Oars posed little threat to the tough-skinned Sanjuan Wolf, but fortunately, the other captains helped him deal with the Wolf, though the situation wasn't exactly favorable.
"See that over there? You're already at a disadvantage in this battle. This is fate. Stop struggling! Fate has chosen us, it has chosen Captain Teach!"
Izo isn't exactly a professional sniper; he just likes using pistols. However, possessing dual-color Haki, he's no less skilled than a sniper. Van Augur is a first-rate sniper, but his Armament Haki. His bullets aren't very lethal. In the New World, snipers without Armament Haki have virtually no standing!
Therefore, Izo could use Armament Haki to block Van Augur's bullets, but he dared not block Van Augur's bullets Izo were wrapped in Armament Haki. Fortunately, he was very agile and had Observation Haki to warn him, so he always managed to dodge the incoming bullets by the narrowest of times.
Overall, however, Van Augur was at a disadvantage and in a very sorry state, while Izo simply stood there shooting at him, completely ignoring what he was saying.
As for the battles between the remaining members of the Blackbeard Pirates and the other captains of the Whitebeard Pirates, the outcomes were roughly the same, with the Blackbeard Pirates members gaining the upper hand in some cases and the Whitebeard Pirates members in others. It seemed difficult to determine a winner in the short term.
However, Blackbeard always held the power of decision-making, and he never fully unleashed his abilities. Marco was also wary of him and dared not provide special support to others.
" Marco! You were given the chance, but you didn't cherish it! Don't blame me for not showing any mercy!"
" Black Hole!"
Blackbeard glanced at the battles elsewhere and knew that the fighting wouldn't end anytime soon. He wanted to resolve the conflict quickly, and the breakthrough point lay with him. He stopped trying to persuade them to surrender. It seemed that the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were not his force, and he made a decisive move!
Black matter continued to spread from Blackbeard's feet, raging across the entire battlefield. Everything in its path disappeared into the black matter. Jozu, who was closest, was directly bound to the spot by the black matter and could not move. Then, the diamonds covering his body gradually disappeared. A look of fear flashed across Jozu's face as he moved towards Blackbeard on his own.
"Run, everyone! Dark matter has the power to devour, so be careful not to get involved!"
Although his body was trapped by dark matter, it didn't mean he couldn't speak. Although Jozu was stunned for a moment, he quickly regained his senses and informed his companions.
However, the black substance spread too quickly. Since the battlefields of the group were not far apart, Oars, Izo, and several captains were trapped by the black substance. Only Vista noticed something was wrong in time and moved away. Several other captains were far away and only managed to escape after being warned. In the air, Marco's eyes were bloodshot!
" Teach! You bastard, let them go! Immortal Flames!"
Marco tried to unleash his ultimate attack to save the day, but his ability was completely swallowed up by the black matter as soon as it got close. Meanwhile, Vista and the other captains who had escaped were surrounded by Shiryu and his group. Shiryu and his group were completely unaffected by the black matter and calmly left the area.
Vista and his crew were already outnumbered and outmatched; the difference in strength between the two sides was too great. The end seemed imminent. The Whitebeard Pirates, which had been glorious for decades, would come to an end here today, and a new emperor would rise in this sea!
"Hahaha! Marco! You've missed your chance. After I've dealt with you, Pops's territory will be mine. It's up to you whether you want to share the hardships and die with them, or whether you'd rather bear the shame and escape alone. Choose, Marco! Hahaha!"
Blackbeard looked arrogant, as if victory was assured. This was indeed Blackbeard's style. The situation was already quite clear, and it was also his personality. Whitebeard had made it very clear before he died.
However, Blackbeard couldn't change the fact that he didn't believe so many unexpected things would happen to him, and he was extremely confident in his plans.
Marco, who was no longer a threat, was still someone he wanted to Marco. After all, Marco was strong and could fly, and if he got away, he would definitely retaliate later, which would be a real headache!
He doesn't have many men under his command who can stop Marco, so how will his pirate crew grow and expand? Are they only allowed to stay by his side and not disperse? If so, it would conflict with his plans.
So if Marco doesn't die, he really won't dare to kill Jozu and the others. Letting them go at least gives him territory and avoids retaliation, so the final outcome still depends on Marco's choice!
" Marco! You go quickly, don't worry about us, find a chance to avenge us!"
"That's right! Let's go find Ace, you're the ones who will avenge us!"
" Marco! Get out of here and tell Ace the truth, or he might not even know who his enemy is!"
" Vista is right! Marco! You and Ace are the last hope!"
"As long as you're still here, the Whitebeard Pirates will still exist!"
"You..."
"You're going to make me feel guilty for the rest of my life!"
Marco desperately wanted to rush up and fight Blackbeard, but reason told him he couldn't. If he fell into Blackbeard's hands, then Blackbeard would truly have no scruples left.
If he leaves alive, Blackbeard will at least be a little more cautious, even if it's just a little. Jozu will be much safer. They'll most likely be imprisoned, but at least they'll still be alive and have a chance to be rescued!
Blackbeard might be wary of him, but he might not be so wary of Ace; their abilities are vastly different!
While Marco was distracted, Lafitte flew over, and Doc Q also flew over from the other side on Stronger, trying to ambush Marco from both sides.
They were all smart enough to understand Blackbeard's purpose, and they were the only ones here who could fight Marco in the air. However, their strength was still inferior to Marco's. They had tried to fight Marco in the air before, but they were all kicked down because they were not strong enough. Now, taking advantage of Marco's distraction, they dared to try again.
Although Marco was distracted, he was not someone they could easily ambush. With his Observation Haki activated, Marco executed a Golden Hook, sending Doc Q and Stronger flying towards Blackbeard.
Seeing the blade piercing through his chest, Marco ignored it. The Phoenix possessed elemental properties, so it wouldn't be injured by the sword. He spread his wings, turned around, and kicked out. The Phoenix Brand struck Lafitte's chest, leaving a clear, burning claw mark. Lafitte cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
"Hahaha! Marco! Are you really going to abandon your comrades? You really are a coward! You did it once at Marine Headquarters, are you going to do it again? Get lost! Don't be a pirate anymore, it's shameful! Go find a place where nobody knows you and go nurse your kids, hahahaha!"
The ambush plan failed. Blackbeard slapped away the flying Doc Q and Stronger, and then continued to provoke him.
If Red-Hair hadn't gone to Marineford in the end, Marco and the others might not have even been able to retrieve the bodies of Whitebeard and the other crew members. He didn't think Vic would care about such things.
In his view, Vic's target has always been Garp's two grandsons, and he probably wouldn't care about anyone else, so he used Whitebeard to provoke Marco again.
Whitebeard must be a source of pain for all the remaining Whitebeard crew right now. The Paramount War must have been a huge shock. If even that can't make Marco act impulsively and ruthlessly, then he'll have no choice but to release him today. If Marco has that kind of mentality, then he's really a bit wary of him!
" Teach! You bastard! I'll kill you!"
Marco finally couldn't hold back any longer. His eyes Phoenix, and he transformed into a phoenix, flying towards Blackbeard at top speed, determined to pierce him through with his Jianzui!
Marco wasn't angry because Blackbeard called him a deserter. During Marineford, it was Pops who gave the order to retreat, in order to protect them!
Blackbeard's words are an insult to Whitebeard. He can ignore Blackbeard's insults, but insulting Whitebeard is unacceptable. Whitebeard is their Pops, the most respected person in the world!
So Marco went all out and didn't care about the consequences anymore. It was a bit like Akainu provoking Ace in the original work. In Whitebeard, Marco was no less than Ace. Because he had followed Whitebeard for a longer time, Marco's respect was even greater. Whitebeard was not only his Pops, but also their benefactor!
Marco's furious attack was useless; encountering Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit was like meeting his nemesis, as Blackbeard's Dark Water absorbed Marco.
Before he could react, the bird's neck was in Blackbeard's hand, and then he quickly reverted to human form. Of course, this was passive; he couldn't struggle or escape because Blackbeard's hand on his neck was as firm as a rock!