Marco was momentarily at a loss for words. He truly did not know whether to call these Pirates naive or simply short sighted. As he cleaved through another Marine, he spoke calmly to Jozu.
"It is not a trick. If we want more people to return alive to the New World, sacrifices are unavoidable. But if we just keep running, those sacrifices become meaningless. The timing, the location, and the numbers are all on the Marine's side. The only thing we can do is risk our lives and fight back. Only then will the Marines feel real fear. After all, anyone would be cautious of someone who is not afraid to die."
Jozu listened quietly as Marco continued.
"Even though it looks like a dead end right now, that does not mean we truly have no way out. This desperate battle is preparation for our later withdrawal. That is why some sacrifices are necessary."
"There is still a way out?" Jozu asked in confusion. The sea was frozen solid, and their ships were destroyed. There was nowhere to escape.
Marco cut down another Marine and said evenly, "We still have a paddle steamer hidden at the bottom of the sea."
Jozu's eyes widened. "That is right, I forgot about it." Besides the Moby Dick, they still had four auxiliary ships, and one remained hidden underwater.
Looking at the frozen sea beneath his feet, Jozu felt a spark of hope. "Marco, if that is the case, I will break the ice right now. Once the ice is shattered, the ship can rise to the surface."
Marco immediately rejected the idea. "Not yet. I just ignited everyone's fighting spirit. Let them crush more of the Marine's morale first. It is not too late to retreat after the Marines are truly shaken."
Jozu hesitated. "But if this continues…"
Marco glanced at him coldly. "Since they stepped onto this battlefield, they already accepted the risk of death. Mercy has no place here. Even if it becomes a one for one exchange, as long as we frighten the Marines enough, we can carve out our chance to live."
Jozu blinked in confusion. "Uh…what does that saying mean exactly?"
Marco looked at him in mild disbelief. "You really do not understand?"
Jozu scratched his head awkwardly. "You know me, Marco. I never had much schooling, and I do not care for newspapers. Those kinds of sayings go over my head."
Marco was rendered speechless for a moment. Illiteracy was common in this world, but he had not expected even a Whitebeard division commander to be affected by it.
Embarrassed, Jozu quickly added, "Even if I do not understand the saying, I get what you mean. In short, we cannot retreat now. We fight them to the end, right?"
Marco finally smiled. "Yes, that is exactly it."
The two of them plunged back into the sea of Marines. Jozu charged at the front like a living avalanche, and Marco followed closely behind, methodically finishing off those who fell. As he fought, Marco glanced at his current attribute points. After a brief hesitation, he decided to invest everything into strength first. Once it reached ten thousand, he would enhance his other attributes.
After the points were allocated, Marco's strength rose to 8033.
He turned to Jozu again. "One more thing. I originally planned for Ace to melt the ice so the paddle steamer could surface. But with his injuries, that will not happen anytime soon. That task falls to you. Breaking the ice is not enough. You need to move it aside like before. Can you manage it?"
Jozu flashed a confident grin. "Do not worry. Even without my right hand, I can still move a block of ice. Leave it to me."
"I said, not yet," Marco reminded him.
Jozu looked at him in confusion. Marco's gaze shifted toward the distant battlefield where Whitebeard was still fighting.
"The time is not right yet. Wait a little longer."
Around them, the slaughter intensified. Pirates and Marines fought with bloodshot eyes, both sides driven into madness. Casualties among the Pirates were now even heavier than before. Once they realized escape was impossible, they chose to drag their enemies down with them, embracing a fearless resolve. The Marines were no different. After witnessing the deaths of their comrades, they abandoned all thoughts of capture and focused only on killing for revenge.
For a time, the battlefield became a true meat grinder, devouring lives without pause.
Even so, a few Pirates attempted to flee. Although the sea had become an endless ice continent that blocked ships, some tried to escape on foot. If they endured long enough, there was still a chance they could reach Sabaody.
As the battle raged on, the ice beneath everyone's feet was dyed red. Marine blood mixed with Pirate blood. The number of fallen on both sides had already exceeded ten thousand, yet the survivors continued to fight. The sight was unbearably tragic.
"Wuwuwu…ahhh, no!"
On the battlefield, Koby collapsed to his knees, clutching his head as he cried in agony. Because of his timid nature, he had lagged behind the main charge earlier, and that hesitation had saved his life. Now, the scene before him felt like a nightmare, a true slaughterhouse.
"Koby, Koby, are you alright?" Helmeppo shouted anxiously as he rushed to his side.
Koby covered his ears tightly, tears streaming down his face. "It hurts so much. Those screams, they keep echoing in my ears. They will not stop."
"There are no screams," Helmeppo shouted back. "Get up. We cannot stay here. This war is not something we can survive."
It was not just Koby and Helmeppo. Many of the weaker Marines and Pirates were beginning to break under the cruelty of the war. Despair crept into their hearts, threatening to crush them completely.
At Marineford, the battle between Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Akainu, and the strongest man in the world raged on.
On the frozen sea, it was the battlefield of the captains, Admiral Kizaru, the former Shichibukai Jinbe and Crocodile, and Admiral Aokiji.
Compared to these monsters, the weaker Marines and Pirates were no different from ants, liable to be crushed at any moment.