Marco's figure blurred.
With a powerful beat of his wings, he shot upward into the sky.
His Observation Haki spread out like an invisible net, sweeping across Mary Geoise—and what he sensed made his expression harden.
More presences.
More and more.
Powerful figures were converging rapidly toward his location from every direction.
None of them quite matched his current level… but they were far from weak.
Dozens of high-tier fighters.
If they surrounded him here, the situation would become extremely troublesome.
"It seems," Marco murmured, hovering in the air, "today's hunt ends here."
He glanced down.
Shamrock was still engulfed in black and red flames—but something was wrong.
The aura that had just weakened under his attack… was rising again.
"Boom—!"
From within the core of the flames, a surge of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward. The oppressive force blasted away the clinging Black Flames, scattering them across the streets like falling meteors.
Marco narrowed his eyes.
Shamrock' body was cracked and charred, yet beneath the damage, something was repairing him.
Marco focused on the gaping wound in his right abdomen.
Fragments—no, sheets—of paper-like material floated through the air, layering over the injury and reconstructing flesh and bone as if time itself were reversing.
His pupils constricted.
"Is this… Impure World Reincarnation?"
The scene reminded him vividly of the forbidden jutsu from Naruto—bodies reconstructed endlessly from ashes and paper.
But this wasn't ninjutsu.
This was—
"Immortality."
Marco exhaled slowly.
He recalled the Gorosei's terrifying regeneration during the Egghead incident. The same principle was at work here.
So the God's Knights also possessed it.
No wonder the system classified them as Strong Yonko Level.
It wasn't raw strength alone.
It was this cursed resilience.
If this Immortality functioned like Impure World Reincarnation, then defeating him through conventional means would be nearly impossible.
And this world had no sealing techniques.
A troublesome opponent indeed.
"Where are you looking?! Rankyaku!"
A CP0 agent's roar snapped him back.
Blades of compressed air tore toward him.
"He must not escape!"
Several CP0 agents kicked off the ground with Moonwalk, shooting upward in pursuit.
Marco twisted midair, narrowly evading the slicing wind blades. He did not linger.
Now was not the time for pride.
His wings expanded fully, black flames streaming behind him as he accelerated sharply into the sky.
Mary Geoise was a treasure trove of experience—but it was also a nest of monsters.
The Gorosei.
The God's Knights.
And above them all—
Imu.
Marco had no accurate gauge of the full strength of the God's Knights, but Shamrock alone had already demonstrated power comparable to an Admiral.
Each of the Gorosei was likely equal to—or stronger than—an Admiral.
And Imu… an entity that had ruled from the shadows for eight hundred years.
That strength was unfathomable.
If he were surrounded by them all at once, even his awakened form might not save him.
Retreat was the rational choice.
The CP0 agents chased for a short distance, but their Moonwalk speed was vastly inferior. Within moments, Marco became a streak against the clouds—then disappeared entirely.
They could only stop in frustration.
On the ground, Shamrock stood fully upright once more. The last fragments of flames dissolved into his restored flesh.
His eyes were cold as he watched the sky.
Before long, several members of the God's Knights arrived beside him.
"Shamrock. Where is the enemy?"
Shamrock' voice was flat.
"He escaped."
But his fingers tightened slightly around the saber.
The next time—The ant would not leave alive.
"He ran away?"
Saint Chilingom's voice was filled with disbelief. His sharp gaze fixed on Shamrock.
"You were here. How could you let him escape?"
Chilingom understood Shamrock's strength better than most. As Vice-Captain of the God's Knights, Shamrock had reached the pinnacle of their order through nothing but pure swordsmanship and Haki—without relying on a Devil Fruit at all.
His mastery alone placed him among the strongest in the Holy Land.
And yet—
Shamrock's expression remained cold and composed.
"Though he is merely an insect from the lower world," he said flatly, "he is still one of the Four Emperors. And he can fly. If he chooses to retreat, very few can stop him."
Chilingom fell silent.
His eyes shifted to the scattered black flames still burning across the streets of Mary Geoise.
They did not fade.
They did not weaken.
They burned with stubborn persistence.
"What exactly are those flames…?"
Shamrock's gaze hardened.
"Do not touch them."
"They cling like poison. Once attached, they are nearly impossible to extinguish. Only overwhelming Haki can suppress them."
Chilingom immediately withdrew his curiosity.
Shamrock turned his attention toward the distance, voice turning sharp and authoritative.
"Mobilize. Protect the Celestial Dragons during evacuation. If he returns unexpectedly, the consequences will be unacceptable."
"Yes."
The God's Knights moved swiftly.
Far above the Holy Land, Marco finally exhaled.
Seeing no pursuers, he allowed himself a moment of relief.
If someone had truly chased him down, he would have poured his remaining 8,400 attribute points directly into Speed. Compared to his other attributes—many already exceeding ten or even twenty thousand—his Speed at 6,500 was noticeably lacking.
But no one followed.
So there was no immediate need.
Even if his Speed wasn't exceptional, his mobility was amplified by flight and future-sight Observation Haki. Unless he encountered a specialist like Kizaru, few at the Strong Yonko level could keep up with him.
After all, his combat assessment now stood at Weak King Level.
Aside from the mysterious Imu…
He could hardly think of anyone in this world capable of truly threatening him.
Then suddenly, Marco paused.
"…Damn."
He clicked his tongue.
"I was so focused on farming attribute points… I completely forgot to capture a Celestial Dragon as a hostage."
A rare mistake.
Meanwhile—
Inside Pangaea Castle, the atmosphere was suffocating.
"This is beyond provocation."
One of the Gorosei slammed his cane against the marble floor.
"In eight hundred years, no pirate has ever dared to launch a direct assault on the Celestial Dragons."
Their fury was undisguised.
The only comparable incidents in history were the mysterious ancient robot attack centuries ago—which had damaged buildings but harmed no World Nobles—and the Fish-Man Tiger incident, where slaves were freed but Celestial Dragons remained untouched.
But Marco's actions were entirely different.
He had not come to liberate slaves.
He had not come merely to cause chaos.
He had hunted Celestial Dragons deliberately.
Worse still, intelligence confirmed that he had infiltrated the Holy Land disguised as a guard, waiting patiently until the Celestial Dragons gathered before striking.
It was a calculated humiliation.
A direct challenge to the World Government's authority.
The Gorosei's cold gazes shifted toward Fleet Admiral Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki."
"As Fleet Admiral, you allowed a pirate to breach Mary Geoise itself."
"What purpose do you serve?"
Sakazuki stood stiffly.
He had rushed to deploy forces the moment the alarm sounded. By the time they arrived, Marco was gone.
The Marines were left extinguishing fires while he was summoned here for reprimand.
Still—
He had pride.
"Hmph."
"What does this have to do with me?" Sakazuki retorted coldly. "Marco can fly. Tracking him isn't as simple as issuing orders. Even the Marines' intelligence network cannot monitor the skies."
His tone only fueled their anger.
To the Gorosei, the Fleet Admiral was a weapon.
A leash-bound hound.
And yet he dared to bare his teeth.
"Impudent!" one of them barked.
"Do you forget who you are speaking to?"
"Know your place, Sakazuki."
Another continued coldly,
"When Sengoku held this position, we did not face such disgrace."
"You have been Fleet Admiral for mere months. First the Three Emperors Alliance rises. Now the Holy Land is attacked."
"In the end, this is your failure."
The accusation hung in the air like a blade.
Sakazuki's fists tightened.
The magma beneath his skin stirred—but he said nothing.
Sakazuki let out a cold snort.
He said nothing further.
Instead, he simply closed his eyes, suppressing the magma boiling beneath his skin. Continuing this exchange would serve no purpose.
Seeing him fall silent, the Gorosei exchanged glances before one of them spoke again.
"As Fleet Admiral," the voice rang out icily, "how do you intend to resolve this disgrace?"
Sakazuki opened his eyes.
They burned like smoldering embers.
"Don't concern yourselves," he replied flatly. "I will melt every last one of these pirates."
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn stepped forward slightly, his tone colder than steel.
"I hope you remember those words. Should you fail… your tenure as Fleet Admiral will end."
Sakazuki's jaw tightened.
"They are pirates," he said with absolute certainty. "And pirates burn."
The Gorosei seemed marginally appeased.
"If there is nothing further," Sakazuki said stiffly, "I will return to Marineford."
"Wait."
Saint Topman Warcury's deep voice halted him.
"We have reviewed the battle report you submitted."
Sakazuki's brows furrowed slightly.
"Do you wish to revise the battle plan? Should the Marines shift priority to the Phoenix Pirates?"
Warcury's eyes gleamed with chilling intent.
"No. As Fleet Admiral, the strategy is your responsibility. We care only about one outcome—"
"The destruction of the Three Emperors Alliance."
His voice lowered.
"By any means necessary."
Sakazuki remained silent.
Then Warcury added, "There is one more matter."
The temperature in the chamber seemed to drop.
"You are to capture Phoenix Marco alive."
A pause.
"I want him to personally experience the consequences of opposing the World Government."
Sakazuki's gaze flickered.
Difficult?
Yes.
Impossible?
No.
He nodded once.
"Understood."
Without another word, he turned and left the chamber.
The heavy doors closed behind him.
Silence lingered for a moment after his departure.
Warcury turned to the others.
"How should we handle the aftermath?"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro spoke first, his expression severe.
"This incident cannot be allowed to spread."
"For eight centuries, the World Nobles have been presented as sacred—descendants of the Creator. Untouchable. Divine."
His eyes darkened.
"If the world learns that Celestial Dragons can be slaughtered like livestock, the consequences will be… destabilizing."
Indeed.
Marco had not merely attacked Mary Geoise.
He had shattered an illusion.
If word spread that Celestial Dragons bled—and died—the psychological impact would ripple across every kingdom.
Warcury nodded grimly.
"The news must be sealed. Completely."
"The Marines are already mobilizing against the Three Emperors Alliance. Let them shoulder the burden."
He continued calmly,
"Matters involving lower-world pirates should be resolved by the Marines. The God's Knights need not act."
The others agreed.
The Phoenix Pirates possessed formidable combat strength. Engaging directly would mean risking casualties.
And the God's Knights were the World Government's ultimate trump card.
They were not to be revealed lightly.
As for the Marines—
They were expendable.
In the Gorosei's eyes, Marine lives were tools.
Necessary sacrifices.
Saint Mars finally spoke.
"Seal the information. Contain the narrative. Reduce the impact."
"Yes."
The decision was unanimous.
Marco's assault on the Holy Land would vanish from the world's memory.
Officially—
Nothing had happened.
Unofficially—
The World Government had been slapped in the face.
And they would not forget it.
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