To make better use of his Observation Haki, Marco simply closed his eyes. The world around him faded, replaced by a web of intent and movement. Through observation alone, he traced the trajectory of each attack, letting his body respond on instinct.
But Katakuri's Observation Haki had already reached the realm of foresight. He saw Marco's reactions before they happened. After Marco dodged the first few strikes, the thorned whips multiplied and grew denser, several of them snapping across Marco's body.
Pain flared—sharp and biting—but vanished just as quickly. Blue flames surged, knitting torn flesh back together in moments.
Marco steadied his breathing. He quieted his thoughts, sinking deeper into himself, and focused entirely on sensing Katakuri's intent.
Seeing Marco seemingly suppressed, the Big Mom Pirates erupted into cheers. Their shouts grew louder and louder, as though Katakuri's victory was already assured.
On the other side, unease spread through the Phoenix Pirates.
"Why isn't Captain Marco counterattacking?"
"He's only defending!"
Even Zack frowned. "That's not Marco's usual style."
Ace, however, spoke with certainty. "Trust him. Marco wouldn't initiate this fight unless he was confident. Katakuri is strong—but he's still no Admiral."
Those words steadied the others, and they nodded.
'Is he using me as a whetstone?' Katakuri felt a flicker of irritation—but he quickly suppressed it. His gaze sharpened.
"In that case," he said coldly, "let's see if you can truly learn."
"Unrivaled Donuts."
With the awakening of his Devil Fruit, dozens of mochi-like rings bloomed into existence around Marco. From each donut, massive fists of hardened mochi emerged, coated in Armament Haki.
Surrounded on all sides, Marco raised his guard and pushed his Observation Haki to its limit.
"Take this, Marco—Thirty-Six Heads: Mighty Mochi!"
In the next instant, dozens of fists surged forward.
Marco dodged and blocked in rapid succession, launching himself into the air as he moved. Every twist of his body, every shift in position, was guided by his Observation Haki as he tried to stay one step ahead of Katakuri's foresight.
Whether it was Marco's immense mental strength, the fusion of another soul within him, or simply the fact that his overall power now surpassed Katakuri's, one thing became clear—he was adapting. Quickly.
Within minutes, his movements grew smoother, more precise.
From a distance, Katakuri controlled the Unrivaled Donuts, but unease crept into his heart. This wasn't right. His Observation Haki should have given him an overwhelming advantage.
Yet now—his predictions were starting to miss.
Again and again.
Which meant only one thing.
Marco was beginning to touch the realm of future sight.
'Damn it… how can he learn this so fast? Is he pretending to be clumsy, or was he already on the brink of awakening it?'
Katakuri's expression darkened. He knew the truth better than anyone—without his future-predicting Observation Haki, he would not be Marco's match.
He had to finish this now, before Marco fully grasped it.
Slamming his palm into the ground, Katakuri roared,
"Drizzling Mochi!"
In an instant, countless lumps of mochi surged upward from the ground, launching themselves toward Marco in midair.
Two thick strands wrapped around Marco's legs, yanking him violently downward. Through Observation Haki, Marco immediately saw the outcome—if he hit the ground, the surrounding mochi would close in and smother him completely.
Without hesitation, Marco released a massive surge of Armament Haki through his legs.
The mochi binding his feet shattered instantly, crumbling like stone under the overwhelming force.
Marco twisted free in midair, blue flames flaring brighter than ever as his eyes snapped open—sharp, focused, and beginning to see just a little further into the future.
"What…?"
Seeing this, Katakuri's pupils shrank violently. To forcibly shatter his Devil Fruit technique like that—he had only ever witnessed such overwhelming power from Mama herself.
'Armament Haki… emission?'
The realization struck him instantly. Katakuri had always poured everything into refining his Observation Haki. Though his Armament Haki was formidable, it had never reached the level where it could be released outward so explosively.
"Now it's my turn."
A smile curled across Marco's lips as blue flames surged behind him. In a flash, he shot forward.
"Phoenix Seal!"
"Mighty Mochi!"
Fists and legs collided midair. The impact echoed like thunder, but the difference was clear—Marco's Armament Haki was stronger. Katakuri was forced half a step back. At once, several mochi arms burst from Katakuri's back.
"Three-Headed Mighty Mochi!"
Three enormous fists slammed toward Marco. He crossed his arms to block and was driven backward by the sheer force.
The battle raged on.
As the exchange continued, Marco's Observation Haki sharpened at a frightening pace. What had begun as pure defense gradually transformed—he was no longer merely reacting. He was beginning to see.
A second.
Two seconds.
Fragments of the future unfolded before him.
Once Marco felt that shift, he stopped holding back.
No longer content to learn, he pressed the attack. Blue flames flared brighter as his blows grew faster and heavier. The momentum of the fight tilted, and the cheers that had once filled the air for Katakuri slowly turned into anxious murmurs.
At that moment, Ace's eyes lit up in realization. A grin spread across his face.
"So that's it… Marco's already mastered future-sight Observation Haki."
Izo, standing beside him, looked stunned. "You're saying… all that earlier defense was just to learn Katakuri's future sight?"
Ace nodded, pointing toward the battlefield. "That's right. Katakuri's Observation Haki is terrifying—but look now. Marco's trading blows with him head-on, forcing Katakuri to defend. If the gap were still that wide, Katakuri would be dodging by turning his body into mochi—just like he did against me."
On the battlefield, the balance had already shifted.
The hunter had finished learning.
Now, the real fight had begun.
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