After Burgess saw the situation on the battlefield amid his shock and fury, he immediately fell into a state of furious fear. Nine people had been unable to harm Uchiha Hikaru in the slightest, which meant Hikaru's strength had far exceeded their expectations. If that was the case, trying to turn the tide with the remaining people was nothing more than a fool's dream.
Burgess reacted at once, turning and sprinting toward Shiryu.
They could lose the battle; as long as there was life, there was hope. So Burgess abandoned any thought of victory or defeat, chose to retreat mid-battle, and intended to rescue Shiryu before fleeing immediately.
However, Jinbe, who had been leading the Devil Fruit user corps in supporting the entire battlefield, had noticed this long ago. When Hikaru's blow had left Shiryu half-crippled, Jinbe had sent two Devil Fruit users to seize Shiryu.
"Let him go!" Burgess was furious. If Shiryu were captured here, the Blackbeard Pirates would lose a vital arm, and Burgess would likely have to bear Blackbeard's considerable wrath when he returned.
Sharkskin Fist!
A huge, burly figure abruptly cut in front of Burgess, and a terrifying blast of impact force slammed straight at him. Several nearby pirates tried to rush in and help, only to be sent flying on the spot by the shockwave.
"Jinbe!" Burgess flew into a rage, coating his arms in Armament Haki before throwing a powerful punch head-on against Jinbe's shockwave. "Get lost!"
Boom!
Their clash erupted in a powerful explosion. Burgess was thrown into a somersault and sent tumbling several meters away. Several members of the Zoan Devil Fruit user corps immediately pounced on him, intending to subdue and capture him alive.
"Get lost!" Burgess roared, sweeping out with violent force. Three Devil Fruit users were immediately shoved