When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but laugh, as if they had already pictured Akainu being beaten down by Uchiha Madara.
At this moment, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Marco, were desperately resisting the Marines' offensive.
Even though they knew they wouldn't be able to hold out for long, they still gritted their teeth and persevered, determined to protect the most important people and get them out safely.
Marco, as the user of the Phoenix Fruit, possessed extraordinary regenerative powers. No matter how severe the injury, his body could recover almost instantly.
But even with that ability, Marco had already consumed a great deal of stamina when facing Uchiha Madara earlier.
And now—
Did they really expect him to fight Akainu again?
Marco wasn't made of iron. His stamina was still limited, and using his Devil Fruit to heal injuries consumed an enormous amount of energy. Without sufficient strength, even he couldn't keep regenerating forever.
"Marco, looks like the Kamui Pirates really did a number on you."
Akainu folded his arms across his chest, a mocking smile tugging at his lips as if he already knew the truth.
"Don't get too arrogant, Akainu!" Marco snapped. "One day, if you run into that man, you'll be just as miserable as I was."
Uchiha Madara.
The very mention of the name ignited fury in Akainu's eyes—but the anger vanished almost instantly, too quickly for anyone else to notice.
"I don't care who beat you before. All I know is that you're about to die at my hands. The so-called immortal Phoenix is going to fall here today!"
Akainu grinned, molten magma surging around his body, radiating unbearable heat.
Even the smallest drop of magma that splashed into the sea instantly vaporized vast amounts of seawater.
It wasn't hard to imagine what terrifying destruction would occur once Akainu gathered all that molten power into a single strike.
Even with Armament Haki, resisting such overwhelming force would be nearly impossible.
The other Whitebeard division commanders looked on anxiously, worrying about Marco's fate, but they couldn't do anything to help him.
They were already being hunted down by the other Vice Admirals—barely able to protect themselves, let alone come to Marco's aid.
To put it bluntly, they were already struggling just to survive.
And then—
A chilling, familiar voice suddenly rang down from the sky.
"Interesting. Truly amusing."
Everyone looked up. The figure hovering above was unmistakable.
The Marines frowned, uneasy, as though they had seen him somewhere before.
The Whitebeard Pirates, however, recognized him instantly.
"H-he's… Uchiha Madara?!"
One of the division commanders was stunned for a moment before blurting it out in disbelief.
It hadn't been long since the incident on Hive Island, where they had all watched Marco get crushed mercilessly by Uchiha Madara.
That terrifying Susanoo had burned itself into their memories—an image none of them could ever forget.
And now, seeing Uchiha Madara appear once again, towering like a god of war, how could they not tremble in fear?
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