Vegapunk's voice was thick with despair. He staggered back two steps, nearly falling onto the beach.
The Five Elders still haunted him. He knew Thunder was powerful, but there were two enemies up there: Marine Admiral Borsalino and one of the Five Elders!
Faced with such a gap in strength, he was genuinely afraid.
"Saint Saturn came in person! There's no way we can escape. Even if we get aboard, he'll catch us!"
Seeing how distraught Vegapunk was, Sabo suppressed his own fear and stepped forward to support him. "Don't panic, Dr. Vegapunk. Our second-in-command is still holding him off up there."
"We have to get aboard as quickly as possible!"
Ivankov forced himself to calm down too. He patted Vegapunk on the shoulder and said firmly, "We have a submarine, remember? Once we're underwater, what can even one of the Five Elders do?"
Hearing that, Vegapunk finally felt a little relieved.
"If we have a submarine, we still have a chance. We can't give up! Our second-in-command is risking his life up there to buy us time!"
"If we back down now, we'll be letting him down!"
"Quick, let's get aboard!"
Vegapunk looked into their determined eyes, then glanced at Mu Chen's figure in the distant sky. A glimmer of hope gradually replaced his despair. He took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "All right, let's get aboard!"
"I can't let Mr. Thunder's efforts go to waste!"
Vegapunk had barely stepped through the submarine's hatch when a furious roar rang out overhead, sending ripples across the sea before he could even breathe a sigh of relief.
Saint Saturn had finally locked onto them. His dark figure shot toward the harbor like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Trying to run?"
"Not so fast!"
"Vegapunk, come back now, and I