As night falls, the sea breeze caresses the pirate ships docked in the port, and the pirates working there have already departed.
Crunch~!
The sound of a bicycle speeding into the port startled the few remaining pirates, who, upon seeing the scene clearly, were shocked one by one.
"Someone came on a bicycle from the sea!" someone exclaimed in disbelief.
Snap! A subordinate next to him slapped him on the head. "Fool! That's Admiral Kuzan from the Navy headquarters!"
Snap! The captain beside the subordinate slapped him as well. "Idiot! Kuzan is now with the Blackbeard Pirates! Hide quickly!"
The small group of remaining pirates scrambled to hide in fear, and at the same time, they spread the news of Kuzan's arrival across the island through a Den Den Mushi.
The Blackbeard Pirates... Their notorious reputation in the New World now surpasses that of the other Emperors, becoming synonymous with slaughter and brutality.
Tread.
Kuzan dismounted his bicycle, accompanied by his penguin. It didn't take long before three figures, each peculiar in appearance, found him.
"You three... here as well?" Kuzan, who was on his way to find a hotel, glanced at the trio before him and fell silent. "It seems Teach's trust in me is… close to zero."
"Don't get the wrong idea," Katerina Devon replied, hands on her waist, her face thick with makeup as a hint of excitement crossed it. "It's a complete coincidence we're here. You must have gotten the news about Marco, right? The Admiral's trust in you is no less than in us."
A thought flickered in Kuzan's mind as he calmly responded, "If it's a coincidence, the reason you found me… must be about Marco?"
"Yes, but not entirely," Katerina grinned.
The three of them had originally planned to evacuate the area tonight, following Blackbeard's orders, but upon hearing of Kuzan's arrival, their plans shifted.
Their intention for seeking out Kuzan was clear.
If Blackbeard was unconcerned about them handling Marco, then with Kuzan—a former Navy Admiral—on their side, defeating Marco would be effortless.
They had felt dissatisfied about abandoning their original plan, as if they were running scared from Marco's name. These were warriors who had fought in the fierce seas of the Grand Line. To flee without a fight was a bitter pill to swallow, but they had followed Blackbeard's orders and prepared to retreat.
But now… there was no need to retreat.
"What do you think, Doc Q?" Vasco Shot asked, taking a swig from his bottle and belching, still drunk.
"Now that Kuzan's here, what more is there to say?" Doc Q, the Death Doctor, conceded.
Clearly, they had reached a consensus. With Kuzan, a former Admiral, joining forces with them, even the most fearsome of the Four Emperors would struggle to prevail against such a formidable group.
Let alone Marco.
After all, Kuzan was once one of the Navy's greatest.
Kuzan thought for a moment before finally nodding. "I agree with your idea to join forces against Marco. But… whether we succeed or not, any blame is not on me."
He was distancing himself from responsibility.
The others didn't care. As long as Marco was taken down, they would complete their plan. He was a legendary pirate, after all.
But more importantly, if they succeeded, they would gain two Devil Fruit abilities. The Immortal Phoenix's power, in particular, had been their long-coveted prize.
Especially after Marco's recent battle with Katakuri, the destructive capabilities of the Immortal Phoenix's powers were on par with any powerful Logia fruit. Its regenerative abilities far exceeded that of any other type.
This made them all eager.
Taking Marco down meant gaining the powers of the Immortal Phoenix.
"Have someone keep an eye on Marco, in case he tries to slip away in the night," Katerina said excitedly.
"No need to tip him off. Marco won't leave until he's certain we've gone. Until then, he'll be searching for us on nearby islands," Doc Q analyzed calmly.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Well then… let's celebrate in advance for our success in acquiring two incredible Devil Fruits!" Katerina added.
…
Meanwhile, Marco had already left the battlefield and arrived on a different island, unaware that on a nearby island, the Blackbeard Pirates were plotting to hunt him down.
If he knew, he would have likely burst into laughter.
On the island, the streets were lively, a stark contrast to the deserted port. People filled the streets—pirates, merchants, civilians—busily going about their affairs, with lights gleaming from every corner.
Various pirate crews were buying supplies, dining, or simply conversing.
"Hey, did you hear? Recently, a lot of legendary pirates have entered the New World. I'm afraid the whole place won't stay peaceful for long!" one pirate said loudly to his crewmates, taking a swig from his drink.
"I heard some of those legendary pirates are the top fighters from the old era, people who once sailed with the Pirate King himself! This era is destined for an intense battle!" another pirate chimed in, sparking surprise among the crowd.
"All this chaos… caused by none other than the Immortal Phoenix Marco!"
Someone lowered his voice, "I heard many pirates are targeting Marco. After Whitebeard's death, leadership of the Whitebeard Pirates fell to Marco. Now, he's incredibly strong, and plenty of pirates want to reclaim their status by taking him down."
Hiss.
It was all aimed at Marco.
Many pirates gasped in response.
"Hey! Enough with that nonsense!" A pirate on the other side shouted, clearly excited. "I've got the latest news—a new bounty order just came out!"
"A new bounty order?!"
"I wonder if my bounty went up?"
"If only I could break 100 million!"
The mention of bounty updates immediately drew everyone's attention, sparking excitement as they all anticipated their own bounty increases.
Besides issuing bounties for specific events, the World Government periodically releases new bounty orders for the most active pirates in the New World, increasing the rewards.
"Heh, you bunch of rookies. My bounty's definitely going over 300 million this time!" one pirate boasted proudly.
300 million berries!
Hiss!
The crowd reacted with awe. A pirate expected to break 300 million in bounty was a big deal—100 million and 300 million are significant thresholds for any pirate.
"You think... Marco's bounty will go up too?"
Suddenly, a pirate broke the tension with a question.
The chatter instantly stopped.
Everyone fell silent.
Even the boastful pirate who had just claimed he'd surpass 300 million twitched at the corners of his mouth. Damn it... he thought, Who had to bring up the Immortal Phoenix Marco at a time like this?