Bab 302: 301 Phoenix vs Mochi
Katakuri's attack was blocked, making a war for Marco to launch a counterattack. With a punch in the air, a blue flame erupted from his fist.
A powerful cyan flame surged forward, directly piercing through Katakuri's body.
"Is it working?"
Marco stared at Katakuri, noticing that the wound where his body had been pierced was gradually recovered.
"Dodged using Observation Haki!"
Marco immediately realized. Katakuri had utilized his powerful Observation Haki to predict the trajectory of Marco's attack and evade accordingly.
The Mochi-Mochi Fruit is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. Its user can transform their body into mochi at will. Even when attacked with Armament Haki, Katakuri can preemptively transform his body using his Advanced Observation Haki.
But Marco hadn't anticipated that this blow would fail to harm Katakuri.
"In that case, try this trick,"
Marco said, assuming a combat pose. This move was one he had created, inspired by Ace himself. He called it...
"Rain of Fire!"
Marco exclaimed. His massive cyan wings flapped rapidly, each flap igniting countless cyan flames.
The cyan flames, each the size of a fist, surged forward at fast speeds, propelled by Marco's vigorous flapping.
Countless cyan flames surged out like raindrops, devoid of Marco's Pyro's burning effect.
Previously lacking an attack effect, Marco had undergone rigorous training under Whitebeard's guidance to imbue his cyan flames with greater impact.
The cyan flames, resembling a volley of arrows, surged toward Katakuri. However, Katakuri didn't even hesitate, maintaining a calm demeanor and showing no intention to evade.
Then, the cyan flames passed through Katakuri's body, and he began to change at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
Katakuri, with the Mochi-Mochi Fruit, starts to morph before each attack, swiftly returning to his original form afterward.
But because the attack speed is extremely fast, his speed of change is also extremely fast, making people look as if they have been punched through the body.
In reality, these attacks didn't make contact with Katakuri, leaving Marco feeling somewhat embarrassed by the scene unfolding before him.
"Unexpectedly, his fighting experience is so powerful."
Marco muttered to himself. It was a lesson learned: firsthand experience surpassed any reputation. As he engaged Katakuri in close combat, Marco gained a firsthand understanding of Katakuri's fighting prowess.
Katakuri's Observation Haki was flawless. Despite encountering numerous formidable opponents, Marco acknowledged that those with good Observation Haki might hesitate to confront his attacks directly.
Because Marco's cyan flames are numerous and dense, in this case, it is difficult to make no mistakes.
At least Marco admits to himself that he can't achieve such a feat. Marco doesn't possess such powerful Observation Haki, perhaps due to his nature as a phoenix.
The Phoenix Flame grants Marco a convenient healing effect, and the nature of this fruit makes him less worried about dodging attacks.
For instance, in Marco's view, Whitebeard's strength is already the pinnacle of the world.
Conqueror's Haki is just as formidable among the Four Emperors, and his physical strength has reached an incredible level.
Although there's no direct comparison, Marco feels Whitebeard's physical strength may even surpass Kaido's.
With such a powerful physique, he hardly cares even if he's hit. In such situations, Whitebeard certainly wouldn't bother dodging such attacks.
Therefore, Marco also rarely sees Whitebeard avoiding enemy attacks. Therefore, Marco is very lacking in Observation Haki because of the characteristics of Devil Fruit.
Of course, Armament Haki holds greater importance for Marco. Whitebeard's previous guidance to Marco emphasized the importance of controlling Armament Haki.
Marco's continued assault was met with evasion by Katakuri. It was clear that Katakuri was growing impatient at this point.
Being blocked by Marco meant that the battle would likely continue for a while longer, as Katakuri recognized Marco as a difficult opponent.
The cyan flame's self-healing ability poses a great challenge. Moreover, engaging in another aerial battle could prolong the fight, making victory uncertain for some time.
"Marco, stop it!. I don't have time to waste here with you. Once I deal with my problem, I'll deal with you."
Katakuri clenched his teeth.
If more time is wasted here, Brule's situation could become even more dangerous. Katakuri felt anxious at that moment.
"So, is the main concern now not the battle between our pirate crews? Are you trying to avoid me for some reason?"
Marco asked.
Katakuri did not say what it was, because he couldn't trust Marco, and Katakuri suspected that it was planned by the Whitebeard Pirates.
Capone Bege, who had previously joined the Big Mom Pirates, suddenly rebelled on the battlefield and kidnapped Brulee, a very important figure within the Big Mom Pirates.
Katakuri, being cautious, had to consider one possibility: Capone Bege had joined the Whitebeard Pirates.
Either the Whitebeard Pirates secretly planned this and had Capone Bege execute it, or Capone Bege decided to take Brule away and deliver her to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Certainly, Capone Bege is a smart guy. Betraying the Big Mom Pirates implies he understands the stakes. So, by making such a bold move, it's likely he's found a new alliance, someone willing to support his actions.
It's possible that Whitebeard is indeed backing Capone Bege, and capturing Brule could be seen as his initiation into the Whitebeard Pirates.
While this scenario is playing out in Katakuri's mind, he refrains from disclosing it to Marco until he's certain about the truth.
This situation can make Big Mom pirates bad in front of Marco. After all, having a subordinate defect from a Four Emperors pirate group could be seen as a loss of face and reputation
And it also exposed their secrets; the important figure of Brule couldn't be easily known by the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Marco, I've got important matters to deal with. I've heard about some of your actions. I think you're someone worthy of respect."
"If I keep worrying about this, I don't think you'll have an easy time in battle."
Katakuri had no other option. In this difficult situation, he had to humble himself and speak to Marco.
Now, in the midst of the battle between the two emperor-level pirates, Katakuri and Marco are on opposing sides. However, Katakuri is willing to humble himself in front of Marco's for the safety of his sister Brule.
"So, I hope you'll give me some time. I'll find you on the battlefield again, and then we can have a real fight!"
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TO BE CONTINUED
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone