High in the sky, Kaido clashed alone against Saint Nusjuro, while Marco faced three members of the Gorosei by himself. As the battle raged on, Uranus fully emerged from the spatial wormhole.
With a diameter of nearly ten thousand meters, Uranus hovered ominously above Egghead Island. Even without attacking, its sheer presence terrified the pirates below. The massive, circular flying structure loomed like a nightmare pulled from darkness. Panic spread instantly as pirates scrambled toward the warships, wishing they could move faster.
Those already aboard were no calmer. Standing on deck offered no reassurance. As they stared at Uranus hanging in the sky, despair crept into their eyes.
This was the ancient weapon Uranus, a force said to be capable of wiping out an entire nation like Wano in a single strike.
Could anyone truly escape something like that?
Marco stared upward, his expression grim. Facing Saint Peter, Saint Saturn, and Saint V. Nusjuro, he had no immediate way to destroy Uranus. Still, he shouted to the pirates below,
"Run, get away from Egghead Island now!"
Saint Saturn let out a cold sneer. "Too late."
As his words fell, Uranus began to shift. From its surface, multiple electromagnetic cannon barrels extended outward. A bright white energy started gathering at their tips.
Marco narrowed his eyes. The blinding light made it difficult to look directly at the weapon, but something clicked in his mind. Uranus was charging. If it was focusing all its energy on the attack, then its defensive systems might be weakened.
If the shield was down, this was his chance.
The energy continued to build, growing brighter with each passing second. The intensity forced even Marco and the Gorosei to pause momentarily.
Saint Saturn spoke with chilling indifference. "Once the charge is complete, Egghead Island will vanish. Even if some escape, the Phoenix Pirates will be wiped out today."
Below, the pirates covered their eyes, unable to withstand the overwhelming brightness. The light from Uranus illuminated the entire island like a massive artificial sun, making it impossible to see clearly.
Marco also felt the strain on his vision. Then a sharp realization crossed his mind. If the light was blinding him, then the Gorosei could not rely on their sight either. They would be using Observation Haki.
That meant there was a way to disappear.
Marco immediately suppressed his presence and erased his aura.
Then he shot toward Uranus.
"What..." The Gorosei reacted instantly, shock evident on their faces. Their Observation Haki could no longer detect Marco at all.
The intense light prevented them from locating him visually.
"Observation Kill... damn it," Saint V. Nusjuro muttered.
"He is going after Uranus," Saint Saturn snapped.
Without hesitation, the Gorosei launched themselves upward, rushing toward the ancient weapon.
By then, Marco had already surpassed Uranus, reaching a position high above it, nearly seven thousand meters in the air. From there, he looked down at its structure.
At the very top, he spotted it, a massive gem-like core radiating a deep red glow.
"So that's it..."
He could feel the immense energy contained within it. The structure reminded him of the energy source he had seen before, only this one was far larger.
Most of the core was embedded within the machinery, but the exposed portion alone spanned over a hundred meters.
Without hesitation, black flames erupted around Marco as he charged forward. In his right hand, a blade of condensed energy formed, coated in powerful Armament Haki.
"If I destroy this, Uranus should stop."
The flames intensified as he closed the distance.
"Destruction Phoenix Sword!"
With a violent thrust, his blade pierced directly into the core.
A violent reaction followed instantly. Purple lightning burst out in every direction as the energy within the core destabilized.
Marco's eyes sharpened. The resistance he expected was gone.
"The shield is down."
At that same moment, the charging cannons of Uranus shut down. The blinding white light faded rapidly, as if the entire system had suddenly lost power.
Below, the pirates were stunned.
The imminent destruction they felt moments ago had vanished.
"Did Marco stop it?" Jozu muttered.
Big Mom wasted no time. "Don't hesitate, move now. Get away from Egghead Island immediately!"
The alliance forces responded at once, pushing their ships to full speed as they fled.
High above, Marco pressed forward. Increasing the force in his arm, he drove his blade deeper into the core.
A sharp cracking sound echoed.
A fracture spread across the massive energy stone.
As the crack formed, lightning began erupting across Uranus, crawling along its entire structure.
At that moment, the Gorosei arrived and witnessed the scene.
Their expressions changed instantly.
"Marco, stop! You cannot destroy that!" Saint Saturn roared, his voice filled with fury.
They surged forward in unison.
Marco glanced at them briefly, a cold smirk forming.
"You tell me not to destroy it, so I should listen? That just confirms it is the core."
His aura exploded outward. Black flames surged violently around him, intensifying his power.
The energy blade in his hand grew sharper, denser.
With a roar, he pushed forward with everything he had.
Armament Haki poured into the cracks, spreading deeper into the core. Under the combined internal and external pressure, the fractures multiplied rapidly.
Then it gave way.
With a thunderous break, Marco's arm pierced through the core completely.
He continued driving forward, tearing through it relentlessly and shattering it from within.
The Gorosei froze for a split second.
"This is bad..." Saint Saturn's voice dropped, his pupils shrinking.
They understood exactly what this meant.
But it was already too late.
As the core shattered, Marco suddenly felt something shift.
The fragments of the destroyed energy stone began to glow red.
Each piece radiated terrifying power.
His instincts screamed.
This was not over.
This was worse.
The fragments surrounding him all began to shine brighter, their energy spiraling out of control.
Marco's pupils contracted sharply.
"It's going to explode..."
A suffocating sense of death wrapped around him.
He tried to move, to escape, but there was no time.
He was completely surrounded.
Every fragment pulsed with destructive energy, their glow intensifying with each passing moment.
Then, in the next instant, the remnants of the core released a blinding white light.
The sky itself was swallowed whole.
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