Marco had already made up his mind—once this crisis was settled, he would personally hunt down Eustass Kid. A rabid dog like that was better put down sooner rather than later.
He continued calmly, "What about Wolfba?"
Curiel answered at once, "Wolfba fought Eustass Kid head-on and was gravely injured, but Vice-Captain Richie managed to rescue him in time."
"That's good," Marco exhaled quietly. As long as the captain was alive, a crew could always be rebuilt. Time and effort were things pirates had learned to endure.
Curiel went on, "Aside from Kid, the Hawkins Pirates attacked Four Mouth Town two days ago. They caused some chaos, but it wasn't too extreme. They abducted a little over twenty residents and then withdrew."
Marco listened without much reaction. Ever since the Marineford War, disturbances like this had become routine. He heard similar reports almost every day. As long as there were no large-scale civilian deaths, the situation was still manageable. The root of the problem was obvious—many forces in the New World now believed the Phoenix Pirates no longer deserved the throne of a Yonko's crew, and so unrest was inevitable.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, three days were gone.
The Phoenix Pirates arrived at the agreed location—the Kohn Islands—only to find that the Big Mom Pirates had already arrived ahead of them.
"Mamamama… you're finally here," Big Mom cackled as she sat leisurely at a long table, sipping her morning tea. Her grin was wide, but her eyes gleamed with a dangerous chill.
As the Phoenix Pirates disembarked, the Big Mom Pirates immediately went on alert.
Marco turned to his crew and said calmly, "Ace, Jinbe—you two come with me. The rest of you stay here."
"Don't we need more people?" Zack asked, unable to hold back. "They've got a lot of manpower."
Marco replied evenly, "Big Mom is a Soul-Soul Fruit user. If any of you harbor even a trace of fear toward her, she can take your life instantly."
The pirates swallowed hard at his words. Fossa added solemnly, "Be careful, Marco… Ace… Jinbe…"
"Relax," Ace said with a grin. "With the three of us together, it won't be easy for anyone to take us down."
"Let's go."
At Marco's signal, the three of them walked straight toward the Big Mom Pirates.
On the wide street, a long banquet table had been set up. Marco's gaze was calm as he looked across it at Big Mom seated opposite him. Almost instinctively, he assessed her strength.
Charlotte Linlin. Paramecia—Soul-Soul Fruit. Estimated strength: Admiral/Yonko level.
"So that's it…" Marco mused inwardly. As expected.
In the original history, Big Mom had indeed been one of the Yonkos, yet her feats were surprisingly few. Her most terrifying trait was her defense—perhaps even more monstrous than Kaido's. Aside from that, she fell noticeably short of Kaido, the so-called strongest creature in the world.
And yet, she had sat firmly on the throne of a Yonko for decades.
Marco's lips curved slightly as he spoke aloud, his tone casual but edged with steel.
"It's really not easy to meet you, Linlin."
"Mama Mama… you've truly grown into your role, Marco." Big Mom studied him with a broad smile, then casually pointed to an empty chair. "Sit. Since it's already brunch time, we might as well eat first. The Kohn Islands may not have been my territory before, but now that I've set foot here, they belong to the Big Mom Pirates. Allow me to treat you to a Totto Land–style brunch."
Marco took his seat without hesitation. Whatever Big Mom intended—talks or theatrics—his purpose here was simple. He had come to face a Yonko head-on.
"Eat me! Eat me!"
"Would you like black tea or green tea?"
"I'm delicious!"
Ace stared at the animated desserts and teacups dancing atop the table, eyes wide. "What the—?! The cakes are talking!"
Big Mom burst into laughter. "Mama Mama, relax. Those are Homies created by my Devil Fruit. You already saw them back on Fish-Man Island, didn't you? Go on, eat. They won't bite."
Ace hesitated, half-skeptical, but when he saw the Charlotte siblings calmly enjoying the meal, he picked up a pastry and took a bite. His eyes lit up. "Whoa… this is actually amazing!"
"Of course it is," Big Mom said smugly. "Totto Land has the finest desserts in the world."
Marco sipped his tea in silence, unhurried. He wanted to see what Big Mom was really after. Besides, whoever spoke first in a meeting like this usually lost a bit of leverage.
The atmosphere looked warm on the surface, but beneath it, everyone was on guard.
At last, Big Mom stopped pretending and laughed. "Marco, it seems you really did a fine job inheriting Whitebeard's crew. You're awfully calm in front of me."
Marco took another bite of pastry and replied evenly, "Want to know why?"
"Oh?" Big Mom raised a brow, mildly intrigued. "Why's that?"
A faint, confident smile tugged at Marco's lips. "Because of my strength."
For a split second, Big Mom froze—then erupted into booming laughter. "Mama Mama! What arrogance! So you're that confident in yourself now?"
Marco's smile didn't fade, but his eyes turned cold. "I didn't come here for pleasantries. I came to fight you. If you win, I'll return Katakuri and Snack. If you lose, then from now on, whenever your Big Mom Pirates encounter my Phoenix Pirates, you retreat—three steps."
"Mama Mama!!!" Big Mom's eyes flashed dangerously. "How bold! Are you really trying to challenge me?"
She already knew, from Smoothie's report, that Marco had grasped future-sight Observation Haki and the external emission of Armament Haki. Even so, she didn't truly take him seriously. In her eyes, this was still a game played by the younger generation—and for her to personally fight Marco felt almost like bullying.
With the lofty tone of a veteran ruler, she said, "Since you defeated Katakuri, you are indeed qualified to stand among the Yonko. I acknowledge your status. From now on, the Big Mom Pirates will no longer interfere with Fish-Man Island. Release Katakuri and the others, and I'll consider this matter closed."
For once, even Marco's composure cracked. His eye twitched.
That condescending attitude grated on him far more than any threat. His voice turned icy. "Your expression tells me you think you can beat me. But I don't need your acknowledgment. Empty words mean nothing. If I can't secure the throne of a Yonko with my own strength, then your recognition is worthless."
Marco stood up.
A crimson wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, crashing outward like a storm. In an instant, weaker pirates and Homies alike collapsed unconscious.
He spoke coldly, his presence overwhelming. "Stubborn relics like you only believe in strength. Fine—then let's settle this with strength."
Big Mom's grin vanished.
A far more terrifying surge of Conqueror's Haki exploded from her body in response. The two invisible forces slammed together—but Marco's was quickly overwhelmed, pressed down by Big Mom's monstrous will.
Ace and Jinbe both frowned, feeling the suffocating pressure of her dominance.
This… was the will of a true Yonko.
Big Mom sneered, her laughter heavy with contempt. "Mama Mama… Marco, daring to release Conqueror's Haki in front of me? Your haki is still far too green."
Marco could feel it clearly—the crushing weight of her Conqueror's Haki far exceeded his own. She was an old-guard Yonko who had ruled the seas for decades. His own Conqueror's Haki had only just reached an intermediate stage; the gap between them was undeniable.
Even so, Marco felt no fear.
Strength wasn't decided by Conqueror's Haki alone.
Blue flames flared around his body as he met Big Mom's gaze head-on, his eyes steady and unyielding. "I told you already," he said calmly. "I came here for one reason only. The era is moving forward… how many more years do you think you can cling to the title of Yonko?"
That thinly veiled provocation finally shattered Big Mom's patience.
"If you want to speak with strength," she roared, "then come and try!"
Her presence surged violently. The power of the Soul-Soul Fruit erupted, and in an instant, the world around them plunged into darkness. Big Mom's aura expanded like a nightmare given form, her massive silhouette looming as her eyes burned with an eerie light.
"Life… or death…"
The Big Mom Pirates felt a chill run through their spines. Fear crept into their hearts as they instinctively retreated, already condemning Marco in their minds. In their eyes, even someone capable of defeating Katakuri could never stand against Mama herself.
The darkness swallowed everything.
'An illusion?' Marco narrowed his eyes. He immediately recognized it as the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit—an assault on the soul itself. But his Haki surged outward, shattering the illusion almost instantly.
Ace reacted just as quickly. Flames ignited around his body, burning away the darkness without a hint of fear.
Jinbe stood firm as well, his expression calm and unshaken, staring straight at Big Mom.
Seeing that none of their souls had been extracted, Big Mom's eyes widened slightly in shock. She hadn't expected her soul spell to fail—there hadn't been even the faintest flicker of fear among the three.
Before she could probe further, Marco spoke again, his voice resolute. "Alright. Since you've made your move… then it's my turn."
In the next instant, Marco vanished.
Without giving Big Mom time to react, he closed the distance at blinding speed. Blue flames roared as he twisted his body mid-air and drove a powerful kick straight toward her massive face.
"Phoenix Seal!"
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