Chapter 23 — Fighting Marco
In the sky, Yamato swung her Kanabo as Marco met her attack with his kick. BOOM! The air exploded from their collision.
Marco flapped his wings and created some distance. "Kaido got himself quite the monsters, Yoi." He still found it hard to believe this brat was only fourteen and was already able to survive his attack.
"Hmm..." He turned toward the ship and froze as Ragnar was coming at him in his beast form. The long, green, serpentine, majestic body shot toward Marco at high speed.
Marco transformed fully into his beast form, and the blue phoenix dove down as it spun and launched a kick toward Rayquaza.
Ragnar opened his mouth as a golden spear of energy gathered, and he fired a Hyper Beam at Marco. From the sky, Yamato also used Ice Dragon's Roar.
Marco had a chill run down his spine as his Observation Haki screamed. He spun faster and created a barrier of blue flames around himself.
The Hyper Beam and Ice Dragon's Roar slammed into him. The icy roar destroyed the barrier as the Hyper Beam pierced Marco and blasted him into the sky.
Marco had a huge hole in his body, but it instantly recovered with blue flames. "What a monsters, Yoi." A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
But Ragnar was already there as his tail, glowing azure blue and covered in Armament Haki, arrived at Marco as he used Dragon Tail.
Marco flapped his blazing wings forward and shot massive amounts of blue flames, but the Dragon Tail cut through them and slammed into Marco, sending him flying.
Yamato was already there. Her Kanabo cracked with purple lightning as she used RAI-ME Hakkei and slammed her Haki-coated Kanabo into Marco.
"Hey, take it easy, Yoi. You want to kill me or what?" Marco stabilized himself and muttered, looking at Ragnar and Yamato.
His previous playful attitude disappeared as a drop of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth. Those kids alone weren't a problem, but together they were a headache to deal with.
"Can't let you get away. If others find out I couldn't even stop a few kids, I would become a laughing stock for months, Yoi."
He shot into the sky with rapid speed and attacked Ragnar with a kick. His bird leg missed as Ragnar used Dragon Claw. Draconic energy gathered in his claws.
Marco spun and dodged the attack as he opened his beak and spat blue flames at Ragnar. The flames spread over his body but couldn't break his defense.
Yamato arrived with an Ice Dragon's Iron Fist, which Marco dodged before kicking her in the stomach. The impact sent her flying.
Wind started blowing unnaturally as the clouds darkened. The sea below started becoming violent. Ragnar shot into the sky and dived down as blue draconic energy formed a massive Azure Dragon around him. "Dragon Rush!"
"Oi, oi, oi! You got to be kidding me. What kind of monsters are kids nowadays, Yoi?"
From below, Yamato flapped her draconic wings as ice crystals started forming around her. The ice crystals compressed and became swords. "Take this, you bastard! Ice Make: Sword Blizzard!"
The swords shot toward Marco like a snow blizzard. Marco fired blue flame balls at the swords and dove down, trying to avoid Ragnar's Dragon Rush.
But it was too late. The draconic energy dragon was already on him. Because of Yamato's ice swords, Marco wasn't able to escape Ragnar's Dragon Rush.
The dragon swallowed Marco and bit down as a massive explosion happened. BOOOOOOM! Ragnar came out of the explosion unharmed and floated near Yamato. "Hey, you okay? The kick was a direct hit."
Yamato crossed her arms. "Tsk, you think I'm that weak? But damn, that hurt." Ragnar sighed. "Well, as long as you are okay."
The smoke cleared. Marco was still flapping his wings. The damage to his body was already recovering from the Phoenix Flames.
"Tsk, that annoying regeneration," Yamato and Ragnar said in annoyance. Marco sighed. Those kids—he had been injured again. And that kid... his dragon form was too fast just now. It's as if he was growing mid-battle.
Looking at the green, serpentine dragon, he was having a bad feeling. He couldn't describe it. It was as if he were encountering a superior species. The weather was also changing unnaturally, most likely that kid's ability.
And that girl... her ice was unusual. Every time it hit him, it felt completely different from Kuzan's ice. Tsk, in a real combat situation, I can't defeat them alone, Marco thought.
With Ragnar and Yamato working together, defeating them was not possible with him alone. But he couldn't just let them get away. If he did, he would become a laughing stock, and the humiliation that would follow would be unbearable.
"Sigh... for dignity," Marco muttered as he shot toward Yamato and Ragnar. Ragnar and Yamato also attacked. Pillars of lightning fell on Marco as Yamato charged at him with her Kanabo.
Ragnar flew through the sky and shot at Marco like an arrow. Marco stopped trying to defend and used his experience and Haki to attack and dodge the attacks entirely.
From further away, on the Beast Pirates' ship, Hayori, Coco, Toto, and the other crew members were watching the fight in the sky.
"Umm, is it okay to just stay here? Lord Ragnar did tell us to keep heading toward Wano," Coco asked, a little worried.
Hayori turned toward her. "Well, he did say that, but I don't think it would be a good idea to keep heading ahead without Ragnar and Yamato."
"Since Whitebeard is moving, some pirates of the Whitebeard fleet might have already decided to intercept us ahead. If that's true, I alone won't be able to protect the ship," Hayori said.
"And we can't just leave them just because he said so. It's the Whitebeard Pirates, and that guy is Marco, the unofficial Vice Captain."
Toto nodded. "Well, if you say so. But I don't think those two will need our help."
On the sea, not far away from where Ragnar, Yamato, and Marco were fighting, a massive whale-shaped ship was sailing toward them at high speed.
Edward Newgate, the Whitebeard, sat with his Murakumogiri at his side as his crew members were talking among themselves.
Izo was the most impatient of all. He was one of Oden's retainers. When Oden left the Whitebeard Pirates, he stayed behind. After hearing about Oden's death, he had also participated in the fight that happened between the Beast Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates.
But the result wasn't that good. Because of the Marines interfering, along with Linlin waiting like a hungry hyena, the war stopped without any proper winner.
Now Wano was Kaido's territory. But today, the image sent by Ochiku made him have a spark of hope. Lady Hayori was alive. They had to save her from the Beast Pirates.
Newgate noticed his impatience but didn't say anything. After calming down and looking at the photos, they told a different story. That girl might be Hayori, but she was already a part of the Beast Pirates. Newgate just wanted to confirm she had joined the Beast Pirates willingly.
If she had been forced, even if he had to go to war with Kaido, he would take her away. She was Oden's daughter, his brother's daughter. He had failed to protect his brother, but he vowed he absolutely would protect his daughter.
But the chances were almost nonexistent. Looking at the pictures, Kaido's kids looked closely attached to her. They were standing in front of her like twin walls protecting someone important.
This was also another reason for him to go there. He wanted to see Kaido's kids. Were they like Kaido? Or were they different? "GURARARRARA! Quite the interesting kids."