The moment Vir appeared, several powerful figures immediately charged toward him.
Kuma's USB drive hadn't been inserted yet.
He was being manipulated by the enemy, already forming a massive air bomb with his hands.
Meanwhile, Moria summoned a swarm of shadows to rush at Vir.
What?
Why would Moria want to kill Vir?
Simple—He just wanted to contribute—and then claim Vir's corpse for himself.
Whitebeard, seeing Sengoku and Kong instantly move to attack Vir with zero hesitation, cursed under his breath.
Now, he had two choices.
One—finish off Akainu, who was still lying there unattended.
Or two—save Vir.
This situation made it clear that, in the eyes of the Marines, Vir's importance far surpassed that of an Admiral.
Without a second thought, Whitebeard—whose speed surpassed both of theirs—appeared in front of Vir in an instant.
"Naginata Rasetsu!"
His Murakumogiri, shimmering with a white glow, slashed toward the two without hesitation.
The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates didn't need orders.
They immediately moved to intercept those trying to harm Vir.
Right now, Vir was their only hope.
And Ace's only hope!
They couldn't let anything happen to him!
But... who could they actually stop?
Only Vista and Jozu managed to block Moria and Chaton...
Zephyr, Aokiji, and Tsuru continued advancing toward Vir unimpeded.
Yet Vir himself remained completely calm.
In full view of everyone, he picked up his medical kit and pulled out... a silicone prop.
But no one cared about what he was holding.
All eyes were on the incoming attacks—steel fists, freezing ice spears, air bombs, and... bubbles?
Yet no one dared underestimate those bubbles.
Because someone had already experienced their terrifying power firsthand.
Just as the attacks were about to land on the defenseless Vir—
Whoosh!
A sharp sound tore through the air!
In an instant, a figure wreathed in azure flames streaked across the sky, leaving a long trail behind before arriving right in front of Vir—
And blocking every single attack!
*BOOM!!*
The tiny, thumb-sized Paw-Paw buble exploded with ferocious force!
Zephyr's fist was kicked off course.
The ice spear pierced straight through the figure's body, while the bubbles were completely engulfed in flames.
Whoosh—!
A massive explosion of blue flames erupted in front of Vir, accompanied by the roar of burning fire!
It was Marco, in full Phoenix form.
He had intercepted the entire assault.
But his body was now riddled with wounds.
Yet as the flames burned, those injuries rapidly healed.
Marco, his expression unreadable, stared down the furious enemies before him.
He took a deep breath—
Then roared!
"You bastards... don't you dare underestimate the bond between me and Ace!"
"A phoenix... isn't so easy to kill!"
"If you want Vir dead—you'll have to go through me first!"
His shout left everyone stunned.
They watched as Marco stood there, completely healed—not just his wounds, but even his stamina seemed fully restored.
If they weren't shocked, they'd be lying.
Was his Devil Fruit really this powerful?
Hadn't he been eaten alive just moments ago?
Reduced to that state...
Yet he could still stand?
And not just stand—he was in perfect condition!
All from just lying there for a while?
Did the Phoenix really have such insane regenerative abilities?
Aokiji and the others frowned, their eyes flickering with suspicion.
But Akainu, lying on the ground with only one eye left, widened it in disbelief.
"Impossible!"
His voice was hoarse, barely intelligible.
Frankly, the fact that he could still speak was a miracle—his throat had been nearly shattered.
If not for his thick neck, that last attack would have outright killed him.
He knew exactly how much force he had used.
There was no way Marco should have recovered this fast!
No—he shouldn't have been able to recover at all!
He had been on the verge of death!
Yes, he had regenerative flames—but Akainu had beaten him to the point where recovery in such a short time was impossible!
What the hell was going on?!
Akainu was completely baffled.
Was it really like Marco said?
Some kind of... bond?
That couldn't be it!
Even if Akainu refused to believe it...
Right now, that seemed to be the only explanation!
Damn it!
So the Phoenix could draw out such insane regenerative power through sheer will and bonds?!
There was no intel on this!
If he had known, he would have made sure to rip Marco's head off right then and there!
But it was too late for regrets now.
Even so, Akainu didn't believe Marco could hold off four top-tier fighters at once.
His gaze shifted to the figure who had caused him so much frustration.
Vir still looked completely unbothered.
Akainu's brow furrowed.
What was this guy relying on?
What other tricks did he have up his sleeve?!
Was it Shiki? But Kizaru should have been able to stall him for a while!
Meanwhile, on Amazon Lily...
Seeing Marco fully healed, Jina was utterly convinced.
In just a few minutes of treatment...
That man had saved—no, fully restored Marco from the brink of death!
This level of medical skill was beyond anything she could comprehend.
A giant pot... even eating him.
That guy was simply unbelievable...
*BOOM!*
A yellow flash streaked across the sky before crashing into the ground, causing a massive explosion.
This time, it wasn't Kizaru's usual theatrics.
This was a real explosion.
With Aokiji and Zephyr gone, he was left alone to fight Shiki.
And Shiki wasn't happy about Kizaru sniping from the back earlier.
Now that it was one-on-one, Shiki wasn't about to let this chance slip.
Kizaru was sent flying into the dirt.
But he didn't stay down for long.
He knew exactly how dangerous Vir was.
For the sake of his future, he was willing to endure a little hardship now!
Shiki, who had been about to rush to Vir's aid, sighed as he saw Kizaru reappear—bruised, bloody, and with half his face swollen.
"Tch. If this brat goes all out, I really can't finish him off quickly..."
"Damn it, he's actually holding me back!"
Yet despite all this...
Vir still showed no reaction.
He was still trying to activate that bizarre silicone thing...
And on the outskirts of Marineford...
A slightly unusual battleship...
Had just quietly docked.
-----
Read 55+ advanced chapters on my P@treon.
[email protected]/KakuzuTL