In the end, Marco made his choice.
Armament Haki.
Ten thousand attribute points vanished in an instant as his Advanced Armament Haki was upgraded to Top-tier. A deep, unfamiliar power surged through his body, heavy yet controlled—like steel flowing beneath his skin.
Then Marco noticed something else.
Armament Haki (Top-tier) → Armament Haki (Legendary)
Required Attribute Points: 30,000
"…Legendary?" Marco stared at the panel, baffled.
There was a level above Top-tier?
"System," he demanded, "what's going on? Since when is there a Legendary rank above Top-tier? And what exactly is Legendary Armament Haki?"
The system's mechanical voice responded calmly:
"Legendary Armament Haki is the rank above Top-tier Armament Haki."
Marco rolled his eyes.
"That explains absolutely nothing…"
With no further options, he dumped his remaining two hundred–odd attribute points into Strength. The number ticked upward until it settled at 9,054—still just under a thousand short of his long-term goal of ten thousand.
He reopened the status panel.
Name: Marco
Age: 43
Attribute Points: 0
Devil Fruit: Mythical Zoan — Phoenix Model (Unawakened)
Haki:
Armament Haki (Top-tier)
Observation Haki (Advanced)
Haoshoku (Beginner)
Body Techniques:
Soru (Beginner)
Rankyaku (Entry)
Moonwalk (Beginner)
Tekkai (Beginner)
Shigan (Beginner)
Kami-e (Entry)
Strength: 9,054
Speed: 4,500
Defense: 8,800
Recovery: 45,000
Stamina: 8,100
Spirit: 4,800
System Combat Power Assessment: Weak Yonko Level
Marco couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement.
"So… I've finally stepped into Yonko territory," he murmured. "Even if it's only Weak Yonko Level."
Still, the leap made sense. Pouring ten thousand attribute points into Armament Haki alone was bound to cause a qualitative transformation.
Yet his thoughts drifted to Straw Hat Luffy in the original timeline.
Advanced Armament.
Conqueror's Haki coating.
Awakening—layered one after another in rapid succession.
That growth rate was absurd.
'Even with a system like mine… I can't match that kind of explosive evolution,' Marco admitted inwardly. 'That monster really is something else.'
"Marco—you're awake."
The voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Jozu walked over, his body almost completely wrapped in bandages.
Marco closed the system panel, nodded, and replied, "Mm."
After a brief pause, he asked, "How much longer until we reach Sphinx?"
Jozu thought for a moment.
"Probably another day."
Sphinx—Whitebeard's homeland.
Marco had proposed burying their captain there, allowing him to return to his roots. No one had objected. Not a single voice had risen against it.
The decision had been unanimous.
Jozu grinned faintly and said,
"You suddenly collapsed yesterday—you really scared everyone. Still, it's good to see you awake and well."
Marco smiled wryly in response.
Yesterday, after finally shaking off the Marines' pursuit, he had immediately taken charge—settling the Whitebeard Pirates' affairs and organizing the retreat. But perhaps it was precisely because the tension of battle had finally lifted that the exhaustion he'd been suppressing came crashing down all at once.
Though the Phoenix Fruit allowed Marco to recover from even the gravest injuries, it did nothing to restore stamina or mental fatigue. Throughout the Marineford War, he had pushed himself relentlessly—enduring pain, healing again and again, burning through both body and mind. By the time the war ended, even without a single lasting wound, he simply had nothing left to give.
"I'm sorry for worrying you all," Marco said with a light chuckle.
Just then, Vista approached, a teasing smile on his face.
"You were out for over ten hours this time," he said. "But thanks to you, we saved Ace, retrieved Pops' body, and got everyone out alive. This victory—if it can be called one—is yours, Marco."
Marco's eyes flicked to the bandages wrapped around Vista's body—just like Jozu's.
"It looks like everyone paid a heavy price," Marco said quietly.
"Didn't we ever?" Vista replied, his expression turning solemn. "This war… it hit the Whitebeard Pirates hard."
Marco's tone sharpened slightly.
"What happened?"
"The casualty report is finished," Vista said. "Since you're awake now, we should gather everyone and speak openly."
Marco nodded.
"Alright."
Before long, the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates—along with the captains of their allied crews—assembled on deck. Though it was a formal meeting, there was no attempt to hide the truth from anyone.
Marco gestured lightly.
"Vista, go ahead."
Vista stepped forward and spoke gravely.
"The commanders and I have tallied the losses. Among the Whitebeard Pirates… two-thirds of our crew were killed. Only 557 of our people survived."
A heavy silence fell.
"Among our allied crews, forty-three pirate groups suffered losses exceeding half their numbers. In total, only a little over 25,000 survived."
Vista paused, then continued, his voice thick.
"The Maelstrom Spider Pirates were completely annihilated while covering our retreat. And at Marineford, five captains fell—Little Oars Jr., Arthur, Bagley, Rash… and Squard."
The weight of the names crushed the deck into silence.
Ace's head dropped, guilt etched across his face.
"I'm sorry… this all happened because of me."
Jozu placed a firm hand on Ace's shoulder.
"Don't say that, Ace. No one blames you. We're the Whitebeard Pirates—we never abandon our own. And one day, we'll make Teach pay for this."
Izo gave a dry chuckle.
"That is, if Teach is even still alive. Last I heard, he was being hunted by both an Admiral and the Fleet Admiral."
Marco's expression remained calm, his voice steady.
"It doesn't matter whether Teach survived or not. If he's alive, it simply gives us the chance to kill him ourselves."
He looked around at the gathered captains.
"For now, there are two matters we must address."
His voice hardened.
"First—we bury our Captain."
A pause.
"And second—we immediately choose a new Captain."
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