Marco stood in the middle of the square, his eyes locked on the empty space ahead. Minutes ago, that street had been full. Now, not a sound remained — not even dust stirred by footsteps. Nothing.
He slowly turned his head.
There was too much silence.
Jozu stopped beside him.
Marco didn't answer right away. He took one last look around before speaking firmly.
"Get ready. This is going to be the final fight."
Jozu didn't respond with words. He only nodded, solid, fists clenched. Vista approached from the other side, hands resting on the swords at his waist.
"You think there's any coming back from this?"
Marco met his eyes for a moment.
"No."
Vista let out a dry, almost mocking chuckle.
"Then go show them why the old man trusted you."
Marco took a deep breath.
Feathers began forming on his shoulders. The aura of his Zoan fruit spread. His eyes shone with an intense blue hue. His hands clenched as his body was overtaken by the transformation.
FFWOOOOOOOSH!
Wings burst forth in a surge of wind and heat. His chest stretched, his feet lifted from the ground. The Blue Phoenix took to the air with authority. Not another word was spoken.
On the other side, aboard the deck, Riser had already turned his back on the women.
Hancock still watched firmly, her hair blowing in the wind.
"Take care of the orders."
Riser's voice was steady, his eyes fixed on the island ahead. The flames on his wings didn't flicker — they pulsed.
The leap came with no visible preparation. The ship's planks groaned under the force.
VVWWHRUUUUMMMM!
He shot forward like a spear of fire. The sky between the ship and the island ignited.
Marco saw it.
And answered in the same instant.
The Blue Phoenix's wings beat with force. His body cut through the air toward the blaze.
Riser climbed.
Marco charged.
The clash was inevitable — two blazing points colliding in the gray sky, each carrying legacies in ruins and broken promises.
Riser stopped a few meters away, suspended in the air. His body upright, his eyes fixed on the bluish creature before him. The presence of his opponent brought no tension — only a smile.
Marco held the distance for a moment. Wings spread wide, eyes glowing an intense blue. The heat around them came not from the sun — but from them.
Marco's answer came with a direct impulse. The Phoenix's beak opened mid-flight. His body twisted to steady the shot. Energy gathered in his throat, blazing between blue and orange.
"Dawn Flame!"
FFFWOOOOOOOSH!
A stream of blue fire ripped through the sky in a straight line. The sound was sharp, like a falling thunderbolt. The attack came full force, straight at the emperor.
The glare reflected off the clouds above.
The heat exploded.
But it never touched Riser.
At the last moment, he moved his right arm smoothly. Dimensional distortion appeared before his body, spinning in a spiral like a translucent black vortex.
The blue fire struck the invisible barrier and split in two. Fragments of the flame were sucked into a space that didn't belong to that sky. The attack vanished in silence.
Marco stopped abruptly, confused. His body tensed, wings still spread, eyes locked on the smoke fading around Riser.
He had no time to think.
Riser moved in a straight line.
The approach was immediate. His hand extended with precision. His arm cut the space between them in a fraction of a second.
The impact was sharp.
Riser's right hand clamped around the Blue Phoenix's neck.
THRACK!
The sound of the grip reverberated in the air. Marco's wings flapped hard. His body struggled mid-flight, held high, feet dangling, feathers scattering in the sudden movement.
Marco's face twisted.
For Riser, it was no effort. Holding the commander of the old Whitebeard's fleet was like restraining a disobedient animal. The glow on Marco's wings dimmed with every second. The Blue Phoenix was being crushed in its own sky.
"Was that all?"
Riser's voice came slow, mocking, as if savoring the comparison.
"The Tori Tori no Mi, Model Phoenix… wasted in your hands."
Marco forced his arms against the grip. His legs sought leverage, but Riser's hold was absolute. His answer came as transformation.
The Blue Phoenix's body contracted in the air, shifting into a new form. Feathers and flesh fused into muscular plates and sharp claws. Wings adjusted to the new center of gravity. The hybrid form emerged mid-flight.
Crack – Crack – FWWWWOOOOSSH!
The hybrid Phoenix erupted in a burst of blue energy hardened muscles, elongated tail, hands tipped with flaming claws. His eyes kept the Zoan's glow, now with more human and feral features.
Riser's grip on his neck didn't loosen.
There was no retreat.
Down below, on the ship's deck, Merlin watched in silence. The tension in the air didn't trouble her — it was part of the equation. Her hands rose in simple gestures, energy gathering around the vampires.
Her voice rang clear:
"Time to go. You know what to do."
Boa Hancock stepped forward twice, eyes locked on the island. Her hands rested on her hips. She didn't hesitate.
"Leave no one alive."
The words fell like steel. Zala, Mikita, Nojiko, Kalifa, Kaya, and Alvida lined up.
The magic seal under their feet glowed with a bluish light.
ZZWWWHHRRAAAMMM!
The light engulfed them instantly. The air shattered into energy crystals. Their bodies dissolved into particles, teleported with surgical precision.
Merlin remained on deck with the Kuja pirates.
The wind was rising.
On the island, Jozu stepped forward twice. The sound of his boots weighed against the stone. A metallic gleam ran across his shoulder. He slowly raised his fists. The tension in his muscles made his readiness clear.
Boa appeared right in front of him.
Her eyes cut like blades. Her presence dominated the space.
"Filthy man."
Disgust laced every syllable.
"You're no better than Riser. Just another brute who thinks he can protect something by breaking everything around it."
Jozu's silence didn't bother her. Hancock simply adjusted the cloak over her shoulders and stepped forward again.
Above, in the sky, Riser still held Marco.
Without warning, his right hand began to change.
The black of Armament Haki coated his fingers like living ink. The color spread over his entire arm, up to his shoulder. Veins stood out. His musculature shifted beneath the coat. Sunlight touched the blackened surface, giving the hardened skin a metallic gleam.
He raised his fist calmly.
"Get ready to suffer."
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