"I do not expect you to believe me," Marco said calmly, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. "But I estimate Blackbeard will arrive very soon. When he does, you will know whether my words are truth or lies. What matters is this, Blackbeard is an enemy of the Marines as well. Whether you believe me now or not, the moment he appears, the answer will become clear. My final advice to you is this: eliminate Blackbeard before he obtains a third Devil Fruit. If he truly succeeds in gaining a third ability, then no one in this world will be able to match him."
"Hmph," Kuzan replied coldly. "We do not need a Pirate to worry about that."
Even so, Marco's words had already taken root in his mind.
"In that case, let us wait and see," Marco replied lightly. Though Kuzan's expression did not change, Marco knew he had done all he could. Now, all that remained was for the idea of Blackbeard as a greater threat to spread. Once Blackbeard truly arrived at Marineford, perhaps the Marines would redirect their strongest force toward him. That alone would greatly increase the Whitebeard Pirates' chances of retreating.
In truth, the Whitebeard Pirates still had an underwater paddle steamer hidden beneath the battlefield: Moby Dick 5. It was one of the auxiliary ships of the Moby Dick, the same vessel that originally surfaced after the encirclement wall trapped the fleet. However, since Little Oars had already destroyed the encirclement wall, that ship no longer had a chance to appear as planned.
The Den Den Mushi used to summon Moby Dick 5 was currently in Marco's possession.
But with the entire sea now frozen solid, the hidden ship had no chance of surfacing yet. The timing was still not right.
Just wait, Marco thought silently. The moment the Blackbeard Pirates arrive, we retreat. At that time, I hope Shanks will step forward and block the Marines.
"Attack. Wipe out the Pirates," Vice Admiral Doberman roared at last, his patience fully exhausted. To him, there was nothing worth discussing with Pirates. If they wanted to speak, they could do so after being locked in a cell.
"Damn Marines, you do not even realize that disaster is already upon you!"
"If you refuse to let us leave, then we will all perish together!"
"That is right, let us show you the courage of the sea!"
The Pirates roared as they rushed forward once more.
The division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates clashed again with the Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals, while Marco moved straight toward Kuzan.
Perhaps because Kuzan had listened to Marco's earlier words, he did not use his full strength when facing him. This made the battle unusually restrained. For Marco, this was more than enough. He had never intended to defeat an Admiral. All he needed to do was hold one back.
Their fists collided, shockwaves rippling across the frozen ground as both of them slid backward.
Marco chuckled. "As expected of a Marine Admiral. Sakazuki and Kizaru both placed different kinds of pressure on me, and you are the same. You Admirals really are monsters."
"Hey, that tone sounds far too much like Borsalino," Kuzan responded lazily. "And I should be the one saying that. You captains are all monsters as well, especially you, First Division Commander. Your Haki, physical techniques, and Devil Fruit are all outstanding. We Admirals are the highest combat power of the World Government, yet you have stood against me, Sakazuki, and Borsalino. That alone is something to be proud of."
"I am honored to be acknowledged by an Admiral," Marco replied with a faint smile.
Though he had listened to Marco's words and was troubled by them, Kuzan was still shaken by Marco's strength. Even at seventy percent of his power, Marco could still keep up with him with ease. Compared to the other captains, Marco's strength was clearly on a different level.
"As expected of Captain Marco, fighting an Admiral to a standstill."
"He faced Akainu and Kizaru as well and was not weaker than them."
"Go, Captain Marco!"
The Whitebeard Pirates and their allied crews were filled with renewed fighting spirit as they watched the exchange.
Kuzan heard their shouts and felt an unexpected pressure. His expression grew more serious. "Ara ara, am I being underestimated?"
Sensing the shift in Kuzan's aura, Marco immediately shouted toward his comrades, "I told you all to shut up already. An Admiral is not that easy to deal with. Do not stand there piling pressure on me. Get away from here at once."
Marco had no intention of provoking Kuzan further. He had finally encountered the version of Kuzan who preferred to conserve energy, and their battle had remained restrained. He had no desire to push this into a life-and-death struggle. This was a man who could withstand Garp's punches head-on and fight Sakazuki for ten days and ten nights.
Just then, a sharp sound pierced the air.
With a flash of light, Kizaru's laser shot through Ace's body, striking the ice behind him and erupting in a violent explosion.
"Ace…"
"Ace San…"
"Captain Ace…"
Cries of alarm echoed across the battlefield.
Moments later, Kizaru appeared atop a Marine warship. The Marines who had been forced off earlier rejoiced.
"It is Admiral Kizaru."
"This is perfect. With Admiral Kizaru here, we can wipe out these Pirates."
Standing on the mast, Kizaru looked down at Ace, Jinbe, Ivankov, Crocodile, and the surrounding Whitebeard Pirates with his usual drawn-out tone.
"How surprising. You actually managed to seize a warship. But now that I am here, do not even think about sailing it away."
"Kizaru…" Jinbe said with a heavy expression.
Ace clutched his wound as he forced himself to stand, spitting blood onto the ice.
"Damn it. Another Admiral."
Luffy tightened his fist.
"Ace, be careful of that guy. Back on Sabaody, my friends and I were completely overwhelmed by him."
"I know," Ace replied, stepping forward to shield Luffy behind him. "Luffy, step back. It is still too early for you to face an Admiral."
Crocodile sneered coldly.
"Hmph, it seems retreat is not going to be easy after all. If the Marines do not kill you, they will not stop. No, even if they kill you, they still will not stop. Whitebeard is facing both Admiral Sakazuki and Fleet Admiral Sengoku right now. Even he cannot hold out for much longer."
The clash between Pirates and Admirals had reached its most dangerous phase.
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