Just the exchange of sheer presence between Kizaru and Hashirama was beyond what ordinary people could withstand.
Many of the Marines behind Hashirama fainted under the pressure. The rest were hardly in better shape.
"Anyone below the rank of lieutenant, get behind the deck!" Hashirama's adjutant promptly gave the order. Standing behind and to one side of Hashirama, he watched Kizaru ahead of them as cold sweat poured down his forehead.
As an Admiral's adjutant, Bisk held the rank of Rear Admiral at Marine Headquarters. He was considered a talented member of the Marines' rising generation, and, as a master of Haki and the Six Styles, his promotion to Vice Admiral was all but certain.
Yet even a Marine officer like him couldn't help feeling afraid in Kizaru's presence.
It wasn't simply that he was a coward. Kizaru's performance during the Summit War had left a profound impression on every Marine, especially the officers who had been left behind at the end to face Kizaru together.
This man had long since surpassed the limits of humanity. Even the word "monster" couldn't describe how powerful he was.
Among the Marine officers who had taken part in the Paramount War, many privately referred to Kizaru as a being akin to a demon god.
"Demon" was a label born of their opposing sides, while "god" reflected their recognition of and fear for Kizaru's overwhelming strength.
Out on the sea, under the fearful, terrified gazes of numerous Marine officers and the battle-hungry look in Hashirama's eyes, Kizaru raised his right hand and grabbed at the air. The relatively calm sea instantly sprang to life.
The seawater beneath Hashirama's warship carried it up into the sky. Hashirama himself was unaffected by the sudden turn of events and remained steadily at the front of the deck.