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Meanwhile, Marco was carving his way through the ranks of the Big Mom Pirates—but to his irritation, defeating these enemies yielded no attribute points at all.
Back during the Marineford War, every kill had rewarded him with growth. It had felt like leveling up in a game—each battle making him visibly stronger, feeding his momentum and sharpening his killing intent. That constant feedback had been intoxicating.
Unfortunately, since Marineford ended, that "mission" had never returned.
'Tch… what a waste.'
"I'll take out the executives first," Marco decided.
His eyes quickly locked onto Charlotte Oven, who was rampaging through the battlefield, heat radiating from his body as he crushed anyone in his path. Without hesitation, Marco shot forward.
Katakuri's pupils shrank the instant he noticed Marco's movement.
He kicked off the ground and leapt into the air, his arm melting into mochi as he roared, "Don't even think about laying a hand on my brother!"
But in the very next instant, a crimson shimmer flashed across Katakuri's eyes—his Observation Haki activating.
"Flame Net—Fire Gun!"
A massive web of flames suddenly erupted in front of Katakuri, cutting off his advance. At the same time, Ace raised his hand like a pistol, firing a relentless barrage of flaming bullets from his fingertips, each shot roaring through the air like gunfire.
Another red flash flickered in Katakuri's eyes.
The flaming bullets passed straight through his body, his form dispersing and reforming as if he were intangible—his mochi body flowing like a Logia.
While Katakuri was held in place, Marco was already closing in on Oven.
Oven noticed him instantly. A savage grin twisted across his face as heat surged from his body.
"So you've come for me?" Oven sneered. "Good. I'll send you flying!"
His fist glowed a scorching red as he swung at Marco.
Marco caught the punch effortlessly.
Furious, Oven threw another punch—only for Marco to catch that one too.
Oven's eyes blazed with rage. As a Heat-Heat Fruit user, almost no one dared to block his attacks head-on. Instantly, the temperature around his fists skyrocketed as he roared, "Don't look down on me! I'll burn you to ashes!"
Marco felt the heat—but it barely fazed him.
He scoffed. "Don't joke with me. This heat isn't even close to Akainu's magma. Not in temperature—and certainly not in power."
His grip tightened.
Oven realized too late that he couldn't break free.
"Phoenix Seal!"
Marco's leg flashed out, smashing into Oven's abdomen with devastating force.
"Gah—!"
Oven spat a mouthful of blood as his body was launched upward. With his arms still locked in Marco's grasp, he was completely helpless.
Marco leapt after him, wings of blue flame bursting from his back.
"Oven!" Katakuri shouted in alarm.
His arm stretched forward, transforming into mochi as he tried to pull Oven back—but a streak of fire slammed into it, searing his arm and forcing him to recoil.
Katakuri turned sharply, his expression dark.
Ace stood not far away, flames dancing around him, a confident grin on his face.
"Don't even think about interfering with Marco," Ace said lightly.
"Tch… damn it," Katakuri hissed.
All he could do was watch as Marco hurled Oven straight down from the sky.
Boom!
The impact shattered the ground. The plaza caved inward, cracks racing outward as rubble and stone exploded into the air.
Marco didn't stop there.
"It's not over yet."
Flames surged as he folded his wings and dove downward like a comet, locking onto the crater below.
Katakuri's eyes widened. He could already see what was coming.
"Stop, Marco—!"
But the moment he moved, Ace unleashed another blazing Fire Fist, forcing Katakuri to halt once more.
With no way to interfere, Katakuri could only watch as Marco descended—bringing judgment down from the sky.
Smoothie and Cracker both wanted to rush in and save Oven—but neither could move.
The distance was too great, and more importantly, each of them was already locked in battle with formidable opponents of their own.
Marco descended like a blazing meteor, his fist wrapped in dense Armament Haki and wreathed in blue phoenix flames as he roared.
"Iron Body—Fire Fist!"
"Don't you dare hurt my brother!"
At that critical moment, Charlotte Daifuku thrust out his arm, activating his Puff-Puff Fruit. A massive genie burst forth from his body, swinging a towering naginata and positioning itself directly in front of Oven.
But the obstruction lasted less than a heartbeat.
Marco's punch smashed through the naginata as if it were glass, the impact shattering the weapon and dispersing the genie entirely. With a thunderous boom, the residual force slammed into Oven's body, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground once more.
"Tch… blocked?" Marco clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Although he had destroyed the genie instantly, it had absorbed the brunt of his attack. The remaining power was no longer enough to pierce straight through Oven's body.
"Don't touch Oven!"
Charlotte Snack charged in next, his massive saber cleaving downward toward Marco. Marco didn't even flinch. His arm darkened with Armament Haki as he met the blade head-on—with a punch.
Clang!
The saber rang loudly, shuddering violently from the impact.
Seizing the opening, members of the Big Mom Pirates surged forward, forming a protective wall around the severely injured Oven and quickly dragging him out of the battlefield. At the same time, the executives regrouped.
Daifuku shouted sharply, his voice cutting through the chaos, "Don't underestimate him! Marco is no longer just Whitebeard's right-hand man—he's the Captain of the Phoenix Pirates! His bounty exceeds 1.8 billion! Even Katakuri treats him as a major threat!"
He clenched his teeth.
"Don't fight him alone. Gang up on him! If we take Marco down, the Phoenix Pirates will collapse!"
At once, the expressions of the Big Mom Pirates turned grim.
Marco surveyed them, a cold sneer curling at the corner of his lips.
"Then come," he said calmly. "I'll show you just how wide the gap between us really is."
At present, Marco stood firmly at Weak Yonko Level. Among those facing him, the strongest—Charlotte Snack—was only at Strong Captain Level. The difference between them was overwhelming.
Marco knew this gap well. Back when he was merely an Emperor's top subordinate, he had fought Admiral-level monsters like Aokiji and Akainu. He understood better than anyone that when a full tier separated two fighters, a one-on-one clash usually ended within just a few exchanges—unless numbers came into play.
Even so, Marco wasn't afraid.
Even if they all attacked together, his strength far exceeded theirs.
But the Phoenix Pirates would never allow him to be swarmed.
This had been planned in advance.
Katakuri—the only Sweet Commander capable of restraining Marco—was being firmly held back by Ace. The remaining commanders simply didn't have what it took to stop him.
"Don't act like we're not here, Big Mom Pirates!"
With a fierce shout, the Vice-Captains, subordinate Captains, and elite fighters of the Phoenix Pirates surged forward, intercepting the Big Mom Pirates' executives and crashing headlong into the fray.
The battlefield erupted once more—lines drawn, destinies colliding.
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