Realizing that his Observation Haki had truly reached its peak, Marco felt a surge of satisfaction. It confirmed what he had long suspected. As long as his base attributes were strong enough, and he was given proper combat experience and opportunity, his Haki could continue evolving to higher realms.
At the same time, Marco clearly sensed the change in himself. With his Observation Haki now fully refined, his overall strength had officially stepped into the Admiral/Emperor Level. This realization filled him with confidence for the challenges ahead, especially when it came to confronting the Four Emperors directly.
By all accounts, only two months had passed since he arrived in this World, yet he had already advanced from Yonko Commander Level to Admiral-Emperor Level. Such growth speed was nothing short of terrifying.
The existence of the system made all the difference. Unlike others in this World, Marco did not need decades of grueling training to measure his progress. More importantly, others had no clear sense of how close they were to breaking through, nor did they receive tangible rewards for doing so.
For a brief moment, a stray thought crossed his mind.
Now that I'm this strong, should I follow the usual Transmigrator's path and build a harem? Or should I stay loyal to one woman?
Marco dismissed it almost immediately. After becoming Marco, he noticed that perhaps due to this body already being middle-aged, his desires in that regard were far weaker than expected. Even after spending two months in this World, he felt little interest in such pursuits. Instead, he preferred sharing banquets and drinking with his companions, likely influenced by the habits of the original body.
There was also the reality of pressure. Ever since the Marineford War, more than half of their combat strength had been lost. Daily reports of pirate crews attacking their territories flooded in without pause. His mind had been consumed by one priority alone: maintaining the position of the Four Emperors. Under such weight, there was no room for distractions.
Shaking off those thoughts, he opened the system panel and switched to the quest tab. Five active quests appeared before him.
Revenge: Eliminate the Blackbeard Pirates to avenge my old man. Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Bounty Targets: Captain Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach, 3,000 attribute points. Crew members include Shiryu, Jesus Burgess, Doc Q, and others, 500 attribute points each.
Become a Four Emperors: Reach a bounty exceeding 3 billion Berries. Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Establish Authority: Respond to the provocation of the Beasts Pirates by teaching them a harsh lesson. Reward: 1,500 attribute points.
Challenge a Four Emperors: Challenge Big Mom. Remain undefeated for one day, reward 1,000 attribute points. Remain undefeated for three days, reward 2,000 attribute points. Defeat her, reward 10,000 attribute points.
Challenge a Four Emperors: Challenge Kaido of the Beasts. Remain undefeated for one day, reward 1,000 attribute points. Remain undefeated for three days, reward 2,000 attribute points. Remain undefeated for five days, reward 3,000 attribute points. Defeat him, reward 10,000 attribute points.
Marco studied the list carefully and began calculating his next move. He had already reached Admiral-Emperor Level, but advancing further through attribute points alone would take an unknown amount of time. The most efficient path forward was awakening his Devil Fruit, which required 15,000 attribute points.
At present, he only had 2,000.
If he challenged Big Mom and Kaido and managed to remain undefeated for a single day against each, that would earn him another 2,000 points. If he could last three days against both, that would amount to 4,000 points. As for defeating them outright, that was unrealistic for now.
Even at his current level, defeating Big Mom, often regarded as the weakest among the Four Emperors, would be extremely difficult. As for Kaido, the strongest creature in land, sea, and air, the gap was even greater. Marco never lost sight of his primary objective: securing his position as a Four Emperors first. Only after that would he consider anything beyond.
As long as I can fight Big Mom and Kaido for a full day without a decisive outcome, my bounty will inevitably rise, Marco reasoned. Even if the Marines hesitate, I can always create enough chaos to force their hand. Once my bounty exceeds 3 billion Berries, that alone earns me 10,000 attribute points.
Among all the quests, becoming a Four Emperors through bounty alone was arguably the easiest. Trouble naturally led to higher bounties.
His gaze shifted briefly to the Establish Authority quest aimed at the Beasts Pirates. He wondered how Vista was faring on that front.
At that moment, Smoothie approached, holding a transponder snail molded in the likeness of Big Mom.
"Marco, Mama wishes to speak with you," she said, positioning the snail in front of him.
A booming laugh echoed from the device.
"Mamamama. You've done well, Marco," Big Mom's voice rang out before turning colder. "I never imagined that after Whitebeard, that old geezer, died, you would still manage to stabilize his crew. It must not have been easy."
Marco responded calmly into the transponder snail. "Big Mom, the Whitebeard Pirates no longer exist. We are now the Phoenix Pirates."
"Mama, that's right," Big Mom laughed loudly. "You're a captain now. To be honest, I never expected you to defeat Katakuri. He is this old woman's most outstanding son. His loss surprised me."
Marco's expression hardened as he replied, "I didn't contact you to exchange pleasantries. As fellow Emperors crews, your Big Mom Pirates burned our flag. That is an act of war."
His voice grew colder.
"Three days from now, the Kohn Islands. Our grievances will be settled there. If you do not come, I will kill Katakuri and Snack."
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