Marco the Phoenix

Shirakawa's opponents were just small fry, nameless existences even aboard the Whitebeard Pirates. Against such insignificant foes, he had no need to hold back.

Perhaps because Shirakawa was too ruthless, a Division Commander appeared before him, blocking his attack.

"You look unfamiliar. Are you a new crewmate of the Roger Pirates?" Amid the fighting, he asked Shirakawa.

"That's right. I'm Shirakawa. Who are you?"

"I am the Ninth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Blamenco. Remember it." As he spoke, a sudden force surged through his blade, pushing Shirakawa back a step.

"The Ninth Division Commander? Just the right opponent for a match of equal strength."

When it came to the First through Fifth Division Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, Shirakawa was no match for them. But from the Sixth onward, he couldn't claim he would win, yet he certainly wouldn't lose quickly.

Shirakawa's gaze sharpened, and a fierce aura radiated from his body. The Sword of Damocles instantly appeared above his head.

"What the hell is that?" The Whitebeard Pirates, seeing this sword for the first time, were startled. If that blade fell, they would suffer heavy losses.

In an instant, everyone present fixed their eyes on Shirakawa, Whitebeard included.

"Roger, I didn't expect you to have such an interesting brat on your ship." Roger and Whitebeard's clash came to a halt.

"Haha, he's one of the crewmates I have the highest hopes for." Roger laughed heartily.

"But for now, he's just a brat who hasn't grown yet."

Hearing Roger say this, Whitebeard's impression of Shirakawa grew even more serious. Those who earned such words from Roger were few and far between.

"Is that so? Then I'm truly looking forward to seeing how he develops in the future."

"Don't worry, he won't fall short of either of us." With that, the two clashed again. Seeing their captain already engaged, the Whitebeard Pirates naturally had no reason to stop and watch.

Still, they kept some attention fixed on the sword hanging high in the sky.

"A Devil Fruit User?" Blamenco said gravely. Since this was his first encounter with this Devil Fruit, he had to be cautious.

"Sort of, but don't worry about it. It's not much use."

"Is that so?" Blamenco retorted, his tone clearly skeptical. A sword that big being useless would be a damn lie.

The battle between Roger and Whitebeard was immense in scale. No one stood near their fight, because the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power, when unleashed wildly, didn't distinguish friend from foe.

Every strike caused the ground to split. The sizable island had already been cleaved in two by the pair—one half was Roger and Whitebeard's exclusive battlefield, the other half belonged to everyone else.

"Old Father is really going all out." Marco, in the midst of battle, was clearly not putting in full effort. Even his opponent, Gaban, was just going through the motions, firing a few shots.

The same went for Rayleigh and Kozuki Oden's fight. Their attacks were probing at best. On this battlefield, the only one truly fighting a Whitebeard Division Commander with full seriousness was Shirakawa.

"Tsk, not bad, kid." Blamenco was starting to regret it. Why had he picked such a troublesome brat? If he'd chosen someone else, he could've just coasted through.

Now, if he didn't get serious, that kid might land a cut somewhere on him. What was more infuriating was that the brat hadn't taken any damage, or had an ability similar to Marco's that let him recover.

After a stalemate, Blamenco couldn't stand this cheating kid anymore. Unless his strength could crush him outright, the opponent would just drag it out to the end.

"What? You don't want to fight anymore?" Seeing Blamenco leap back, Shirakawa asked in confusion. He was in the zone, enjoying the fight thoroughly, without considering the other's feelings.

"Marco, let's switch. I think you'll find this kid very interesting." Blamenco said to the laid-back Marco.

Even though he couldn't beat Gaban, it wouldn't be as miserable as fighting Shirakawa.

"Alright then." Marco glanced at Shirakawa, now intrigued.

"You planning to play with Shirakawa? Perfect, I could use a break. That kid's ability is a lot like yours." Gaban, having overheard their exchange, pushed up his sunglasses.

"Is that so?" Hearing Gaban's words, Marco grew even more curious.

"Aren't you worried about him?" Blamenco stood before Gaban, but neither made a move. Since Blamenco was no match for Gaban, he had no desire to seek a beating, and Gaban's inaction was something he welcomed. This way, he was still tying up a key member of the Roger Pirates.

"His ability is stronger than you think. If it drags on, you really wouldn't be his match." Gaban pulled out a flask from his waist, took a swig, and let out a satisfied groan.

"Is that so?" Blamenco was a bit unconvinced. Until the fight ended, no one knew the final outcome.

"Just watch and you'll see."

"I hear your ability is a lot like mine?" Marco approached Shirakawa with a deadpan expression and a flat tone.

"Marco the Phoenix. Our abilities are indeed similar, but I feel mine is a notch stronger than yours."

"Is that so?"

With that, Marco instantly appeared before Shirakawa and kicked him, sending him flying dozens of meters backward.

"You're not worried about that?" Seeing Shirakawa immediately at a disadvantage, and Gaban leisurely drinking, Blamenco swallowed hard, a bit envious. He regretted not bringing a barrel of rum from the ship.

"Not worried. He'll be fine."

Sure enough, once the dust cleared, Shirakawa stood before them completely unharmed.

"Wow, it really is like Marco's ability!" The Whitebeard crewmates exclaimed in amazement. A normal person would definitely have been injured by Marco's kick.

"Indeed, it's very similar to the Phoenix's ability." But when Marco recovered, his wounds would emit the unique flames of the Phoenix. Shirakawa's didn't.

Suddenly, Marco felt himself grow heavy. Even the ground beneath him sank lower than the surrounding area.

"Gravity?" Marco exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected Shirakawa to also control gravity, and that it was suppressing his speed.

"Not good." Marco cursed inwardly. Shirakawa appeared before him in an instant. Knowing Marco had regenerative abilities, Shirakawa saw no need to hold back.

But just as Shirakawa was about to land a hit, Marco instantly transformed into his Phoenix form, breaking free from the gravity's grip and taking flight. Shirakawa's attack missed.