Chapter 82: Discussion on Marcos strenght

"Marco… He won't come after us for that woman, will he?"

At these words, the entire Donquixote Family fell silent.

This wasn't just humiliating—it was unsettling. Every single member of the Donquixote Family felt the weight of discomfort.

And all of this was because of Marco. When had the Donquixote Family ever been in such an uneasy state?

Even Doflamingo's face darkened.

Everyone knew that this time, their young master had made a grave error in judgment. It was the first time in years they had seen Doflamingo make such a mistake.

They had thought that with Drought Jack of the Beasts Pirates and the top officers of the Big Mom Pirates taking action, Marco's fate was sealed. But the result… defied all expectations.

Doflamingo led his group down the street, silent and brooding. They were simply looking for a place to grab some food.

"You tell me—among everyone in the New World, under the Four Emperors, who's the strongest in a one-on-one fight?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's the Immortal Phoenix, Marco! Don't you know he already humiliated Drought Jack and Big Mom's generals?"

On the street, groups of pirates were openly discussing Marco, and it sounded as though they were exaggerating.

Hearing the endless praise for Marco only made the expressions of the Donquixote Family members grow darker.

They pressed forward.

Still, the talk about Marco persisted.

"I heard the Immortal Phoenix's Devil Fruit ability is more powerful than the natural Logia abilities of the Navy Admirals!"

"No doubt about it! No one can kill the Immortal Phoenix! Not even an Admiral from Navy Headquarters!"

Doflamingo and his followers clenched their jaws as they kept walking, forced to listen to more conversations about Marco.

They turned a corner—only to hear the same topic being discussed on the next street.

"You think Marco could defeat a Navy Admiral in a one-on-one fight?"

"Of course! We're talking about Marco, the Immortal Phoenix! The most powerful Mythical Zoan fruit user! He was the First Division Commander of Pops' crew—Whitebeard's Pirates! He's worth 1.5 billion berries! Under the Four Emperors, he's unbeatable!"

"What about Charlotte Katakuri, Big Mom's strongest Sweet Commander? He's the king of Observation Haki!"

"Strong or not, under the Four Emperors, Marco can take them all down. One after the other, they'd all fall!"

From the first street to the third, every conversation was about Marco. It was as if the pirates saw Marco as an unstoppable force. The praise for Marco only grew more excessive with each step.

The members of the Donquixote Family couldn't stand it any longer. Their faces were contorted with anger.

Suddenly— whoosh!

A thin thread appeared in the air, slicing through flesh without warning. Blood sprayed as the heads of the pirates talking about Marco rolled to the ground.

"I don't want to hear another word about Marco."

With one hand lazily hooked, Doflamingo led the way forward, his voice cold and sinister.

Gone was his usual flamboyant charisma—replaced by cruelty and ruthlessness.

Their misfortune began when they had come to the Happy Street Islands, only to be humiliated by a mere woman. Now, they couldn't even think of retaliating against her… all because of that man.

The Immortal Phoenix, Marco.

"Yes, Young Master (Dover)," the cadres replied in unison, save for Trebol.

Immediately, the Donquixote Family erupted in fury.

The pent-up frustration burst forth as they stormed into the streets, starting a killing spree—one pirate for each street.

"Ahh!"

Screams filled the air.

The pirates who had dared to speak about Marco were slaughtered without mercy. One by one, the Donquixote Family cadres unleashed their wrath, dispatching their victims with terrifying speed.

"They're from the Donquixote Family!"

Panic spread through the town as pirates fled for their lives.

Slash! Slash!

Anyone who had mentioned Marco's name was executed by the Donquixote Family, their bodies left in the streets.

"Oh my god!"

A bystander gasped in horror. "That's Dekas—the infamous pirate with a 300-million berry bounty! And they… killed him instantly!"

Whispers of disbelief rippled through the crowd. Even pirates with bounties over 100 million and those worth more than 300 million were wiped out by the Donquixote Family without breaking a sweat.

Blood flowed freely through the streets, painting the town red.

…

Out at sea, not far from the island—

"Look! There's a boat with blue flames!"

A pirate on one of the ships pointed ahead, stunned.

"Whoosh!"

The others turned to look and saw a small boat, engulfed in radiant blue flames, skimming across the surface of the water. The flames left a brilliant trail of shimmering blue fire in its wake as the vessel sped toward the island.

"This boat is way too good!"

Numerous pirates stared in awe.

"Who do you think is on it? Should we catch up and see for ourselves?"

"I say we do! A boat this flashy—someone important has to be on it!"

Drawn by curiosity and excitement, the pirates quickly turned their ships to chase the boat emitting blue flames, eager to find out who it belonged to.

…

Meanwhile, back in the town.

It didn't take long before nobody dared to utter Marco's name.

The streets were deathly silent, the oppressive atmosphere almost suffocating. Pirates kept their heads down, their hearts filled with terror. One glance at Doflamingo and his group was enough to make their bodies tremble. Not a soul dared to speak a word.

The brutality of the Donquixote Family had sunk deep into everyone's minds.

"Donquixote! the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Doflamingo!"

A pirate, his voice quivering, whispered as if the mere mention of Doflamingo's name might invite death.

The eerie silence that blanketed the town was only broken by the occasional shuffle of feet and nervous murmurs. The fear that gripped the island was absolute.

"The thrill of killing… it feels so damn good!"

With a wicked grin plastered across his face, Delinger flexed his blood-soaked gloves. "That guy with a 120-million berry bounty? I tore his heart out with my bare hands. It was amazing!"

"There was another one with a 130-million bounty. Took him out in one hit—G!"

Rao G chuckled, raising his fingers in a signature victory sign.

Click~!

Doflamingo's distinct laugh echoed through the streets, sending chills down the spines of anyone close enough to hear it.

Wherever the Donquixote Family walked, the mere sight of them caused pirates to freeze in terror, their faces drained of all color. Some fled at the first glimpse of Doflamingo, avoiding the streets altogether.

The murderous spree had left the town in ruins. Even pirates with bounties over 200 million berries were slaughtered without mercy.

"They're too strong! It was a complete massacre. Even the heavy hitters—those worth more than 200 million—didn't stand a chance against the Donquixote Family!"

The entire town was gripped by fear. Every pirate who had the misfortune of being present now lived in terror, their faces pale and their hands trembling.

"It's finally quiet."

Diamante slid his flexible sword back into its sheath, cracking his neck with a satisfied grin.

With their bloodthirsty rampage, the weight that had loomed over Doflamingo and his crew was lifted. Once again, the Donquixote Family basked in their former arrogance, swaggering through the streets as if they owned the place.

The fear that had briefly humbled them was gone, replaced by their usual cruel confidence.

"Marco the Immortal Phoenix…" Guladius sneered, chewing on a bomb that crackled in his mouth. "I dare anyone to say his name now—let's see who's bold enough!"

But before his words even finished, a sudden cry of excitement rang out from behind him.

"Immortal Phoenix Marco!?!"

The Donquixote Family froze in disbelief.

Guladius's face darkened instantly, his chewing slowing to a halt. His voice dropped to a low growl. "Who the hell just said that name!?"

He spun around—and the moment he saw what was behind him, every hair on his body stood on end. His face twisted in shock, his mouth hanging open, and for once, words completely escaped him.

Sensing something was terribly wrong, Doflamingo and the rest of the Donquixote Family turned around as well—

And there, across the street, stood Marco.

He was dressed casually in a short-sleeved shirt, arms relaxed at his sides, with a warm, easygoing smile on his face.

But despite that friendly expression, every member of the Donquixote Family felt a chill run down their spines. Their bodies stiffened, cold sweat forming at their brows.

In an instant, the confidence they had just regained evaporated.

Their hair stood on end, and their scalps tingled with dread. Marco's presence alone was enough to make even the most hardened among them feel utterly powerless.