The sudden and tremendous explosion shook the entire battlefield, not only causing the combatants around the area to instinctively raise their hands to shield their eyes and dodge in alarm, but also drawing everyone's immediate attention to the source of the blast.
Then they discovered that the expected shockwave and devastating destruction had not arrived as anticipated.
Everyone turned their heads and saw a transparent, slightly shimmering hemispherical barrier positioned upside-down on the ground like a protective dome.
The massive shield, which was rotating slowly and steadily, had completely blocked the explosive impact. As a result, none of the people present had suffered any substantial harm beyond having some earwax shaken loose by the tremendous noise.
When everyone looked more closely, they realized it was actually a shield constructed entirely from compressed water.
"I thought you were trying to be Kakashi, but it turns out you're just Deidara cosplaying as a masked ninja," came Jerry's water clone's amused voice from within the smoke-filled protective barrier.
Then Gladius's weak voice could be heard responding with obvious defeat, "Cough! I should have known... thinking I could succeed against you... was probably just wishful thinking on my part."
"That's not entirely true," the water clone replied with surprising kindness. "At least your attack actually launched successfully—it just didn't accomplish what you hoped it would."
As the clone's voice finished echoing across the battlefield, the inverted giant water shield quietly dissolved and disappeared.
After several moments, the smoke and dust settled completely, revealing the water clone standing calmly in front of Gladius. However, the Donquixote officer had collapsed in a pool of blood, completely motionless.
This decisive scene filled many observers who had witnessed the legendary War of Marineford but were still paying close attention to this particular confrontation with secret dread.
The officers on Doflamingo's side were especially affected, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets with complete disbelief written across their faces.
In their professional assessment, Gladius possessed tremendous strength that surpassed most of their family members, with combat abilities that approached those of their highest-ranking executives.
However, such a formidable fighter had been defeated by his opponent in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
Just then, a bone-chilling wind swept across the battlefield, startling the observers once again.
"Soul Solid: Blizzard Slash!"
People looked toward the source of this new voice and saw Brook standing with his sword properly sheathed. Behind him stood Lao G, who had been frozen completely in place despite having developed unusually prominent muscles that no one had noticed during their intense duel.
Brook adjusted his sword's position, straightened his posture, and observed quietly, "Old man, it seems you still need considerably more practice—though you won't have another opportunity to improve."
Just as he finished delivering this somber assessment, a shocking sword wound suddenly appeared across Lao G's chest while a thick layer of ice formed around his entire body, freezing him solid in an instant.
"You people really deserve to die!" Dellinger caught sight of the successive defeats of both Gladius and Lao G, and suddenly roared at Carrot with obvious fury and frustration.
Channeling his anger into combat motivation, Dellinger's figure flashed as he launched the high-speed mobility attacks that represented his greatest strength.
Seeing this aggressive approach, Carrot's expression remained completely calm and focused. "You're not the only one capable of achieving that kind of speed."
Obviously, Carrot specialized in similar techniques, and she would never allow any enemy to gain the upper hand without a proper fight.
Both combatants began moving back and forth across the battlefield at velocities that ordinary people would find impossible to track with their eyes. They would only pause for brief moments during their direct confrontations before resuming their lightning-fast exchanges.
"Damn it! How can you possibly keep up with me?! Just die already!" When Dellinger realized he held no advantage in terms of pure speed, he gritted his teeth and became even more resentful and desperate.
After all, high-speed movement represented the offensive method he had mastered most completely, and Dellinger had always believed that very few opponents could match his velocity-based fighting style.
Sensing her enemy's intensifying malice and murderous intent, Carrot pursed her lips thoughtfully before responding, "I'm genuinely surprised by what I've witnessed here."
"If this represents the maximum speed you can achieve, then you should prepare yourself for defeat!"
Carrot's voice seemed to float through the air as countless electrical discharges suddenly emerged around her small form, writhing and dancing like luminous serpents.
Under Dellinger's astonished gaze, Carrot's speed increased dramatically once again, allowing her to completely suppress his movements in the span of a single moment.
"Take this—Lightning Dragon Drill!"
With a powerful battle cry, Carrot channeled the force of thunder itself, raising her electro-enhanced claws high above her head. She spun her entire body at tremendous velocity like a living gyroscope, transforming into a dazzling stream of light that rushed toward her enemy with devastating intent.
Dellinger's heart sank as he realized that his speed—which he had once considered his greatest pride—was now completely insufficient to dodge Carrot's enhanced assault.
Making a split-second decision, he accelerated as much as physically possible while raising the sharp horns on his head that gleamed with cold menace, attacking Carrot with everything he possessed.
The two devastating attacks collided instantaneously, and the electrical energy surrounding Carrot's body was transmitted directly to Dellinger at the moment of contact. This caused him to groan in agony as his muscles stiffened under the paralyzing impact of her electric current.
Then his body was deflected by Carrot's spinning momentum, causing him to lose his balance completely.
Everything happened in a flash. With a sharp whooshing sound, Carrot passed through his defenses like a hot knife cutting through butter, while Dellinger crashed heavily to the ground and remained completely motionless.
"Ahem, Carrot, when you're naming your techniques in the future, please use fewer references from my stories..." Jerry commented while walking casually across the battlefield. Upon hearing Carrot's attack name, he slapped his forehead toward the sky with obvious resignation.
Hearing this criticism, Carrot confirmed that her opponent could no longer continue fighting, then relaxed her combat stance and replied with genuine confusion, "But those names work really well!"
"You damned storyteller, what exactly have you been telling Carrot recently?!" Before Jerry could respond, Carina's exasperated voice carried down from the aerial battle above.
Jerry blinked innocently and spread his hands in a gesture of complete innocence. "They're all perfectly respectable stories, I assure you."
As he spoke, he turned his attention toward Pica and Cavendish, who were still engaged in fierce combat behind their position.
When Pica realized that he couldn't inflict any meaningful damage on Cavendish using his massive rock body alone, he had attempted to combine rapid movement through stone formations with attacks using his actual human form.
However, this change in tactics had quickly cost him dearly.
Even though Pica had employed his Armament Haki and tried desperately to inflict serious damage on his opponent, he was rapidly counterattacked by Cavendish and sustained multiple significant injuries.
If he hadn't reacted quickly enough to retreat back into his rock constructs, the battle would have concluded already.
"Hey there, squeaky voice! If you've got any real courage, come out and fight like a man!" Cavendish called out, having decided to supplement his physical attacks with psychological warfare. "Don't just hide in there without making a sound—I know you're still conscious!"
He extended his Observation Haki to its absolute limits, but still couldn't pinpoint exactly where Pica's real body was located within the enormous rock giant.
After all, when Pica merged completely with stone formations, his personal aura became deeply hidden within the construct, leaving Cavendish somewhat at a loss for effective targeting methods.
Fortunately, Cavendish's amazing movement speed and devastating attack power had successfully confined Pica's stone giant to the immediate area, preventing his opponent from interfering with battles taking place elsewhere.
At this crucial moment, large numbers of uniformed Marine soldiers suddenly appeared near the elevated ground, with countless eyes now focused intently on the ongoing battlefield.
"Doflamingo has made such a dramatic move—he must have some kind of backup plan prepared," Jerry observed while sensing the Marines' arrival. He looked up toward the high ground where the palace stood and muttered thoughtfully to himself, "But I wonder whether you're truly the king in this game, Joker, or just another clown."
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