AN : There is a limited time discount running on my Patreon page. Check it out and enjoy the story further. Kaido has been clashing with Marco!!
CODE - FA23B!!
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Marco flexed his fingers slightly, a faint ache still lingering in them. Blue flames danced across his fingertips. Even with Armament Haki reinforcing them, his fingers had still fractured when he used Finger Pistol machine gun. It was clear—he was still far from mastering the Marine Six Powers.
Fortunately, injury had never been something Marco feared.
"Snack…!" Daifuku shouted hoarsely, staring at Snack's unconscious body lying in a pool of blood.
"Relax. He's not dead." Marco's tone was calm and detached.
He had no intention of killing Snack. Even if he did, there would be no attribute-point reward—no benefit at all. Worse, it would only provoke Big Mom directly. The Phoenix Pirates had not yet recovered from the devastation of Marineford; starting an all-out war with a Yonko crew right now would be suicidal.
Marco turned his head slightly and gave an order.
"Zach, tie him up. He's a Sweet Commander—worth far more alive than dead."
Zach nodded immediately. "Understood, Captain Marco."
"Damn you…!" Daifuku roared, fury twisting his face.
But reason restrained him. He knew better than anyone—charging Marco head-on was a death sentence. Still, watching Snack being bound without doing anything made his blood boil.
"What are you planning to do to Lord Snack?!" Baron Tamago shouted as Phoenix Pirates moved in, ropes tightening around Snack's limbs. "Marco, is this how a Captain fights—by taking hostages?"
It wasn't just Baron Tamago. With Snack defeated, the Big Mom Pirates' executives and Charlotte siblings had all gathered around. Blades were already pressed against Snack's throat. No one dared make a reckless move.
Marco let out a soft chuckle.
"Calm down. I won't kill him. He is one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders, after all. If I really did kill him, that old hag wouldn't let it go so easily." His gaze was sharp. "I'll release him once this war is over."
Hearing that, the Big Mom Pirates collectively exhaled in relief. At the very least, Marco still showed restraint toward Mama.
But restraint didn't mean fear.
They understood something far more terrifying—Marco had just crushed Snack effortlessly. In a one-on-one fight, none of them stood a chance.
"Everyone, attack together!" Tamago shouted. "As long as Marco falls, victory is ours!"
Marco swept his gaze across the surrounding executives and Chess Soldiers, his eyes cold and dismissive.
"Perfect," he said lightly. "I needed targets anyway."
He spread his fingers, blue flames flaring brighter.
"I'll use all of you to test my Rokushiki."
This battlefield was nothing like Marineford a month ago.
Here, Marco was unquestionably the strongest existence present.
This wasn't a life-or-death struggle—it was a proving ground.
Moments later, Marco charged straight into the ranks of the Big Mom Pirates' executives. The clash erupted instantly, shockwaves ripping through the plaza. As the fight escalated, the Phoenix Pirates' commanders rushed in to support him.
Once again, the battlefield descended into brutal chaos.
"Damn it…"
Katakuri's Observation Haki had already grasped the situation unfolding elsewhere, and his expression darkened instantly. Snack had fallen. Yet no matter how grim the development, Katakuri couldn't disengage—Ace's relentless pressure left him no room to breathe. If he wanted to turn the tide, he would have to end this fight quickly.
"Snack was defeated… damn it."
Smoothie's face paled as the realization hit her. Her blade came crashing down in a furious arc. Fossa raised his sword to block, but the impact forced him back, his arms trembling from the sheer force. Smoothie's cold gaze locked onto him as understanding dawned.
"So that's how it is," she said icily.
"Fire Fist Ace is holding back Big Brother Katakuri. You're holding me here. Eighth Division Commander Namur has Cracker pinned down. And Marco—your strongest—is dealing with Snack, our final Sweet Commander."
A faint sneer tugged at her lips.
"I'll admit it… you played this hand beautifully. I didn't expect you to actually pull it off."
Fossa chuckled, confidence flickering across his weathered face as he glanced toward the distant battlefield.
"Marco's already taken down one Sweet Commander. You're next. Once all four of you fall, the rest of your crew will be nothing more than a disorganized mob."
"You're dreaming."
Smoothie's eyes turned glacial. With a furious roar, she unleashed another heavy slash, forcing Fossa to stagger back dozens of steps. Then she plunged her sword straight into the ground.
"Gurgle—"
Like a pump drawing water, her blade began siphoning moisture from the earth itself. The soil around it dried and cracked at a terrifying speed. Smoothie's towering form expanded—four meters, six, eight—until she loomed like a colossus over the battlefield.
"So she's using that again…" Fossa muttered, his guard tightening.
He could feel it clearly now—her overwhelming strength, the terrifying synergy between swordsmanship and Devil Fruit ability. She may have been slender, but the power she wielded was monstrous. No wonder her bounty exceeded nine hundred million.
Even so, retreat was not an option.
Fossa planted his feet and lifted his blade.
"Don't underestimate me. Even if it costs me my life, I'll stop you right here."
Smoothie paused, surprise flashing briefly across her face.
"Why go that far?" she asked coldly.
"Why stake your life so recklessly, Fossa—Commander of the Fifteenth Division?"
Fossa's eyes hardened, burning with conviction.
"Because Fish-Man Island is part of the legacy Pops left behind. Every inch of this sea, every island under our flag, was built with decades of blood and sweat."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"As his sons, the only thing we can do is protect what he left us. We will never allow you to steal the foundation Pops spent his life building."
The air trembled as both warriors prepared to clash once more.
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