However, what Gion didn't realize was that Jerry possessed a unique advantage in combat—one that made him far more dangerous than most opponents could anticipate.
Ever since his strength had increased, Jerry had developed the habit of activating his Observation Haki at the beginning of every serious battle. His particular variant of this ability allowed him to glimpse fragments of his opponent's thoughts and intentions, providing him with crucial insights beyond mere combat predictions.
While facing enemies with genuinely noble hearts rarely triggered his more lethal instincts, Jerry had long ago established a personal code: once his Haki revealed that an opponent's darkness exceeded his own moral boundaries, he would eliminate the threat permanently if circumstances permitted.
The masked CP0 agent had revealed himself to be exactly that kind of threat.
Facing Gion's fierce incoming slash, Jerry maintained his defensive posture with his right hand while quickly raising his left to counter-attack. His movements appeared desperate, as if he were barely managing to defend himself while gravely injured.
The CP0 agent suddenly stopped mid-charge, his confident expression transforming into one of pure disbelief. He slowly lowered his gaze to stare at his chest, where Jerry's Haki-enhanced fishing rod had punched completely through his torso. The penetrating force had been so precise and devastating that it bypassed his defensive techniques entirely.
The agent raised a trembling finger toward Jerry, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as he struggled to form words. No sound emerged. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the dusty ground with a wet thud, his colorful mask clattering beside his lifeless form.
Jerry had deliberately chosen to complete his lethal strike even at the risk of taking Gion's attack directly. The gamble had paid off—his advanced Armament Haki's penetrating properties had proven devastatingly effective. The CP0 agent had unwillingly provided the perfect demonstration.
The force of Gion's blocked strike sent Jerry flying backward, his body crashing through the stone wall behind him in a shower of debris and dust. He took a deep breath to steady himself, quickly applying pressure to slow his bleeding, then emerged from the settling cloud of pulverized masonry.
Though the CP0 agent's strength hadn't matched Gion's level, he had still been a formidable opponent. A careless mistake against someone of his caliber could have resulted in serious injury or worse.
Jerry's apparent struggle had all been part of a carefully orchestrated deception. From the moment he'd begun manipulating the Celestial Dragons, he'd been laying the groundwork for this exact scenario. He had deliberately absorbed several of the agent's earlier attacks, though he'd been prepared enough to minimize the actual damage.
Using the World Nobles as bait had been the opening move. Deliberately provoking the CP0 agent's rage had been the trap. And now, with his primary threat eliminated, Jerry could focus on the tactical retreat he'd been planning all along.
Multiple thoughts flashed through his mind as he pressed one hand against the genuine but manageable wound across his torso. His eyes swept across the other ongoing battles, assessing the situation with tactical precision.
The confrontation between Carrot, Carina, and the remaining CP9 agents was reaching its conclusion. Carrot had utilized her superior speed and Electro abilities to overwhelm Kumadori, delivering a series of precise electric shocks that left the theatrical agent unconscious before finishing him with her razor-sharp claws.
Meanwhile, Carina and Kotatsu had coordinated beautifully against Fukuro. After Kotatsu had increased his size and speed, the enhanced lynx had used his incredible agility and natural hunting instincts to keep the round agent off-balance. Carina's precisely timed attacks from his blind spots had sealed the victory, leaving Fukuro defeated and groaning on the ground.
Both Carrot and Carina were now mounted on Kotatsu's back, taking advantage of the chaos surrounding the other battles to quietly maneuver toward the city's outskirts. Their tactical withdrawal was proceeding exactly as planned.
On the opposite side of the plaza, Cavendish and Crocodile continued their spectacular aerial duel, their battlefield having shifted beyond the city limits as they exchanged devastating attacks. Wind howled and thunder crashed as the two powerful fighters seemed to have triggered some cosmic balance—their battle was impressively destructive, but neither could gain a decisive advantage.
Cavendish had transformed into his lightning form, wielding his elegant sword while crackling with electrical energy. Every movement he made was accompanied by brilliant flashes and thunderous roars. He was making full use of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's incredible attack power and speed, combining it seamlessly with his aristocratic swordsmanship to launch countless dazzling strikes in the span of seconds.
Crocodile proved equally formidable in response. As a veteran Warlord of the Sea who had once clashed with Bullet of the Roger Pirates and even challenged Whitebeard himself, his experience was vast. Though he didn't specialize in Haki, he had developed his Sand-Sand Fruit abilities to near perfection through decades of refinement.
The desert-powered Warlord was demonstrating why he'd earned his fearsome reputation. As long as he didn't underestimate his opponent, Crocodile's adaptability made him incredibly dangerous—he seemed to grow stronger to match whatever level of threat he faced.
Their battle had become the most visually spectacular conflict on any of the battlefields. Lightning crashed against whirling sandstorms while sword strikes met sand blades in explosions of elemental fury. Yet despite apparently cutting each other to pieces dozens of times, both fighters' Logia abilities rendered such attacks largely ineffective.
Seeing Jerry's apparent injury and the CP0 agent's corpse, then glancing at Saint Croft's unconscious and battered form, Princess Sabrina turned toward Gion with wild, desperate eyes.
"Kill him immediately!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with hysteria.
The harsh, high-pitched command jolted the bewildered followers who had been standing around their beaten master. They exchanged uncertain glances before gritting their teeth and charging toward Jerry with desperate ferocity, knowing their lives likely depended on following orders.
Jerry lowered his head and allowed himself a quiet, disdainful chuckle. He adjusted his grip on his fishing rod, preparing to employ his techniques, when he caught the deadly glint of approaching steel in his peripheral vision.
As the highest-ranking Marine officer present, Gion found herself bound by duty and protocol to follow the Celestial Dragons' commands, regardless of her personal feelings about the situation. The hierarchical nature of World Government authority left her no choice, and besides, the fundamental antagonism between Marines and pirates was well-established.
When Princess Sabrina's desperate cry reached her ears, Gion launched another fierce slash toward Jerry, her blade singing through the air with lethal intent.
Jerry raised his fishing rod without changing his defensive stance, but subtly adjusted the angle of his weapon before swinging it horizontally with tremendous force.
"Water Blade: Spinning Slash!"
A brilliant arc of compressed water energy expanded outward at more than 180 degrees, cutting through the air with a distinctive whistling sound. The technique's range and power created a devastating sweep that could engage multiple targets simultaneously.
After Jerry's technique collided violently with Gion's flying slash, most of both attacks' power was mutually cancelled out. However, the remaining energy from Jerry's strike—thanks to its tricky angle and broader range—continued its path toward the charging followers and the Celestial Dragons beyond.
"Ahhh!" Princess Sabrina screamed in genuine terror as the deadly attack approached. Having lived her entire pampered life without facing real danger, the sight of incoming violence paralyzed her with fear.
"Protect Princess Sabrina!" The head butler's desperate cry galvanized the followers into action. With nowhere to retreat, they threw themselves into the attack's path, using their own bodies to form a human shield while deploying their strongest defensive techniques.
Their desperate sacrifice succeeded in weakening Jerry's technique enough that it eventually dissipated against their collective defense. However, the cost was severe—several followers collapsed with serious injuries, their agonized screams filling the air as they bled and writhed on the ground.
Jerry casually deflected Gion's similarly weakened follow-up attack, then glanced at the casualties he'd created while maintaining his facade of being seriously wounded.
"Oh no! I'm terribly sorry for injuring your people," Jerry called out, his voice trembling with apparent weakness. "That CP0 agent's attack really hurt me badly—I can barely control my techniques properly." He clutched his right arm with a convincing show of pain to support his deception.
Seeing that Marine reinforcements had completely surrounded both Celestial Dragons, Gion moved forward to secure the area. Her eyes swept inconspicuously over the scene, taking in the still-unconscious Saint Croft and the terrified Princess Sabrina, before she released a quiet sigh.
"Well, it looks like this performance has reached its conclusion," Jerry murmured under his breath. Before Gion could close the distance between them, he decisively began his retreat.
Jerry raised his hand toward Kotatsu, signaling that it was time to withdraw. Seeing his gesture, both Carina and Carrot immediately flattened themselves against the flying lynx's back to reduce wind resistance and allow him to achieve maximum speed.
"The Moonwalk technique I've been practicing for years is finally going to be useful!" Jerry announced with exaggerated bravado, deliberately speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. He stomped his feet hard against the ground and launched himself into the air with explosive force.
Using the Marine's Six Styles' aerial technique, Jerry moved alongside Kotatsu through the sky. While deflecting bullets from Marine forces below and dodging Gion's ranged sword strikes, he shouted toward the distant battle outside the city:
"Cavendish! Stop showing off and get moving! You're not going to kill each other with techniques like that!"
Then, turning his attention to the other combatant, Jerry called out through gritted teeth: "Crocodile! We'll settle today's score later! This isn't over between us!"
Hearing Jerry's call, Cavendish immediately abandoned his duel and transformed into pure lightning, streaking toward his friends without hesitation. As he departed, he threw one final taunt over his shoulder:
"I'll let you live today, Sand Crocodile! Consider it a mercy!"
The smugly delivered insult left Crocodile seething with rage while perfectly demonstrating the Black Star Pirates' consistent approach to tactical retreats: the louder and more dramatic the parting words, the better. Even when not achieving complete victory, they could still claim a psychological win.
After all, as long as they escaped quickly enough after delivering their provocative farewells, failure would never catch up with them.