Chapter 81: Smart woman

The sun still shone brightly, with golden rays piercing the ocean's surface, casting dazzling reflections of marine fish gliding gracefully through the water. The view beneath the waves was breathtaking, the vibrant seagrass adding even more beauty to the seascape.

On the calm sea, a peculiar ship glided forward. Blue flames burst from its stern, propelling it with speed and leaving a shimmering trail of crystal-clear blue fire in its wake.

"Ding!"

"The host successfully fought with a master of Armament Haki. Through the system's auxiliary mechanism, Armament Haki has been significantly enhanced..."

"Ding!"

"The host engaged a powerful Observation Haki user. The system has improved the host's Observation Haki ability..."

"…!"

"Congratulations to the host! In a life-or-death battle, the Immortal Phoenix powers have been pushed to their limits. As a result, the system has unlocked a new opportunity for developing the abilities of the Immortal Phoenix fruit..."

The series of system notifications rang in Marco's mind, announcing a significant boost in his mastery of Haki, physical endurance, and combat skills. Most importantly, the latest upgrade to his Immortal Phoenix abilities brought a rare smile to his face.

"I owe this to that thousand-armed lunatic," Marco muttered with a chuckle.

He recalled the brutal fight against Thousand Hands Keli. The madman had unleashed the terrifying Burst Pretzel Wrap with eight massive swords, trapping Marco in a devastating explosion of flame and light.

The destructive power of that explosion was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

But within the raging inferno, Marco had pushed his Immortal Phoenix abilities to their limits, constantly regenerating to resist the violent flames. In the end, he didn't just survive—he absorbed the fire itself, marking a new milestone in his fruit's development.

Several days had passed since that battle. Marco and Vista had gone their separate ways, with Vista determined to gather the remnants of Pops' crew, the Whitebeard Pirates. It would take time to reunite the scattered forces.

Meanwhile, Marco had his own plans. His path now led him to confront dangerous enemies. But no one dared to challenge him—pirates and criminals alike fled at the mere sight of him. Even the most notorious figures in the underworld had gone into hiding, as if vanishing from the seas altogether.

Just then, his Den Den Mushi began to ring.

"Pururururu~~~"

Marco picked up the receiver. "Stussy?"

"Hmm," came Stussy's voice, a mix of excitement and admiration. "Lord Marco, you were right. As you predicted, the Blackbeard Pirates attacked the Revolutionary Army's base... but the Revolutionary Army managed to evade them, leading to Blackbeard's failure."

Despite her excitement, Marco sighed. "That's not exactly good news for us."

"It's better than you think," Stussy continued eagerly. "Just like you anticipated, the Revolutionary Army had already evacuated under Dragon's orders, leaving only decoys behind. Blackbeard spent weeks hunting for their base, only to walk right into a trap."

Stussy's awe was evident. She couldn't believe how accurately Marco had predicted the Revolutionary Army's actions. The Revolutionary Army was known for being enigmatic, yet Marco had anticipated their every move.

"Blackbeard's forces are frustrated and exhausted. They wasted weeks chasing shadows, and in the end, they gained nothing."

Stussy's voice dimmed as she added, "But... unfortunately, Happy Street no longer exists. The communication network we had there is gone. Without it, tracking the movements of the Blackbeard Pirates will be much harder."

Marco remained calm. "For now, lie low. Wait for my next instructions."

He ended the call and adjusted the ship's course toward the direction he had in mind. Blue flames danced on the water's surface as the ship sliced through the sea, leaving behind an ethereal trail.

That same day, a large ship without any flag markings arrived at the site of the recent battle.

From the ship's cabin emerged a group of figures draped in white robes, their faces obscured by strange masks.

"According to the latest intel, Spandam went missing on this island," said one of them, pulling his hood tighter.

"Disembark," ordered the leader—a tall man dressed in a white suit, wearing a white hat and cape, with a parrot perched on his shoulder. Without hesitation, he leapt from the ship and landed on the island.

Hissssss~~!

Upon setting foot on the island, the group was greeted by a grim sight: the land was scarred by deep fissures, the earth cracked and upheaved, and mountains of stone had been torn apart.

"This… is the island from the news, the site of the 'Marco Incident'?" one of them whispered in disbelief. "The entire island… it was almost destroyed."

Their leader, Rob Lucci, a high-ranking operative of CP0, scoffed at their astonishment.

"Don't make such a fuss over an island," Lucci said coldly. "Marco is just a pirate. No matter how much trouble he stirs up, it's the world's nobility—the Celestial Dragons—who truly rule this world. They are the descendants of gods."

With a wave of his hand, Lucci gave his orders. "Spread out. Find that idiot Spandam."

The CP0 agents immediately began their search, fanning out across the wrecked island.

It didn't take long.

Soon, they found what remained of Spandam's body. He had been beaten senseless, his unconscious form lying in the rubble. Nearby, a small silver Den Den Mushi sat silently.

"From the looks of it, Spandam was slapped first... then slashed twice," one of the agents observed grimly, crouching over the fallen body.

"…"

This result made a group of CP0 members jerk the corners of their mouths.

Such a way to die—unavoidable, dead… and utterly disgraceful.

Even Rob Lucci twitched at the corner of his eye. Damn Spandam—a shame on CP0.

Soon, he transmitted the news back to the World Government.

And then...

Spandam's body was thrown into the sea,

And CP0 left en masse.

After landing on the deck, Rob Lucci cast a cold gaze back at the island. "Immortal Phoenix… Marco."

…

New World.

Somewhere on the sea.

The Donquixote Pirates, led by Doflamingo, landed on one of the islands.

"Doffy… This time, we suffered heavy losses..."

Diamante, draped in a red cloak, wore a bitter expression of hatred for the first time.

"Smart women are always a hassle!"

"Damn, I can't stand smart women either!"

Several of the Donquixote executives cursed one after another, their faces still scarred from the explosion.

Their crew, who once roamed the New World without restraint, had never endured such humiliation.

That damn woman from Happy Street had greeted their arrival with an ambush, setting off a massive explosion. Caught off guard, they were left with swollen, bruised faces. Although the injuries weren't serious, the humiliation was unbearable.

They had been publicly humiliated by a woman.

Unforgivable.

"Enough! This is not the time for complaints," Trebol scolded, his eyes finally turning toward Doflamingo.

"Doffy... Marco has now killed Drought Jack and three other All-Stars, one after the other. His strength is at its peak, like the sun blazing high in the sky—strong and unstoppable. We need to use the distraction of his grand event to make a move on the woman he treasures…"