"Cough, cough, cough…" Vista spat up a mouthful of fresh blood. The force of Marco's kick had felt like a strike from Kizaru himself, as if it had shaken his internal organs. He looked at Marco in astonishment. "Marco, when did you become this strong?"
Marco's lips curved into a faint smile. "After the war, my Armament Haki broke through its previous limits and can now project outward. With that last strike, even though you wrapped yourself in Armament Haki, mine penetrated yours and damaged your internal organs. This is what the Old Man referred to as the advanced application of Armament Haki."
"Internal destruction with Haki… I see." Vista's smile was bitter yet impressed. Marco had once been a high-defense, low-offense type, but now he was both powerful and resilient. Wiping the blood from his lips, Vista stood and said, "I'll be more careful next time. Let's go again!"
"Alright." Marco launched his attack again. Unfazed by injury, he pressed the advantage, forcing Vista onto the defensive. The crew watching were stunned. Vista was the Whitebeard Pirates' greatest swordsman, yet he was completely overwhelmed by Marco.
Marco's strategy was simple: trade blows and exploit his Phoenix recovery. Within ten minutes, Vista could no longer continue. "Stop, stop, stop! I surrender!"
The cheering erupted immediately. " Marco won!" "It should be Captain Marco now!" "Right, Captain Marco!"
Marco smiled faintly. Vista wiped the blood from his mouth and extended his hand. "Your style… trading injuries. Who else could withstand it? You've truly earned this, Captain Marco. Guide us well."
Marco shook his hand humbly. "Old Man is gone. We must protect ourselves. Guide me as well, Vista."
The Captains approached, smiling. "Now Captain Marco is our new Captain, let's have a banquet!" "Indeed! A banquet!" "He will lead us back to the strongest Pirate Crew!"
Marco could not refuse. "Brothers, let's have a banquet!"
"Oh~~~~" The crew cheered, reveling in the moment.
At that moment, Marco's system alerted him: "Mission complete. You have become the new Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. Reward: 1,000 attribute points."
Marco considered whether to spend the points immediately on Mental Power or save them to upgrade his Observation Haki later.
The system continued: "New mission issued…"
Why another mission already? Marco thought. Opening the mission tab, he saw:
Mission: Renaming. Now that you are Captain, the Whitebeard Pirates no longer reflect your leadership. Rename the crew and replace the Pirate flag. Reward: 500 attribute points.
Mission: Become a Four Emperors. Though you command the Whitebeard Pirates, your bounty does not match the other Three Emperors. Increase it to over 3 billion Berries. Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Marco knew he had to proceed step by step. Renaming the crew would come first—every point mattered.
The banquet began, and Marco, seated at the head of the table, raised his glass. "Brothers, before we begin, I have two announcements."
Everyone quieted down to listen.
"The first," Marco said, "Old Man is no longer with us. I plan to rename the Whitebeard Pirates to the Phoenix Pirates."
Gasps spread across the room. Though they understood the need for change under a new Captain, many had grown attached to the Whitebeard name. It symbolized decades of strength and fear in the New World. Some subordinate Pirates even felt conflicted, having joined out of admiration for Whitebeard himself.
Marco observed their reactions. Leadership transitions were delicate, and he needed to stabilize the crew's core. "Of course," he continued, "the original Whitebeard Pirates flag will remain. Only when the world has adapted to the Phoenix Pirates will we truly step out from Old Man's shadow and protect ourselves independently."