"Cough… damn it…" Saint V. Nusjuro watched his severed arms fall from the sky before turning his gaze toward Marco. Shock and a trace of fear filled his eyes.
He had not expected his defense to be broken so easily.
If Marco had been a true swordsman, that attack would have been far more devastating. That strike had been nothing more than raw power combined with Armament Haki, without any refined swordsmanship.
Marco glanced at him briefly. He could have finished him at that moment.
However, priorities mattered.
Uranus had already emerged more than halfway from the spatial distortion. If it fully descended, the consequences would be catastrophic.
With his current strength, killing Saint V. Nusjuro was not difficult. But Uranus, combined with Imu's spatial teleportation ability, was a far greater threat.
It was like an unseen weapon that could appear at any moment, strike, and vanish.
If he failed to destroy it now, Imu could use it to launch sudden attacks at any time. Even resting would become dangerous.
Unlike a living opponent, Uranus had no presence to detect. Even with powerful Observation Haki, sensing it relied only on environmental changes.
Marco did not hesitate.
He abandoned Saint V. Nusjuro and shot straight toward Uranus.
"Wait, Marco!" Saint V. Nusjuro shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
Marco ignored him.
"Stop him!" Saint Saturn roared. A massive spider leg pierced through Sak's body before he hurled him down toward Egghead Island. Without pausing, he rushed after Marco.
"Out of my way!" Saint Peter struck King with overwhelming force. The blow landed squarely on King's chest, sending him crashing downward as blood sprayed from his mouth.
As Marco closed in, the sheer scale of Uranus became clear.
His energy blades extended, coated in blazing black flames.
"I will tear you apart!" he shouted.
His wings shifted shape, resembling powerful thrusters as he accelerated forward at extreme speed.
"Go, Marco!" Kaido roared from below.
The pirates on the battlefield shouted as well, their voices filled with tension.
Just as Marco was about to reach Uranus, something stopped him.
A transparent barrier appeared.
He slammed into it head-on.
The impact sent a sharp pain through his body as he was violently repelled.
"What…?" Marco steadied himself midair, his expression tightening.
At that moment, the barrier revealed itself, a faint yellow energy shield surrounding Uranus. It had been invisible until the moment of impact.
"So this is its defense…" Marco muttered.
His previous speed had been immense, yet he was completely repelled. This was no ordinary barrier.
Before he could react further, his Observation Haki flared in warning.
A massive maw lunged at him from behind.
Marco turned, but it was too late.
The giant sandworm clamped down on him.
He reacted instantly, bracing both hands against its upper fangs while pushing against the lower jaw with his legs. The crushing force strained his entire body.
"Saint Peter…" Marco recognized him immediately.
As he struggled to break free, another presence closed in.
Saint Saturn appeared beside him, his voice cold. "Die, Marco."
With Marco's limbs occupied, his chest was left exposed.
A sharp spider leg pierced straight through him.
Marco coughed up blood, the impact forcing a cry from his lips. The blood burned away instantly under the black flames.
"Marco!" the pirates below shouted in alarm.
But they could do nothing.
Marco endured the pain. As a Phoenix Fruit user, his endurance far exceeded normal limits. Even a fatal wound could be endured.
With a roar, power surged from within him.
Black flames erupted violently, flooding the sandworm's mouth.
The creature howled in pain and immediately spat him out.
Freed, Marco's flames began repairing his injuries at a visible speed.
At the same time, Saint V. Nusjuro retrieved his severed arms. Under his regenerative ability, his body quickly returned to normal.
The three Gorosei formed a triangle around Marco.
Marco glanced upward. The barrier around Uranus had already faded back into invisibility.
"Damn it… it even has automatic defense," he muttered.
Saint Saturn spoke coldly. "Uranus is a national treasure of the World Government. It possesses both ultimate destructive power and unmatched defense. Even Pluton cannot break its barrier."
Saint Peter, now fully transformed into his hybrid form, added, "We gave you a chance. Imu-sama gave you a chance. Submission would have meant survival, yet you chose death."
Saint V. Nusjuro continued, his tone indifferent. "We will remember your name. For an insect, you have caused considerable trouble. It may be centuries before another like you appears."
"No matter how strong an insect becomes, it is still an insect," Saint Saturn said. "To be crushed is your fate."
Marco clicked his tongue in irritation. "Do you ever stop talking? If I do not kill you, I might just take your name out of spite."
Saint Saturn's gaze turned colder. "You are not worthy of sharing our name."
Marco's expression hardened.
"Enough of this," he said, and charged straight at Saint Saturn.