One Piece: Starting from Awakening the Cosmo at Marineford

In the following days, Aaron did not notice any change in the townspeople; they remained just as hostile towards him.

Aaron also restrained his marines, preventing them from lingering on the island.

The island has been quiet and peaceful these past few days, but the person Aaron was hoping for has not appeared.

Aaron remained calm, but Finbdi was starting to get anxious.

"Boss, we've been waiting for days, are those guys finally coming?"

Aaron said, "No. Although Whitebeard is dead, and his men have scattered like leaves in the wind, his captains are now fighting their own battles, like a pile of loose sand. But when faced with something like this, some of them will still band together. If they do nothing, then what Whitebeard said before, that everyone is his son, everyone is family, will become a joke."

After thinking for a moment, Fombey came up with a reason: "Wouldn't they fight Blackbeard's men first? Or would they be entangled with Whitebeard II?"

Aaron chuckled. "Not necessarily. Whitebeard's territory was originally the largest among the Four Emperors. Even though Blackbeard's men have taken some of it, and Whitebeard Jr. killed a few of his captains, Whitebeard's territory is still quite large. The fact that they haven't made any moves these past few days suggests they're probably planning something big."

"A big surprise?" Finbuddy began to worry. "Boss, is it really that serious? Would Marco really gather all those captains and commanders just to deal with us?"

Aaron shook his head: "No. If it were just to deal with us, it wouldn't be that serious. It's been almost five months since the Marineford War ended. During that time, Whitebeard's territory was being taken down one by one by Blackbeard's men, and about ten of his captains were killed by Whitebeard Jr.

If Marco doesn't retaliate and allows Blackbeard and Whitebeard II to run rampant, these people will completely fall apart. How can Marco, alone guarding Whitebeard's homeland, stand by while others slaughter Whitebeard's son?

Hibari, who was fiddling with his sniper rifle, then continued, "Senior Aaron, are you saying that Marco will be forced by circumstances to make a decision?"

Aaron snapped his fingers: "Right. Even if someone wants to run away, to be a coward, it's not that easy. The situation is pressing, and it's not so easy for Marco to live a peaceful life. Blackbeard wants to take over the territory, and Whitebeard Jr. wants to inherit Whitebeard's legacy. What Marco is protecting is precisely this. The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease; he must make a choice."

Although Fitti obtained the same Devil Fruit as Kaido, greatly increasing his strength, he was still far from reaching Kaido's level. The thought of Marco bringing countless captains and commanders to this island made him a little apprehensive.

"Boss, Marco the Phoenix and the others wouldn't go to such lengths to attack us, would they? At least, they wouldn't send all of them, would they?"

Aaron laughed and retorted, "What? Are you scared?"

"Heh, boss, it's a lie to say we're not afraid. There are only three of us with fighting ability. Those 20 marines are basically just support crew, responsible for sailing, cleaning, and cooking. They don't have much fighting ability. They probably can't even beat a pirate with a 500 million Berry bounty. The three of us, on average, have to deal with several captain-level powerhouses each..."

Aaron said, "If you're scared, it's not too late to leave now."

Fombey gave an awkward laugh: "Boss, how could I leave you behind?"

Aaron said, "When they really come, you're in charge of protecting Lark and the others. I'll fight them all by myself."

"Huh? Boss, you're good, but you're not quite a general, are you? How could you take on so many people by yourself?"

Aaron yawned: "Anyway, they can't kill me."

Hibari didn't want Aaron to take the risk alone: ​​"Senior Aaron, am I going to be a burden again?"

Aaron waved his hand: "No. I just don't want you to take risks. Captains like Marco, Jozu, and Vista are already strong enough to be considered Shichibukai. Right now, it would be very risky for you to face them."

The lark remained silent, feeling that she was not only unhelpful but also a burden.

Seeing this, Finbuddy laughed and said, "They might not come, right?"

Aaron said, "Most of them will come."

Finbdi didn't understand why Aaron was so certain: "Why?"

Aaron smiled but didn't answer. Instead, he asked Lark, "Let me test you. Do you understand why?"

Hibari explained, "I think there are two reasons. First, it's to avenge Fossa. Fossa is a captain-level figure, unlike the captains of the pirate crews under his command. Marco and the others may not have such deep feelings for those captains, but they have spent twenty or thirty years with these captains, and their relationship is like that of brothers. It wouldn't be right not to show their support."

Secondly, Marco wanted to use us as practice. This doesn't mean he considered us particularly strong. He simply wanted to use this campaign against us as a training exercise, to test how many people still remembered their brotherhood with Fossa, and to test his own leadership and the cohesion of his men.

If this test satisfies him, then Marco will naturally turn his attention to the Blackbeard Pirates to settle their score.

Killing Thatch, betraying Ace, and killing Whitebeard—any one of these three is a blood feud, and Marco and his crew won't let this go easily. A decisive battle is inevitable sooner or later.

Their real target this time isn't us, but the Blackbeard Pirates.

Fempedi was stunned: "How come I didn't think of that?"

Aaron laughed and said, "Lark, your analysis is quite correct. There's a high chance that Marco and the others will come. The later they arrive, the more prepared they'll be, and the more people they'll gather."

Fombey chuckled wryly, "Now that you mention it, I'm actually hoping they get here soon. Boss, do you think it's possible that Blackbeard's men will show up at the same time, start a free-for-all, and we can reap the benefits?"

Aaron nodded to Skylark.

Lark said, "No. Their relationship isn't that close. Basque Jot is an escapee from Impel Down; his strength isn't that great. It's not worth Blackbeard going to great lengths for him. If Marco gathers his men this time, Blackbeard will most likely take the opportunity to seize territory and attack their rear."

Finbdi nodded: "That's good, it can also help us divert some of our strength."

Lark sighed, "But in this way, we've indirectly helped Blackbeard."

Aaron reassured him, "As long as Blackbeard doesn't harm civilians, we're not helping him. Be extra vigilant in the next few days; Marco's men could appear at any time."