"I don't expect you to believe me," Marco said calmly, a faint smile curving his lips, "but Blackbeard will arrive very soon. When that happens, you'll know whether I'm telling the truth."
His gaze sharpened as his tone grew serious.
"What I want to make clear is this—Blackbeard is an enemy of the Marines as much as he is ours. Truth or lie, the answer will reveal itself the moment he steps onto Marineford. Still, I'll leave you with one final warning: it would be best to eliminate him before he acquires a third Devil Fruit. If he truly succeeds in doing so… then no one in this world will be able to stop him."
"Hmph." Aokiji replied coldly. "The Marines don't need a pirate's advice."
Even so, Marco could tell—those words had not been ignored.
"In that case…" Marco smiled lightly, "…let's wait and see."
Though Aokiji's expression remained unchanged, Marco knew he had already done everything possible. All that remained was to let the idea take root. Once Blackbeard truly appeared at Marineford, the Marines would have no choice but to respond—and that response might buy the Whitebeard Pirates the precious time they needed to escape.
In truth, the Whitebeard Pirates still had one hidden card.
An auxiliary paddle steamer—Moby Dick No. 5—lay concealed beneath the sea, the same vessel that had surfaced in the original timeline after the encirclement wall closed in. The transponder snail to summon it was already in Marco's possession.
But now, with the sea frozen solid into an endless ice continent, that ship had no chance of surfacing. The timing was not yet right.
'Just wait,' Marco thought. 'Once the Blackbeard Pirates arrive, we'll retreat. And if fate is kind… perhaps Red Hair will step in to halt the Marines.'
"Attack! Wipe out the pirates!" Doberman barked impatiently, clearly unwilling to entertain Marco's words any longer. "There's nothing worth listening to from pirates. We can hear their excuses after they're locked in a cell."
"Damn Marines—you don't even realize disaster is already upon you!"
"If you won't let us leave, then we'll die together!"
"That's right! Let us show you the resolve of warriors of the sea!"
With furious roars, the pirates surged forward once more.
The Captains of the Whitebeard Pirates reengaged the Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals, steel clashing against steel, while Marco deliberately moved to intercept Aokiji.
Perhaps because he had listened—perhaps because doubt had crept in—Aokiji no longer unleashed his full strength. He avoided an all-out confrontation, and as a result, the clash between the two felt almost restrained.
For Marco, that was more than enough.
He had never intended to defeat an Admiral—only to hold one back.
Their fists collided, shockwaves rippling outward as both men slid back across the ice. Marco let out a soft chuckle.
"As expected of a Marine Admiral," he said lightly. "Akainu, Kizaru… and now you. Each of you puts a different kind of pressure on me."
His eyes narrowed, admiration and caution mingling together.
"You admirals really are monsters."
"Hey, hey, hey—why does that tone of yours sound exactly like that guy, Borsalino?" Aokiji complained with a helpless sigh. "If anything, I should be saying that. You Whitebeard commanders are monsters yourselves—especially you, Marco."
His gaze lingered on Marco, serious for once.
"Your Haki, physical techniques, and Devil Fruit ability are all top-tier. You should know this—we Admirals are the World Government's highest combat power. The fact that you can block me, and even withstand Sakazuki and Borsalino, is already something to be proud of."
Marco smiled faintly. "I'm honored to receive such praise from a Marine Admiral."
Aokiji didn't respond. Though Marco's earlier words had planted doubt in his heart, what unsettled him even more was Marco's strength. Even without going all out, Aokiji was using at least sixty to seventy percent of his power—and yet Marco was still keeping up. Compared to the other commanders, Marco was clearly on another level.
"As expected of Captain Marco—he's fighting an Admiral evenly!"
"Not just Aokiji, but Akainu and Kizaru too! Captain Marco isn't weaker than any of them!"
"Go, Captain Marco!"
The Whitebeard Pirates and their allied crews erupted with excitement. To them, besides Pops, Marco was proof that the Whitebeard Pirates could stand toe-to-toe with the Admirals.
Aokiji's brow twitched slightly. "Ara ra… am I being underestimated?"
Sensing the subtle shift in Aokiji's aura, Marco immediately snapped at the pirates,
"I told you idiots to shut up! An Admiral isn't someone you cheer against! Stop adding pressure and get out of here—now!"
Marco had no intention of provoking Aokiji further. He had finally run into lazy justice Kuzan and was deliberately keeping the fight at a manageable pace. A full-on death match was the last thing he wanted. After all, this was the man who, in the original timeline, endured Garp's punches head-on—and fought Akainu for ten days and ten nights before losing.
Then—
BIU!
A beam of light pierced straight through Ace's body, slamming into the ice behind him and detonating in a violent explosion.
"Ace!"
"Brother Ace!"
"Captain Ace!"
Cries of alarm rang out across the battlefield.
Moments later, Kizaru's figure appeared atop a seized warship's mast. Marines who had been driven off earlier shouted in excitement,
"It's Admiral Kizaru!"
"With Admiral Kizaru here, we can wipe them out!"
Standing tall above them, Kizaru looked down at Ace, Jinbe, Ivankov, Crocodile, and the Whitebeard Pirates with his usual lecherous smile.
"Well, well… how unexpected. You actually managed to capture a warship. But now that I'm here, don't even think about sailing it away."
"Kizaru…" Jinbe muttered, his expression grim.
Ace staggered to his feet, clutching his wound and spitting out blood.
"Damn it… another Admiral."
Luffy clenched his fists, his voice tense.
"Ace, be careful. Back at Sabaody, my crew and I were completely overwhelmed by him…"
Ace nodded solemnly and stepped in front of Luffy.
"I know. Luffy, stay back. It's still too soon for you to face an Admiral."
Crocodile clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Tch. Looks like retreating won't be so simple after all. The Marines won't stop until someone dies—and maybe not even then."
His gaze darkened as he continued, "Whitebeard is facing Akainu and Fleet Admiral Sengoku at the same time. Even he can't hold out forever."