Even though Kaido had reached Weak King Level strength, Marco remained confident in a prolonged battle. The old injuries and accumulated fatigue on his body still lingered, but as long as the fight dragged on, he knew he still had a chance to prevail.
On the nineteenth day, Marco and Kaido resumed their battle at dawn. But Kaido, having mastered his awakened form the previous day, immediately pressed the offensive, forcing Marco onto the defensive. Despite the power of his Phoenix Flame and Conqueror's Haki, Marco's stamina was starting to waver.
By the twentieth day, Kaido's relentless attacks had not abated. Marco's recovery could no longer keep up, leaving him sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. Kaido, unhurried, waited for Marco to rise and face him again.
With great effort, Marco drew a deep breath, slowly pushing himself to a sitting position and then to his feet. His legs trembled violently, a testament to his exhausted stamina.
Kaido grinned, his eyes alight with cruel amusement. "Worororo, it looks like you've reached your limit, Marco!"
Marco inhaled sharply, staring at Kaido, and admitted helplessly, "I'm done. You've won this battle."
At that moment, the system AI echoed in his mind: "Mission complete. Challenged Four Emperor Kaido of the Beasts, enduring five days without defeat in his hands. Reward: 3,000 attribute points."
Kaido's eyes gleamed with joy, though a trace of disappointment lingered. Had this exhilarating clash truly ended?
"Lord Kaido won!" "As expected, Lord Kaido triumphed!" "Lord Kaido is invincible!" The Beasts Pirates erupted in cheers. Their captain had claimed victory after twenty days of relentless combat.
The Phoenix Pirates, meanwhile, focused entirely on protecting Marco, forming a defensive circle around him to prevent any surprise attacks.
Marco finally addressed Kaido. "A bet is a bet. The incident with Jack attacking Nanku Island, we'll call it even."
He then instructed Jozu, "Hand Caesar over to him."
"Understood," Jozu said, pulling Caesar toward Kaido and presenting him to the Beasts Pirates.
"Lord Kaido…" Caesar greeted nervously, overwhelmed by the terrifying aura of Kaido's crew.
Kaido looked down at him, grinning. "You're the scientist behind SMILE, aren't you? Do well, and I won't treat you badly."
"Yes… this humble one thanks Lord Kaido," Caesar replied obsequiously.
Turning his attention back to Marco, Kaido asked, "Marco, are you really not considering becoming my son-in-law? If you agree, you could inherit the Beasts Pirates someday."
Marco, utterly exhausted and yearning for rest, whispered, "Let's discuss this later."
Kaido studied Marco's condition and nodded, understanding that even with his awakened Devil Fruit and enhanced strength, Marco was severely fatigued after twenty days of combat. He had no intention of exploiting his opponent's weakness.
Still, Kaido respected Marco's power. This battle had proven to him that Marco possessed strength on par with Whitebeard. Laughing, Kaido said, "Worororo, you're right! You don't look very spirited. We'll hold a celebration soon, and I hope you and your Phoenix Pirates can attend."
"Okay," Marco replied, deciding it was best to agree for now, regardless of Kaido's plans.
Seeing the Phoenix Pirates remain wary, Kaido laughed heartily. "Worororo, my little ones, let's head back."
News of the epic twenty-day battle between Four Emperor Marco and Four Emperor Kaido spread across the world like wildfire. Despite Marco's defeat, Kaido's victory solidified his position as the strongest creature in land, sea, and air.
In the aftermath, the Marines raised Kaido's bounty to 4,972,900,000 Berries. Marco's bounty remained unchanged as the defeated party.
Three days after the battle, Marco had finally rested, his body fully recovered. The Phoenix Pirates remained unshaken by his defeat. After all, Marco was younger than Kaido, and the chance to surpass him in the future was very real.
Wearing sunglasses and reclining on a beach chair, Marco glanced at his system panel. A new mission awaited: "Mission: Avenge – Defeat Kaido, the strongest creature in land, sea, and air. Reward: 10,000 attribute points."
Other missions were displayed as well:
Mission: Revenge – Annihilate the Blackbeard Pirates. Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Bounty: Captain Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach: 3,000 attribute points; Crew members: Shiryu, Jesus Burgess, Doc Q, Buster Call, etc., 500 attribute points each.
Mission: Surpass the Old Era and Become the Strongest of the New Era – Reach a bounty of 5,564,800,000 Berries or more, and inherit Whitebeard's title of "strongest man in the world." Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
The previous mission, Establish Authority, had vanished following his defeat to Kaido, leaving only vengeance and the path to surpassing the old era. Marco leaned back, the sun warming him, his mind already strategizing for the battles yet to come.
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