Soon after, Marco made the necessary arrangements. He ordered the Phoenix Pirates to have their ship coated at Sabaody Archipelago, while also gathering the core members to reveal his next move.
"Attack the Holy Land?"
The moment those words left his mouth, a wave of surprise passed through the group. Still, the Captains showed more excitement than hesitation. Ever since gaining the power of the Phoenix, they had been eager to test their strength in a real battle.
Marco glanced at everyone, his expression firm. "All regular crew members will remain here during the coating process. The Captains will come with me to the Holy Land."
The group exchanged looks, their anticipation growing.
"Now that you all possess the Phoenix's power and can fly, we can head straight to Mary Geoise from the air," Marco continued. "We will cause chaos there. If things go as planned, we may even free members of the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates."
Ace clenched his fist, his face lit with excitement. "Good. Let's turn the place upside down."
Marco nodded slightly before continuing, his tone steady. "The objective is simple. Destroy as much as possible, capture Celestial Dragons alive, and free the slaves. After that, I will execute those Celestial Dragons publicly and formally declare war on the World Government."
A roar of excitement erupted.
For a long time, the Marines and the World Government had always taken the initiative, forcing the Phoenix Pirates into a defensive position. Battle after battle had reduced their numbers drastically, from over fifty thousand during the Whitebeard Pirates era to just over five thousand now.
Yet despite the loss in numbers, their overall strength had grown far beyond what it once was.
Marco himself had reached terrifying heights, and the Captains had advanced just as rapidly.
Behind the group, Hancock watched Marco quietly. Her eyes shimmered with admiration as she focused entirely on him.
Marco continued giving precise instructions, outlining roles and timing. This would not be his first attack on Mary Geoise, but the situation was completely different now.
In the past, he had always gone alone. The reasons were simple. Most people in this world feared the Celestial Dragons, and more importantly, Marco had absolute confidence in his ability to escape.
Now, things had changed.
The eighteen Captains and Yamato all possessed the Phoenix power and the ability to fly. Among them were five fighters at Admiral or Emperor level, along with fourteen at the level of powerful Yonko Commanders. Even if the Gorosei and the God's Knights appeared together, they now had the strength to face them head-on.
The only real uncertainty was Imu.
Marco's eyes darkened slightly as he considered her.
Imu's strength remained unknown, but there was no doubt she stood at a level capable of destroying the world itself. Back on Egghead Island, her possessed form had only shown strength comparable to a high-tier powerhouse, yet that was clearly not her true body.
If her real body acted, the outcome was unpredictable.
Marco had no intention of confronting her directly for now.
First, he could not guarantee victory. Second, as long as Imu remained alive, the Celestial Dragons would continue to exist, giving him a steady source of growth.
His opponent had lived for over eight hundred years. Compared to that, Marco had been in this world for less than a year and had already risen to the top. Given more time, surpassing Imu was only a matter of course.
At that moment, Hancock stepped forward.
"Um… Marco," she said softly, her voice carrying a rare hint of vulnerability. "You're going to attack the Holy Land. Can you take me with you?"
Her expression was gentle and slightly pleading.
The reaction from the surrounding crew was immediate. Many of them stared at her with dazed expressions, hearts practically visible in their eyes. Even several Captains were not spared from her charm.
Marco looked at them, momentarily speechless.
He could not tell whether this was simply how people in this world behaved or if Hancock's beauty was truly that overwhelming.
After all, even in the past, figures like Shakky had caused entire islands to fall under their charm. On Hachinosu, she had once captivated countless pirates.
With examples like that, Hancock's influence did not seem entirely unreasonable.
Still, Marco found the lack of restraint somewhat excessive.
In the end, it could only be said that people in this world wore their emotions openly. Whether it was admiration, anger, or affection, everything was displayed without much concealment. Even someone as composed as Robin could show exaggerated expressions when the moment called for it.
Compared to that, hearts in the eyes were nothing unusual.
===
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