Hashirama stood on the somewhat quiet deck, the sound of waves surging constantly reaching his ears.
The sea breeze brushed past him, but he didn't let his guard down. Knowing Deidara's personality, he worried the kid was secretly preparing a grand surprise for him.
Although Hashirama was a spy sent by the Land of Light to infiltrate the Marines, making them enemies in opposing camps, he had lived among the Marines for some time and had formed some bonds with the soldiers there.
In his eyes, though there was darkness and oppression within the Marines, compared with other forces—whether nobles or pirates—they were still a force for justice.
They were like the shinobi of the various Shinobi Villages before the Land of Light was established. They had yet to break free of the traditional ways and the ideological shackles imposed by those above them. All they needed was a moment of enlightenment.
Therefore, Hashirama didn't want too many Marines to die at Deidara's hands under his watch. These soldiers could all be won over in the future.
With that in mind, Hashirama had sailed with caution the entire way. Even after approaching the Alabasta Kingdom, he had activated his increasingly refined Observation Haki.
Standing at the very front of the deck and keeping watch over their surroundings, Hashirama suddenly saw several fragmented images flash through his mind: an enormous white Clay Dragon, a hearty laugh, and a massive explosion that nearly destroyed the entire fleet.
Hashirama's heart tightened. He vaguely understood that his Observation Haki had improved once again, but the images he had just seen made him even more vigilant.
As he gradually sensed a presence speeding toward them, he looked up at the sky and spotted a huge white bird. His expression changed. Without wasting a moment, he