The next day, on Klichche Island.
This small island was part of the Beasts Pirates' territory, and the Three Emperors Alliance was currently recuperating there.
Marco, who had been unconscious for an entire day, finally woke up. Without wasting ti, he imdiately summoned all the captains.
"This ti, out of our 20,000 Phoenix Pirates, fewer than a thousand survived. The rest were all buried at sea during that final explosion," Vista reported, his expression heavy with sorrow.
Jozu added, "So bodies were recovered, but many are still missing."
Vista continued, "Even though the losses were severe, at least all the captains survived. That's the only silver lining."
Marco remained silent for a mont before asking, "How many people do we have left now?"
Vista answered grimly, "Including those stationed across our territories, we should have around five thousand left."
"Only five thousand…" Marco frowned. He already knew that Garp and Zephyr had attacked Beehive Island, wiping out the forces stationed there. Still, hearing the final number made the reality sink in.
At their peak, the Whitebeard Pirates had over fifty thousand mbers. Even after Marco took command, they still had twenty-five thousand. Now, after a series of major battles in less than a year, their numbers had dropped to a fraction of that.
Jozu spoke again, his tone serious. "Most of those who died were from allied crews. Thirteen of their captains were among the casualties."
Marco nodded slightly, then asked, "What about the Seraphim?"
Jinbe replied, "They were swept into the sea by the storm. I managed to retrieve them along with the Pacifista, but they've completely shut down. It might be water damage."
Yamato shrugged. "At least they're intact. We can hand them over to Dr. Vegapunk later. He might be able to repair them."
Marco looked around at everyone, his voice steady but heavy. "Do you think we won or lost this war?"
The question lingered in the air.
Originally, after defeating the Marines and the Gorosei, their losses had already been significant, but gaining four Seraphim helped balance things out. However, everything changed when the Ancient Weapon Uranus descended.
Marco destroyed it, triggering a catastrophic explosion that nearly wiped out the entire alliance. In the end, it beca a battle where no one truly won.
Ace stepped forward and placed a hand on Marco's shoulder. "Don't bla yourself. If Uranus hadn't been destroyed, none of us would be alive right now."
Jinbe nodded. "He's right. We're alive because of you."
Vista added, "Next ti, we keep the weaker mbers away from the battlefield. Against enemies like the Gorosei and the God's Knights, numbers don't matter."
He paused before continuing. "Even we captains struggled. We can barely deal with the God's Knights, but the Gorosei are on a completely different level. Their immortality makes them nearly impossible to fight."
"And behind them… there's Imu-sama."
Everyone fell silent.
If it had only been the Marines, their forces could have managed. But once the World Governnt entered the war, everything changed beyond recognition. The strength of the God's Knights and the Gorosei was overwhelming, far beyond what ordinary pirates could handle.
In truth, the only reason any of those monsters fell was because of Marco. Their own attacks had been almost useless.
Jinbe then asked, "Captain Marco, do you know who Imu-sama is?"
Logically, Marco shouldn't have known. But after everything they had witnessed, their trust in him had reached a level similar to what they once had for Whitebeard.
Marco shook his head. "Not completely. I only know that she is a Celestial Dragon who has lived for eight hundred years, and the true ruler of the World Governnt."
"I see…" The others exchanged glances, absorbing the weight of that revelation.
At that mont, a pirate rushed in. "Captain Marco, Kaido and Big Mom are asking for you."
Vista stood up. "Their losses must have been calculated by now. Let's go."
Marco nodded. "Let's move. Despite everything, the Marines and the World Governnt suffered heavy losses too. For now, we keep a low profile."
With that, Marco and more than a dozen division captains headed to the eting room.
Inside, Kaido, Big Mom, and their core subordinates were already gathered.
Although the explosion of Uranus had devastated the alliance, most of the high-ranking fighters had survived.
As soon as Marco entered, he saw Kaido sitting there, drinking sake while crying loudly.
After taking his seat, Marco looked at him. "Kaido… why are you crying?"
"Wororororo… my Gifters army is gone…" Kaido wailed, clutching his drink.
Marco was montarily speechless. The Beasts Pirates had a massive number of Devil Fruit users, especially those who consud SMILE fruits. Most of them had lost the ability to swim, so the explosion at sea must have been catastrophic for them.
"How many did you lose?" Marco asked.
"Wororororo…" Kaido continued crying, offering no real answer.
King stepped forward and spoke instead. "The losses are severe. We brought over ten thousand pirates. Aside from the few Devil Fruit users who could fly, almost everyone else perished."
"Among the Tobiroppo, only Ulti, Who's Who, Vergo, and Sasaki survived. The others were lost at sea. As for the All-Stars, only a handful remain. Our strength has been heavily reduced."
Marco's expression tightened. "That bad…"
Big Mom, now back to her usual form, spoke with clear irritation. "This old lady didn't fare any better. I brought five thousand people to support you, and now only a few hundred remain."
Her voice grew harsher. "After the Marines attacked Totto Land last ti, I already lost a lot. Now, after this, my crew has dropped to less than seven thousand."
Marco nodded, then turned back to King. "And your total forces now?"
King replied, "After the destruction of Wano and this battle, we're left with only five to six thousand mbers."
Ace let out a quiet breath. "Looks like we're all in the sa situation. The Phoenix Pirates are down to around five thousand as well."
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