Elsewhere, Whitebeard and Senju Hashirama remained locked in confrontation.
"I'm leaving."
Whitebeard's gaze swept across the surrounding seas as he slowly retreated.
He rested Murakumogiri aside and began throwing punches with both fists.
Crack!
The air around his fists instantly shattered into spiderweb-like fractures.
Yet as he withdrew his fists, the fractured air barrier immediately returned to normal.
He showed no intention of stopping.
Punch.
Withdraw.
Punch.
Withdraw.
Again and again, the air shattered and restored itself.
On the fifth withdrawal, the earth began to tremble violently.
The ground split apart, and seawater surged upward through the massive fissures.
The affected area expanded at an astonishing speed.
"That technique again?"
Hashirama shifted his attention to the surrounding ocean.
The sea level continued rising, forming a colossal tsunami.
The waves grew higher and higher until they blotted out the sky itself.
Then, like a monstrous beast opening its jaws, the tsunami crashed downward, intent on swallowing the entire island.
"You're a Devil Fruit user. If you use a move like this, how do you plan to escape, Edward Newgate?"
Hashirama calmly questioned him.
Back when the Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates had clashed, Whitebeard had used this very technique.
Hashirama had never understood how they escaped back then.
Now Whitebeard was using it again, making him even more curious.
Devil Fruit users were helpless in seawater. Once engulfed by it, they lost their strength and became powerless.
The fact that Whitebeard could still escape meant he must possess some special method.
"That's my secret, Senju Hashirama."
Whitebeard laughed.
Not far away, the Marines pursuing the Roger Pirates suddenly noticed something was wrong.
The ground beneath them was splitting apart.
Looking up, they could see the monstrous tsunami towering overhead.
"That's Edward's ability. Damn it, he's using that technique again!"
Sengoku felt the earth shaking beneath his feet.
With the tsunami about to descend, there was no longer any hope of catching the Roger Pirates.
"Damn it! Why does Edward Newgate always have to use a move like this?"
Zephyr clenched his teeth in frustration.
"Now all we can do is watch Roger's crew escape."
"We came all the way to the North Blue for nothing."
A Marine Vice Admiral couldn't help but complain.
"Edward is planning to use his ability to escape again."
Is calmly looked at the tsunami looming overhead.
"Is."
A voice sounded from behind him.
Uchiha Madara had finally found him.
"Did you obtain the Pluton blueprints, Madara?" Is asked as he turned around.
"No. They weren't on him."
Madara shook his head.
"I see."
Is didn't pursue the matter further.
If he got them, then he got them.
If not, so be it.
He was merely interested in the blueprints, not obsessed with acquiring them.
The colossal waves descended in an instant and swallowed the entire island.
At that moment, every other sound vanished.
The only thing left in the world was the roar of the sea.
Some time later, the tsunami finally receded.
The massive island had been shattered into countless pieces.
Before long, the entire island would sink beneath the sea.
Floating atop the ocean were only fragments of destroyed Marine warships.
A pair of wings sprouted from Is's back as he rose into the air.
Madara, Hashirama, and the others also emerged from the sea one after another.
"Is!"
A completely intact Marine warship sailed toward them from the distance.
When the tsunami had begun approaching the island, Acnologia had immediately sailed away from the area.
As a result, the ship had escaped the disaster entirely.
With a wave of his hand, wings sprouted from everyone's backs.
The group flew onto the Marine warship.
The battle was finally over.
"Are all of you alright?"
After landing on deck, Is immediately checked on everyone's condition.
"I'm fine. And I already killed that pirate called John."
Unohana Retsu wrung the seawater from her clothes as she spoke.
"This old man killed a pirate as well."
The Old Heavenly Master patted his soaked robes.
"Edward Newgate has probably escaped already."
Hashirama removed his drenched shirt and draped it over the ship's railing to dry while running a hand through his wet hair.
Whitebeard had escaped using this technique before.
There was no reason to believe this time would be any different.
"If he escaped, then he escaped. He poses no threat to us."
Is calmly surveyed the sea ahead.
Fortunately, none of the group—Tornado and the others included—had been injured.
Is instructed them to return to their rooms and change into dry clothes.
"Did we get the Pluton blueprints?"
Acnologia stepped closer, curiosity evident in his voice.
He was quite interested in the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
After all, it was said to possess the power to destroy the world.
"The blueprints weren't on Bundy World. They were with his crew, so we didn't obtain them."
Madara shook his head.
"Then it seems they've already started building it in secret."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's expression changed slightly.
"It's only a battleship."
Is spoke indifferently.
"It's nothing worth making a fuss over."
A faint layer of flames appeared across his body.
The fire didn't harm him in the slightest.
Instead, it quickly dried his clothes.
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