Marco was still cutting through Marines with the ruthless efficiency of survival when several familiar figures appeared behind him. Fossa, the Captain of the Fifteenth Division, and Izo, the Captain of the Sixteenth Division, approached with several crew members. They stared at Marco, whose clothes were streaked with blood and whose expression had turned cold and sharp. It was a stark contrast to his usual relaxed demeanor.
"Marco," Izo asked, puzzled, "why are you suddenly using a pistol and a short sword?"
Marco smiled faintly, though the battlefield had stripped all warmth from it. "To conserve stamina."
Fossa and Izo exchanged startled glances.
"Shouldn't we push directly into the plaza now and rescue Ace?" Fossa asked.
"That won't work." Marco shook his head and pointed toward the execution platform. "Look carefully. The Three Admirals haven't even moved. Fleet Admiral Sengoku is still seated. Hero Garp hasn't budged. Even if we force our way into the plaza, we won't reach Ace. They want to drain our stamina as fast as possible. We can't waste energy fighting small fry. Admirals are not easy opponents."
Fossa nodded, understanding immediately. Though they were both Captains, Marco's judgment and strength far surpassed his.
But Izo's voice tightened with worry. "Even so, this can't continue forever. The Marines deployed one hundred thousand elite soldiers and the Seven Warlords of the Sea. With our main crew and the forty-three allied crews, we barely reach fifty thousand."
Marco fell silent. There was no real answer. The Marines held every advantage — numbers, terrain, and preparation. Whitebeard's side had entered a battle where victory was nearly impossible.
"This was a do-or-die situation from the start," Marco said quietly. After that, he didn't waste another breath. He launched himself into the densest cluster of Marines, cutting them down with precise, lethal efficiency. The only way to shift the outcome was to grow stronger, and the only way to grow stronger was to kill more.
Fossa and Izo immediately followed him into the fray.
High above, Dracule Mihawk stepped forward. His presence alone drew the attention of the Admirals and the other Shichibukai.
Doflamingo tilted his head, smirking. "Fufufufufu. You're actually moving? That's not like you."
Mihawk didn't even look at him. His eyes were empty, calm, unreadable. "I want to measure the distance between myself and the world's strongest."
With a smooth motion, he unsheathed the Black Blade Yoru. A single devastating slash surged toward Whitebeard, cutting through the air with terrifying force.
Jozu reacted instantly. He had anticipated Mihawk's movements from the moment the swordsman stepped forward. His body transformed into glittering diamond, and he intercepted the slash head-on before deflecting it into the sky.
"It's Diamond Jozu… Commander of the Third Division…"
The Marines murmured, though the surprise was brief.
Whitebeard watched the clash with a faint smile, yet a shadow crossed his expression. "The Marines prepared well. The battlefield is tighter than expected."
Within Crescent Bay, the numerical disadvantage was overwhelming. Even though the Whitebeard Pirates had bypassed the outer defenses by traveling underwater, the Marines still outnumbered them more than twenty to one. It was enough to make even Whitebeard's brow crease with tension.
"Don't go one-on-one with the Captains!"
"Marco killed Rear Admiral Ur and Rear Admiral Til!"
"Stop him now, before he kills any more!"
Marco's ruthless advance finally triggered a unified response. Five Marine Rear Admirals rushed in together. They knew Marco, with a bounty exceeding one billion Berries, couldn't be taken alone. A group assault was their only chance.
Marco looked at them, then let out a short, amused breath. "Five Rear Admirals. That might be troublesome. But if I can't deal with a few Rear Admirals, how am I supposed to face an Admiral later?"
He checked his accumulated attribute points — over nine hundred — and poured all of them into strength. His power surged to a total of 5402, enough to make his muscles hum with new force.
Still, his overall rating remained Yonko Commander level. It disappointed him, but there was no time to dwell. He assessed the five opponents quickly.
Weak Captain level.
Weak Captain level.
Strong Vice-Captain level.
Weak Captain level.
Vice-Captain level.
Good enough.
Marco's wings burst into blue flame. "Alright… come."
His body shifted fully into his Human-Beast form, and he launched himself forward with explosive speed. "Phoenix Seal."
His kick struck one Rear Admiral squarely, sending him crashing backward despite his attempted guard. The other four officers reacted instantly, their blades slicing through Marco's wings and severing them.
But blue flames ignited, and the wings regenerated in a heartbeat.
"The first one…"
Marco stepped on the fallen officer's chest, his short sword piercing directly through the Rear Admiral's eye. The man died instantly.
"Rear Admiral Katz!"
The remaining Rear Admirals recoiled in shock. Their formation faltered.
"Now it's your turn."
Marco kicked Katz's corpse toward them. One of the Rear Admirals caught it instinctively, horror flashing in his eyes.
Blue flames gathered around Marco's arms, swirling and condensing into burning spheres. "Azure Flame."
The fireballs shot forward, striking Katz's corpse midair.
"You vile pirate! Don't you dare desecrate our comrade's body!"
The three remaining Rear Admirals rushed forward, blades clashing as they blocked the Azure Flame. In that moment of distraction, Marco was already upon them.
He roared, "Phoenix Claw," and slashed forward, his talons wrapped in blue fire, aiming to tear through their defenses in a single sweep.
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