Marco sneered. "At a time like this, don't play such boring jokes with me."
"Joke? Do you think this is a joke?" Saint Peter snapped, his tone ice-cold.
Nusjuro's voice remained flat. "Among mortals, your strength has undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of the world, which is why we offer you this opportunity. We hope you will—"
"No need. I have no interest in becoming a Celestial Dragon." Marco cut him off, refusing him outright.
Disappointment flashed across Nusjuro's face and hardened into killing intent. "If that's the case, then we can only kill you."
Marco felt that murderous will from the Gorosei like a pressure in his bones. Surrounded by three of them, he knew how dangerous this was—especially with their immortality. It made him feel oddly powerless.
'Damn Kaido, why isn't that guy here yet...' he thought.
With the Gorosei joining the fight and their immortality bolstering the Marines' morale, the tide shifted. The Marines fought with renewed ferocity. The Phoenix Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, unable to find any answer to immortality, sagged under the weight of it. If it weren't for the mission to rescue the Big Mom Pirates and to repel the Marines, Marco would have wanted to pull back now. This had become a war of attrition, and the Gorosei were made for that kind of war—they weren't afraid of losing troops. The Marines could always recruit more; Marco could not replace his core crew without suffering a crippling loss. The Three Emperors Alliance was already openly at war with the Marines and the World Government—any new recruits might be spies or worse.
Casualties mounted. Realizing he couldn't kill the Gorosei, Marco's confidence waned, and he prepared to retreat. His plan was to withdraw, go to the Holy Land, kill some celestial dragons to increase his strength, and train all three types of Haki to legendary levels before confronting the Gorosei again.
"Hey, Linlin..." Marco called, hovering above the battlefield and looking down at her dueling Saint Topman Warcury. "Continuing to fight like this isn't a solution! The immortality of these Gorosei is hard to deal with!"
Big Mom glanced up. "What is it?"
She knew the problem well—Warcury's defense rivaled her own, and she hadn't been able to break through, let alone counter Immortality. Seeing three Gorosei bearing down on Marco, she felt a grudging admiration; he was taking on far more than she was. She understood what he meant—if he kept fighting like this, he might be the first to fall, and his defeat could trigger a rout. But retreat now would also cost the Big Mom Pirates dearly.
Her thoughts snapped to Kaido with a flash of anger—so much time had passed; where was he? Was he letting the Marines weaken them on purpose? A feral light came into her eyes. "Alright, then let's retreat!" she agreed.
"No—wait a minute..." Marco cut them off, shouting from high above. He fixed his gaze on a dark mass moving in the distance; his Observation Haki prickled with the approach of a tremendous atmospheric pressure.
Even among the Marines, Fujitora felt the same overwhelming presence and said gravely, "This is bad. A powerful presence is rapidly approaching Cake Island."
"What?" The nearby Marines murmured, confused.
"It's Kaido! That bastard is finally here!" Marco cried, excitement lacing his voice.
He turned his shout downward toward the Phoenix and Big Mom forces gathered below. "Brothers, that bastard Kaido is finally here! Hold on! Once the Beasts Pirates' reinforcements arrive, we can launch a full counterattack!"
At the sound of his words, the Big Mom Pirates and the Phoenix Pirates surged with renewed hope, while many Marines fell back into panic.
This battle had already swung wildly for everyone involved. First, the Big Mom Pirates had been overwhelmed by the Marines. The arrival of the Phoenix Pirates had turned the tide against them, and the death of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki had driven them to the brink of despair. Then, miraculously, the Gorosei descended and helped reverse the situation; their granted immortality restored the Marines' confidence.
Now, though, news of the Beasts Pirates' approach sowed fresh doubt. Many of the Marines were veterans of Marineford and knew all too well the crushing terror of confronting a Yonko pirate crew. Ordinary pirates usually fled when faced with the Navy, but a Yonko crew fought to the death—and against them, the Marines always paid a heavy price.
Aramaki, locked in combat with Yamato and Ace, roared, "What are you afraid of? With the Gorosei here, what does it matter if the Beasts Pirates really come?!"
Marines nearby echoed him, shouting, "That's right! With the Gorosei here, no one can defeat them. They are the gods of this world; what are mere pirates?!" "Exactly—with Gorosei leading us, we will not lose."
Watching that swell of confidence, the Gorosei were not pleased. Immortality bolstered them, yes, but it was not absolute. If Marco, Kaido, or others uncovered a weakness in their Immortality, even the Five Elders could be killed.
This was why the Gorosei refused to face Marco one-on-one. Given enough time, Marco would surely uncover the secret behind their immortality. To protect that secret—and with it the myth of their invincibility—they chose to engage him three against one. Only by presenting the united, mysterious image of immortality could they remain undefeatable. Once that secret was revealed, their godlike façade would crumble instantly.
"Should we retreat? Continuing to fight might expose our secret..." Nusjuro probed the others through telepathy.
"Let's retreat! We underestimated Marco this time. Even the three of us together couldn't finish him quickly. If Kaido shows up, we'll be on the back foot," Saint Mars answered at once.
Mars was the only Gorosei who couldn't instantly return via the teleportation array. The others had been summoned by that array and could dismiss the spell to go back to the Holy Land; Mars had to sail or fly home himself. That made him the most vulnerable here—and the most anxious to withdraw.
Saint Saturn added with quiet impatience, "What are Sengoku and the others doing? They can't even stop Kaido. What use are the Marines?"
"If Marco is strong," Saint Peter said gravely. "Kaido is far beyond him. Twenty or thirty years ago Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and the rest might have held Kaido, but they're old now."
"Hmph," Warcury said coldly. "That's human frailty. No matter how mighty, a lifetime is only a hundred years. Time erodes all."
After the telepathic exchange, Saint Nusjuro gave the order aloud. "All Marines, gradually evacuate the island. Aramaki, Fujitora, cover the retreat with me."
The Marines, who had been rallied by Aramaki moments before, were startled by the command—but many felt relief wash over them. They had already paid a heavy price in casualties and saw little point in pressing on, especially with Fleet Admiral Sakazuki fallen in the line of duty.
Aramaki, surprised but obedient, replied without hesitation, "Yes."
Orders rippled down the ranks. Middle- and lower-ranking officers barked at the troops, "Retreat! Board the ships and fall back immediately! Move—"
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