Seeing Cracker hunched over, Marco seized the perfect opportunity. With a powerful knee strike, he hit Cracker squarely under the chin, sending him flying into the air and forcing a spray of fresh blood from his mouth.
"If you're afraid of pain, why be a pirate?!" Marco shouted, spinning 360 degrees in midair to deliver another kick to Cracker's abdomen, launching him farther away. Flames of blue engulfed Marco as he relentlessly pursued his target.
"Cough, cough… damn it!" Cracker gasped, blood streaming from his nose and mouth, his brain beginning to starve for oxygen from the repeated impact. Fear of pain had always been his refuge, hiding behind his biscuit soldiers, yet now he endured the agony. As he glanced up, Marco came at him again, and this time, Cracker's cheek collided directly with Marco's foot.
"Phoenix Seal…" Cracker groaned as another solid kick struck his face. His nose bled uncontrollably, and he was sent tumbling backward once more.
Cracker's consciousness wavered as he hit the ground. The fear of death surged, finally overpowering the pain in his body. His feet dug into the ground, sliding tens of meters before halting. Watching Marco charge again, dread filled him. This man was utterly ruthless, pressing the advantage without giving even a moment to recover. Cracker had no escape. Gripping his spinning long sword, he roared, "Damn it! I'll fight you to the death! Spinning Pretzel…"
"Iron Body: Fire Fist…"
This time, neither fought defensively. Cracker's Pretzel pierced Marco's abdomen, yet Marco's fist slammed into Cracker's face with tremendous force. A resounding 'boom' erupted as a spiraling blue flame Shockwave burst from Marco's fist, hurling Cracker thousands of meters into the distance. He crashed into a cliff, half-embedded in rock, completely unconscious.
"Charlotte Cracker…" The morale of the Big Mom Pirates plummeted. With two Sweet Commanders defeated in succession, despair began to take root. It was clear to them now that their elite officers could not stop Marco.
Marco, enduring the pain from the biscuit sword, calmly withdrew the weapon embedded in his body. Blue flames immediately wrapped around his wound, and it rapidly healed.
"Are you alright, Marco?" Namur asked, rushing over in concern.
Marco smiled confidently. "You forget my abilities. When it comes to recovery, I'm second to none. This kind of injury? A few seconds, and it's gone."
Indeed, within moments, the wound healed completely, leaving no scar behind.
"Even Charlotte Cracker has fallen?" Smoothie muttered, clearly flustered. Fossa still struggled, yet two of the Four Sweet Commanders had already been defeated. It would soon be her turn.
Fossa, panting heavily, laughed. "You've underestimated Marco and the Phoenix Pirates far too much. As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. No matter what, we are still a Four Emperors Pirate Crew!"
Smoothie's expression darkened. Even without Whitebeard, these Phoenix Pirates were not to be trifled with. They had underestimated their opponents this time.
Meanwhile, Ace and Katakuri faced off. Both bore bruises and burns, yet the fire in their hearts remained unextinguished.
Ace forced a smile through his wounds. "Only two Sweet Commanders remain. You thought that without Pops, you could easily manipulate us, the Phoenix Pirates. That's why you failed."
Katakuri remained silent. They had indeed underestimated the Phoenix Pirates, and he had come to realize that now.
Ace continued, "We may have been silly sons under Pops' protection, but even though he's gone, what he left us are treasures we will never let you take."
Katakuri gradually regained composure. His gamble—abandoning Observation Haki for head-on combat with Armament Haki—had been risky. He sought to overpower Ace quickly, to rescue his younger siblings, yet he had underestimated him.
As a Logia Devil Fruit user, Ace's destructive power was terrifying. Katakuri calmed himself, knowing he must not let his emotions override his Observation Haki. Otherwise, even with stronger Armament Haki, he would be outmatched by the sheer power of Ace's Mera Mera no Mi.
"Oh, it seems you've finally regained your calm?" Ace teased. "I heard from Marco about your Observation Haki. It seems it only functions optimally when you're emotionally stable. Is that why seeing your siblings fall earlier caused it to fail?"
Katakuri's eyes regained their usual coldness. His eagerness to defeat Ace remained, but he recognized his emotional outburst had put him at a disadvantage. The more anxious he became, the less effective his combat strategy was.
Ace smiled confidently. "When I faced Akainu at Marineford, I doubted my own Mera Mera no Mi. But now, compared to you, I know its strength. Your Mochi-Mochi Fruit, even awakened, has limitations. Every Devil Fruit has its strengths and weaknesses. Mine may not be as destructive as the Magma-Magma Fruit, but it surpasses yours in raw power."
Katakuri's eyes darkened, acknowledging the reality. Ace's words were accurate, and the difference in their Devil Fruits' abilities had become evident.