The Marine soldiers, as commissioned officers, immediately understood the gravity of the situation and the necessity of secrecy. They responded in unison, "Yes, sir."
Aramaki, fully aware of his responsibility as an Admiral, barked orders. "Spread this news carefully and command all Marines to hold their positions. Reinforcements from the World Government will arrive soon. The Marines will not falter. Justice will prevail."
At that moment, Marco and Big Mom emerged from the forest. Big Mom gripped the body of the fallen Fleet Admiral Sakazuki in one hand, her voice booming across the battlefield. "Mama Mama Mama Mama! Marines, open your eyes and witness who this is!"
The Marines fighting against the Big Mom Pirates and the Phoenix Pirates froze as their eyes fell upon Sakazuki's corpse. Pupils constricted, and disbelief swept through them. "This… how is this possible?" "Fleet Admiral Sakazuki?" "No… he's dead?" Their morale crumbled instantly. The legendary Fleet Admiral, the very backbone of the Marines, had fallen.
"That… that is Fleet Admiral Sakazuki," some whispered, their voices trembling with fear and despair.
Meanwhile, the Big Mom Pirates, seeing Sakazuki's death, assumed their Empress had slain him herself. Their morale surged, and they charged forward with renewed ferocity. "As expected of Mama!" they shouted, reveling in their strength.
Big Mom's voice thundered across the battlefield. "Marines, prepare yourselves! None of you will leave here alive!" Her declaration hit like a death sentence, crushing any remaining hope among the Marine soldiers.
Aramaki's expression darkened as he watched Big Mom flaunt Sakazuki's body. "Damn it! That hateful old hag…" he muttered, fury and helplessness battling within him.
Even blind, Fujitora's Observation Haki detected the disaster unfolding. His brow furrowed, and his voice carried the weight of concern. "I never thought Fleet Admiral Sakazuki would suffer such misfortune. This is truly grave."
Satori, confident in his strength, laughed mockingly. "Hahaha, it seems the scales have tipped in our favor, Fujitora."
Fujitora remained silent, scanning the battlefield, when a Marine officer urgently called out, "Admiral Fujitora! The Gorosei have issued a new order: hold your positions and await reinforcements from the World Government!"
Fujitora's calm voice responded, "Reinforcements from the World Government?"
Aramaki barked a command with urgency. "Issho! Retrieve Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's body immediately! We cannot allow it to fall into the hands of these Pirates!"
Satori snorted, unimpressed. "You speak of holding out for reinforcements, but first, you must endure. Can your Marines survive?" He gestured to the lower-ranking soldiers, whose morale had already shattered after witnessing Sakazuki's death. Could they truly endure until help arrived?
Despite their fear, the Marines' discipline held. Even with spirits crushed, they obeyed the orders of their superiors.
Fujitora's expression hardened as he gripped his cane sword. "Do not underestimate the justice of the Marines." With that, he ignored Satori and charged directly toward Big Mom. As an Admiral, he could not allow mere Pirates to disgrace the body of his fallen Fleet Admiral. Big Mom's defiance was not just an affront to Sakazuki, but an insult to the very concept of Marine justice.
Satori, annoyed at Fujitora's audacity, conjured a massive fireball. "If you wish to hold out for reinforcements, try defending yourself!" His attack, however, was manipulated by Fujitora's gravity power, causing it to explode harmlessly against the ground.
Satori's mouth twisted into a sinister smile. Having trained under Kaido, he had mastered the Azure Dragon Fruit's powers and significantly increased his strength. All-Stars like King were no longer a match for him. He declared confidently, "We have not decided the victor yet. How can I let you run away?"
Big Mom, watching the clash, chuckled darkly. "Mama Mama Mama Mama! Now is not the time to play with an Admiral. But, retrieving his body won't be so easy."
She tossed Sakazuki's body to Katakuri. "Katakuri, preserve Akainu's body carefully. It may prove useful later."
Katakuri, using his Devil Fruit powers, swiftly wrapped the body. "Understood, Mama."
Aramaki, witnessing this, clenched his fists in frustration. "To humiliate the Fleet Admiral like this… but now that even Sakazuki is dead, how can we hope to defeat the Big Mom Pirates and the Phoenix Pirates?"
Some Marines tried to rally themselves. "Don't panic! The Gorosei ordered us to hold out. Reinforcements will come!"
But most had already lost their will to fight. Exhausted from battling the Big Mom Pirates and facing the newly arrived Phoenix Pirates, they longed to retreat. Witnessing Sakazuki's death only amplified their fear. Many had families and lives they wished to protect; dying here seemed unbearable. If not for their superiors, they would have abandoned the battlefield entirely.
The Shichibukai, previously a factor in the fight, had become irrelevant. With the Phoenix Pirates' sudden arrival, they remained largely on the sidelines, unwilling to risk their legal pirate status for the Marines. They had only respected Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's presence. Now, with him gone, their caution turned into fear.
Even the might of the Emperors loomed larger than ever in their minds.
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