Rumble!
Armed with weapons in hand, fierce fighting broke out again.
Marco's halberd swung forward, blue flames roaring as the Immortal Phoenix's power erupted, carrying the force of wind and thunder, slashing toward Charlotte Katakuri.
Immortal power—this was a new form of power Marco had developed, a blue, aurora-like flame with immense destructive capability.
Clang!
Charlotte Katakuri blocked with his trident, cross-stopping the blow.
A terrifying aura instantly burst forth like a flash flood, rolling up debris into the sky. The flames spread rapidly, and Katakuri felt the temperature spike to a terrifying degree, as if the air itself was boiling.
Crack!
Fissures appeared on the ground beneath his feet, spreading quickly.
Katakuri gritted his teeth and, with a sudden burst of force, took the opportunity to retreat.
Rumble!
As he retreated, Marco's flaming halberd struck the earth with a resounding crash. The fissure created by the strike spread like lightning, shattering everything in its path—buildings, trees, everything was cracked and collapsed.
Swoosh!
Katakuri gripped his trident with one hand, and his arm morphed into glutinous mochi, transforming into a spring-like coil. The trident began spinning rapidly, with a sharp, piercing whistle as it shot toward Marco, slicing through the air at high speed.
"Die!"
Marco's killing intent grew stronger. He knew this opponent was dangerous—he couldn't hold back, or the consequences would be dire.
Facing the spinning trident, Marco's halberd ignited with monstrous flames. He slashed forward, and in an instant, a blue, lightning-like "immortal power" surged out.
This strike, imbued with immortal power, was devastating. It clashed with the trident and, with a clean slice, severed the spinning weapon.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed through the entire town. The seemingly invincible trident, now cut in two, had been destroyed by Marco's immortal power.
Katakuri's expression instantly darkened. An unprecedented sense of danger washed over him—this was a life-threatening situation.
Rumble!
Sure enough, the terrifying slash charged toward where Katakuri had been standing just moments ago. The ground shattered, dirt and rocks flying in all directions as the cracks spread like lightning, collapsing everything in their path.
Thud!
Katakuri's face turned cold, his Observation Haki saving him in the nick of time, pulling him back from the edge of death. He hadn't expected this at all. In their exchange, he had completely lost control, now finding himself suppressed and outmatched by Marco.
"Kill!"
Marco's flaming halberd came down once more, as Katakuri pressed his hands together. The ground beneath him instantly turned into glutinous mochi, and in just a blink, everything around him morphed into a sea of mochi.
In the next instant, the solidified mochi surged from the ground, covered in Armament Haki.
Boom!
One by one, the solidified mochi pillars met Marco's halberd, each clash ringing out like steel being struck. Incredibly, they managed to block Marco's slash this time.
Swoosh!
From the endless sea of mochi below, sharp tendrils shot up, covered in Armament Haki. They swarmed toward Marco, aiming to skewer him.
Crash!
With a loud bang, Marco's massive wings unfurled once again, propelling him into the air, narrowly avoiding the deadly mochi tendrils. But the tendrils, relentless, paused only for a moment before lunging after him again at incredible speed.
"Begone!"
Marco shouted, swinging his halberd fiercely. He slashed downward, and with another deafening rumble, the mochi tendrils were shredded into countless pieces.
Marco's determination was clear. His momentum didn't falter for even a second. As the terrifying boom echoed behind him, he charged toward Katakuri once more.
It all happened in an instant.
As the halberd fell, Katakuri moved with blinding speed, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike—but not entirely. Blood flowed from his shoulder; the halberd had sliced off a large chunk of flesh as he dodged.
A shiver ran down Katakuri's spine. He had come so close—too close—to death. Even with his powerful Haki, he hadn't completely avoided that terrifying slash.
Katakuri's heart pounded as if he'd been struck by lightning. He was shaken to his core. Yet, despite the shock, his body instinctively continued retreating at high speed.
Crack!
The battle halberd fell completely, slicing through the glutinous mochi-covered ground as if it were tofu, effortlessly cutting it in two.
Charlotte Katakuri, while retreating, pressed out with both hands.
Suddenly, the surrounding high-rise buildings, trees, earth, and stones—all without exception—were transformed into glutinous mochi. As soon as the mochi formed, it instantly solidified into massive rice cakes!
Boom!
One by one, the towering buildings, now turned into solidified mochi, were under Katakuri's control and came crashing down toward Marco, who had just charged in!
In the blink of an eye, these tall structures, coated with Armament Haki, formed thick, heavy walls. They enveloped Marco, pressing down with immense force from all directions, as if aiming to bury him alive.
The entire island shook violently!
Building after building slammed down, creating shockwaves that reverberated through the battlefield.
And it didn't stop there—
From the mochi-covered ground, even more giant rice cakes surged upward, pressing from above, sealing the area completely!
"Glutinous Mochi: Awakening!"
A shocked voice cried out, eyes wide in disbelief.
Amid the chaos of this ferocious battle, both combatants had unleashed world-shaking abilities.
"The power of his Devil Fruit has fully awakened! He's turning everything—high-rise buildings and all—into mochi and controlling them! I can't believe he's developed his powers to such an extent!"
Pirates watching from the sidelines were astounded.
It was rare for anyone to awaken their Devil Fruit powers.
But for those who reached this level,
Without exception,
They were always the strongest of the strong.
"Marco is completely trapped in the mochi! Is this it for him? Is he going to die?!"
The voices came from those rooting for Katakuri, their excitement growing as Marco appeared to be overwhelmed.
However—
In the next moment,
Everyone fell silent, frozen in place.
Their eyes widened, locked onto a single point.
"Oh my God! What in the world is that...?!"