Then—
A burst of golden radiance flashed ahead of Marco, cutting off his path.
Kizaru materialized, gripping a blade of pure light—the Ama no Murakumo Sword—and slashed downward without restraint.
Marco didn't retreat.
His arm hardened under Armament Haki, and with a ringing clang, he blocked the blade cleanly.
The impact split the air.
This time, Kizaru's trademark lazy smile was nowhere to be found.
His face was utterly serious.
"To be called a coward by you… this old man has his pride too, you know."
Golden light intensified around him.
"If you want a fair fight—then I'll grant it."
Marco's lips curled upward.
This was exactly what he wanted.
As long as Kizaru kept retreating—fighting at range, stalling, kiting with speed—Marco had few clean answers. Light was too slippery to pin down.
But a direct clash?
A head-on battle?
That was different.
All he needed—
was one opening.
Just one.
And he was confident he could end it.
Once Kizaru decided to stop running, he finally launched a full-scale attack on Marco. By nature, he would have preferred to go through the motions—strike a few blows, stall, and retreat—but Marco left him no choice. The Phoenix had burned warships, taunted him relentlessly, and challenged his pride as an Admiral.
Even knowing how dangerous Marco's Black Flames were, Kizaru had no option but to bite the bullet and face him head-on.
Marco wanted to trade blows, to test injuries against injuries, but Kizaru was cunning. Every strike was precise, every retreat calculated. Even with Marco's speed now hitting 14,900 points, he could barely keep up. Whenever Kizaru struck and withdrew, Marco couldn't launch a proper counterattack. On top of that, Kizaru's Observation Haki had evolved to near-future sight, making him virtually untouchable.
Though he attacked first, Kizaru's style was evasive. Strike. Retreat. Strike again. Marco had the power—but Kizaru was constantly kiting him.
Seeing the last 10,000 attribute points unspent, Marco's resolve hardened. With a surge of determination, he poured every single point into Speed.
14,900… became 24,900.
The battlefield seemed to slow.
Kizaru struck again—but this time, Marco was ready. As the Admiral tried to retreat, Marco surged forward, blurring across the air, and grabbed Kizaru's wrist.
Kizaru froze. He had calculated Marco's limits, and this sudden spike in speed shattered all his predictions. Panic flashed in his eyes.
In the next instant, Marco wrapped his arms and legs around Kizaru like a living octopus. Black Flames roared across his body, and waves of Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, sealing Kizaru's ability to elementalize.
"I've got you… Kizaru," Marco said, a confident smile tugging at his lips.
A flicker of alarm appeared in the Admiral's golden eyes, but he still tried to maintain his composure. "Whoa, whoa… this isn't good!"
"I won't let go. Not until I defeat you," Marco growled. Black Flames surged higher across his body, coiling around his forehead, overlaid with Armament and Conqueror's Haki. "Destruction Black Flame—Headbutt!"
With a thunderous bang, Marco slammed his forehead into Kizaru. Despite Haki protection, a streak of blood ran down the Admiral's face, and his sunglasses cracked from the impact.
"Whoa… that's… ruthless!" Kizaru muttered, murderous intent blazing as laser beams shot from his fingers, lancing through Marco's body.
Marco cried out in pain, but the Black Flames instantly healed him. A grin spread across his face. "I told you, I won't let go until you're defeated. Now, let's trade injuries and see who breaks first!"
"Phoenix Headbutt!"
Another brutal strike slammed into Kizaru. Stars exploded in the Admiral's vision, his sunglasses shattered completely. He tried to pull free, but Marco's limbs clung like iron tentacles. Haki radiated from him in a suffocating wave, locking Kizaru in place. Lasers cut through the air, aiming for Marco, but he absorbed every strike, holding Kizaru tightly and relentlessly delivering blow after blow.
There was no room to escape.
"Admiral Kizaru..."
From below, the Phoenix Pirates watched in awe as Marco gripped Kizaru in mid-air, their foreheads colliding repeatedly. Kizaru's brow was bleeding heavily, while Marco remained uninjured.
"Well done, Marco!" shouted one. "Defeat him! Captain Marco!" cheered another. The crew had witnessed the overwhelming power of Marco's Phoenix Fruit ability countless times. As long as Marco traded blows, no one could match him.
Even Smoker, observing the chaos in the sky, shouted with disbelief: "Don't worry! Admiral Kizaru will not be defeated. No mere pirate could ever beat an Admiral!"
But the Phoenix Pirates remained adamant: "Arrogance won't save him! Kizaru has been caught by Captain Marco—he can't escape. There's no way he can win now!"
Many believed that even Kaido himself would struggle against Marco in this moment. The Phoenix had awakened his Black Flame, amplifying his offensive power to terrifying levels.
In the sky, Kizaru's defenses began to falter. Even with his Armament Haki Emmission, he couldn't match Marco's top-tier Haki and relentless assault. Minutes of brutal headbutts and unyielding attacks pushed the Admiral past his limits.
"Marco… is this all you've got? This rogue fighting style—!" Kizaru groaned, exhausted, desperation creeping into his golden eyes.
"Rogue tactics? Don't lecture me," Marco replied coldly. "Who's been running, dodging, and hiding all this time? You! If you can't fight, you run. Now that I've caught you, there's no escape!"
With that, another savage headbutt slammed into Kizaru's forehead, blood spurting anew. For over half an hour, Marco's relentless onslaught continued, each strike precise, each moment unrelenting. Finally, Kizaru's mind and body could take no more—his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
Even then, Marco remained vigilant. He held the Admiral tightly as his flaming wings unfurled, soaring toward the Moby Dick. "Quick! Bring the Sea Stone!" he commanded.
On the Marine side, panic spread like wildfire. An Admiral—long considered untouchable, the pinnacle of Marine might—was captured by a single pirate's unorthodox tactics. The impossible had happened.
Soon, Kizaru was secured in Sea Stone chains by the Phoenix Pirates. Only then did Marco release him.
Ace, watching the bound Admiral, grinned with excitement. "Incredible! Marco… you actually defeated an Admiral!"
Marco smiled faintly as the AI voice in his mind chimed: Mission complete. Avenged Marineford. Admiral Kizaru defeated. Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Seeing the points credited, Marco's grin widened. "Jozu, take Kizaru down and lock him up properly. You personally lead the guards. No one—under any circumstances—can be allowed to rescue him."
Jozu nodded resolutely. "Understood! Leave it to me!"
With Kizaru defeated, the Phoenix Pirates' morale skyrocketed. Marco stood tall at the bow of the Moby Dick, his wings spread wide, flames dancing along his arms.
"Brothers! Attack!" he roared. "Now is the time to avenge the blood of Marineford! Follow me!"
The ship surged forward, a torrent of fire and fury, carrying the Phoenix Pirates into battle once more.
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