Reborn as Marco phoenix after loss to Blackbeard Pirates

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Filled with fury, Drought Jack slammed his massive trunk into the ground, desperately trying to muster his remaining strength. He surged forward, intent on launching an all-out assault on Marco.

But the outcome was immediate.

BOOM!!!

An earth-shattering explosion echoed across the battlefield as Jack's colossal form was slammed back into the ground by another brutal swing from Marco's flaming hammer.

"The defense really is something," Marco mused from the sky, marveling at the sheer toughness of Drought Jack. Despite hammering him into the dirt multiple times, the mammoth still showed signs of resistance. The sledgehammer in Marco's grip gleamed with Haki as he casually shook it, never allowing Jack a moment to catch his breath. His attacks tracked Jack relentlessly, leaving no room for recovery.

If Jack, now once again buried in the earth, could hear Marco's thoughts, he would have leapt up in fury.

Because even though Drought Jack's defense was legendary, the relentless hammer strikes had reopened the chest wounds that had just stopped bleeding. Now, blood gushed from his body, pooling into the soil beneath him, turning it a deep crimson. The ground around him, soaked in blood, looked as if it could sprout red flowers if something were planted there.

It was only thanks to Jack's immense vitality that he hadn't succumbed to the blood loss. Any ordinary person would've bled out long ago, but Jack, with his incredible endurance, could sustain this terrifying rate of bleeding for hours.

…

"This is… literally whack-a-mole!" came a shocked voice from a group of pirates watching the battle from the sea. Their eyes were wide as they witnessed the bizarre scene unfolding on the island. Marco, wielding his giant flaming hammer, repeatedly pounded Drought Jack's mammoth form into the dirt, like some surreal version of the children's game.

They were all dumbstruck.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed it. A battle at the level of Yonko commanders had devolved into something akin to whack-a-mole?!

"To be fair," one pirate muttered, still in disbelief, "if it wasn't for Jack's ridiculous defense, anyone else would've been smashed to pieces by now, coughing up blood until they dropped dead."

There was a murmur of agreement, though many were just as astonished by Marco's overwhelming power as they were by Jack's resilience.

"If Jack could hear us talking, he'd probably charge out here and rip us apart," someone whispered, half-joking but with an edge of nervousness.

"The Phoenix fruit is just too broken," another pirate said, awestruck. "Being able to fly like that? It's such a massive advantage."

Flight, especially in the world of pirates, was a rare and coveted ability. Sure, there were a few notable Devil Fruits that granted flight—the Light-Light Fruit of Admiral Kizaru, Enel's Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which could possibly bring him back from the moon, and the legendary Golden Lion Shiki's Float-Float Fruit. These were top-tier abilities. Then there were fruits like Robin's Flower-Flower Fruit, Bell's Bird-Bird Fruit, Doflamingo's String-String Fruit, and Perona's Ghost-Ghost Fruit, each of which allowed some form of aerial movement.

But even among those, Marco's ability to fly freely, with his Phoenix transformation, gave him a decisive edge in battle—even at the level of Yonko commanders.

"It's only a matter of time before Jack goes down... and then we'll have our shot at Marco's bounty," a voice whispered from the shadows.

In the midst of the fight, a gathering of New World pirates had arrived, watching the clash from a distance. They were waiting, biding their time, hoping to strike at just the right moment.

The relationship between two Yonko was a golden opportunity for ambitious pirates, and the tension between the Beasts Pirates and Whitebeard's remnants was tempting fate.

"I wonder when Big Mom's crew will make their move," another pirate muttered, more concerned with what was yet to come. The Beasts Pirates had already arrived, but so far, there had been no sign of the Big Mom Pirates.

"Be patient. Marco might be a commander, but even the Phoenix can fall," someone else said, sounding unnervingly confident.

These pirates showed little fear of Marco or even Drought Jack. Their eyes were fixed on a bigger prize—the Four Emperors themselves.

As the world watched in amazement, Marco continued his assault.

Drought Jack, already battered and bruised, had been hammered into the ground several times. The two gaping wounds in his chest, torn open from Marco's blows, continued to pour blood, staining the battlefield. His immense healing factor couldn't keep up with the relentless damage.

"My strength… it's slipping away," Jack thought to himself, panic rising in his chest. Each drop of blood that spilled was a drop of his power, weakening him further. His once-mighty body felt heavier with every passing second.

For the first time, the monstrous Drought Jack began to feel true fear.

Drought Jack, battered and bleeding, had a grim realization. Marco's real purpose wasn't just to wear him down; it was to weaken him to the point where Jack would be easy to finish off with minimal effort. Marco knew that after this battle, he'd have to face a wave of enemies trying to claim his head. Jack's blood loss and diminishing strength played perfectly into Marco's plan.

What a cunning strategy!

Though Drought Jack was known for being reckless, he wasn't dumb. After a moment's reflection, he understood Marco's intent clearly.

He won't let Marco's plan succeed.

RUMBLE!

Before Marco could bring his hammer down for another blow, Drought Jack shattered the ground beneath him, escaping in a surge of power.

"Huh?" Marco paused, momentarily surprised. For the first time, his strike missed its mark.

THUNDERED~~!

In the blink of an eye, not far away, a small mountain trembled, then with a deafening crash, it was uprooted from the earth. Jack had lifted the entire stone mass and hurled it at Marco with staggering force.

"Throwing mountains with his bare hands!" Marco exclaimed, swinging his sledgehammer in response. With a mighty blow, he smashed the incoming mountain to pieces. Dust and debris filled the air, clouding his view.

THUNDERED~!

On the opposite side, another mountain began to quake violently, sending an avalanche of boulders crashing down.

BOOM!

The sky filled with rubble as Drought Jack, having reverted from his mammoth form to his human state, burst forth. His arms, brimming with explosive power, grabbed a boulder and hurled it at Marco, who hovered in mid-air.

BOOM!

The stone hurtled towards him, and Marco met it with a powerful punch, shattering the boulder into dust. But Jack wasn't done.

One stone, then two, then three… five, six, seven, eight colossal boulders came flying toward Marco, each one thrown with deadly precision by Drought Jack.

"That's not going to work!" Marco growled.

The flaming wings behind Marco, now stretching an impressive forty or fifty meters, flared to life. With a single powerful flap, he unleashed a torrent of blue flames. The fire engulfed the incoming boulders, disintegrating them mid-flight, leaving them no chance to reach him.

But as the dust settled…

RUMBLE!

Two boulders, covered in the pitch-black hue of top-tier Armament Haki, tore through the flames, hurtling towards Marco with deadly intent.

"Armament Haki," Marco muttered, his Observation Haki kicking in as he "saw" the trajectory of the incoming stones. Without hesitation, he extended both fists forward, his own Armament Haki crackling to life around them.

BOOM!

The two boulders shattered upon impact, crumbling into stone powder that scattered into the wind.

SHOUT!

Marco wasted no more time. He surged downward, aiming directly at Drought Jack.

"Drought Jack, enough with the games!" Marco called out as he dove. "Let's settle this... up close!"

BELLOW~~!

Drought Jack roared in fury, bloodied but still defiant. His massive frame, drenched in his own blood, trembled with rage.

Marco's wings suddenly folded behind him as his entire body became like a bullet, streaking down from the sky. He was coming in fast—like a meteor—ready to collide with the monstrous Drought Jack below. The battle, once played out at a distance, was now about to become a brutal, up-close brawl.

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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11

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