The flying sand and rocks on Bluff Island were all stirred up by the power of Whitebeard and Big Mom.
This time, both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, engaged in battle, clearly understood the magnitude of the clash.
Both sides recognized that the upheaval was a result of the clash between Big Mom and Whitebeard, so there was no panic. However, they realized that the battlefield was no longer suitable for their ongoing fight.
"Yoi yoi, it's here again?"
Marco, locked in fierce combat with Katakuri, couldn't help but glance around and grumble.
"It's none of our concern. I have only one goal: to defeat you. I hope you feel the same way"
Katakuri responded casually, his gaze fixed on Marco, not allowing himself to be distracted by the surroundings.
Marco's gaze returned to Katakuri again, and he also agreed with it: "Yes, I have to beat you quickly. I didn't expect you to be so difficult."
"You're the first opponent I've faced that's been this difficult to deal with,"
Katakuri replied.
Katakuri lost patience and went all out, transforming his body entirely into mochi.
Following that, Katakuri launched a rolling attack on Marco, with a massive mochi ball rushing toward him.
Even in mid-air, Marco could keep up with Katakuri. Despite the attack, Marco didn't let his guard down, knowing he could heal if need be.
However, the power behind Katakuri's attack was formidable, and being struck by it would have a widespread impact. Even if he could recover, it would drain a significant amount of physical strength.
Therefore, Marco didn't intend to engage head-on. His cyan wings flapped swiftly behind him as he dodged through the air.
Mid-attack, Katakuri's massive mochi ball suddenly stretched out two slender arms, extending them indefinitely in an attempt to catch Marco.
Seeing this, Marco realized he was on the defensive and needed to turn the tables. He feigned a mistake, allowing himself to be caught by Katakuri's extended arm.
"Finally caught you. Now you'll see what I'm capable of,"
Katakuri exclaimed triumphantly. With Marco under control, he aimed to land a heavy blow and end the battle immediately.
Armament Haki hardened on Katakuri's fist instantly. He focused its scope and increased its hardness to the limit of his capability.
Immediately, Katakuri pulled Marco closer, his fists charged with boundless power, ready to unleash a devastating blow.
During this period, Marco didn't stay passive. Upon being caught by Katakuri, he promptly began to unleash his cyan flames.
Originally, the cyan flame wasn't meant for attacking; its purpose was purely for restoration, as the Phoenix rejuvenated itself.
Under Whitebeard's training, Marco had learned to skillfully wield the cyan flame as a weapon, despite its original purpose of healling.
"Asura Flame!"
As Marco's low voice sounded, Katakuri, who was preparing to attack, suddenly felt that his mochi arm was melting, and as a layer of blue flame akin to a relentless maggot attached to it.
"This is..."
Katakuri was taken aback. He felt something wrong when he saw the cyan flames, because the flames made him feel a terrible breath.
Katakuri attempted to smother the flames with mochi, hoping to extinguish them, but to his surprise, he soon realized that the blue flames were unquenchable.
Mochi wasn't something that burned easily, but these flames persisted, causing some damage to Katakuri despite not being particularly hot.
Marco didn't employ Armament Haki, yet Katakuri still felt pain coursing through his mochi body due to the cyan flames.
In response, Katakuri attacked Marco, pushing him away and enveloping him in a spherical shape with a large amount of mochi.
Katakuri attempted to buy himself some time to prevent Marco from seizing the opportunity to counterattack.
"What's with these flames? Marco's phoenix power seems different from the rumors,"
Katakuri marveled, feeling shocked.
However, Katakuri quickly devised a solution. He hardened the part of his body covered by the cyan flame using Armament Haki.
The cyan flames quickly extinguished themselves since they couldn't spread, much to Katakuri's relief.
"Surprisingly you broke through that trick,"
Marco remarked after breaking free from Katakuri's control.
"Marco, I underestimated you. I didn't expect your abilities to be developed to such an extent," Katakuri exclaimed, impressed.
After all, Katakuri had fully developed his own Devil Fruit ability. His Mochi-Mochi Fruit, to be honest, wasn't as valuable as Logia fruits because it's just special paramecia
But it was through Katakuri's development and his own strength that the power of the Mochi-Mochi Fruit reached this level.
Therefore, when Katakuri saw someone like Marco, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he were looking at himself.
"Darn it, I've been fighting for so long. I don't know the situation on the battlefield now, or if Smoothie is in danger"
Because he couldn't win a quick victory against Marco, Katakuri also became a little impatient.
At this moment, Marco suddenly rushed over.
With a roar and fierce wind pressure, Marco launched a kick aimed at Katakuri's abdomen. Katakuri's eyes flashed as his abdomen quickly deformed, creating an opening for Marco's attack to pass through.
Then, Marco swung his wings again, this time slicing off Katakuri's head directly.
"What? It hit him?"
Marco was surprised himself. His simple attack had actually landed.
However, although Marco did reinforce his attack with Armament Haki, Katakuri had already predicted it using his future sight. He had transformed his head with mochi, so his body remained unharmed, and his head swiftly regenerated.
"What's going on? Why didn't Katakuri just avoid it?"
Marco was very curious, because it was so strange.
"Could it be?"
Marco suddenly had a realization.
To confirm his theory, Marco then launched a barrage of attacks on Katakuri. This time, Marco enveloped all his strikes in Armament Haki.
But Katakuri quickly confronts Marco's attack. Both of them used Armament Haki, their hardened fists and bodies continuously clashing.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
________________________
I put an advanced chapter at P@treon, you can read 125+ chapters ahead of everyone.
Link : patreon.com/MoonEater18