As the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco essentially served as the vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. During Whitebeard's campaigns, he had taken on the responsibility of defending the various islands of the New World.
For a young man in his thirties to earn such trust from Edward Newgate was something that many pirates in the New World found rather amusing. They thought that perhaps Whitebeard had no other pillars of support besides himself, which was why he entrusted a mere youngster with overseeing the subordinate pirate crews and handling various matters within Whitebeard's domain.
However, within the Whitebeard Pirates, not a single person thought that way. The Phoenix, Marco, was among the earliest crew members to follow Whitebeard and was also the first son officially acknowledged by Edward Newgate.
Despite his young age, he was calm and steady, completely lacking the impulsiveness and arrogance typical of the young. Some said that Marco's unfortunate childhood had forced him to mature early, while others believed that the harsh realities of a pirate's life had made him seasoned.
Regardless of the speculation, Marco's meticulous decision-making and sharp foresight earned the respect of everyone who had interacted with him.
Beyond his innate talent for leadership, he possessed an incredible level of charisma and an ability to unite others. He ensured that all members of the Whitebeard Pirates remained closely bound together around their father, Whitebeard.
If one were to rank the unity and cohesion of all the major pirate crews in the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates would undoubtedly be at the top.
However, even more renowned than his capabilities in leadership and command was the ability granted to him by his Devil Fruit.
A Zoan-type fruit even rarer than Mythical Zoan—the Phoenix Fruit.
A legendary bird that existed only in myths and ancient tales, symbolizing rebirth through fire and wielding the power of immortality.
It was said that the Phoenix, also known as the Fenghuang, would gather fragrant branches and leaves every five hundred years, build a nest, and set itself ablaze, only to be reborn anew from the ashes.
Likewise, Marco could heal and regenerate from any injury using his blue flames.
It was no wonder that even someone as remarkable as Red-Haired Shanks spoke highly of Marco. Whether it was strength, adaptability, leadership, or the ability to organize a team, Marco was an exceptional choice in every regard.
When the Red-Haired Pirates boarded the Moby Dick, Shanks, knowing full well that the ever-loyal First Division Commander would never leave Whitebeard's side, still couldn't help but extend an invitation for him to join their crew.
That alone spoke volumes about Marco's charisma.
At this moment, however, the Phoenix was not yet the "firefighter" who would later kick Kizaru and Aokiji aside and hold back Akainu during the Paramount War.
Moreover, the threat coming toward them now was the strongest creature in the world, Kaido.
"Quick, notify Pops and have him return as soon as possible," Marco ordered.
His usual half-asleep expression remained unchanged, but his actions showed no trace of laziness.
The pineapple-headed man with dead-fish eyes swiftly issued tactical commands.
"Jozu, Vista, you're coming with me! The rest of you, contact the pirate crews stationed on the nearby islands. We need to confirm whether the entirety of the Beasts Pirates has mobilized!"
Fortunately, according to the intelligence they had received so far, only Kaido himself had appeared at the port, rather than arriving with his three Calamities.
Marco had to hold Kaido off until Pops returned.
Though the Phoenix Fruit granted him extraordinary regenerative abilities and endurance that surpassed even most Zoan users, Marco knew better than to underestimate the man known as the "One-on-One Duel Maniac."
He couldn't afford to be careless when it came to facing Kaido.
As the First Division Commander, tasked with protecting Whitebeard's territory, he couldn't allow any negligence.
Sticking to the golden rule of "never fight alone when you can fight as a group," Marco immediately called upon two of his strongest comrades—Diamond Jozu and Flower Blade Vista—whose strength was on par with his own.
"We don't know how long it will take for Pops to get here," Vista said, drawing one of his swords and casually twirling it into a flourish as he quickly followed Marco's lead.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"How much longer until we arrive?"
Standing at the bow of the ship, Kuzan (Aokiji) inquired. He had just received an urgent request for reinforcements from Vice Admiral Onigumo, whose voice carried a hint of anxiety.
It was evident that Sakazuki (Akainu) had already engaged Whitebeard in battle at Fish-Man Island.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan! We are about ten minutes away," Vice Admiral Doberman responded loudly from the helm, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.
They were already moving at maximum speed along the deep-sea currents.
Behind their lead-coated warship, nine other Navy warships maintained a defensive formation as they advanced toward Fish-Man Island.
Kuzan shook his head.
Even though he had acted immediately upon receiving orders to dive, Whitebeard's movements were still faster than expected.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku had already departed for Mary Geoise to strengthen its defense.
After all, when the G-1 Branch detected Whitebeard's flagship, the Moby Dick, they had immediately reported it in a panic to Marine Headquarters and the Five Elders.
In response, both Sengoku and Garp had set out at once.
Although Marine Headquarters had speculated that Whitebeard's target was most likely Fish-Man Island, the Five Elders remained cautious and had ordered both Sengoku and Garp to remain on standby at Mary Geoise as a precaution.
Meanwhile, Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Zephyr stayed behind at Marineford to ensure the security of their base.
However, the younger generation of Marine officers was already eager to take action.
After all, there was someone at Fish-Man Island that they absolutely had to rescue.
Aboard the seventeenth warship, Gion's expression was somewhat anxious. While she and Tsuru were privately evaluating the major pirates, Tsuru held an extremely high opinion of this new overlord of the New World.
The ever-wise and composed Chief Strategist of the Marine Headquarters had even uttered words of admiration:
"Being the strongest of this era would not be an exaggeration."
But when the confirmed news arrived that Whitebeard had truly descended upon Fish-Man Island, Gion panicked.
Her lover was stationed there at this very moment, and although Sakazuki was undoubtedly powerful, he was absolutely no match for a monster like Whitebeard.
Back then, when Golden Lion Shiki stormed Marineford, it had taken both Garp and Sengoku together to subdue and capture him. And Whitebeard, who was spoken of in the same breath as Shiki—perhaps even superior—was now launching an assault on Fish-Man Island. Gion couldn't imagine what might happen to Sakazuki.
"Prepare a single-person coating for me!"
"!? You're planning to... No way! Granny Tsuru will scold us to death!" Her companion on the ship, Doberman, shook his head repeatedly.
Her expression was firm. "I believe in Vice Admiral Sakazuki. He can hold on until we arrive. But I can't let you take such a huge risk alone, Rear Admiral Gion."
Gion gripped the hilt of her sword, bit her lip, and said nothing, only stubbornly staring at Doberman, who was also a Rear Admiral like her.
"..." Doberman's mustache nearly drooped in exasperation. He smiled bitterly and tried to reason with her.
"My dear lady, please calm down. Rapidly swimming down with a single-person coated bubble at such depths is far too dangerous! What if Vice Admiral Sakazuki is fine, but you end up losing your life in the process?"
Did Gion look like someone who could be easily persuaded?
She immediately seized on a flaw in Doberman's words.
"You call Sister Tsuru 'Granny Tsuru,' right? That means I outrank you in seniority, doesn't it? That means you have to listen to me!"
Doberman's face went black. Gion was clearly much younger than him, but what could he do? She was Vice Admiral Tsuru's junior sister! Who had started this trend of using seniority to pressure people? The Marines were getting way too good at it.
"Even if you put it that way, I still won't..." Doberman refused to give in. If Gion got into trouble under his watch, he wouldn't be able to explain himself—not just to Tsuru, but to Sakazuki as well.
"Hurry up and get ready! Besides... someone's already doing it!"
Gion's eyes flashed sharply as she glared fiercely at Doberman. If she made it back safely, she was definitely going to properly teach this stubborn fool a lesson!
Doberman shrugged. Even though he knew Gion was stronger than him, he wasn't going to relent.
"What do you mean 'someone's already doing it'? Don't make things up—"
The Mohawk-haired Rear Admiral turned his head, intending to debunk Gion's lie.
"Ku... Kuzan-san?!"
Ten thousand meters below the surface, in the depths of the ocean, a vast and sturdy ice passage was continuously forming, stretching forward.
Within a single-person coated bubble, moving rapidly along the ice wall, was a tall, lanky man who always seemed lazy and indifferent—his ice powers fully unleashed.
"ICE AGE!!!"
—------------------------------------
Whitebeard laughed.
If this young man weren't a Marine, he would have invited him to join his crew without hesitation.
Even though they stood on opposing sides, it didn't stop Edward Newgate from admiring the way this kid carried himself.
To stand in the face of an overwhelming enemy and still be willing to shield the weak—those with such resolve deserved due respect.
It reminded him of an old rival—Sengoku.
A Bodhisattva who lowered his gaze in mercy when extending salvation to the weak, yet transformed into a wrathful Vajra when delivering divine retribution upon pirate scum.
To Newgate, that was what a Marine should be.
And the man before him—now in a rather pitiful state—was someone worthy of carrying the banner of Marine justice.
But Edward Newgate did not utter a single word of recruitment, nor did he show a hint of pity. Because he knew that to a man of unyielding will, such words would only be an insult.
Whitebeard's brow furrowed ever so slightly.
The Marine in front of him, already gravely injured, had eyes bloodshot with unwavering determination.
Retreating was no longer an option for him.
At this moment, he looked like a desperate dog, forced into a corner of an alley—one that would never let an intruder pass.
The Marine took a step forward, blood dripping from the corner of his grinning mouth.
From the depths of his chest came a low, guttural voice:
"Mad Dog!"
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