"Zephyr... Tsuru!"
In the distance, Sengoku and Garp both felt their hearts tighten.
Though they were locked in battle with powerful enemies, their Observation Haki had remained spread across the entire battlefield.
The moment they sensed Zephyr take a hard hit and Tsuru get knocked out of the air, their fury nearly burst through their chests.
Garp forcibly suppressed the rage threatening to erupt and made himself stay calm.
His opponent was Rocks D. Zebek!
If he broke focus to go help them, even a gap of just one-tenth of a second would be all Rocks needed to launch a fierce attack.
Then he wouldn't just fail to save Tsuru and Zephyr—he could end up gravely wounded or even killed himself!
Sengoku was in the same predicament.
Whitebeard's Tremor Power seemed to have risen even higher during their clash. Every swing of his blade made space tremble, and every Air Quake made the entire sea groan.
Sengoku had to give it everything he had. The slightest distraction would leave him gravely wounded.
"Dammit!"
"Get back, Whitebeard Newgate!"
Sengoku roared as his golden Buddha body blazed with dazzling light.
He pressed his palms together before his chest, then slowly pulled them apart.
A terrifying energy sphere, more than ten meters across, took shape between his palms.
He would use this attack to force Whitebeard back, even if only for an instant!
But Whitebeard wasn't easily intimidated.
"Gurarara... Sengoku, you're not going anywhere!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily and clasped his fists together before his chest.
Translucent Tremor Force wrapped around his arms like a solid substance. He sank slightly, his muscles swelling to their limit, and then—
He flung his arms apart!
Crack!! Crack!!
At that moment, the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was unleashed in full!
White fissures spread through the air like lightning—not just one, but dozens, hundreds!
The cracks expanded simultaneously from both sides of Whitebeard, like two invisible giant hands closing in from the left and right, intent on trapping Sengoku completely.
"Damn it!" Sengoku cursed.
The air on both sides was already shaking in a perfect pincer formation, sealing off every route he could take to dodge or go help.
Now, even though Sengoku was worried about his comrades, he couldn't get away.
He could only grit his teeth and push his Buddha Form to its limits once more.
His golden Buddha body swelled to thirty meters tall, and his palms thrust forward like two small mountains.
"Great Buddha Shockwave!"
A vast shockwave surged from his palms like a tsunami.
Sengoku's shockwave clashed with Whitebeard's Shockwave!
Boom—!!!
The clash between them warped all of space.
The blast's aftershock forcefully drove back the seawater, leaving a temporary vacuum zone with a diameter of five hundred meters at its center.
There was no seawater, no air—only raging currents of pure energy.
"Vice Admiral Zephyr is wounded and can't help! Vice Admirals Garp and Sengoku are tied down too!"
"Quick! Go save Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
Several naval officers finally reacted.
They all used Razor to speed forward, and just as Tsuru was about to hit the sea, they caught her safely.
"Quick... Get Vice Admiral Tsuru to the infirmary!"
Garp and Sengoku, still locked in fierce combat with Rocks and Whitebeard, sensed through Observation Haki that Tsuru had been caught safely. Only then did they breathe a little easier.
"Zehahaha... Captain, we've got the Heavenly Tribute! Time to pull out!" Shiki roared with laughter from high above.
In the distance, the transport ship carrying the Heavenly Tribute had completely risen clear of the sea. It floated three hundred meters in the air like a castle in the sky.
"Look over there! The transport ship's flying!"
"It's Officer Shiki! They got the Heavenly Tribute!"
When the pirates saw the Treasure Ship floating in the air, they stared in surprise for a moment, then erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Hahaha... We got it?"
Rocks, who had been keeping Garp on the back foot, laughed loudly. He feinted to drive Garp back, then took a deep breath. His voice rang across the entire battlefield like a bell.
"Everyone, retreat—!!!"
They had the Heavenly Tribute and had achieved their strategic objective. There was no need to keep fighting the Navy.
Continuing the battle would only bring needless casualties, and it was still unclear whether Navy reinforcements were already on their way.
To play it safe, withdrawing was the best choice.
The mission to seize the Heavenly Tribute was complete.
Captain Rocks's voice seemed to have a magic power: the pirates stopped at once when they heard the order.
Their frenzied assault immediately turned into an orderly retreat.
The Navy could only watch the pirates withdraw, their faces ashen.
The truth was, the Navy's top brass had underestimated Rocks and Luo Tian's strength.
If Kong had known, he would have defied the Celestial Dragons and sent the three current Admirals here, taking the opportunity to wipe out the Rocks Pirates in one strike.
After all, one of an Admiral's duties was to protect the Celestial Dragons.
"Dammit..."
A Rear Admiral gripped his sword hilt, his eyes bloodshot.
"We... We're just going to watch them leave?"
No one answered.
Everyone knew there was no point in chasing them.
The ship in the sky was still rising and would soon break through the clouds.
The Rocks Pirates' fleet was gathering on the sea, preparing to withdraw.
As for the Navy...
All their top fighters were tied down. Their ordinary soldiers would only be throwing their lives away if they gave chase.
Meanwhile, the roaring clash between Whitebeard and Sengoku had gradually died down.
Whitebeard stood with Murakumogiri held before him, his chest rising and falling slightly.
Even he had been worn down by his fierce battle with Sengoku.
Hearing Rocks's order, Whitebeard looked at the golden Buddha before him and laughed heartily.
"Gurarara... Sengoku, looks like this war is already decided. Do you still want to keep fighting?"
Sengoku's face was ashen. He slowly reverted from his Buddha Form but didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked up at the distant sky, then toward the sea.
The Rocks Pirates were retreating.
At last, he looked toward his own side.
Zephyr stood on the deck, drenched in blood and panting. Tsuru had been gravely wounded and was unconscious in the infirmary. Garp had been kept on the back foot by Rocks the entire time. Exhaustion and humiliation were written across the soldiers' faces...
Sengoku was torn apart inside.
Keep fighting?
There was no point anymore.
The Heavenly Tribute was lost, and their forces were no match for the Rocks Pirates.
Even if they managed to kill some of the Rocks Pirates' officers, or gravely wound Whitebeard or Golden Lion...
The price might be Zephyr's death, Garp's grave injuries, and every soldier's life...
And even that wouldn't change the bigger picture.
The Celestial Dragons would still fly into a rage, the World Government would still hold them accountable, and the Navy's reputation would still plummet.
The words rose in Sengoku's throat, but they burned like a branding iron, and he couldn't bring himself to say them.
But he had to.
They couldn't afford any more pointless sacrifices!
Sengoku spoke, his voice rough as sandpaper.
"Do not pursue the Rocks Pirates!"
The words struck every sailor's heart like a thousand-pound hammer.
Some of the younger marines couldn't help tearing up—not out of fear, but humiliation.
As Marines, they had watched pirates steal the Heavenly Tribute and then swagger away...
That was harder to bear than dying in battle.
Before you continue