The duel, escalating with each exchanged blow, gradually wore on Tōga's reserves. He felt his energy ebbing slowly, an unnerving contrast to Blackbeard's burgeoning vigor. Each strike Tōga managed to land seemed only to invigorate his adversary further, a puzzle that gnawed at his focus. Amidst the swirl of chaos, his thoughts raced back to the exhaustive day he had endured—hours of meticulous investigation, the strain of continuous battle, all compounded by the sheer lack of rest, with over seventeen relentless hours awake and active.
“You noticed, huh?” Blackbeard taunted, his voice carrying over the din of their clashing powers. With a dismissive swat, he sent Tōga hurtling earthward, breaking their aerial deadlock. As Tōga's form cratered into the sand below, Blackbeard descended gracefully, his black robes billowing around him as he landed a mere stride away from the crumpled Dragon Slayer. The sinister grin on his face belied the malevolent nature of his next revelation. “My magic is a forbidden one," he divulged, his tone laced with a dark triumph. "I exchange my youth for burgeoning power.”
The gravity of Blackbeard's words sank in, casting a shadow over Tōga's spirit. The pirate's strength wasn't just inherent; it was augmented by a perilous magic that consumed his very essence for power. This revelation reshaped the battlefield in Tōga's mind, transforming it from a mere test of physical might to a perilous dance with a continuously strengthening adversary.