"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
A shriek suddenly tore across Egghead Island, laced with crushing Conqueror's Haki.
It came from Big Mom. She was coughing blood, and her massive sword, Napoleon, had been cleaved in half by a single devastating slash.
A horrific wound ran from her right shoulder down to her left abdomen, blood gushing like a fountain.
"Mama…!" Katakuri's expression twisted in shock as he watched.
The Gorosei facing them was more terrifying than he'd imagined. Even with him and King fully supporting Big Mom, they were barely holding on. The man's sword aura was impossibly sharp, almost unreal.
After the Cake Island battle, Katakuri had tasted his own weakness, pushed through his limits, and awakened Conqueror's Haki infusion. His power had soared.
Yet even now, he was as helpless before this Gorosei as he had been back then—if not more so. He'd been reduced to a mere support fighter, and had just been casually kicked aside like trash.
King's face was pitch‑black with gloom. The pressure radiating from Saint Nusjuro was no less than that of Kaido himself. And there were five monsters like this.
For the first time, King wondered: could Kaido really save this world?
He had always believed in Kaido's strength, especially after Kaido's fruit awakening, which had pushed King's admiration to fanatic levels. But after witnessing the Gorosei's true power, that faith wavered.
"It hurts… it hurts so much…" Big Mom hissed, teeth gritted as she staggered back, genuine fear flickering in her eyes.
All around, the Big Mom Pirates, locked in fierce battle with the Marines, turned to look. Seeing their supposedly invincible Mama wounded, their faces contorted in shock. One after another, they abandoned their current opponents and rushed toward Big Mom to support her.
Their retreat gave the Marines a moment to breathe, and a huge sigh of relief swept their ranks.
Admiral Ryokugyu saw it and shouted excitedly, "Hahahaha! See that?! With the Five Elders here, how could we possibly lose?! Marines, raise your heads! Once Lord Nusjuro finishes off Big Mom, victory is ours!"
"Ohhhh!!!"
Morale, which had been on the brink of collapse, surged back as the soldiers replayed the image of a Gorosei wounding a Yonko in a single strike.
If even one of the Four Emperors couldn't stand against them, then maybe this battle was winnable after all.
On the other front, Kaido, still clashing with Warcury, also noticed the uproar. He scowled and roared, "Old hag! This is what you get for spending all these years just popping out kids! Even with Katakuri and King helping, you can't beat a single Gorosei. What a disgrace!"
After the Cake Island incident, the Big Mom Pirates' status within the Three Emperors alliance had plummeted. To save face, they'd convinced themselves that Warcury was the strongest of the Gorosei. The logic was simple: Marco had suppressed two Gorosei alone; it had taken three of them together to fight him to a standstill.
Yet Big Mom had still been stalemated by just Warcury, neither side breaking the other's defense.
To protect her pride, Warcury had to be the strongest Gorosei; otherwise, why could Marco fight three at once while she could only duel one?
Today, by their reckoning, Kaido had taken that "strongest" Gorosei off her hands, leaving her to face Saint Nusjuro.
Remembering the Cake Island battle, Kaido knew that back then Nusjuro had needed Saint Mars and Peter's help just to fight Marco evenly. Even accounting for the power‑boosting drugs they were using now, Big Mom still shouldn't look this pathetic.
Saint Nusjuro glanced at Big Mom's gaping wound, blood still pouring, and sneered. "Your so‑called 'Iron Balloon' might work on ordinary ants, but in front of me, it's a joke."
"Damn you…" Big Mom roared, then made her choice without hesitation. "In exchange for three years of my life—heal these injuries!"
A surge of soul energy rushed through her body. The massive wound sealed at an astonishing speed.
Big Mom panted heavily. The damage had been severe, but not fatal. Restoring it had only cost her three years of lifespan.
However, this was Egghead Island, not her own territory. Without a sea of homies to draw on, she couldn't amplify her power the way she had on Cake Island.
A flicker of regret passed through her.
Starting a world war… overthrowing the World Government… Those dreams suddenly felt distant.
Had she really been right to ally herself with two lunatics like Kaido and Marco?
Once, Big Mom had believed with absolute confidence that she stood near the pinnacle of the world, nigh-invincible thanks to her almost unbreakable defense.
But since declaring war on the Marines and the World Government, she'd been forced to realize how naive that was.
Powerhouses filled the Government's ranks—and above all, the Gorosei eclipsed even the Admirals.
But there was no turning back now. She could only see it through. If she tried to withdraw, neither the pirates nor the Navy would ever let her go.
Staring down Saint Nusjuro, Big Mom's features twisted into a feral snarl. "As expected of the Gorosei who stand at the top of the world. As true monsters among the Celestial Dragons, your strength really is something."
She looked at the broken Napoleon in her hand, then breathed life into it once more. The weapon knit itself back together, transforming again into a towering greatsword.
She grinned. "But taking my head won't be that easy. I am BIG MOM."
She kicked off the ground and charged at Saint Nusjuro again.
Seeing her move, Katakuri and King also rushed in to attack.
Nusjuro snorted. "Then let's see how many times your lifespan can patch you back together."
High above the island, Marco and Mars were still locked in a deadly chase.
Marco pressed forward relentlessly. Saint Mars fled for his life.
"Heat Breath!"
Suddenly, Zack, in his pink dragon form, unleashed a torrent of blazing fire from above, the blast crashing squarely into Saint Mars.
The extreme heat explosion washed over him, freezing his movements for a split second.
Marco, already furious at Mars's constant running, let his Haoshoku erupt in full. His Haki locked onto Mars like a vice.
In that instant, Mars's abilities began to degrade.
He hurriedly pushed back with his own Conqueror's Haki, trying to defend—but Marco was already on top of him.
"Destruction Black Flame: Phoenix Wing Strike!" Marco roared.
In a single blinding rush, towering black flames engulfed Mars like a tidal wave, smashing him down toward Egghead's structures with brutal force.
Within the black blaze, Mars felt an agony he'd never known. The moment the attack hit, Marco's Haoshoku wrapped tightly around him, forcefully suppressing his Immortality and preventing him from slipping away from the damage.
Marco gave him no room to breathe.
His whole body cloaked in raging black fire, Marco dove like a meteor, shouting, "Destruction Black Flame: Phoenix Sword!"
As he accelerated, his right hand stretched into a bladed wing, trailing a blazing arc of black flame behind it.
A deafening boom shook all of Egghead Island.
Marco's hand‑blade punched straight through Saint Mars's body, nailing him to the ground.
Conqueror's Haki surged from Marco's palm, flooding Saint Mars's insides and cutting him off completely from his immortality.
All across Egghead, Marines watched in stunned silence as Saint Mars was driven down from the sky by Yonko Marco.
Moments ago, their spirits had been soaring after Saint Nusjuro's devastating blow against Big Mom.
Now, seeing another Gorosei pinned and suppressed by Marco alone, their morale shattered again.
Kaido and Big Mom both caught sight of the scene mid‑battle.
Kaido bared his teeth in a wild grin. "Worororo! Looks like one of ours is pulling ahead!"
Big Mom watched Marco dominate, and while it made her look small by comparison, they were allies now. She sneered at Nusjuro. "Seems your little friend over there isn't doing so well."
Nusjuro's expression darkened. He exhaled slowly. "Phoenix Marco… that man really is something else."
"Cough… cough… you damned ants…" Mars rasped, fear flashing in his eyes.
He tried to trigger his ability and call for aid, but Marco's Conqueror's Haki was wrapped around him like chains, sealing his powers completely.
Marco stared down at him coldly. He dropped his knee heavily onto Saint Mars's chest, pinning him in place, and clamped a hand around his head, erasing any chance of escape.
At the same time, surging black flames gathered around Marco's right arm.
Watching from afar, Ryokugyu roared, "You bastard! What do you think you're doing to the creator of this world?!"
He turned and shouted to the Marines, "Move! Capture Marco, now!"
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers, jolted into action, began to rush toward Marco to surround him.
But before they could close in, a scorching blast of fire rained down from above—Zack's breath once more.
"Don't even think about getting in Marco's way!" Zack thundered.
At the same moment, members of the Phoenix Pirates appeared, intercepting Marine squads one after another.
Not that it mattered much. To Marco in this moment, the Marines weren't a threat at all.
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