"Gurararara! This kid is really something. He doesn't even see Marco as an obstacle," Whitebeard laughed heartily, his massive frame shaking as his voice boomed across the deck.
"Quickly defeat Marco, kill Blackbeard, and then watch TV? Haha! What an amusing fellow!" Diamond Jozu's tone carried a mix of amusement and curiosity as his eyes lingered on Ashveil.
Marco, however, was no ordinary opponent. Though his demeanor was calm and unassuming, his strength was unquestionable. To defeat him was no easy feat.
Flower Sword Vista, gripping his twin blades tightly, let a spark of curiosity flicker across his eyes. "For a moment, it almost felt like this guy, Ashveil, really could defeat Marco…"
"Defeat Marco? Impossible, right?" Jozu shook his head, disbelief etched on his face.
"Marco's Phoenix Fruit is too troublesome. His regeneration rivals even a Logia user's intangibility. Without powerful Armament Haki, he can't be hurt at all," Jozu murmured thoughtfully.
Vista exhaled sharply, steadying his excitement. "Hah, maybe it was just an illusion," he said, though unease lingered in his voice.
"What do you think, Pops?" Jozu turned to Whitebeard, knowing the old man's opinion weighed more than any of theirs. After all, Whitebeard himself had named Ashveil Captain of the Zero Division.
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, the faintest curve forming at his lips. "I think the one standing victorious will be Ashveil. Ten years have passed… and who knows how far that monstrous Conqueror's Haki of his has grown."
The crowd erupted in shock. Whitebeard actually favored Ashveil over Marco?!
His opponent was Marco—the Phoenix, the First Division Commander, the man who had never feared even Admirals. To doubt his victory seemed absurd.
Pirates began to chatter nervously among themselves. "Even if his Conqueror's Haki is terrifying, without Armament or Observation, how could he defeat Marco?"
Betting spread through the ranks. Though Ashveil's odds were no longer one-in-a-thousand like during his fight with Atmos, they still sat at ten-to-one. A handful of daring pirates placed bets on the young captain, hoping for an upset. The majority, however, still put their faith in Marco.
Because who in their right mind would believe that a kid under twenty could topple the Phoenix?
While the chatter buzzed, the battlefield shifted.
Marco spread his wings, his body bursting into azure flames as he transformed into a magnificent phoenix. His sharp cry echoed, wings beating as he soared directly toward Ashveil.
But before Marco could even launch an attack, Ashveil had already moved.
There was no hesitation. His will surged. Ashveil's fighting style was unlike anyone else's—he wielded Conqueror's Haki as a direct weapon, faster and sharper than physical strikes.
With but a thought, he unleashed it.
The suppressed energy within him exploded outward like a collapsing dam. A wave of overwhelming willpower swept across the battlefield, crashing toward the phoenix head-on.
Whitebeard, Jozu, and Vista froze, their eyes widening. "He released such a massive wave of Haki in an instant?!"
Marco felt the pressure immediately. At such close range, the raw might of Ashveil's Conqueror's Haki struck like a storm. His chest tightened. His instincts screamed danger.
But Marco was no novice. He had faced Admirals, Yonko, and countless powerful pirates. Clenching his teeth, he steadied himself. It's just pressure. Intimidation. His Haki alone can't touch me while I'm in my Phoenix form.
Blue flames surged around his body, his regenerative aura burning brighter.
Then—Boom!
Ashveil's Haki surged forward, condensing into the shape of a colossal fist. It wasn't just intimidation—it carried the weight of a physical blow. The fist slammed into Marco mid-flight, hurling him across the battlefield.
Crash!
He smashed into the deck with such force that planks shattered and a massive crater formed in the shape of his body.
Gasps filled the air.
"Marco… was sent flying?!"
"The First Commander—defeated in one blow?!"
Pirates gawked in disbelief. The untouchable Phoenix had been struck down.
Whitebeard slapped his forehead, realization flashing in his eyes. "Of course! This is the pinnacle of Conqueror's Haki… Conqueror's Infusion that bypasses intangibility. Even Logia users can't escape it!"
The crowd reeled at his words.
Was such a thing even possible? To strike with sheer willpower?
Whitebeard's voice grew heavier. "This is a level above mere coating. Not even Roger fully mastered this. But Rocks… my former captain… he wielded this very power."
A ripple of silence spread across the deck.
Rocks D. Xebec… The name itself sent shivers down the pirates' spines. A man who even Roger and Whitebeard once stood beside, not as equals but as subordinates.
If Ashveil had inherited even a fragment of that power, then… his future was unfathomable.
From the crater, a furious cry echoed. Blue flames erupted once more as Marco dragged himself out, no longer in his full phoenix form. Instead, his body twisted into a hybrid state—half-man, half-bird, his wings glowing as his aura flared.
Marco's eyes hardened. "This kid… isn't normal. That blow carried the weight of Armament… but it was purely Conqueror's Haki. Impossible…"
He clenched his fists, staring at Ashveil with a rare solemnity. He was barely twenty, yet his strength rivaled legends.
Marco had always considered himself a prodigy. He had risen to First Division Commander at a young age, commanding respect even from Admirals. Yet in this moment, his pride felt hollow.
Ashveil was the real genius.
But Marco wasn't done.
"Impressive," he admitted, his wings spreading wide, his eyes sharp. "But without Observation Haki, you won't see my attacks coming. Let's see how you handle this!"
Wind gusted violently as Marco vanished, his speed reaching its peak.
The real test was about to begin.
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