At these words, Katakuri seemed to have taken a heavy blow. He had long known that his Mochi-Mochi Fruit had limitations, yet he had never admitted it. Even though he had awakened his Devil Fruit, this was the peak of its potential. He had often wondered: if he had consumed a Mythical Zoan or a Logia-type Devil Fruit instead, would his strength have surpassed what he had now?
But what was done could not be undone.
Katakuri exhaled deeply, realizing that no matter what he did, defeating Ace quickly was impossible. With Marco having already taken down two of his younger siblings, continuing the fight would only compound their losses. He turned to Ace and said firmly, "Stop. This battle is over. Fish-Man Island is yours."
"What?" Ace blinked, surprised at Katakuri's decisive surrender.
Katakuri repeated with seriousness, "Stop. There is no need to continue. You have won. Fighting further will only cause needless casualties."
Then, raising his voice to the battlefield, he commanded, "Big Mom Pirates, everyone, stand down. Cease your attacks immediately."
Hearing Katakuri's order, the Big Mom Pirates lowered their weapons and assumed defensive stances, the tension on the battlefield easing slightly.
"Marco…" Namur glanced at him, anticipating the next move.
Katakuri added, shouting across the chaos, "Marco, this victory is yours. Tell your companions to halt."
"Lord Katakuri…" The Big Mom Pirates were visibly unsettled. As a crew under an Emperors Pirate, defeat was rare and humiliating, yet with two Sweet Commanders already fallen, there was no one left to oppose Marco.
Marco allowed a satisfied smile to appear on his face. Raising his voice, he called out, "Everyone, stand down!"
At his command, both the Phoenix Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates regrouped and gathered around their respective allies.
"Is it finally over?" Fishmen observing from the outskirts exhaled in relief.
Jinbe nodded, a faint smile on his face. "It seems Marco and his crew have won."
Marco turned to Ace, whose face was swollen and bruised. "Are you alright, Ace?" he asked with concern.
"I'm fine…" Ace touched his battered face and forced a smile, wincing slightly. "Fighting Katakuri has restored a lot of my confidence."
Marco felt a pang of sympathy for Katakuri. In the original story, he had been a test for Monkey D. Luffy, yet here he seemed to have served the same role for Ace. Patting Ace's shoulder, Marco said, "That's good. You've done us a great service, Ace. If you hadn't stopped Katakuri, I wouldn't have been able to freely handle Snack and Cracker."
Ace nodded, still smiling through his pain.
Marco then looked at Fossa, who had fought valiantly to subdue Smoothie, and said warmly, "You did well too, Fossa. Thank you for stopping Smoothie."
Fossa offered a modest smile in response.
Meanwhile, Katakuri knelt beside Daifuku and Oven. Though Oven's injuries were serious, he was still alive. Daifuku, however, had suffered catastrophic wounds; a gaping hole marred his body, his eyes half-lidded, his breath faint, teetering on the edge of death.
"Daifuku…" Katakuri's pupils constricted as he surveyed his brother's condition.
The ship's doctor shook his head solemnly. "I'm afraid… Lord Daifuku's injuries are beyond recovery."
Katakuri clenched his fists, fingernails digging into his palms as fresh blood trickled down. His gaze locked on Marco with unbridled fury, his voice brimming with deadly intent. "Marco…"
Marco, however, ignored the seething Katakuri and spoke with a hint of mockery. "Katakuri, it seems you still don't understand. I gave him a chance, yet he chose to challenge death. You can't blame me for the outcome."
Katakuri's expression hardened. Though his crew outnumbered Marco's, their combat power could not match the Phoenix Pirates. Now was not the time to continue fighting. He cast a final glance at Snack, still held captive by the Phoenix Pirates, and said icily, "Release Snack, and I will return Fish-Man Island to you."
Marco snorted, contempt evident in his tone. Though the battle had paused, the mission to 'establish authority' in the New World was far from complete. The Big Mom Pirates needed a decisive lesson, and Marco had no intention of letting them off lightly.
"Return? Fish-Man Island was always ours. Do I need you to return it? You burned our flag and provoked the Phoenix Pirates. This slap in the face cannot be dismissed with mere words." Marco's voice carried disdain.
"If we don't make them pay today, our Phoenix Pirates will never secure our place in the New World."
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