Jerry's water style wasn't like the typical jutsu from ninja next door where ninja spat water from their mouths. Instead, he embraced the theatrical nature of the moment, spreading his arms wide as he called out the technique name with dramatic flair before throwing his hands forward in a commanding gesture.
The response was immediate and awe-inspiring. The seawater behind him suddenly surged upward like a living thing, forming a massive wall of ocean that towered above the harbor before rushing onto the port coast with unstoppable force. The tremendous volume of water swept away everything in its path, completely overwhelming Katakuri's awakened mochi and washing it clean from the battlefield.
But what truly impressed the watching crowd wasn't just the raw power of Jerry's attack—it was his precise control over it. Despite the overwhelming force of the artificial tsunami, Jerry carefully contained the flood within the port's boundaries, creating an invisible barrier that prevented even a drop from spilling into the residential areas beyond the harbor.
Jerry might be ruthless and brutal when facing his enemies, but his core values remained intact. Having received a proper education and grown up in a world with clear moral guidelines, he refused to compromise his principles when it came to innocent civilians. The people of Totto Land might live under Big Mom's rule, but they didn't deserve to suffer for their leader's actions or the conflicts of powerful pirates.
As the seawater surged and settled, the entire port disappeared beneath the artificial sea. Only the ships that had been originally docked there remained visible, along with various pieces of debris—wooden planks, barrels, and cargo—that now floated on the surface like islands in Jerry's newly created ocean.
The transformation was so complete and sudden that it left the spectators speechless for several long moments. When they finally found their voices, the reactions were explosive.
"What is this!" one pirate shouted, his voice cracking with disbelief.
"Can anyone tell me just how powerful this guy really is!?" another demanded, as if someone in the crowd might have a reasonable explanation for what they'd just witnessed.
"This is absolutely terrifying!" a merchant whispered, clutching his ledger to his chest like a security blanket.
"The... the seawater is also under his control?" a Big Mom Pirates member stammered, his worldview crumbling as he tried to process the implications.
"This is definitely a potential headline!" a news reporter muttered frantically as he scribbled notes. "I have to report this carefully and get every detail right..."
The crowd's amazement wasn't just about the sheer scale of Jerry's water manipulation—it was the surgical precision with which he'd executed it. The stark contrast between the flooded port and the completely dry residential areas created a visual that was both beautiful and terrifying. It demonstrated a level of control that went far beyond mere raw power.
Among the chaos, Katakuri's subordinates had barely managed to escape with Cracker's unconscious form, reaching the safety of higher ground just seconds before the artificial tsunami would have caught them. Their timing had been so close that several of them were still breathing heavily from the desperate sprint.
Katakuri himself felt a mixture of relief and apprehension as he watched his men reach safety. His advanced Observation Haki had shown him this devastating scene the moment Jerry began preparing his technique, but even foreseeing it hadn't made the reality any less impressive. If Jerry hadn't demonstrated such restraint, both the residential areas and Cracker would have been completely destroyed by the massive tide.
"I suppose I should thank you for holding back," Katakuri said, his voice carrying across the water with the clarity that came from years of commanding others in battle. "But before that acknowledgment, I can't forget that you seriously injured my brother."
"So let's see who's really stronger!"
Katakuri stood confidently on the deck of a floating pirate ship, his imposing figure cutting a striking silhouette against the chaos of the transformed battlefield. His eyes studied Jerry, who stood on the water's surface like some kind of sea god, completely at ease in his aquatic domain. Despite the impressive display he'd just witnessed, Katakuri's expression remained stoic and determined as powerful aura began radiating from his body once again.
"Don't get me wrong," Jerry replied with his characteristic casual tone, though his stance remained ready for immediate action. "I just don't believe in hurting innocent people who aren't part of this fight."
"But if you want to continue this battle, then come on!"
"Now it's my turn to set the pace!"
Jerry's confidence was evident in every word. By transforming the battlefield into his home territory, he had not only gained a significant tactical advantage but also severely limited several of Katakuri's awakened abilities. The Sweet Commander could no longer freely manipulate the environment around them, since everything was now submerged under Jerry's controlled seawater.
Katakuri's response was immediate and spectacular. His hands became wrapped in flowing mochi as more than a dozen portals materialized in the air around his position. These weren't ordinary openings—they were part of his advanced Devil Fruit mastery, allowing him to project his attacks from multiple angles simultaneously.
Massive arms formed from hardened mochi extended from each portal, every one coated with advanced Armament Haki that made them as durable as steel and twice as dangerous. When Katakuri swung his real fists forward, the aerial arms responded in perfect synchronization, launching a devastating barrage that came at Jerry from every conceivable direction.
The attack was like facing an entire army of giants, each punch carrying enough force to sink a warship.
"Water Fang Barrage!" Jerry called out, his voice carrying clearly across the water.
He stomped down hard on the water's surface, and the impact created multiple circular ripples that spread outward like rings. From these disturbances, countless sharks formed entirely from seawater leaped into action with frightening speed and precision. Some of the sea predators intercepted Katakuri's aerial punches, their bodies exploding on contact but absorbing much of the impact. Others streaked directly toward Katakuri himself, their forms cutting through the air like living torpedoes.
Using the chaos of this exchange as cover, Jerry's figure became a blur before disappearing entirely. When he reappeared, he was already in the air beside Katakuri, his right leg drawn back for a devastating kick that would have been impossible to set up under normal circumstances.
His foot was wreathed in flowing Armament Haki that made it gleam like a shooting star, and as he drove the attack forward, a massive water dragon materialized around the strike, adding tremendous force and reach to what was already a formidable technique.
"Dragon Dive Impact!!" Jerry roared as his attack reached its target.
Katakuri, who had been dealing with the incredibly fast assault from Jerry's water sharks, found himself facing this unexpectedly swift follow-up attack. While his Observation Haki had provided some warning of Jerry's approach, his body simply couldn't react quickly enough to properly dodge or counter-attack while still defending against the ongoing shark assault.
Understanding that the water-enhanced environment had severely limited his ability to use his mochi form to avoid attacks, Katakuri made the only choice available to him. He quickly retracted his aerial arms and crossed his real arms in front of his body, preparing to tank the impact rather than attempt an impossible evasion.
The massive mochi arms rushing back to defend him managed to intercept and destroy most of the remaining water sharks, but they couldn't reach Jerry's position in time to block his direct assault. Katakuri would have to face this lightning-fast attack with only his own defenses.
The moment Jerry's kick connected, Katakuri was launched backward through the air like a cannonball. Although his crossed arms had successfully blocked the physical impact of the kick itself, Jerry had employed the advanced characteristics of his Armament Haki to devastating effect.
Beyond the direct impact of the physical attack, Jerry's enhanced Haki possessed penetrating properties that allowed it to bypass external defenses and strike directly at internal organs. The water dragon that accompanied his kick amplified this effect, carrying Katakuri away while the internal damage spread through his body.
Katakuri felt the taste of blood fill his mouth as the combination attack wreaked havoc on his system. But even as he was carried away by the water dragon, his incredible willpower and mastery of his abilities allowed him to maintain some level of control. Though the aquatic environment limited his powers significantly, he managed to keep his awakened state partially active.
As he flew backward through the air, every object he collided with—ship masts, rigging, even entire ship hulls—was immediately assimilated into sticky mochi. This allowed him to absorb and distribute the tremendous kinetic energy of Jerry's attack across multiple impact points rather than taking it all at once.
After crashing through several pirate ships along his trajectory, Katakuri finally managed to hold his momentum by using the adhesive properties of his awakened ability. He ended up clinging to the mast of a large ship, one hand pressed against his chest where Jerry's internal attack had done its work, but clearly still capable of continuing the fight.
"Isn't this basically like the Luffy's Gear 5 at this point?" Jerry muttered to himself as he observed Katakuri's recovery, unconsciously voicing his thoughts about the similarities he'd noticed.
As he watched Katakuri's impressive display of resilience and adaptability, he couldn't help but reflect on the nature of Devil Fruit awakenings.
Maybe he simply hadn't given enough thought to the true potential of awakened Paramecia abilities. The way Katakuri was manipulating his environment and recovering from seemingly devastating attacks did bear a striking resemblance to some of the more outrageous feats associated with Gear 5 mythical power.
Of course, there were still clear differences—Katakuri wasn't exhibiting the signature manic laughter, reality-defying freedom, or the strange immunity to lightning that were associated with the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. But the way he warped the battlefield and displayed near-cartoonish resilience was undeniably reminiscent of the fruit's known powers.
The spectators who had been watching from their own ships and boats were still processing the incredible display of power they'd witnessed. Even though several of their ships had been damaged or destroyed during the course of the battle, turning into collateral damage from the clash of these titans, their expressions remained focused on the value of the conflict.
"I was just joking before when I said he might beat Katakuri," one reporter whispered to his colleague, his voice filled with growing excitement. "But he's actually doing it, isn't he?"
"This is front-page material," the other journalist replied, frantically scribbling notes. "I need to get every detail perfect so the editor can craft the perfect headline!"
"Wait... what's that?" a third voice interrupted, and suddenly the casual atmosphere among the observers changed dramatically.
The crowd's attention had shifted from the battle to something on the horizon that made their previous concerns seem trivial by comparison. Because at that moment, a massive fleet of ships had appeared on the sea beyond the island, cutting through the waves with the kind of purposeful formation that spoke of serious business.
Leading this imposing armada was a ship that every pirate in the New World would recognize on sight—the Queen Mama Chanter, Big Mom's personal flagship and the mobile headquarters of one of the most powerful pirate crews in existence.
This meant that there was a very high probability that Charlotte Linlin herself—Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea—was aboard that ship and heading directly toward their location. Most of the pirates present had heard enough stories about Big Mom's volatile temperament and incredible power to be absolutely terrified of the prospect of encountering her. One wrong word or inappropriate action could easily result in losing their lives or souls to her devastating abilities.
"Kakakakaka! Mom's here!" a familiar voice called out from the edge of the port area.
Cracker had apparently regained consciousness and was now sitting on the roof of a building that overlooked the flooded harbor. He had one hand pressed against his bandaged abdomen where Jerry's attacks had left their mark, but his expression was one of savage satisfaction as he watched the approaching fleet.
"Dragon Fist Jerry! Let's see how arrogant you can be now!" he continued, his hoarse laughter carrying a note of anticipated revenge.
A group of Big Mom Pirates members surrounded Cracker's position, including what appeared to be a medical team that had provided him with emergency treatment for his injuries. Despite his obvious pain and the serious nature of his wounds, Cracker seemed energized by the prospect of watching Jerry face his mother's wrath.
Katakuri turned his head to look at the approaching fleet, and even his usually stoic expression showed a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected his mother to arrive so quickly or with such a large force.
Jerry looked at Cracker's smug expression and felt his irritation spike. The Sweet Commander's attitude was exactly the kind of behavior that got under his skin.
"Hmm… So this is what a Sweet Commander does? Run crying to Mommy the moment they get their ass kicked?"