"Now, it's your turn."
Marco's voice was calm, yet edged with frost. His gaze locked onto the man standing before him, Admiral Tokikake.
Tokikake's strength had already reached the level of a strong Emperor subordinate. On this battlefield, he stood among the top combatants. Even a powerhouse like Big Mom would not be able to defeat him quickly.
However, Marco had no doubts about himself.
Tokikake's expression was grim. He said nothing. Although he had already defeated many formidable enemies on Whole Cake Island, the man before him was a Yonko. A single moment of carelessness would mean death.
Marco moved first.
Black Flame erupted around his body, blazing violently. A pair of massive black wings unfurled behind him, radiating destructive heat. Like a meteor tearing across the sky, he shot forward at terrifying speed.
"So fast," Tokikake thought, his pupils shrinking.
There was no time to dodge. He tightened his grip on his great sword and swung with full force at the incoming Marco, pouring his strength into the strike.
The blade pierced straight through Marco's right eye and exited the back of his skull.
Marco did not flinch.
His expression remained unchanged, as if the sword had struck nothing at all.
In the next instant, Marco's fist drove into Tokikake's abdomen with crushing force. The impact made Tokikake cough up blood, his face contorting in disbelief.
"You…"
"Super Spiral Burning Cannon."
Before Tokikake could finish speaking, spiraling Black Flame erupted from Marco's fist. The destructive force exploded outward, tearing through Tokikake's torso. His body was blasted backward, nearly severed at the waist, held together by only a thin strip of flesh.
The light in his eyes began to fade.
"Vice Admiral Tokikake…"
The surrounding Marine soldiers stared in horror.
Tokikake was not an ordinary officer. He had been a candidate for Admiral, a man whose strength was widely acknowledged. Yet he had fallen in a single exchange.
Even more terrifying was Marco himself.
The sword still protruded from his skull.
Calmly, Marco reached up and pulled the blade free. Blood splattered briefly, but the Black Flame immediately surged over the wound. Flesh and bone regenerated at a visible speed, the injury vanishing as though it had never existed.
The Marines swallowed hard.
"A monster…"
"His head was pierced through and he's still alive. Is he immortal?"
Despair spread rapidly through their ranks. Against an enemy who could not be killed by destroying his brain, how could they fight?
On the ground, Tokikake coughed weakly, his vision dimming.
"What a pity… In the end, I still never received Gion's answer…"
His voice faded.
Marco did not linger on him. His gaze remained cold as he turned toward the remaining Marine forces.
He ascended into the sky once more, wings spreading wide.
"Destruction Black Flame, Dance of the Phoenix."
Countless phoenix shaped flames formed behind him, then descended in a blazing storm upon the battlefield.
The Black Flames struck the Marines below and spread instantly.
Screams erupted.
"Put it out!"
"Help me!"
"Why won't this fire go out!"
The flames clung to their bodies relentlessly. Soldiers rolled on the ground in agony, but ordinary methods could not extinguish Marco's Black Flame. The battlefield filled with smoke, cries, and the acrid scent of burning.
Meanwhile, members of the Phoenix Pirates continued pouring into Whole Cake Island through Brulee's mirrors, reinforcing the assault without end.
Under the combined pressure of the Phoenix Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, the Marine defensive line began to collapse.
"We can't win."
"They're monsters."
"Numbers don't matter against them."
Facing two Yonko level forces, Marco and Big Mom, the morale of the Marine soldiers deteriorated rapidly.
Elsewhere, the remaining Admirals were entangled by the captains of the Phoenix Pirates, unable to break free. The Marine Vice Admirals, pressured by both Marco and Big Mom, were forced into steady retreat, barely holding their ground.
Faith in victory was crumbling.
Big Mom's laughter echoed across the battlefield.
"Mama mama mama. None of you will leave alive today. To dare attack me, you are courting death."
Her Soru Soru no Mi activated once more.
The air distorted, and nearby Marines were dragged into another terrifying illusion. Darkness swallowed their senses as her voice resounded through their souls.
"Life or death."
The words struck directly at their hearts.
Those already shaken by fear had no resistance left. Lifespans were torn from their bodies in an instant. One by one, they collapsed, their souls absorbed mercilessly.
The sight shattered what little courage remained among the others.
"This isn't a battle, it's slaughter."
"Run!"
"My family is waiting for me!"
Panic spread uncontrollably as soldiers turned to flee.
Some officers attempted to restore order despite their own fear.
"Stand your ground," they shouted. "If we run, who protects your families? Open fire. Fight back."
Their words fell on deaf ears.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out.
A Marine Colonel shot a fleeing soldier without hesitation.
"Anyone who deserts will be executed," he roared. "Return to your positions."
Fear of punishment forced many to turn back, even as despair lingered in their eyes.
From the pirate side, morale soared.
"They're killing their own men."
"It won't change the outcome."
"Finish them."
Cannon fire and bullets rained down upon Big Mom, explosions blooming around her massive body. Smoke filled the air.
When it cleared, she stood unharmed.
Her Iron Balloon defense rendered ordinary artillery useless.
Grinning like a demon, eyes bloodshot and gleaming with madness, she charged forward.
"Offer your souls to me."
____
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