"What a remarkable coincidence! Last time it was Marine Headquarters on the Red Line, and now it's the G-1 Branch on this side."
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, a slightly lazy but unmistakably familiar voice echoed across the frozen battlefield.
"The Red Hair Pirates?!"
"Both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Black Star Pirates are here too..."
"Are all the strongest pirate crews in the New World joining forces for an all-out assault?"
The sight of the red-haired pirates' distinctive ship appearing on the distant horizon sent ripples of shock through the Marine ranks. Panicked discussions erupted among the soldiers as they tried to process this unexpected development.
After all, this situation was far from ordinary. While Marine intelligence had predicted that both the Black Star Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates would attempt to disrupt today's execution broadcast from Mariejois, the arrival of Red-Haired Shanks and his crew was something no one had anticipated.
"Hmph! So what if they've all come?" The masked figure standing beside Admiral Kizaru suddenly spoke, his voice amplified across the entire training ground through strategically placed loudspeakers. "They're nothing but pirates! They all deserve to be reduced to ash!"
"Huh?!" The distinctly familiar voice caused most of the Marines—and even Jerry's crew—to freeze in recognition and disbelief.
As if to confirm their suspicions, the masked man stepped forward after finishing his declaration. He raised both fists high above his head and instantly transformed into a human artillery battery, launching countless molten projectiles toward the pirate fleets.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Witnessing this spectacular display of devastating power, the Marines erupted in cheers of recognition and renewed confidence: "Admiral Akainu?! He's alive!"
On the Black Star Pirates' ship, everyone stared in shocked amazement. Deuce turned to Jerry with obvious confusion written across his features. "What's going on here, Jerry? Didn't you kill him during our last encounter..."
"Who knows?" Jerry shrugged with characteristic nonchalance. "Maybe he's just too stubborn to stay dead."
"Fire Fist!"
Facing the sky filled with massive lava projectiles, Ace responded with countless giant flaming punches of his own. The two attacks collided mid-air with deafening roars, sending fragments of molten rock raining down like a volcanic storm before they finally sank into the deep sea below.
Akainu fixed his gaze on Jerry with an expression of pure malice, memories of their devastating encounter at Treasure Island flashing through his mind. Although he had fought with everything he had that day, Jerry's overwhelming power had left him severely injured, his face and body marked with permanent scars that even his magma powers couldn't fully heal. The impact had launched him skyward before he crashed into the turbulent ocean below.
If ocean currents hadn't coincidentally swept him to a nearby island where local fishermen found and rescued him, he would likely have drowned in the depths, his body joining the countless others claimed by the sea.
When Akainu finally returned to Marine Headquarters—wearing a mask and requiring molten rock to replace parts of his damaged body—he discovered that Admiral Aokiji had already been promoted to Fleet Admiral in his absence. The humiliation of that revelation still burned within him like his own magma.
Now, Akainu's attention shifted from Jerry to the Moby Dick where Ace stood prominently at the bow. "That old ghost Whitebeard is already terminally ill," he declared loudly. "He's nothing but a sick cat without claws or fangs. We should take this opportunity to destroy them all in one decisive strike!"
A man's reputation precedes him like a tree's shadow. Even in his advanced age, Whitebeard's legendary status still commanded respect and fear from ordinary Marines who might hesitate to face him directly. However, Akainu's confident proclamation served to boost morale among the assembled forces.
Correspondingly, Ace's eyes flashed with cold fury upon hearing these disrespectful words about his adoptive father.
Because Admiral Aokiji had frozen the entire sea area into a solid ice field, both warships and pirate vessels found themselves unable to continue normal navigation. Except for crew members needed to operate long-range weapons systems, both Marines and pirates disembarked onto the ice simultaneously and began charging toward each other in a massive ground assault.
All members of the Black Star Pirates except Jerry joined the advancing forces, each launching attacks according to their individual fighting styles and specialties.
Seeing that every member of the Whitebeard Pirates except their captain had already moved forward to engage the enemy, Red-Haired Shanks and his first mate Beckman exchanged meaningful glances.
"I never expected that kid would drag us into another war," Shanks sighed with a mixture of amusement and resignation.
Beckman exhaled a perfect smoke ring, his deep voice carrying through the gray cloud: "What choice do we have? You're the one who lost to him in that duel."
He paused thoughtfully before continuing, "However, after this battle concludes, the entire world will change dramatically."
Shanks laughed heartily, his characteristic carefree attitude shining through despite the gravity of the situation. "Who cares about the consequences? Let's join the party!"
At that moment, the projection of Saint Saturn suddenly switched perspectives, and the scene transformed to show a magnificent public square. Dense crowds of spectators filled the surrounding viewing areas, and it was immediately apparent that most of them were Celestial Dragons dressed in their distinctive ceremonial costumes.
In the center of the square, two men knelt on the ground in shackles—one tall and rotund, the other short and thin. They were clearly Dr. Vegapunk and Bartholomew Kuma, both appearing resigned to their fate. Beside each prisoner stood a massive executioner wielding an enormous blade, while nearby, an official announcer was reading out the charges against both men in an impassioned voice that carried across the entire plaza.
Jerry observed the scene carefully through the broadcast feed, confirming that the execution was indeed taking place in Mariejois. He gestured to Kotatsu, who immediately shrank to kitten size and leaped onto his shoulder.
As Jerry shifted his stance and prepared to take action, he noticed additional forces approaching the battlefield.
"The Revolutionary Army and NEO Marines?" he murmured with interest.
At this crucial moment, not only Jerry but also all the personnel engaged in fierce combat on the ice field became aware of the two distinct fleets appearing on the distant horizon.
"Bwahahaha! This is quite the lively gathering!"
A booming laugh echoed across the battlefield, causing every Marine present to pause involuntarily in recognition.
"Vice Admiral Garp?!"
"It really is Vice Admiral Garp!"
"But... why is he with the NEO Marines?"
Everyone below the rank of Rear Admiral began discussing this shocking development among themselves, their voices filled with confusion and disbelief.
"Garp! Are you really going to take things this far?!"
The next moment, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's figure appeared on the command tower of G-1 Branch. He clenched his fists and roared at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying both anger and desperate appeal.
"Sengoku! Don't worry about me—I know exactly what I'm doing!" Garp's response carried clearly across the water, his tone suggesting complete confidence in his chosen path.
Garp's words left Sengoku stunned speechless. The Fleet Admiral's facial expression shifted through several complex emotions before he finally chose to remain silent, apparently accepting that his old friend had made an irreversible decision.
Meanwhile, the arrival of the Revolutionary Army had put all other factions on high alert. Like the NEO Marines, their political stance had always differed fundamentally from both the World Government's Marines and traditional pirate crews.
Jerry glanced toward the Revolutionary Army's position, then turned to address Skull and Carina, who were still positioned at the Black Star Pirates' ship's bow.
"Be careful out there," he said seriously, producing a crystal-clear, perfectly stable water droplet. "If you encounter any serious difficulties or immediate danger, crush this emergency device. Time is extremely limited, so I can only provide one of these."
"Hey, Boss Jerry, what exactly is this thing?" Skull asked curiously as he caught the transparent droplet that Jerry tossed through the air. He pressed it lightly while speaking, testing its consistency.
Carina also leaned in to observe the mysterious water droplet in Skull's hand, waiting expectantly for Jerry's explanation.
Jerry formed his right hand into a claw shape and stared directly at Skull while slowly clenching it into a threatening fist. "If you dare crush that thing right now, I'll crush something of yours in return."
Seeing this ominous gesture, Skull immediately hurried to secure the water droplet safely in his pocket, waving his hands frantically. "Ahem... Boss Jerry, please go handle your important business! Farewell and good luck!"
Jerry nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Take care of yourselves while I'm gone."
After delivering this parting message, he looked up toward the towering summit of the Red Line far above them. In a flash of movement that left barely a ripple in the air, his figure appeared high in the sky.
Within moments, his form was obscured by the cloud cover and disappeared completely from everyone's sight, leaving his crew to face the massive multi-faction battle that was about to engulf the frozen battlefield below.
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