However, this regeneration doesn't come without a cost.
It consumes Marco's stamina, and when his stamina is depleted beyond a certain point, he can't regenerate even while in his Devil Fruit form.
Yet, anyone with a discerning eye could easily see that at this moment, Marco's stamina was far from reaching its limit.
Under such circumstances, who could truly harm him?
Whitebeard?
Or Shanks?
Or perhaps the Marine hero Garp?
None of them could!
Kaido is hailed as the strongest creature, with defenses rarely seen in the world, yet someone has left scars on his body before.
As for Marco, ever since he consumed the Mythical Zoan Bird-Bird Fruit, Phoenix Model, not even the tiniest wound has ever appeared on him.
This allowed Marco to face all top-tier powerhouses. Even Emperor-level ones.
Yet, he has never truly been injured. Such an experience could be called legendary.
However, at this very moment, in Lancelot's hands, this legend was utterly shattered!
How could they not be stunned?
Among the Whitebeard Pirates, anyone who noticed this scene felt as if their hearts were tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and their heartbeats even stopped for several seconds!
One could imagine the magnitude of their shock.
After the initial shock, these individuals showed concern for Marco. At the same time, a deep fear quietly took root in their hearts.
In stark contrast were the Marines, who were isolated and unable to continue their pursuit.
At this moment, each of them was overjoyed.
After all, within the entire Whitebeard Pirates, if there was anyone besides Whitebeard himself who could hold the crew tightly together, it was undoubtedly Marco!
Even if Ace regained his freedom, he'd likely struggle to achieve this.
After all, Marco's position within the Whitebeard Pirates was unquestionably at the Vice-Emperor level, unshakable and irreplaceable.
It wasn't just because he was one of Whitebeard's earliest followers, nor was it solely because he was the strongest under Whitebeard.
More importantly, he was the spiritual pillar of the Whitebeard Pirates.
In the eyes of every member, Marco was Whitebeard's sole successor and the undisputed choice for the next captain!
With him, the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't fall, nor would they scatter.
But now, Whitebeard was already in a situation where death was certain.
With Marco fallen at Lancelot's hands, who in the Whitebeard Pirates could still step forward and hold everything together?
"Diamond" Jozu? Or perhaps "Flower Sword" Vista?
Indeed, the strength of these two is also exceptionally formidable.
However, compared to Marco, their status and prestige within the Whitebeard Pirates still fall considerably short.
Perhaps if the two joined forces, they could temporarily stabilize the situation and prevent the Whitebeard Pirates from immediately disbanding.
But it certainly wouldn't last long.
Ultimately, pirates respect strength above all.
Relying solely on them, they would be unable to command the allegiance of the other members, especially the forty-three pirate crews under the Whitebeard Pirates' banner.
Most of them submitted to the Whitebeard Pirates after being defeated.
With Whitebeard, Marco, and Ace gone from the crew, would they still submit?
Unlikely.
Therefore, even if the remaining Whitebeard Pirates managed to escape, they'd no longer pose a significant threat.
This war could already be considered a resounding victory for them.
...
In that instant, it was as if the entire world had been muted, falling completely silent.
Because this war, just like in the original storyline, was broadcast live to the entire world.
This meant that this fierce battle wasn't just fought on the battlefield; it unfolded before the eyes of the whole world.
Every move, every attack, was laid bare for the audience to see.
And the reason Akainu was so desperate to achieve an unparalleled feat in this war lay precisely in this.
He knew full well that if he could secure a glorious achievement in this globally-watched battle, then people all over the world would know of his merits.
By then, neither Sengoku nor the entire Dove Faction would be able to ignore him any longer.
He'd have the capital to compete with Aokiji for supremacy.
"That... that... that must be the Admiral Candidate who's been appearing in the newspapers constantly over the past year!" A voice of astonishment suddenly rose from the crowd.
"He's strong, incredibly strong," another voice echoed, filled with shock.
"Indeed! Before, we only saw a few photos in the papers. It's nowhere near as awe-inspiring as this live broadcast!" someone exclaimed.
"Of course, photos can't compare to the immediacy of a live stream," another agreed.
"This war truly makes me feel like I'm right there! I feel the blood in my veins boiling. No, I must join the Marines! I want to become a Marine as powerful as Candidate Lancelot," a young man shouted excitedly.
"I'll go too!"
This world has never lacked passionate youths.
And passionate youths are also the most easily influenced.
They might be swayed by figures like Roger, setting sail on the path of the great voyage.
Of course, they could also be inspired by the immense power displayed by Lancelot, choosing to walk the path cloaked in justice.
Different from these passionate youths were the middle-aged and elderly.
They had more to consider, and at this moment, they could no longer suppress the smiles at the corners of their mouths.
Because they understood that victory in this war would impact the entire world.
Just as Roger once influenced a generation to become pirates. However, this time, the influence was positive.
They believed that in the coming years, the number of people setting sail to become pirates would plummet dramatically.
This also meant the world would become much more stable than it had been over the past two decades.
For all ordinary people, this was a tremendous boon.
At this very moment, the prestige of the Marines and the entire World Government was silently rising.
Meanwhile, the morale on the Pirate side plummeted drastically.
For instance, among the crowd, some young people who had originally aspired to become pirates fell into silence.
Watching the overwhelmingly powerful Marines in the live broadcast, their hearts trembled with fear.
They couldn't imagine facing such monsters once they became pirates. Their entire bodies shook uncontrollably.
As for those who had already become pirates and were hiding among the crowd watching the broadcast, their hearts also quivered.
They'd originally come here with the intention of looting, never expecting to encounter the live broadcast.
After witnessing the battle in the broadcast, even their desire to rob vanished completely.
Gulp…
They couldn't help but swallow nervously, their hearts filled with dread… In the past, they had wished for everyone to know of their arrival.
Because they reveled in people's panic and terrified screams.
But now, they desperately hoped no one would notice them.
They feared being targeted by the Marines… especially by those terrifying Marine officers in the broadcast.
Lancelot, Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, and even those Vice Admirals were opponents they could never hope to match.
How could they not be afraid?
This was akin to military exercises, meant to intimidate others.
Now, the formidable strength displayed by the Marines surged like towering waves, delivering an immense shock to everyone.
This deterrent effect not only made those with ill intentions hesitate but also forced those who wanted to set sail and become pirates to reconsider their decisions.
Faced with such powerful Marines, they had to carefully weigh whether they still wanted to embark on this perilous path.
At the same time, Lancelot landed gracefully on the ground.
In his palm, he held a vividly colored fruit, as if it were the most precious treasure in his life.
Lancelot walked toward Marco, his steps somewhat hurried yet deliberately controlled to avoid arousing suspicion.
When he reached Marco's side, he slowly crouched down, pretending to be eager to check on Marco's condition.
However, all of this was merely an elaborate facade crafted by Lancelot.
His true intention was to seize this opportunity to bring the fruit into contact with Marco's heart's blood.
After all, Marco's abilities were far too powerful, and missing this chance would be a pity.
Time passed second by second, and Lancelot's heartbeat gradually quickened.
He carefully brought the fruit closer to Marco's body, fearing any unexpected mishap.
Finally, after a prolonged act of pretense, the fruit made contact with Marco's heart's blood.
In that very instant, Lancelot felt a surge of immense power emanating from the fruit, spreading through his arm and coursing throughout his entire body.
He inwardly rejoiced, knowing his plan had succeeded.
Lancelot slowly stood up, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
To onlookers, this smile meant he'd confirmed Marco's death.
But only Lancelot himself knew the truth—his plan had succeeded, and Marco's Phoenix Fruit was now in his hands.
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