Seeing that Blackbeard was actually trying to escape, Sengoku refused to allow it and immediately shouted, "Do not even think about running, chase him at once!"
"Chase him, capture Blackbeard!" The Marines surged forward in an instant, flooding after him like a raging tide.
Akainu took the lead, charging at the very front as he roared, "You think you can escape right in front of me? Great Eruption!"
"Catch him and do not let him get away! As for the others, execute them on the spot!" Sengoku bellowed. He had already found a way to make up for the losses of this war. If Blackbeard's Dark Dark Fruit truly had the ability to steal Devil Fruit powers, then his value was immeasurable. If he truly possessed three hearts and could wield multiple Devil Fruits, then he was even more valuable alive than dead.
At the very end of the Marine forces, Marco finally arrived near Whitebeard's body. At this moment, the corpse of the strongest man in the world was heavily guarded. The Marines clearly intended to turn even his remains into a symbol of victory.
Marco quietly approached. Seeing that Sengoku, Garp, Aokiji, and Akainu had all chased after Blackbeard and moved some distance away, his eyes hardened. He made his move without hesitation.
"Phoenix Flame!"
Blue flames burst violently from his body, blasting the Marines guarding Whitebeard away in every direction. In one smooth motion, Marco seized a massive Marine justice flag, wrapped Whitebeard's body securely within it, and soared into the sky with his fallen captain in his arms.
"It's Marco!"
"How is he here?"
"Damn it, he disguised himself as a Marine and blended in with us!"
The Marines were thrown into chaos by his sudden appearance.
"He's taking Whitebeard's body!"
"Curse it! That body is proof of Marine victory. We absolutely cannot let him escape with it!"
"Fire the cannons, shoot him down!"
Shouts erupted from every direction, but Marco had already risen rapidly into the air. Even though speed was currently the weakest of his six basic attributes, with his flight, it was no weakness at all. He climbed higher and higher, blue flames trailing behind him like a blazing comet.
"Marco, you bastard!" Sengoku looked up at the sky, his face dark with fury. Despite all his calculations, he felt as though he had been played like a fool in this war. The exhaustion weighed heavily on him.
Aokiji quickly assessed the situation and spoke up, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Marco can fly. If he gains too much altitude, we will not be able to stop him. We should secure the Blackbeard Pirates first."
Sengoku clenched his teeth. At this point, all he wanted was to capture Blackbeard to salvage what little dignity the Marines had left. "Chase them! We must capture Blackbeard! Do not let those criminals escape!"
Akainu followed the order without hesitation, though contempt burned in his heart. They had held the advantage in this war, yet Sengoku's command had led it into disgrace. Still, as long as the Blackbeard Pirates were captured, the Marines could reclaim some honor.
High above the battlefield, Marco had already passed through the clouds. With the thick cover of mist beneath him, the Marines were no longer visible. He let out a low laugh.
"At this height, even Moonwalk would struggle to catch me. Next, I will regroup with everyone and retreat. Still, I need to stay wary of that troublesome old man, Kizaru."
With a powerful flap of his wings, Marco flew toward his comrades.
At the same time, Moby Dick 5 began moving rapidly across the frozen sea. Now that everyone had boarded, the paddle steamer surged forward at full speed. From afar, Kizaru watched the ship pull away and scratched his head with a helpless sigh.
"This is really troublesome. I did not expect the Whitebeard Pirates to have such a hidden paddle steamer."
"Do not let them escape! Destroy the ship!" Vice Admiral Yamakaji shouted as he gave chase.
With the entire crew on board, Moby Dick 5 was far faster than before. Ordinary Marines could not hope to catch up. Only elite officers at the rank of Vice Admiral were able to close the distance at all.
"Do not let them damage the ship! Fire the cannons, fire immediately!" The pirates on board returned fire without pause, their cannons booming as they forced the pursuing Marines to fall farther and farther back.
Seeing the distance widening and the Marine warships immobilized by the ice while their paddle steamer cut freely across it, the pirates erupted in excitement.
"We did it, we are pulling away from the Marines!"
"It looks like we are finally saved!"
For a moment, relief spread across every face. Then Jozu's voice rang out sharply, "Do not let your guard down. Until we return to the New World, the Marines could strike at any time. This is our only ship now. We cannot afford even the smallest damage!"
"Yes!"
"Even if it costs my life, I will not let them touch this ship!"
"This is incredible. Not only did we survive, we also rescued Ace!"
Cheers rippled across the deck. Buggy and the prisoners also let out long breaths of relief. At the very least, they had escaped Marineford alive.
"But where is Captain Marco?" someone suddenly asked. "He should be fine, right?"
Vista's expression darkened. "Trust Marco. Even if he fails to retrieve Father's body, escaping alone is not a problem for him. Right now, we must focus on surviving ourselves."
Just then, a familiar lazy voice drifted down from the sky.
"Wait a moment…"
"Kizaru!" The Whitebeard Pirates looked up in unison, their expressions immediately turning grim. "He's still chasing us?" "How persistent can one man be?"
Floating above them, Kizaru spoke in his drawling tone, "There is nothing I can do. These are Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders. If I let you escape, the Marines will lose far too much face. So, I will sink your ship first."
Golden light gathered at his fingertips as he raised his hand.
"Yasakani no magatama!"