Marco could block Kizaru, but only for a while. In a real fight, he definitely wouldn't be a match for an Admiral.
In this world, the title of "stalemate king" applies to very few people. Besides Crocodile, Marco is one of them.
He can forcibly hold his ground against almost anyone, for a while.
At Marineford, countless factors had weakened the Whitebeard Pirates—Garp's punch, the seastone restraints, and Whitebeard's failing health. That was the only reason Kizaru had managed to land a successful ambush on Marco.
Otherwise, Marco could have kept fighting.
Even with a Devil Fruit ability that is more of a support-type, he had led the retreat of his fellow commanders and captains using his sheer power alone.
Roy naturally trusted Marco, and he also believed in Ace and the others' ability to hold out.
He was just a little worried about Whitebeard's condition, he was hoping there wouldn't be another sneak attack.
A marine warship docked on the frozen sea.
Four people jumped down from the ship.
"Fufufufu.... we're about to go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates. How exciting—everyone's here is a monster!" Doflamingo laughed wildly.
"So many corpses… Perfect for my zombie army. I heard Whitebeard has a descendant of Oars in his crew. Hehehe… I can't wait to get my hands on that body." Moria licked his lips.
"This place reeks of men. Disgusting." Hancock frowned. She hadn't wanted to come here in the first place, her only concern was Luffy.
Now that she knew he'd escaped Impel Down, she was relieved, but deep down, she was more concerned than ever.
Mihawk kept his gaze forward. With his sharp senses, he could feel danger approaching.
"Something's coming," Mihawk warned.
"Hm?" The other three turned to look ahead.
A chilling wind blew as a man walked toward them.
Every marine soldier trying to attack him collapsed around him as he passed.
This scene drew the attention of countless more, and they rushed towards him.
But without exception, once they entered a ten-meter radius of him, they fell unconscious.
On the warship, Vice Admiral Tsuru and Garp watched grimly.
"That level of Haki… is inhuman," Garp said seriously.
"Edward Roy, Vice Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates," Vice Admiral Tsuru said after comparing a photo.
Many orphans in the Whitebeard Pirates didn't even have names and just took Whitebeard's surname.
Roy's name sounded like a given name, so the Marine assumed he also took on Whitebeard's surname.
"That degree of control… There are only a handful in the world who can wield Conqueror's Haki like that," Garp said warily.
A Marine Vice Admiral, enraged by the falling soldiers, charged forward.
At ten meters, his movements slowed.
At five meters, his breath grew ragged, sweat pouring down his face.
At four meters, he took one final step, then collapsed at Roy's feet.
"That guy…" Doflamingo felt a chill in his soul.
Those eyes were more terrifying than Mihawk's.
Too calm.
Eyes that regarded everything with indifference.
All beings looked like ants before him.
"Who is he?" Hancock asked, shaken by Roy's gaze. It was the first time she'd seen such eyes.
Mihawk didn't answer. Instead, he reached for the hilt of his blade and drew the black sword from its sheath.
"Greetings, you four," Roy finally approached, standing exactly ten meters away from them.
"Who the hell are you?!" Moria snarled. Having hidden on Thriller Bark for years, he had no idea who Roy was.
To be fair, even Doflamingo had only recently learned about him.
"I'm Roy, just a humble member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Since we're all pirates here, let's not fight and kill each other. How about you four take a break? Sit this one out. Maybe grab some tea?" Roy said with a smile.
"What the hell are you? I've never even heard of you! The Whitebeard Pirates have something like you? You think you can make me leave?" Moria retorted.
The other three looked at him like he was an idiot.
They were all thinking the same thing.
'Perfect. Let the fool test Roy's strength.'
"I'm not 'something.' I'm a person. So, what do you say? Give me some face and stay out of this? Just watch from the side." Roy kept smiling.
"SCATTER BATS!"
Moria's shadow turned into bats, baring their fangs and flying toward Roy.
But as they neared the ten-meter mark, the bats melted into black goo as if hit by intense heat and fell to the ground.
"My shadow bats!"
Moria tried to control his shadow, but it lay flat on the ground, unmoving.
"What kind of ability is this?!" It even counters mine!" Moria shouted in fear.
"I guess that's a 'no.'"
He took one step forward.
Doflamingo released his Conqueror's Haki and drew his strings. Hancock raised her leg—her own Conqueror's Haki bursting out. Mihawk gripped Yoru with both hands.
But then it happened. A black shadow flashed past them.
It was so fast that even their Observation Haki couldn't keep up; only their Conqueror's Haki gave them a vague sense of it. Mihawk barely caught a glimpse—but the others? Nothing.
"So fast!" Hancock was stunned.
BOOM!
A warship exploded, half of it obliterated. A bloodied figure, Moria, lay embedded in the wreckage, a fist-shaped crater in his chest.
Some unfortunate marine soldiers on the ship were taken out. The survivors ran to check.
"That's…"
"Warlord Gecko Moria?!"
"What!!!"
"He lost… instantly?!"
On a nearby warship, Garp and Tsuru saw everything clearly.
"That speed, incredible," Garp remarked.
"To instantly defeat a Warlord… he's reached that level. More and more powerful young people are rising on these seas," Tsuru said calmly.
"Tsuru… I'm going to make a move soon, too," Garp said, clenching his fist.
"Mhm. You're one of our key fighters," Tsuru nodded.
Back where the four had stood, four figures still remained. But now, Moria had been replaced by Roy.
"So, what do you say? Will the three of you back down, or would you prefer to end up like him?" Roy turned and looked at them.
Doflamingo realized he couldn't move, sweat pouring from him. His entire body was locked in place, as if a giant invisible hand had grabbed him.
Only his Conqueror's Haki was protecting his body from being crushed.
"This is Conqueror's Haki?! How?! How can Haki manifest like this?!"
Doflamingo could see Roy's Haki.
It was almost solid, akin to the effect of Armament Haki.
Roy's Conqueror's Haki was binding everything within a ten-meter radius.
That level of control over Haki, he had never seen it before.
A suffocating pressure, unlike anything he had ever experienced.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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