blackbeard was his favorite historical pirate.

Marshall D. Teach's name is partially taken from the real Blackbeard's supposed name, Edward Teach. His former captain, Whitebeard, received the real Blackbeard's first name (making him Edward Newgate). Even his first known victim's name, former commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' fourth's division Thatch, is actually one of the names commonly used for the real life pirate Blackbeard. The real life Blackbeard had also surrendered himself in exchange for a pardon only to go back into pirating, and a comparison can be drawn between this and Marshall D. Teach's joining of the Shichibukai (whose bounties are retracted) only to turn his back on the group afterwards.

Anime and Manga Differences

 * In the manga, it has not been explained how exactly Teach killed Thatch, but in the anime, Teach stabs him in the back.


 * In the anime, the fight between Blackbeard and Whitebeard is slightly extended, as Blackbeard punched Whitebeard several times while having the latter in his grip. He also shot Whitebeard in the heart with his flintlock and fired several more times before ordering his crew to join in; in the manga, he simply ordered them to attack right after surviving one of Whitebeard's quake bubbles. Also, the wound he received from the Whitebeard's bisento was not as brutal as it was in the original manga. In the manga, the Yami Yami no Mi was in Blackbeard's left hand and the Gura Gura no Mi was in his right. In the anime, they are reversed.


 * When Blackbeard shifted the seas, the tsunami saved the Heart Pirates from a naval bombardment and a longer scene of people escaping Sabaody Archipelago is shown.

Early One Piece


In One Piece Green: Secret Pieces was revealed an early concept of Blackbeard. He was originally named Everything D. Teach (エブリシング・D・ティーチ).

Merchandise


As a prominent character, Blackbeard has multiple pieces of merchandise. He has been featured with the Shichibukai in the series of One Piece Shichibukai Cellphone Strap and the One Piece Super Deformed Figures. He was also released along with Crocodile in the One Piece Super Effect - Devil Fruit User series. He was recently released in theOne Piece DX Figure models. He is set to be released in the One Piece World Collectable Figure series in July 2010 along with the rest of the Shichibukai.

Translation and Dub Issues
Blackbeard's real name, "Marshall D. Teach", is spelled differently in some English versions. The Viz Manga, Edited FUNimation dub, and Simulcast subtitles spell his name as "Teech", going with a more phonic spelling. It should be noted that though it is spelled differently, it is still pronounced the exact same. Once FUNimation's DVD release reached the point of Blackbeard's introduction, it was confirmed to now be spelled as "Teach" in the subtitles and translation of his name title card. Also, in the FUNimation dub, his distinct laugh (Zehahahahahahaha) is not present.

Also, it should be noted that though his epithet, "Kurohige" is translated universally as "Blackbeard", a more accurate translation would be "Black Facial Hair" as the Japanese language uses the word "Hige" to refer to all facial hair, regardless of whether it is a full beard or just a mustache.

Trivia

 * Blackbeard's current age is only 40 which proves that he was part of Whitebeard's crew since he was at least 16 or younger, proven by Whitebeard's flashback in Chapter 576 when he casually mentions Teach to Gol D. Roger in their last meeting 24 years ago.
 * In the film Strong World, a man who looks just like Blackbeard is seen among the Golden Lion Pirates, with the only visible difference being his teeth.
 * Teach looks like a stereotypical pirate, with missing teeth, a pirate hat, a clothing style, and his overall personality.
 * In Chapter 581, when addressing the prisoners of level 6 of Impel Down, he is shown with a full mouth of teeth. This was likely a mistake on Oda's part.
 * Blackbeard's favorite food is pie. In fact, the three times he has been shown eating, it has been pie.
 * Curiously, in One Piece Blue: Grand Data File, that covers from the East Blue Saga to the middle of the Jaya Arc, Teach is not revealed as Marshall D. Teach or Blackbeard, but as "Cherry Pie Man", a regular customer of the Mock Town Pub.
 * Blackbeard is the only person in the series known to have killed someone (Thatch and Whitebeard) to gain his Devil Fruit powers.
 * Teach is so far the only Devil Fruit user whose fruit has been shown (before he ate it), but which has never been eaten on screen.
 * In an anime flashback Blackbeard's tiger-claw weapon had four claws on it, but Shanks only received three scars from it.
 * According to Brownbeard he, along with The Eleven Supernovas are referred to as The Worst Generation (最悪の世代 Saiaku no Sedai)

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