"Hey, you stinky old man…" Yamato exclaimed when she saw the scene before her. Although she did not like Kaido, they were still bound by blood. After marrying Portgas D. Ace and staying away from Kaido, some of her resentment had faded. Still, seeing him suddenly collapse left her shaken.
Ace and the others immediately rushed over. After checking, they confirmed that Kaido had only fainted and was not dead, which eased their worries.
"Quick, treat him," Ace said firmly.
"Got it," Jozu replied as he hurried to grab a first aid kit. Though not a doctor, he could at least handle basic bandaging. Anything more would have to wait for a proper ship doctor.
Vista wore a serious expression. "I wonder how Marco is doing… and the others as well."
Ace paused briefly, then answered with certainty, "Marco will be fine."
Before his words could settle, Yamato suddenly pointed at the sky. "Ace, look… that's Marco!"
Everyone who was able turned their gaze upward. A massive black-flamed bird was flying toward them. As it drew closer, they could finally see clearly. It was indeed Marco, but his condition was horrifying.
Half of his body had been destroyed, and black flames were struggling to reconstruct his shattered form.
"Marco…"
"I knew you'd make it," Ace and Jozu said, their voices filled with relief.
Marco was breathing heavily. When he landed, his right arm and right leg were missing. He tried to stand on one leg, but it gave out beneath him, and he dropped to his knee.
"Marco…" Ace and the others instinctively moved to help him, but the black flames covering his body clung violently. Just getting close risked tearing their skin, forcing them to hesitate.
"Are you alright?" Jozu asked, his voice tight with concern.
"…I'll manage," Marco replied weakly.
He had been at the center of the explosion. The first wave alone had nearly killed him. In that moment of crisis, he had poured all his attribute points into stamina and defense to survive.
Originally, he had planned to save up to enhance his Devil Fruit, but survival came first. As long as he lived, he could recover everything else.
Under the slow restoration of the black flames, his missing arm and leg gradually regenerated. The process was painfully slow, largely because they had been destroyed multiple times during the explosion.
Even so, after enduring continuous battles and that devastating blast, Marco's strength had reached its limit.
He looked at Ace, forcing a faint smile. "Ace… I'll leave the rest to you. I need to rest."
With that, he leaned against the stairs and lost consciousness.
"Marco!" Ace shouted.
Jozu quickly stepped forward, his expression serious. "He's completely exhausted. I'll take him to his room so he can recover properly."
He carefully carried Marco into the cabin.
Vista's expression remained grim. Their losses were devastating. Among the alliance of three Emperors, two captains were already unconscious and gravely injured, while the fate of the third remained unknown.
"We need to leave this area immediately," Vista said. "If the Gorosei or the Marines arrive, we won't be able to fight in our current condition."
He paused, then added heavily, "We lost this war."
There was no denying it. Although they had managed to protect Vegapunk, the cost was far too great. Out of the 20,000 members of the Phoenix Pirates who came to Egghead Island, only a few hundred remained on the ships. The rest were missing, and most were likely gone for good.
Even if Jinbe and Namur managed to save some survivors, it would not change the outcome. This was a crushing defeat.
Ace remained silent. The Marines had suffered heavy losses as well, but compared to the Phoenix Pirates, it was not even close.
Meanwhile, in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, inside the Flower Room.
Imu stood with a dark expression.
Uranus, the World Government's national treasure, had been destroyed. This loss far outweighed the death of a Gorosei or even several members of the God's Knights.
She did not care about casualties. Tens of thousands of Marines had died, and it meant nothing to her. Soldiers were expendable.
The deaths of the God's Knights also did not concern her. There were countless Celestial Dragons. With powerful Devil Fruits and proper training, new elites could always be created.
Even the death of Saint Saturn, who had served her for centuries, did not shake her deeply. Replacing a Gorosei was not difficult.
But Uranus was different. It was her greatest weapon.
For centuries, not even Joy Boy had dealt her such a severe blow. This defeat was unprecedented, and to her, utterly humiliating.
"Damn you, Marco… I will kill you."
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