When things had reached this point, Marco also felt he bore some responsibility. After all, wasn't it because he was too weak that he failed to defeat Uchiha Madara?
If he had managed to take down Uchiha Madara earlier, maybe things wouldn't have gotten so bad, and the situation wouldn't have turned out this dire.
But now—it was already too late. Far too late!
"Speaking of which, why did Kronos let us leave instead of chasing us down at the last moment?"
"Even Uchiha Madara was sent to cover our retreat?"
"Kronos… what the hell is that lunatic planning? What's his real purpose?"
After a long silence, Vista finally voiced a thought that left everyone unsettled.
Yes…
No one could understand why, at such a critical moment, Kronos—their greatest enemy—not only spared them, but even pulled them out of danger and saved their lives.
At that time, when Marine forces were pursuing them, Marco and the others had already fallen into complete despair. They truly believed it was over. They had prepared themselves to die.
After all, their opponent was Akainu, and he had brought five Vice Admirals with him. Pursued by such overwhelming combat power, even the Whitebeard Pirates at their peak would never have claimed they could escape unscathed!
But then something unbelievable happened.
That man—Uchiha Madara—the one who had once been one of the Whitebeard Pirates' most dangerous enemies…
Ended up becoming the strongest shield to protect them!
If the situation hadn't been so perilous, if it hadn't been for Uchiha Madara's intervention, they would all have been wiped out. Not just them—even Whitebeard himself might not have been able to escape alive!
On this point, Marco and the others racked their brains but still couldn't make sense of it.
"There's also another possibility," Vista suddenly spoke up, leaving everyone stunned.
"What?"
"You mean…?"
"This is unlikely, isn't it?"
Vista met their questioning gazes and calmly continued, "Think about it carefully. If Kronos really wanted to do us a favor, he could have just sent a few people. But Uchiha Madara came alone!"
"And don't forget—Uchiha Madara is the kind of arrogant man who only respects the strong."
"Maybe after that previous battle, he came to recognize our strength. Maybe he thought we were a crew worthy of genuine respect. So at this critical moment… he came to save us on his own. Doesn't that make sense?"
Everyone was shaken by his words. They exchanged glances, struggling to believe it.
"What…?"
"When you put it like that, it actually makes sense!"
"Could it really be true?"
One of the Whitebeard division captains suddenly slapped his forehead, shouting as if he'd just woken from a dream.
Marco also began to feel Vista's reasoning was far too convincing. He nodded slowly and said, "I think your guess might really be correct. Maybe Uchiha Madara came of his own accord to help us. I honestly can't think of another explanation!"
"Besides, I don't believe Kronos would ever be so kind as to send someone to save us."
"That guy is rotten to the core!"
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