Marco's eyes shifted toward Big Mom's side. Most of the Big Mom Pirates' top cadres, along with Sak, had already gone to reinforce her.
With the Three Emperors Alliance holding a decisive advantage over the Marines, Big Mom could spare key fighters to bolster her defense. Marco quietly wished her luck in his heart, genuinely hoping she could hold out longer. Meanwhile, he planned to accumulate more attribute points to maximize his own strength.
Ideally, he would raise his Armament Haki to Legendary level. If he succeeded, his power might surpass Strong King Level—though Marco had no real idea what lay beyond that threshold.
The strongest adversaries Marco had faced so far were the Gorosei, each wielding Four Soul Divine Blood and possessing King Level strength. In the world of the Pirate King, reaching Strong General Emperor Level was nearly the pinnacle of human potential. Those who attained King Level were undisputed rulers of their era, like the former Whitebeard and the legendary Rocks.
Although Marco had never met Rocks, it was widely believed that his strength rivaled—or even exceeded—Whitebeard at his prime.
Across the battlefield, Kaido battled Saint V. Nusjuro. His eyes flickered with unease as he saw Marco effortlessly take down two more God's Knights. He could sense Marco's power growing rapidly, which ignited a deep urgency within him. Fixating on Saint V. Nusjuro, Kaido's anger surged.
"Old man, why not just let me end you? Why do you still resist?" Kaido roared, swinging his massive club again.
Saint V. Nusjuro's expression remained cold.
"A mere ant dares to slay a god," he said. Despite sensing Kaido's strength increasing slightly during their battle, Nusjuro's confidence did not waver. His power already surpassed Kaido's, and with his Undying Recovery, any injury Kaido inflicted would not be fatal.
Meanwhile, inside the laboratory, Vegapunk's shock was evident. He watched Marco annihilate two members of the God's Knights and struggled to process what he was seeing. He had worked for the World Government long enough to understand the power of the God's Knights, yet here they were, falling so easily to a single pirate.
All he could do now was pray that Marco and his allies would prevail. Only then could he safely remain on Egghead Island. Otherwise, abandoning the facility might be inevitable.
"Alright, let's deal with the God's Knights first," Marco whispered to himself as he scanned for the remaining members.
Each member of the God's Knights was powerful, with strength comparable to Yonko Commanders. Against captains, Sweet Commanders, and All-Stars, they were formidable, yet against Marco, they were weak.
Now, with his Strong King Level power, no one in the world, apart from the mysterious Imu, could challenge him.
As Marco prepared to strike, he noticed the remaining God's Knights gathering near Saint Garling and Saint Peter. Likely, they realized facing him individually would be fatal. Without hesitation, Marco soared toward them.
Big Mom, struggling against Saint Peter's relentless attacks, exhaled in relief upon seeing Marco approach. Facing a Gorosei alone had placed immense pressure on her.
"Mama mama mama mama! You're finally here, Marco!" Big Mom's grin was fierce as she observed him. "You've done well, at least taking down two God's Knights."
Marco glanced at Big Mom, then at Katakuri. His ally bore multiple gruesome gashes from a brief clash with Saint Garling. Without the timely support of Smoothie and Fossa, Katakuri's ability to continue fighting might have been compromised.
Saint Peter's face darkened as he watched Marco advance. For the first time, he realized how troublesome this pirate truly was. Among the three Emperors, Marco might be the only threat capable of challenging them—and even the Gorosei had miscalculated.
They should not have engaged Marco one-on-one. At least two Gorosei would be required to subdue him. Alone, victory was impossible.
Saint Peter contemplated contacting Imu-sama for reinforcements. As he weighed the options, a sudden burst of Haki cut through the battlefield.
Behind Saint Garling, Naronar Crimi Palace, holding a sniper rifle, unleashed an overwhelming Conqueror's Haki unlike anything she should have been capable of.
Saint Peter, Saint Garling, and the remaining God's Knights instinctively recoiled, their pupils shrinking in shock. Such terrifying power was beyond the comprehension of anyone in their ranks.
Big Mom, sensing the immense Haki—stronger even than Red-Haired Shanks or Marco's—let out a stunned cry.
"What in the world?! How can that little girl possess such Haki?"
Marco frowned, unable to comprehend the phenomenon. The terrifying aura emanating from Naronar Crimi Palace was enough to unsettle him.
Slowly, devil wings unfurled from her back, a pointed succubus tail emerged, and her eyes transformed into the ringed gaze of Imu-sama. A cold, emotionless voice echoed from her lips.
"Your speed is too slow."
Saint Peter, Saint Garling, and the others froze, shock etched across their faces.
"I-Imu-sama..." they whispered in disbelief.