Kizaru maintained his usual lazy, faintly lewd smile as he spoke at an unhurried pace.
"I don't usually bother with swordplay… but if your neck's sturdy enough, I suppose I can entertain you for a bit."
As he spoke, a blade of pure light slowly took shape in his hand—the Ama no Murakumo Sword.
Seeing Kizaru halted by Vista, the Whitebeard Pirates finally let out a collective breath of relief.
Good thing Captain Vista stepped in…
Meanwhile, Marco was still carving his way through the battlefield when a thunderous voice boomed from above.
"Out of the way! Let me see how tough these Whitebeard Pirates really are! I'll smash them into pulp!"
Before the voice even finished echoing, a massive figure descended. Vice Admiral Ronse of the Giant Race—towering, axe in hand, a 'T'-shaped mask covering his face—loomed over Marco like a mountain.
"It's Vice Admiral Ronse!"
"Move aside—don't get in the Vice Admirals' way!"
As the cries spread, everyone realized Ronse wasn't alone. Several Giant Vice Admirals had stepped onto the frozen bay as well.
"So the Giants are finally joining in…"
The Whitebeard Pirates swallowed nervously. Against monsters of that size and raw power, most of them stood no chance.
Marco quickly scanned them.
Each Giant Vice Admiral hovered around Captain Level or Weak Captain Level.
"Die, little brat!" Ronse roared, lifting his massive axe and bringing it down with crushing force.
Too slow.
Even without Observation Haki, Marco sidestepped effortlessly, launching himself into the air until he was eye-level with the giants.
That alone enraged them.
For the first time, something small was staring them straight in the eyes.
They swung their weapons wildly—but Marco was already gone, weaving through the air with blinding agility. A flying kick slammed straight into one Giant Vice Admiral's face, sending the massive body crashing to the ice and skidding more than ten meters.
"Damn it!" another giant roared. "Like a flea—always dodging! Are all you Whitebeard Pirates rats?! If you're a warrior, fight head-on!"
Marco scoffed midair.
"Are you stupid? Who competes with giants in raw strength? With bodies that big, you're nothing but moving targets to me."
He accelerated.
Speed was their weakness.
Their movements were clumsy, predictable. Marco danced around their swings, landing kick after kick. Despite his comparatively small frame, every strike carried terrifying force, sending the giants stumbling or crashing to the ground.
The Whitebeard Pirates watching from below erupted in cheers.
"That's Captain Marco for you!"
"So what if they're Giants? In front of Marco, they're just punching bags!"
"Tch—he's too fast!" one Giant Vice Admiral spat, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "I can't land a hit at all!"
Even with their thick skin and monstrous endurance, the giants were beginning to feel the damage.
Marco, however, frowned slightly as he hovered in the air.
"These guys are annoying… I'm tank, sure—but I don't feel like dealing with enemies who are tanks too."
He glanced down.
The Giant Vice Admiral he'd just knocked flat was already back on his feet, brushing ice from his shoulders.
Marco's attacks had landed—but they weren't nearly enough to finish the job. Killing them would be even harder.
Against the Giant Race, Marco had little interest in prolonged combat.
First, they were incredibly hard to kill. Second—and more importantly—if he couldn't reliably gain attribute points from them, then they simply weren't worth the time.
For now, they were obstacles.
Not prey.
"You shouldn't be so overconfident, First Division Commander Marco."
A familiar, irritatingly lazy voice sounded right beside him.
Marco had only just turned his head when Kizaru appeared, his expression still lewd and relaxed as ever.
"Speed… is power," Kizaru drawled. "Ever been kicked by light?"
Marco's nerves instantly tightened. The moment he heard Kizaru's voice, his Observation Haki surged to its limit—but even so, Kizaru's body flashed into pure light in the next instant.
A kick shot straight toward Marco's face.
Marco reacted immediately, crossing his arms to block. His response speed was impeccable—fast enough to surprise even Kizaru slightly.
But a light-speed kick was not something that could be fully neutralized.
Boom!
Marco's body was blasted away like a cannonball, slamming hard into the frozen ground.
"Captain Marco!"
"It's Admiral Kizaru!"
"Damn it—he ambushed him!"
The Whitebeard Pirates roared in fury, unleashing gunfire at Kizaru. Bullets tore through the air—only to pass harmlessly through his light-formed body.
Kizaru didn't even flinch.
"My, my… how frightening," he said lazily. "The Whitebeard Pirates really are scary."
Marco sprang back to his feet almost instantly. Though his clothes were disheveled, there wasn't a single wound on his body. Still, his expression had grown noticeably heavier.
"So this is an Admiral…" Marco muttered. "If even Kizaru can kick me away like that, then I definitely won't be able to block Akainu's magma fist right now."
Even with his knowledge of the future, the gap in power was painfully clear.
In the early stages of the Marineford War, Akainu hadn't made many moves—but in the latter half, he alone suppressed the Whitebeard Pirates. Before that moment arrived, Marco had to gain the ability to withstand him.
No matter what.
With that resolve, Marco funneled all his newly gained attribute points straight into Strength.
Akainu was a pure power-type fighter. As long as Marco's Strength was high enough, he should at least be able to block his attacks.
The panel updated.
Strength: 5823
Evaluation: Yonko Commander Level
"…Still Yonko Commander Level?" Marco frowned slightly. "Hasn't it changed yet?"
Disappointed—but not discouraged.
As his strength climbed by several hundred points, Marco could clearly feel the difference. His muscles were denser, his blows heavier, his body more stable under impact.
And more importantly, he sensed it.
Just a bit more.
Once my basic attributes rise further… I'll break into the Strong Yonko Commander tier.
Marco lifted his gaze toward Kizaru and the other Admirals, blue flames flickering faintly around his body.
The real fight… was only just beginning.