"Buddha Fist!"
Sengoku's voice remained icy cold!
This Navy Admiral would not give up the fight even when at a disadvantage. He was also constantly observing the surrounding situation; both Kizaru and Kuzan's opponents were also quite troublesome!
Now...
He must continue fighting!
The massive wooden figure wasn't Senju Hashirama's true form, but merely a combat creation born of his ability. So it's better to directly attack the opponent's true body!
"Very spirited..."
Senju Hashirama softly praised.
"Wood Release: Wood Expulsion Jutsu!"
The captain of the Konoha Pirates maintained a good attitude, calmly bringing his palms together as a massive ghost-faced wooden shield appeared in front of him!
The Buddha Fist of the golden Buddha smashed heavily onto the wooden shield!
However...
The wooden shield just developed a crack!
The wooden figure seized the opportunity to stretch out its hand, grabbing the golden Buddha's body and forcefully slammed it to the ground, as if it had thrown down a golden rag doll!
"That guy..."
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Aokiji's face.
Because his fight with Red Sand Sasori wasn't particularly intense, Red Sand Sasori was mostly using his flying ability to evade attacks, constantly bombarding him with rocket launches.
To put it bluntly...
They were all on the same side.
"Don't underestimate our captain..."
Red Sand Sasori's figure abruptly halted in mid-air, his gaze fell on the gigantic wooden figure that had captured the golden Buddha, and he softly spoke: "To be frank, our captain possesses the divine bloodline. He is the true descendant of a god, not the trash who claims to be god like those Heavenly Celestial Dragons, but a powerful being revered as a god by the world..."
It's somewhat intriguing.
Senju Hashirama ended the Warring States Era in another world, acclaimed as the God of Ninja; in this world, he could easily deal with Admiral Sengoku...
"Speaking of which..."
Red Sand Sasori glanced at Aokiji, who was close by, softly speaking: "You should know what choice to make, right? Admiral Aokiji, you don't want your senior to die here, do you?"
"..."
Aokiji slowly lowered his head.
"Borsalino, Kuzan!"
At this very moment, Vice Admiral Tsuru loudly called out to the two admirals who still had some room in their battles, hoping they could find a way to assist their old friend!
Sengoku was already determined to lose!
This meant that the balance on the battlefield would soon be broken, the captain of the Konoha Pirates had his hands free, and he could easily assist others in defeating the two Navy Admirals!
"Borsalino, cover us. Aokiji, Sengoku, let's retreat first!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru had firmly decided that the Navy had lost any chance of winning in this battle, so she immediately planned for everyone to retreat and wait for reinforcements before fighting again!
Borsalino, being the fastest Flash-Flash Fruit ability user, was the best choice whether for pursuit after victory or cover after defeat.
"..."
The golden Buddha glanced back at his old friend, then at the calm expression of Senju Hashirama, realizing he was no match for the opponent.
It seemed...
Continuing to fight would be unwise.
It might even drag the two admirals into the quagmire.
Unexpectedly...
Coming here with two Navy Admirals and two old friends to tackle the Konoha Pirates, even with nearly all the high-ranking forces deployed, ended up in such a disadvantageous position!
Perhaps...
He really was getting old.
But the captain of the Konoha Pirates was indeed a formidable challenge!
Sengoku had never encountered such a troublesome enemy before; even if he could entangle for a while at the beginning of the battle, it was only because the opponent hadn't taken it seriously. This seemingly naive and gentle pirate captain might be on par with that old relic Whitebeard, or at least another of the Four Emperors, Hundred Beasts Kaido, couldn't be Senju Hashirama's opponent...
"Retreat first!"
Sengoku agreed with Vice Admiral Tsuru's decision, speaking in a deep voice: "Borsalino, cover us. I'll take Aokiji and Tsuru and retreat first. We'll regroup at Alabasta's southern port!"
"Alright, alright..."
Kizaru raised his hand and a laser beam repelled Senju Tobirama.
"Leaving now seems a bit late..."
Red Sand Sasori stepped out of the fight with Aokiji and leisurely looked at the golden Buddha, speaking softly: "Admiral Sengoku, you started this battle, and if it's going to end, shouldn't it fairly end by our hands?"
"..."
Sengoku didn't have time to counter or deal with him.
The Navy Admiral's body rapidly shrank, quickly returning to normal size, and he turned to step back, intending to lead Vice Admiral Tsuru away from the desert battlefield, with Aokiji and Kizaru landing beside them...
However...
Red Sand Sasori simply watched them and uttered a phrase.
"Stay here."
"Sorry..."
Aokiji's ice blade abruptly rested on Sengoku's neck!
"Kuzan?"
Sengoku couldn't believe it, his eyes widening as he looked at the junior he had always held in high regard, wanting to cultivate this junior as a future Navy Admiral!
Did this guy even realize what he was doing?
"What are you doing?"
Sengoku asked Aokiji in a deep voice!
"Sorry..."
Aokiji felt as though he would spend his future always apologizing, speaking with a certain calmness: "Sorry... I joined the Konoha Pirates long ago."
"Kuzan, how could you..."