The fierce battle on the island continued.
Out at sea, the Black Pearl came to pick them up. Surprisingly, the first to break through the encirclement was the usually mild-mannered Captain John.
Elsewhere.
The thirty-odd pirate crews had been decimated, but they still mustered several thousand people.
They had never been elite pirate crews, with roughly two or three hundred people aboard each ship.
Half had died, but quite a few remained.
Once aboard, they followed behind Captain John, trying to break through the encirclement.
The waves grew fiercer.
Saint Kelin could not tolerate the Black Pearl escaping, yet he could not fight his way past Linlin's blade.
"Every last one of you, get going!"
Linlin's Big Mom Pirates could not stay here and wait to die either. With her choosing to cover their retreat, Saint Kelin would not be able to kill them.
"Mama!"
Blades pierced Katakuri's body, but fortunately, he had turned into mochi beforehand.
He looked toward his eldest brother, Perospero, who had just fought his way back.
Together, they protected their siblings as they escaped.
They had enabled a group of pirates to retreat in an orderly fashion while surrounded by the Marines, the Holy Knights, and one of the Five Elders.
The price had actually been half their people.
Yet the other side stood to lose the powerful fighter most likely to become the next Knight Commander.
Even Saint Saturn was bound to pursue them to the bitter end.
This battlefield teemed with powerful fighters, but no figure like Rocks had appeared.
That meant there was still a chance to turn the tables at any moment.
"Kill them! Every last member of the Dragon Emperor Pirates deserves to die!"
"If these remnants survive, they'll keep spreading their sin of god-slaying."
"If everyone on the seas