Vice-captain of Whitebeard pirates

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Tsuru listened to Porusalino's voice, her expression turning slightly solemn.

Based on the current level of single-round strength, the threat posed by this pirate group was no longer inferior to that of the Roger Pirates. The Roger Pirates had evolved and developed over time, now boasting many members aboard their ship.

However, the Whitebeard Pirates were a newly established crew. Currently, just two of them had already overwhelmed the Navy. If they continued to develop, they could become even more terrifying than the Roger Pirates.

She narrowed her eyes, keenly observing the battle between Larson and the Navy.

She wasn't overly concerned about the fight involving Whitebeard. Although Zephyr and Garp were in a difficult situation, they were far from their limits. If it came down to determining the outcome, it would not take more than a few days of relentless fighting.

The key factor lay in whether Sengoku and Sakazuki could hold out.

Tsuru had sent Kuzan to rescue Gion. She was astute and had never placed all her hopes on Porusalino.

Though Porusalino's rescue attempt had failed, he had drawn Larson's attention, making Larson subconsciously believe that they had merely sent Porusalino to save Gion, while Kuzan was her backup plan. In the midst of the fighting, no one would pay attention to Kuzan anymore.

For Tsuru, she did not care about the Celestial Gold of the Celestial Dragons. This mission was purportedly to recover the Celestial Gold and rescue Gion, but in reality, retaking the Celestial Gold was just a cover; what she truly cared about was Gion.

In her heart, she silently encouraged Sengoku and Sakazuki. If they could hold out a little longer, Kuzan would hopefully be able to rescue Gion.

If Sengoku and Sakazuki knew what Tsuru was thinking, they would undoubtedly curse aloud.

Couldn't she see how precarious their situation was? Compared to the physical exertion, the two of them were suffering the most mentally.

Sengoku had actually wanted to retreat long ago, but he couldn't receive any word from Tsuru. He had no choice but to continue trudging forward.

There was no escape. Although Tsuru might not be powerful in terms of physical strength, she represented the Navy's strongest strategy.

All their current actions had been arranged by her prior to the battle. Although he wanted to withdraw, he feared that retreating now might endanger Garp and Zephyr. Once they retreated, Larson could come to support Whitebeard.

Garp and Zephyr were already at their limits when facing Whitebeard alone. If Larson joined the fray, they would be in serious trouble.

Now Sakazuki and Sengoku had ceased their attacks. After repeated assaults and failures, they had both fallen into deep exhaustion.

Both of them were hoping Tsuru would soon grant them permission to retreat, eagerly awaiting her voice.

Letting Sengoku and Sakazuki battle against Larson might seem like a failure, but in fact, Tsuru's plan had reached an impasse.

Aside from testing Larson's abilities, there was another reason:

According to Navy intelligence, Whitebeard's overall strength and threat level far surpassed Larson's. Therefore, when determining matchups, it was natural for the two strongest — Zephyr and Garp — to face Whitebeard, leaving the comparatively weaker Sengoku to contend with Larson.

Susanoo slashed again with its sword, but Sakazuki narrowly evaded the strike by transforming into magma at the last moment. Nevertheless, the power behind Susanoo's colossal blade still left him feeling extremely uncomfortable. Each blow was a tremendous drain on Sakazuki, compelling him to dodge as much as possible to avoid any direct confrontation with Larson.

"There are thirteen minutes left," Larson noted, panting slightly. The battle had lasted seven minutes, which wasn't overly long; in the pirate world, battles often dragged on for three days and nights.

However, it was challenging for Larson. Susanoo could only last a maximum of ten minutes, and his ability to restrain Porusalino would likely dissipate in another minute. This battle needed to conclude quickly; at the very least, he had to render the two opponents in front of him unable to continue fighting.

As Larson observed Sengoku and Sakazuki's increasingly serious expressions, the giant blade in Susanoo's hand gleamed faintly with golden light.

Upon witnessing this, Sengoku's pupils narrowed. This sensation, this familiar aura, and this shockwave — it was his fruit ability again!

In the prior encounter, Larson had suddenly appeared and overwhelmed him with Garp's Shock Fruit and his own Big Buddha Fruit.

Now Larson used Susanoo along with the Big Buddha Fruit against him, ready to teach him another lesson!

The dazzling shockwave gathering on the giant blade of Susanoo made it difficult for Sengoku to open his eyes. Instinctively, he shouted, "Get out of the way!"

Without needing to be told twice, Sakazuki sprinted several meters away.

Sakazuki truly feared Larson. Once he sensed that the atmosphere had clearly shifted and that Larson's momentum was considerably stronger, he fled, leaving Sengoku standing alone.

Sengoku: "..."

My day, your mother!

Now, Larson had no need to worry about Sakazuki, and all of his attention could focus solely on Sengoku.

Even if Sengoku wanted to retreat at this point, it was too late. He had to stand firm.

With the giant blade, filled with shock energy, Larson swung down, aiming directly at Sengoku.

Larson began to exert force continuously, and Sengoku gritted his teeth to hold his ground. Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Sakazuki, who had fled, returned.

Sengoku yelled, "Attack him quickly! I can hold on for a while longer!"

Seizing the opportunity, Sakazuki raised his hands, enveloped in magma. "Meteor Volcano!"

Massive blasts of magma erupted from his hands, not aimed directly at Larson, but targeting the ice beneath Larson's feet.

Sakazuki calculated well. Given that attacking Larson directly yielded no results, he would instead collapse the ice to cause Larson to fall into the sea. This would effectively incapacitate Larson.

However, Sakazuki was unaware that Larson wasn't a Devil Fruit user.

The lava struck the ice at Larson's feet, and although it melted the ice beneath him, it similarly affected the ice beneath Sengoku's feet as well.

Larson promptly contacted Susanoo and activated the ability he had just copied from Porusalino, ascending into the air.

However, Sengoku wasn't as fortunate. Without a solid foundation, he plunged into the water.

As soon as his body met the seawater, he reverted to his human form, floundering in the ocean.

Sakazuki: "..."

Larson smiled down from the air at Sakazuki. "Thank you."

Sakazuki's face darkened to an ominous level.

This was the extreme counter-killing of teammates!

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