Admiral Kizaru kept his usual lazy, almost teasing tone as he spoke. "I don't use swordsmanship very often, you know. But if your neck is sturdy enough, I don't mind entertaining you a little."
With a slow, careless motion, he formed his glowing blade, the Ama no Murakumo Sword.
Seeing Vista step in to block Kizaru, the nearby Whitebeard Pirates let out a breath of relief. "Good thing Vista is here," several murmured as the tension momentarily eased.
Marco, however, remained deep in the chaos of battle. Suddenly, an earth-shaking voice thundered from above.
"Move aside! Let me see how tough you Whitebeard brats really are! I'll crush you all like insects!"
Vice Admiral Ronse of the Giant Race descended with a slam, wielding a titanic axe. His massive figure towered over Marco as he looked down from behind his T-shaped mask.
"It's Vice Admiral Ronse!"
"Clear the way! Don't get in the Vice Admirals' path!"
The Marines' shouts echoed as more Giant Vice Admirals stepped onto the frozen battlefield, each one towering like a living fortress.
"So the Giant Vice Admirals finally decided to move," the Whitebeard Pirates muttered, their throats dry. Standing before such colossal power left a pit in their stomachs, even for seasoned warriors.
Marco quickly assessed them. Each Giant Vice Admiral's strength hovered around Captain Level, some slightly below, some slightly above.
"Die, little runt!" Ronse roared, swinging his massive axe downward.
The attack was slow and predictable. Even without using Observation Haki, Marco found it laughably easy to evade. He soared upward, rising to eye level with the giants. The sight infuriated them.
"How dare you fly up here!"
"Don't look down on us!"
Weapons the size of ship masts swept through the air. Marco twisted gracefully, dodging with agile movements before driving a sharp kick into a Giant Vice Admiral's face. The massive warrior toppled like a falling tree, skidding across the ground.
"Damn flea! Stop dodging! If you're a warrior, fight me head-on!"
The remaining giants roared in anger, swinging their weapons wildly.
Marco clicked his tongue. "Are you stupid? Who would fight giants in a contest of strength? With bodies that big, you're basically walking targets."
He accelerated, weaving through their attacks with effortless speed. Each time he moved, a sharp kick followed. Despite his smaller size, every strike carried immense force, sending each Giant Vice Admiral stumbling or toppling backward.
Watching Marco's overwhelming dominance, the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't help cheering.
"As expected of Captain Marco!"
"Even giants are nothing compared to him!"
"Damn it! He's too fast!" One of the giants growled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "That first division commander… he really is powerful."
Marco sighed slightly. "These big guys are troublesome. I have high defense and regeneration, but fighting enemies who also have ridiculous vitality is annoying."
The Giant Vice Admiral he had knocked down earlier stood back up with minimal difficulty. Their endurance was monstrous. Even though Marco's kicks landed with power, defeating them outright was another matter entirely.
And Marco wasn't interested in wasting time on enemies who wouldn't reward him with attribute points.
"You're getting cocky, First Division Commander Marco."
A relaxed, almost mocking voice drifted beside him.
Marco turned sharply. Admiral Kizaru hovered at his flank, still wearing that infuriatingly laid-back grin.
"Speed is power," Kizaru said, eyes half-lidded. "Have you ever been kicked by light?"
Even before the sentence finished, Marco activated his Observation Haki at full intensity. But Kizaru's body flashed with blinding light, and the Admiral appeared in front of him, swinging a kick faster than most eyes could follow.
Marco reacted instantly, raising both arms to defend. He caught the blow cleanly.
Kizaru's brows lifted slightly. "Oh? Not bad."
But a Flash Kick from Kizaru was no ordinary attack. The impact blasted Marco through the air like a launched cannonball.
He hit the ice with a heavy crash.
"Captain Marco!"
"It's Admiral Kizaru!"
"That bastard blindsided him!"
The Whitebeard Pirates aimed their guns upward, firing wildly, but their bullets passed harmlessly through Kizaru's light-formed body.
Kizaru floated lazily in the air, unfazed. "How terrifying, Whitebeard Pirates," he said in his usual drawl.
Marco rose quickly, brushing off the ice. Though his clothes were a bit disheveled, he stood completely uninjured. His expression hardened.
"So this is an Admiral's power… even Kizaru can kick me back like that," Marco muttered. "If that's the case, Akainu's magma fist would probably overwhelm me right now."
He knew the events of Marineford well. Akainu had been restrained early on, but once unleashed, he single-handedly overwhelmed the Whitebeard Pirates. If Marco wanted to stand against someone like that, he needed more raw power.
Without hesitation, Marco allocated all remaining attribute points into Strength.
His Strength rose to 5823.
Evaluation: Yonko Commander Level.
"Still at that level?" Marco wasn't thrilled, but he didn't dwell on it. The increase itself was obvious. His muscles hummed with power, and an instinctive understanding told him that a little more would push him into the next realm, the threshold of an Emperor's elite subordinate.
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