Soon after receiving the order, the Gorosei and the Holy Knights chose to retreat.
Marco's strength had already surpassed what they could handle. With his current power, even an Admiral would struggle to withstand three moves against him.
Their immortality meant nothing in front of Marco. Even the Gorosei no longer dared to face him directly.
Now, they could only place their hopes on Imu. Imu had already stated that as long as Marco could be lured into Pangea Castle, she would have a way to deal with him.
The Gorosei and the Holy Knights believed this completely. Imu was the ruler who stood above the entire world, and no matter how powerful Marco had become, they believed she would ultimately win.
After the Gorosei and Holy Knights withdrew, the guards of the Holy Land continued resisting desperately. The Giant warriors transformed by Imu also kept attacking like mindless beasts.
At that moment, Ace, who had just been blasted backward, stared at the ancient giant Loki in shock.
"This monster... there are giants this strong?"
Katakuri, standing nearby, immediately warned him, "Don't underestimate him, Fire Fist Ace. That's Loki, the prince of Elbaf and the strongest giant here."
Although giants possessed massive bodies that made them easier targets, their raw strength was terrifying. Taking a direct hit from one of them would be disastrous.
Fortunately, everyone on their side had gained the power of the Phoenix Fruit, greatly increasing their mobility. Against opponents that large, avoiding attacks was far easier.
Most of the giants present were ordinary warriors rather than elite fighters. They did not even possess basic Armament Haki or Observation Haki.
Even so, their enormous physiques and natural power still made them dangerous opponents.
An average giant, even without proper training, could easily possess strength worthy of a bounty exceeding tens of millions of Berries, with some even surpassing one hundred million.
Against enemies of that size, Katakuri's Mochi Mochi Fruit ability proved especially effective.
He transformed the battlefield into mochi, trapping giant after giant within the sticky terrain. Once immobilized, the others quickly moved in to finish them off.
Meanwhile, after the Gorosei and the Holy Knights escaped, Marco, Kaido, Big Mom, and Dragon led their forces in pursuit.
Still, none of them dared to push too deep into the Holy Land.
There was a clear possibility of an ambush ahead.
Dragon was the first to stop.
"We should head back for now. Imu still hasn't shown herself, and I don't like this situation."
Kaido sneered.
"Obviously. Even I can tell this reeks of a trap."
In a war of this scale, Imu's continued absence was far too suspicious.
Someone at that level would never stay hidden without a reason.
At their level of power, ordinary numbers meant very little. Yet the World Government had continuously thrown wave after wave of soldiers at them.
That alone was enough to prove they were preparing something else behind the scenes.
Dragon quickly proposed, "Let's deal with the giants first and recover our stamina. Once everyone is ready, we'll attack Pangea Castle directly."
Marco nodded in agreement.
He also felt that something was off.
Before, Imu had remained hidden because Marco fought alone. But now he had led the Emperors Alliance straight into the Holy Land itself.
This was no longer a small conflict. It was a war meant to decide everything.
Yet Imu still refused to appear.
Either she truly believed the Gorosei and Holy Knights were enough to stop them, or she had another plan waiting deeper inside Pangea Castle.
When they returned to the entrance of the Holy Land, reinforcements from the Emperors Alliance had already landed in full force.
Under Sengoku's command, the Marines had also stopped resisting.
Even the Gorosei had retreated. Continuing the fight now would only lead to meaningless deaths.
" Worororo... so that's Loki?" Kaido said while staring at the battlefield ahead.
Ace was currently fighting Loki head-on, but he was clearly being pushed back little by little.
That immediately caught Kaido's interest.
After obtaining the Phoenix abilities, Ace's overall combat power had risen tremendously. He now possessed enough strength to contend with an Admiral.
The fact that Loki could suppress him proved that the giant prince was far from ordinary.
Without hesitation, Kaido charged forward.
Black lightning exploded around his body as Conqueror's Haki surged violently outward. Purple Haki wrapped around his spiked kanabo before condensing into a devastating attack.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Loki's expression changed instantly.
He sensed the terrifying aura too late.
Before he could react, Kaido's kanabo smashed directly into his face.
Blood burst from Loki's nose and mouth as his gigantic body, over sixty meters tall, was blasted away like a cannonball.
The impact sent him flying thousands of meters across the battlefield.
Ace stared in disbelief before shouting angrily,
"Hey, Kaido! Why the hell did you interfere with my fight?!"
Kaido snorted, hot breath escaping from his nostrils.
"Watch your mouth, brat. You should be calling me father-in-law."
"Hmph."
Ace turned his head away with obvious annoyance.
Still, even he could not hide his shock.
He had landed several attacks on Loki already, yet none of them had seriously injured the giant prince.
Kaido, however, had knocked him unconscious with a single strike.
Even if it had been a surprise attack, the difference in power was obvious.
"Tch... that old man got even stronger," Yamato muttered unhappily.
Both she and Ace had become far stronger after gaining Phoenix abilities.
But Kaido had obtained the same power as well.
And with Kaido's already monstrous foundation, the boost to his strength had become even more terrifying.