"Cough cough cough…"
On the ruin-strewn beach, Marco leaned against a pile of rubble, his face pale and drenched in sweat as he gasped for breath.
Azure flas of the Phoenix burned around him, rapidly healing his wounds at a speed visible to the naked eye.
But even so, his body was covered in dark bruises. His face looked battered.
Seeing Naruto preparing to charge again, Marco quickly raised his hand. "No more! That's enough for today, or I will die."
Naruto raised an eyebrow and released his Hachimon Tonkō (Eight Gates Released Formation) stance.
"What? Aren't you the Phoenix?"
"I'm not really immortal…" Marco gave a bitter smile. "I just ate the Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix. But if the injuries are too severe, even the flas can't heal them quickly."
He couldn't comprehend Naruto's Eight Gates at all.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto's pure taijutsu power had increased tenfold.
Even without using ninjutsu, just taijutsu and Busoshoku Haki (Armant Haki) had left Marco overwheld—beaten black and blue.
This monster… he called it Eight Gates. Can he still get even stronger?
Marco grimaced inwardly.
The blue phoenix flas continued to burn, but Marco's face only grew heavier.
"I'm outta stamina…"
Devil Fruits consud stamina when used—and after fighting Naruto for several days straight, Marco had utterly exhausted his reserves.
And that was despite being the Phoenix—whose recovery capabilities were far beyond normal pirates.
"Alright, then rest up. Once you're back in shape, we'll continue." Naruto sounded almost reluctant.
After sparring with Marco, he'd co to realize that Marco was the perfect training dummy.
Strong combat ability, practically unkillable, and recovered fast no matter how badly injured.
"Thanks to this guy, I feel like my physical abilities have increased by at least 20%..." Naruto's eyes glead as he clenched his fists.
"The Eight Gates' backlash is basically nonexistent now. Next round, I might try opening seven gates…"
Marco winced but was already nodding off from exhaustion.
At that mont, Hozuki Suigetsu ca running over, excited.
"Naruto-dono! The Whitebeard Pirates are here! They're just outside Fishman Island in the deep sea!"
"And it's not just a few ships—there's hundreds. Looks like they brought everyone."
"What should we do? Want to wipe them out?"
"What!?"
Marco's eyes flew open, and he struggled to sit up, his face pale with disbelief.
"They all ca? You're kidding, right!?"
"It's true!"
Suigetsu insisted. "Hundreds of ships! They're so packed they're blocking other pirate crews and even fishn from passing!"
"That's impossible. Do you even know how many mbers the Whitebeard Pirates have?"
Marco still couldn't believe it.
The Whitebeard Pirates were the strongest force in the New World. The main crew alone had sixteen divisions, with about 1,600 mbers—each division led by a powerful captain.
Beyond that, they had 43 subordinate pirate crews.
In total, they had hundreds of ships and a fighting force of 50,000—enough to go toe-to-toe with the entire Navy.
Such a monstrous force could level several Fishman Islands. There was no way they all ca just to save him.
"Quit shouting. If you don't believe , see for yourself."
Suigetsu rolled his eyes at Marco.
Being from the Hozuki clan, he especially hated flas—Marco annoyed him.
Marco twitched. He closed his eyes and expanded his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki).
At first, nothing. No ships in the surrounding deep sea. He sighed in relief.
Still uneasy, he flew up into the air.
Once he reached the edge of the protective bubble, he expanded his Haki again.
This ti, he sensed them.
Dozens of pirate ships, just within the edge of his Haki's range. And they bore the flags of affiliated pirate crews.
Marco's face fell.
No way… It's true… Even if we were going to war with the Navy, there was no need for everyone to co to Fishman Island!
He recognized so of the flags—The Ice Witch Pirates, the Spider Pirates, the Cavaliers…
If they were here, it ant the entire Whitebeard Pirate fleet had assembled.
But he just couldn't understand it.
The Calm Belt was impassable to most—but not to the Whitebeard Pirates.
After all, no matter how big the Sea Kings were, two punches from Pops would make them behave.
Still, reaching Fishman Island required diving 10,000 ters—a high-risk venture few top crews would even consider.
"The Whitebeard Pirates, huh?"
Naruto's eyes lit up with interest.
"Suigetsu. Izumi. Let's go et this 'strongest man on the seas.'"
Suigetsu perked up instantly and dashed toward Sanbi Isobu's mouth.
"Naruto-dono, let's go right now!"
Of course he told Naruto—mainly to dodge more training. And also to see so of this world's strongest fighters.
Uchiha Izumi quickly followed.
Marco panicked. "Naruto! Don't act recklessly! We can talk about Fishman Island again!"
He knew Naruto's dominance in the sea.
Just days ago, he'd watched him take out several thousand fishn in underwater battle—10,000 ters below sea level.
"Then co with us." Naruto waved a hand.
Golden chains surged forward, wrapping around Marco again and tossing him into Isobu's mouth.
With that done, Naruto coated his arm in Busoshoku Haki and reached beyond the island's bubble:
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Technique!)"
"BOOM!"
The massive turtle-like Sanbi reentered the ocean, paddling with limbs as massive as a battleship's hull.
"Pops! A Sea King is headed our way…!"
Onboard the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, a lookout pirate ca running to the deck in a panic:
"It looks like a crocodile-turtle hybrid! Incredibly aggressive! Looks exactly like the one Uzumaki Naruto summoned back on Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Gurararara…"
Whitebeard burst into laughter, then grabbed his naginata, radiating oppressive force.
"That brat actually dares co to see ?"
He stood up and yanked out all the IV tubes from his body.
"Then let's see what he's got!"
"Pops!"
Diamond Jozu stepped forward.
"How can we let you take the first step? Let test him first."
Half his body turned into dazzling diamond as he clenched a massive fist.
"It's just a Sea King. I'll shatter its shell with one punch."
(End of Chapter)
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