Every slight movement Big Mom made distorted the space around her, and an overwhelming aura spread outward from her as the center.
The giant sword in her hand spun faster and faster along with her, stirring up a destructive whirlwind.
That storm was like a savage beast. Everything in its path was mercilessly torn apart and crushed.
The wind howled, sweeping dust and shattered stone from the ground into a massive vortex that dragged everything nearby into its pull.
"Emperor Sword: Shattering Blade!"
Big Mom unleashed a thunderous roar, and all the power in her body erupted at once.
A shockwave ten times larger than the one before burst from her giant sword, roaring forward like an ancient dragon awakening from the depths of time.
The energy contained within that shockwave was terrifying. Wherever it passed, space itself seemed to ignite, rippling violently.
In an instant, the dense rain of lasers pouring down like a storm became helpless before that overwhelming strike.
Laser after laser shattered and faded, like fragile bubbles crushed by a raging wave.
The explosions behind her bloomed like gorgeous fireworks, their brilliant colors lighting up the dark sky.
Those fireworks looked like flowers in full bloom, yet they carried the scent of death, making the mad Empress look like a demon god bringing ruin to the world.
Her figure became even taller and more ferocious in the firelight, stirring both awe and fear in everyone who saw her.
The situation had already reached its breaking point.
Deafening explosions threatened to tear the entire world apart, while thick smoke rolled outward with scorching heat.
At that critical moment, a clear and determined voice cut through the roaring chaos like a morning bell at dawn.
"Everyone! Get behind me!"
The one who shouted was Marco.
He stood there tall and steady, like a towering mountain, giving everyone around him an endless sense of safety.
As he suddenly spread both arms, a powerful and mysterious force erupted from him.
Blue phoenix flames rose into the sky like a surging tide, burning with boundless majesty and power before transforming into a pair of enormous flaming wings that seemed large enough to cover the heavens.
Those wings were so vast they looked capable of sheltering the entire world, drawing everything beneath their protection.
And those flames of regeneration were no ordinary fire.
They flowed and intertwined as if they had lives of their own, moving with spirit and order, like well-trained soldiers swiftly gathering into formation.
In the blink of an eye, they formed a gigantic protective shield stretching thousands of meters wide.
Looking closely, one could see exquisite phoenix patterns flowing across the shield's surface. The patterns were so lifelike that they seemed ready to spread their wings and fly at any moment.
Every feather forming the shield shone with an endless healing light, soft and warm, as if it could drive away every pain and fear in the world.
"Captain Marco!"
A young pirate cried out in terror and urgency, his trembling hand pointing toward the left.
Following his gesture, three blinding lasers could be seen curving around the original defensive line at a strange angle, rushing toward the crowd at terrifying speed.
Wherever those lasers passed, the air burned and twisted, giving off a chilling aura.
"Don't get distracted!"
Marco answered in a calm, steady voice.
His gaze remained locked on the danger ahead, and he did not even turn his head.
At that moment, three flaming feathers suddenly separated from his enormous left wing.
Like perfectly guided missiles, the three feathers shot toward the lasers circling in from the side with a sharp whistle.
The instant the blue flames collided with the dark-red energy, a strange hum rang out.
The sound was like music from another world, filled with mysterious power.
Even more astonishing was what happened during that violent collision.
The lasers' destructive energy was cleverly transformed into healing light.
That healing radiance fell gently like spring rain, scattering over the wounded crew members below and bringing them life and hope.
Nearby, Jozu was skillfully refracting incoming lasers while laughing heartily.
"Hey! Marco, that shield of yours can heal people too?"
His laughter carried both admiration for Marco's power and a rare bit of teasing in the middle of such a tense battle.
"Less talking!"
Marco frowned slightly, but the corner of his mouth still lifted into a faint, confident smile.
He quickly warned him,
"Watch your two o'clock!"
The alertness and decisiveness in his eyes made sure no one dared relax for even a second.
Everything seemed to accelerate at once.
Suddenly, as if a heavy bomb had been dropped into a calm lake, Uranus's terrifying main cannon erupted with an especially thick laser.
The beam was like an enraged dragon, carrying world-destroying energy as it blasted straight toward the center of the protective shield with overwhelming force.
Marco felt the brutal impact crash toward him.
His body trembled despite himself, and he let out a low grunt.
His signature phoenix wings, which had been burning with brilliant, blazing light, clearly dimmed for a moment, as if they had suffered a heavy blow.
However—
It lasted only an instant.
The phoenix wings immediately displayed their stubborn, unyielding will, burning again with even greater force than before.
The flames leaped and rolled, as though declaring their refusal to break before the enemy.
"It's useless!"
Marco firmly wiped away the thin line of blood slowly seeping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with endless resolve.
At the same time, mysterious blue flames quietly flowed over his wounds like a gentle yet efficient healer, rapidly closing his injuries.
His voice was loud and powerful, cutting clearly through the layers of smoke and reaching everyone's ears.
"As long as even a single flame remains—even the weakest spark—my protection will never break! Even if it costs me my life, I'll defend this place to the end!"
With that, he beat his wings hard.
The wings shook violently, stirring up a roaring gust of wind.
As they swept outward, countless drops of healing fire rained down like dazzling meteors.
Wherever that fiery rain fell, it brought not only warmth and hope, but powerful healing energy as well.