- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 556
“You defeated all of my Mariners so easily?”
In the Sea God’s temple, Poseidon sat on his throne, his face showing a hint of surprise as Leo pushed open the doors and entered.
Poseidon had sensed Leo’s powerful Cosmo, but he hadn’t expected him to defeat all of his Mariners so quickly.
Even though Poseidon had been awakened two hundred years early and his strength was less than half of its peak, which greatly weakened the effects of the Scale Armor, and thus, the Mariners couldn’t reach their full potential, their numbers still should have made a difference. And among them was General Sea Dragon Kanon, who hailed from the Sanctuary.
Poseidon’s Mariners were different from the Saints of the Sanctuary. Most Saints trained their strength step by step, competing for the right to wear the Cloths. As a result, a Saint’s power largely came from themselves, with only a small part enhanced by their Cloths.
In contrast, Poseidon’s Mariners were chosen differently. Whenever Poseidon awakened, the Scale Armor would automatically select those with the strongest Cosmo in the Sea Realm and grant them the armor.
For the Mariners, their strength mostly came from the Scale Armor, with only a small part relying on their own abilities.
The strength granted by the Scale Armor also depended on Poseidon’s power. If Poseidon was at his peak, the Scale Armor would grant immense strength, greatly boosting the Mariners’ abilities.
In the original story, the only reason Poseidon’s Mariners were defeated so easily by the Bronze Saints was that Kanon had awakened Poseidon two hundred years too early, leaving him weakened.
Kanon, unaffected by the Scale Armor, wasn’t defeated by the Saints but instead had a change of heart after being touched by Athena’s warm Cosmo.
So, excluding Kanon, the other six Mariners had attained the Seventh Sense, but their real strength was nowhere near that of the Gold Saints from the Sanctuary.
At best, they were comparable to the likes of the Silver Saints.
Take Sea Serpent General Isaac, for example. As Hyoga’s mentor, he became a Mariner after being swept away by the sea while saving Hyoga. Before that, Isaac was only a reserve Saint competing for the Cygnus Cloth. How strong could he have been?
However, Poseidon’s Mariners were nothing compared to Hades’ Specters, which were even more disheartening.
While a Mariner’s power came from their Scale Armor and Poseidon’s blessing, their own strength still mattered. They had to train and develop their techniques to fully realize their potential. As a result, the second generation of Mariners was often weaker than the first.
On the other hand, the 108 Specters of Hades were revived by the 108 evil stars and the souls of the dead. As long as the stars remained, the Specters would never truly die, and their strength was entirely granted by their Surplices.
Specters’ abilities, techniques, and power all came from their Surplices and Hades himself. When Hades resurrected, the 108 Specters would also instantly return at full power.
There was no need to train or develop their strength—it was at its peak from the start.
This left the Saints of Sanctuary in a difficult position, as their growth was slow and hard-earned. Every death was a permanent loss.
Perhaps this was why the Saints always managed to surpass their limits, tapping into extraordinary strength. They had no choice but to win, for humanity’s survival depended on it.
The Mariners could retreat to the Sea Realm and wait for Poseidon’s resurrection if they lost. The Specters, whose base was the Underworld, couldn’t truly be destroyed.
Hades, learning from Poseidon’s defeat, hid his body deep within the Elysian Fields in the Underworld, using pure human vessels for each Holy War. Even if he lost, he could always return for the next battle without suffering any real loss.
“Poseidon, Sea God, your manipulation of the seas to flood the continents has already caused harm to humanity. As the Pope of the Sanctuary, I order you to cease your actions immediately, or I will seal you once more on behalf of the great Athena!”
Leo sternly warned as he faced Poseidon, who sat on his throne with his trident in hand.
But Poseidon merely laughed, as if hearing the most ridiculous joke.
“A mere human dares to command the mighty Poseidon? It seems Athena has failed to discipline her followers properly.”
After his laughter, Poseidon’s expression turned cold.
“Then let me help her teach you a lesson!”
A vast and terrifying Cosmo suddenly awakened from Poseidon’s body, transforming into an invisible force that surged toward Leo.
“As expected of Poseidon, Athena’s uncle. Even without a physical body, and despite awakening early with only a fraction of his full strength, he is still so powerful,” Leo thought to himself as he unleashed his own Cosmo to neutralize Poseidon’s attack.
At the moment, Poseidon wasn’t at his full power. Only about 20% of his consciousness was awake, while the other 80% still slumbered within Julian Solo’s body.
Given the current strength of his Cosmo, Poseidon’s power was about equal to Leo’s.
The two massive Cosmos clashed violently in the Sea God’s temple, but neither side could gain the upper hand. Yet during this intense battle, Leo could feel his own Cosmo steadily growing stronger.
For Saints, the fastest way to enhance their Cosmo was through combat.
Constant battles, especially against stronger opponents, and continuously burning and unleashing one’s Cosmo was the key to rapid growth.
And Poseidon was the perfect opponent for Leo to sharpen and strengthen his Cosmo.
The average Gold Saint’s Cosmo was far too weak to provide any meaningful challenge, and the likes of Hades, with his peak-level Cosmo, were far too strong for Leo right now.
Poseidon, however, was just right—powerful enough to push Leo without overwhelming him. After adjusting to this level, he could continue pushing himself further.
“Stronger would be even better. Lightning Plasma!”
Realizing that Poseidon’s current level wasn’t pushing him to the limit, Leo unleashed a full-force punch, knocking Poseidon’s helmet off.
“How dare you!”
Poseidon roared in fury, awakening 40% of his consciousness. His Cosmo instantly doubled in strength, forcing Leo’s Cosmo to shrink back to the surface of his body as he struggled to maintain it.
“Perfect, this level is just right.”
Feeling his Cosmo grow at a much faster rate under the pressure of Poseidon’s overwhelming power, Leo smiled with satisfaction.
(End of Chapter)