Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji started running back toward the Tower of Justice to support Gojo—to help him fight off the Buster Call.
On the other side, Gojo was still fighting.
Before, only three Vice Admirals—Strawberry, Momonga, and Onigumo—had engaged him. Now, the remaining two had joined the battlefield: Doberman and Yamakaji. With their arrival, the siege against Gojo tightened completely.
All five of them attacked from different angles, striking wherever they saw even the smallest opening. Their coordination was sharp, disciplined—exactly what was expected of Marine elites. Blades flashed, cutting through the air with lethal intent, their movements overlapping seamlessly as if they shared a single mind.
And yet—
Gojo stood in the center of it all, blindfold still wrapped securely over his eyes, unmoving until the very last instant.
He had fallen into a strange rhythm.
Each attack was met at the perfect moment—dodged by a hair's breadth, parried at the exact angle needed to deflect its force. His body moved with effortless precision, as though the battlefield itself whispered every motion to him. The faint hum of invisible Armament Haki coated his strikes and defenses, unseen yet undeniably present, colliding against the Vice Admirals' blows with silent, crushing force.
Steel clashed. Air cracked. The ground beneath him fractured in spreading lines.
And still—he grew calmer.
So this is their rhythm…
On the other side, the Vice Admirals felt it.
The longer they fought, the more their shock deepened.
They could all tell that Gojo was not at his peak. His movements, though precise, carried the faintest trace of fatigue. And yet, despite that, he stood against all five of them without losing control—without even showing desperation.
That calmness—
It was unnatural.
A heavy realization settled over them: if Gojo was this composed, this dangerous even while not at his peak, then how powerful would he be at his peak? Allowing him to grow further would be catastrophic.
They could not afford hesitation.
This time—they had to finish him.
All five Vice Admirals had already made up their minds. Whether they belonged to the dove faction or the hawk faction, none of them could allow Gojo to leave this battlefield alive.
The dove faction might prefer to capture him—to put him on trial and extract whatever they could. The hawk faction, on the other hand, would not hesitate. They would aim to kill him on the spot.
Different ideologies—but one shared conclusion.
Gojo had to be dealt with.
Meanwhile, Gojo stood in that same strange calmness.
And then—
He saw it.
A flicker of the future unfolded in his mind.
Momonga was not attacking him yet. But Gojo saw him move—at a certain distance, at a specific angle, at an exact speed. He saw the trajectory, the timing… and the intent.
A strike aimed directly at his neck.
Not now.
A few moments later.
This was the future sight of Observation Haki.
So that's how you'll move…
Without hesitation, Gojo adjusted.
And then reality caught up.
Momonga moved.
His blade, coated in invisible Armament Haki, cut toward Gojo's neck—
Toward where Gojo should have been.
But Gojo wasn't there.
They crossed.
Gojo slipped past at the last possible instant and appeared behind him.
Then—
Momonga felt it.
A burning pain erupted from his stomach. A deep cut stretched from his stomach up toward his lower chest, blood pouring out and staining his coat red.
Behind him, Gojo stood silently.
At that exact moment, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji arrived—and witnessed it all.
He didn't even look…
The battle didn't pause.
The Vice Admirals surged forward again.
Gojo saw the future once more.
Doberman would strike from above—his blade descending toward Gojo's head—while Strawberry would attack from the side, closing off escape.
A perfect pincer.
And then it happened.
Gojo moved first.
He slipped upward, appearing just above Doberman's attack, his body phasing through the narrow gap in timing. His sword, coated in invisible Armament Haki, cut across Doberman's left shoulder.
Without stopping, Gojo twisted mid-air. A faint blue aura gathered around his left fist.
He punched.
The blow landed directly on Strawberry's jaw.
The impact sent him flying, his jaw dislocating under the sheer force as he was thrown across the battlefield.
In a single sequence, Gojo had dealt with both of them.
Onigumo watched it happen.
Three Vice Admirals—handled almost simultaneously.
Anger surged through him as he prepared to attack—
But suddenly—
His Observation Haki warned him.
He turned—
And Luffy was already there.
His skin had turned pinkish, steam rising from his body.
Gear 2.
On the other side, Zoro and Sanji engaged Yamakaji together, their coordinated attacks forcing him into defense.
Just like that, the pressure around Gojo eased.
For the first time—he wasn't surrounded.
Gojo turned slightly, facing the Straw Hats.
They were holding their ground.
Not completely overwhelming the Vice Admirals—but not being overwhelmed either.
They were holding them off.
And doing it with ease.
Gojo looked at the scene—and something within him settled.
His purpose in this battle had already been fulfilled.
His breathing was steady, but heavier now. The strain was there.
He had achieved it.
He could now stably use future sight.
This was the goal… and I've reached it.
There was no reason to continue.
He was low on stamina.
If he had been at his peak, he would have continued—would have finished them.
But now—
There was no need.
So, calmly, he spoke.
"Let's leave from here."
His voice cut through the battlefield.
"We don't have to stay here. What I wanted to achieve in this battle… I've already achieved it."
For a moment, the words lingered.
Then—
Gojo moved.
A single step forward, calm and steady, as he began to walk away from the battlefield.
----
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