Seeing the golden Den Den Mushi in Lloyd's hand, Whitebeard and the others widened their eyes.
Dragon immediately recognized the gorgeously crafted Den Den Mushi and shouted in alarm,
"Not good, he has activated the Buster Call!"
At the mention of a Buster Call, everyone's expression changed.
In the past, a Buster Call alone would not have been enough to frighten forces at their level. But this time was different. The one who issued it was Fleet Admiral Black Dragon.
No one knew how many Admirals would answer the call. It could very well be all of them.
Lloyd glanced at the Den Den Mushi in his hand and spoke calmly,
"Judging by the timing, Akainu and the others should be arriving soon."
He lifted his head and looked at the crowd before him with a faint smile.
"For such a grand wedding, the Navy would be remiss not to attend."
A wave of swallowing sounds spread through the battlefield.
Wedding?
This was clearly a funeral.
Dragon's eyes flickered as the thought of retreat surfaced in his mind.
Lloyd's strength had far exceeded his expectations. He once believed that with the alliance of multiple forces, they could at least contend with the Navy. Now it was obvious he had overestimated their chances.
If a single Lloyd was already this overwhelming, then adding multiple Admirals and elite Marines would make the situation hopeless.
The only option left was to withdraw and preserve the Revolutionary Army he had spent decades building.
With that in mind, Dragon subtly stepped back, glancing at Whitebeard and Big Mom.
Neither of them noticed.
Their full attention was locked onto Lloyd.
Retreat never crossed their minds. Even if they fled, escape would be uncertain. For Big Mom, abandoning Whole Cake Island was out of the question. It was her kingdom, her utopia.
Whitebeard clenched his fists, veins bulging along his arms.
Ignoring his failing body, he unleashed his power recklessly, sending shockwave punches infused with Haoshoku Haki toward Lloyd.
Big Mom let out a shrill cry. Hera fused into her hair as she grabbed Zeus and unleashed a massive bolt of purple lightning.
"Fulgora!"
Katakuri and the others instantly retreated, leaving Lloyd alone to face the combined attacks of two Emperors.
In the next moment, Lloyd's body shifted.
No matter how devastating the attacks were, they passed through him without effect.
Marco hovered in the air, his face grim as he gritted his teeth.
"Damn it, we cannot touch him at all. If this continues, the Navy will surround us!"
Katakuri and Sabo understood the situation, but there was nothing they could do.
Even without relying on his ability, Lloyd alone was enough to stall them until reinforcements arrived.
It was a dead end.
At that moment, Lloyd suddenly looked up at Marco.
Marco felt a chill run down his spine.
Only then did he realize he had drifted away from the main group.
He flapped his wings and dove downward, trying to regroup.
Too late.
Lloyd's wings moved, and in an instant, he appeared directly in Marco's path.
He smiled faintly.
"Flying is convenient, isn't it, Marco?"
Before Marco could react, Lloyd's hand had already seized his neck.
Black energy wrapped around Lloyd's grip.
Marco's blue flames extinguished instantly.
His wings vanished, reverting back into human arms.
Seeing his most cherished son captured, Whitebeard's eyes widened in fury.
He gathered strength in his legs and launched himself upward like a cannonball.
"Stop!"
In the next instant, something flew past him.
A head.
It brushed against his cheek before crashing into the ground and bursting apart.
Whitebeard froze midair.
His gaze locked onto the headless body in Lloyd's grasp.
Marco.
The Phoenix.
Now nothing more than a lifeless corpse.
The legendary blue flames never ignited again.
Lloyd released his grip, letting Marco's body fall to the ground.
Whitebeard felt his chest tighten. Blood surged up his throat as he spat it out and collapsed back to the ground.
He dropped to one knee, overwhelmed.
Jozu and the others rushed forward, shouting desperately.
After witnessing Marco's fate, Katakuri and Sabo immediately moved closer to the main group, staying near Big Mom and Dragon.
This time, Dragon positioned himself in front of Sabo.
Having already lost Issho and Karasu, the Revolutionary Army was in a weakened state. If Sabo fell as well, everything would crumble.
Behind them, Teach let out a low sigh.
Chiffon, standing beside him, assumed he was mourning Marco and saw it as proof of his loyalty.
In truth, Teach did feel a trace of emotion. They had sailed together for over twenty years.
But regret outweighed grief.
Not for the man.
For the Mythical Zoan, the Phoenix fruit.
Ahead, the Whitebeard Pirates wept openly. Their grief was genuine.
Whitebeard, surrounded by his crew, remained silent.
Lloyd slowly descended, his wings beating lightly as he returned to the ground.
Then, sharp whistling sounds filled the air.
Cannonballs rained down from the sky.
Katakuri and the others reacted quickly, using their abilities to intercept the barrage. Mochi, syrup, and cream intertwined to form a massive shield.
It held, for a moment.
Then the sky turned red.
Molten magma began to fall like rain.
The barrier melted instantly.
What followed were countless magma fists descending from above.
Dragon and Big Mom attacked together, unleashing wind blades and lightning to counter the assault.
Even so, several unfortunate fighters were reduced to ash by the splashing magma.
A massive magma fist crashed down beside Lloyd.
He glanced at it casually.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it using the molten rock.
He took a slow drag, then exhaled.
The stream of smoke swept forward, extinguishing the flames on the nearby magma, leaving behind nothing but a charred, fist-shaped mass of stone.