As the Marines retreated from Whole Cake Island, they left behind countless fallen soldiers. The battlefield was stained with smoke and blood, the sea still burning in places from Kaido's earlier attack.
Saint V. Nusjuro and the other Gorosei who had arrived through the summoning ritual remained behind to cover the withdrawal. Their actions were not out of concern for the Marines, but to ensure the safe retreat of Saint Mars, who, like them, was a Celestial Dragon.
Once Saint Mars' warships had sailed a safe distance from the island, Saint V. Nusjuro and the others exchanged silent glances. Without hesitation, they dispelled the summoning ritual. Their forms dissolved and vanished, returning to Mary Geoise.
"They disappeared?" Kaido muttered, his massive dragon form twisting slightly in the sky as he frowned. A moment earlier, he had been preparing to clash with Saint V. Nusjuro, only for his opponent to vanish without warning.
High above, Marco finally heard the familiar voice of the system in his mind.
Mission complete. Rescued ally Big Mom, repelled the Marines. Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
A faint smile appeared on his face. With this reward, his total attribute points rose to 33,000. Without wasting time, he focused inward and opened the system panel.
He navigated directly to the special attributes section and examined the Haki upgrades available.
Conqueror's Haki, Top tier, upgrade to Legendary, requires 30,000 attribute points.
Marco did not hesitate. He immediately spent 30,000 attribute points.
A surge of invisible force rippled through his body. It felt as though something within him had expanded and broken past a natural limit. His Conqueror's Haki had advanced to a new realm.
The system panel shifted, displaying his updated attributes.
Name: Marco
Age: 43
Attribute Points: 3,000
Devil Fruit: Zoan type, Mythical Model, Tori Tori no Mi, Model Phoenix, Awakened
Devil Fruit Awakening Ability: Flames of Destruction
Haki: Armament Haki, Top tier; Observation Haki, Top tier; Conqueror's Haki, Legendary
Six Powers: Soru, Top tier; Rankyaku, Advanced; Geppo, Advanced; Tekkai, Top tier; Shigan, Advanced; Kami-e, Advanced
Strength: 42054
Speed: 24900
Defense: 13800
Recovery: 60000
Stamina: 25100
Mental Power: 18300
System Combat Power Assessment: King Level
Seeing the words King Level displayed before him, Marco's eyes sharpened.
At last.
With this level of strength, he could confidently say that aside from Imu, no one in the world stood above him.
His gaze shifted toward Kaido, and he checked Kaido's combat evaluation once more. As expected, Kaido remained at Weak King Level.
Marco was not surprised. Even if Kaido had undergone a sudden leap in power during the two years when Straw Hat Luffy trained, there was a ceiling to natural growth. Without an external system like his own, Kaido's limit was clear.
During that two year gap, when the balance of the world was relatively stable and the tides of fate were shifting, Kaido must have taken advantage of the moment to push himself further. Even so, he had only reached Weak King Level.
Marco then returned his attention to the Haki upgrade interface. To his surprise, there was still a higher tier beyond Legendary.
Observation Haki, Top tier, upgrade to Legendary, consumes 30,000 attribute points.
Armament Haki, Top tier, upgrade to Legendary, consumes 30,000 attribute points.
Conqueror's Haki, Legendary, upgrade to Mythical, consumes 100,000 attribute points.
"Mythical?" Marco murmured softly.
There was a level beyond Legendary. That discovery alone made his heart race slightly. If Legendary Conqueror's Haki had already pushed him into King Level territory, then what would Mythical achieve?
He suppressed his excitement. The road ahead was still long.
Even so, the change within him was undeniable. His Conqueror's Haki felt vastly deeper and heavier. It was not merely an increase in quantity, but a qualitative evolution. It was as if a sealed door inside him had been opened.
With his current strength, even Kaido in his awakened Azure Dragon form would not be his equal. The thought stirred a competitive spark in his eyes. Sooner or later, he would settle that score.
He then reviewed the missions currently active within the system.
Mission: Overthrow the World Government, Slay Imu.
Reward: 50,000 attribute points.
The World Government has ruled for eight hundred years and rotted from within. Overthrow it and eliminate Imu.
Bounty Rewards:
Kill an ordinary Celestial Dragon guard, reward 10 attribute points.
Kill a CP0 member, reward 200 attribute points.
Kill a Celestial Dragon, reward 500 attribute points.
Kill a member of the God's Knights, reward 5,000 attribute points.
Kill a Gorosei, reward 10,000 attribute points.
Kill Imu, reward 50,000 attribute points.
Mission: Revenge, annihilate the Blackbeard Pirates.
Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Bounty Targets:
Captain, Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, reward 3,000 attribute points.
Crew members, Shiryu, Jesus Burgess, Doc Q, and others, reward 500 attribute points each.
Mission: Avenge Humiliation, defeat Kaido.
Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Mission: Surpass the Old Era, become the strongest of the new era.
Reach a bounty of 5,564,800,000 Berries or more and inherit Whitebeard's title as the strongest man in the world.
Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Marco closed the panel slowly. The path before him was clear.
A heavy sound suddenly drew his attention back to reality.
Thud.
Big Mom collapsed to the ground without warning.
"Old Hag?" Kaido's massive dragon body shifted, and he quickly descended, confusion flashing across his face.
"Mama!" The members of the Big Mom Pirates cried out in alarm. The Charlotte Family rushed forward, surrounding her massive form protectively.
A doctor from their crew hurried over and began examining her condition.
Kaido approached as well, his presence making some of the Big Mom Pirates tense instinctively, but he ignored their wary looks.
Big Mom lay unconscious. The souls within her Homies had been completely depleted. The lifespan she had struggled to reclaim had once again been drastically consumed during her battle with Saint V. Nusjuro.
The cost of clashing with the Gorosei had not been light.
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