บท 52: Chapter 50: Truce
"Marco turned into a phoenix?" The Whitebeard Pirates exclaimed in surprise. They had no idea that the seemingly harmless kid had such power.
"Seems like I overestimated you," Shirakawa said to Marco, who had reverted to his human form.
"What do you mean?" Marco asked, a flicker of anger in his eyes. Was Shirakawa implying he was weaker than expected?
"I thought a prominent member of the Whitebeard Pirates would be stronger. But it seems your power relies heavily on your Devil Fruit."
Before the fight, Shirakawa had pictured Marco at his peak strength, as he was during the Marineford War 20 years in the future. But the Marco standing before him was still young, in his early twenties, not much older than Shirakawa himself.
'If I train for a few more months, I might be able to match him,' Shirakawa thought confidently.
"Is that so? You'll pay for underestimating me," Marco said, his eyes blazing with a rare anger.
"Then let's see what that price is." Shirakawa's aura surged, causing the ground around him to crack like a spiderweb.
"Oh? Going all out, are we?" Rayleigh, who had paused his fight with Oden, observed with interest. Gaban also stopped to watch. Of all the Roger Pirates, Gaban knew Shirakawa's strength the best, having recently sparred with him countless times during Shirakawa's Haki training.
Shirakawa's progress had been remarkable. He had gone from being on par with Buggy to someone who could challenge even Rayleigh.
"He's only been on the ship for less than half a year. I remember when he first arrived, he was as weak as Buggy. Now even I can barely keep up," one of the Roger Pirates remarked, amazed by Shirakawa's rapid growth.
"It's like watching your own child grow up," another agreed.
"But this kid is growing too fast. It feels like we missed his whole development." The Roger Pirates couldn't help but feel a mix of pride and regret.
"At least Shanks' progress is more reasonable," someone said. While Shanks was also talented, he wasn't as monstrous as Shirakawa. Most of the crew could still hold their own against him.
"And then there's Buggy... He'll never change," another pirate chuckled.
The mention of Buggy brought laughter to the crew. He wasn't a genius like Shirakawa or Shanks, but he was an essential part of their family. Buggy was the crew's clown, always entertaining them with his antics, especially after acquiring the Bara Bara no Mi.
Marco transformed into his phoenix form again. For most Zoan users, their transformed state granted them greater power, and Marco was no exception.
"Think you can hit me now, boy?" Marco taunted from the air.
"You underestimate me, Marco," Shirakawa said, also taking flight and launching an aerial slash at Marco.
The attack passed harmlessly through Marco's phoenix wings, which regenerated instantly.
'No Armament Haki. My attacks won't work on him like this,' Shirakawa realized. He was at a disadvantage.
They exchanged a few more blows, neither landing a successful hit.
"I'm starting to dislike you," Marco said, his voice grim.
"Same here," Shirakawa admitted. Perhaps it was the frustration of not being able to land a hit on his opponent.
They both landed, and an unspoken truce settled over the battlefield. The rest of the Roger and Whitebeard Pirates had already stopped fighting and were sharing food and drinks, laughing and chatting like old friends.
"Our two crews are always like this," Marco said to Shirakawa, observing the scene.
"Just wait until you get used to it. Enjoy this break while it lasts. Things might get hectic again soon."
"Why? What's going to happen?" Shirakawa asked, confused. The two crews seemed to be having a good time, despite the occasional tremor from Roger and Whitebeard's battle on the other side of the island.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Marines must have received news of this by now. They'll be here soon, and then there's bound to be a fierce battle."
"Really? I'm looking forward to it," Shirakawa said excitedly.
"You're quite the battle maniac," Marco commented, then suddenly dodged to the side as a tree behind them toppled over.
"Pops' fruit is really something else," he said, blue flames enveloping his body as he created a shield to protect Shirakawa from the debris.
"This is the clash between Whitebeard and the Captain. It's exhilarating," Shirakawa said, watching the spectacle.
"We're not all the same," Marco replied. Despite being a pirate, he didn't enjoy fighting. Perhaps it was because his Devil Fruit ability was more suited for healing than combat. Marco's Phoenix fruit not only allowed him to recover from injuries but also to heal others, making him a valuable asset to the Whitebeard Pirates in that regard.
The scene before them was a stark contrast to the earlier tension. Roger and Whitebeard, who had been locked in a fierce battle, were now sitting side-by-side, sharing drinks and stories. Some of the crew members were even singing and dancing.
Even Buggy, who had been hiding during the fight, now floated around the two crews, showing off his Devil Fruit powers.
"Yo, red-nose! You got yourself a Devil Fruit, huh?" one of the Whitebeard Pirates called out.
"Who are you calling red-nosed?!" Buggy shouted, detaching his hands and grabbing the pirate's collar.
"Still sensitive about your nose, I see," the pirate laughed, unfazed by Buggy's anger.
They were well-acquainted with Buggy and enjoyed teasing him, just as the Roger Pirates often poked fun at them.
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