The battle for Sphinx Island ended with the White Wolf Pirates, led by Magnus, claiming the final victory, but the fighting had also been brutal.
According to incomplete statistics, at least three thousand pirates and Marines had died in the war. More than five thousand pirates and Marines had been seriously wounded, while countless others had suffered minor injuries.
In the end, roughly eight thousand Marines had withdrawn onto the warships.
Another seven thousand remained on Sphinx Island.
They were Marines who, for various reasons, had not received the news in time and had failed to evacuate.
If the Marines' morale had not completely collapsed during the retreat, if Kong, a Fleet Admiral-level combatant, had still been present, and if the pirates had not dared pursue the Marines as they withdrew...
Then far more than seven thousand men would have been left behind.
In the end, the Marines led by Kong and the pirates led by Magnus faced each other across the sea from their warships, neither side daring to make a rash move.
Continuing the fight was impossible.
But with so many Marines still stranded on Sphinx Island, Kong could not simply abandon them and leave.
"I'll have Rona get there as soon as possible!"
With a Fleet Admiral needed to remain stationed at Marine Headquarters, Scarlet Snake Rona was now the only Fleet Admiral-level combatant the Marines could mobilize.
Marshal Kong had regretted more than once sending Rona to deal with the Giant Shark Pirates.
Three Fleet Admirals dropping in at once.
How could they lose with that kind of advantage?
But just thinking about it made it clear that was impossible.
If three Marine Fleet Admirals truly appeared, Magnus would run without a second word.
Even if they sent out two Fleet Admirals, Marshal Kong worried that