Luffy completely ignored Jerry's pointed question, instead gazing with satisfaction at the people dancing and laughing to the infectious drumbeats echoing across the plaza.
"Shishishishi! You see? People truly need to laugh freely above all else. Only through such pure joy can their bodies and minds achieve complete liberation!"
As his words concluded, the cheerful drumbeats resonated even more powerfully through the sky, their rhythm seeming to penetrate every soul present.
"Seriously?! You're so thoroughgoing that you won't even spare the cat?" Jerry complained with exasperation when he noticed that even Kotatsu had begun dancing uncontrollably to the supernatural rhythm.
He gently lifted Kotatsu from his shoulder and placed the feline on Bonney's head, where she was already happily bouncing alongside her father Kuma. Then Jerry turned and began walking toward the center of the square where Luffy hovered.
Luffy swung his arms like a windmill and grinned with unsettling intensity. "Shishishishi! That's because it's following its natural desire and instinctive choice for freedom!"
His expression suddenly shifted to something more predatory as he continued, "A fake liberation fighter like you certainly can't bring complete liberation to all races and peoples!"
"So, you stowaway who doesn't belong to this world—just disappear!"
Without further warning, Luffy swung his fists and stretched his arms with explosive force. Both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki wrapped around his extended limbs as they flew through the air with devastating intent.
"Gum-Gum White Gatling!"
Countless fist shadows attacked Jerry like a supernatural storm, completely covering the space around him in a barrage that seemed impossible to dodge or defend against.
However, Jerry simply chuckled with amusement, seemingly unmoved by this sudden and overwhelming assault.
In the next moment, countless fists passed harmlessly through his body as Jerry's figure dissolved into mist and vanished on the wind.
"Right back at you, Luffy—or should I say, Joy Boy!" Jerry's soft whisper echoed directly in his opponent's ears.
Before Luffy could retract his extended fists, Jerry's leg swept through the air in a perfect arc, connecting with devastating force and sending the white figure crashing into the ruins of the "Land of the Gods" below.
However, as Luffy rapidly fell toward the ground, everything he touched transformed into rubber, providing supernatural cushioning for his impact. When he finally hit the surface, the rubberized ground acted like an enormous spring mattress, forming a massive arc that bounced him effortlessly back into the air.
"How dare you hit my beloved Luffy?!" Boa Hancock roared with furious indignation, stomping her feet before launching herself toward Jerry's position in the sky.
But before she could get close, Jerry suddenly turned his head and spoke a single, quiet word of command.
In that instant, Hancock felt as though the person before her was not human, but an ancient deity. The overwhelming Conqueror's Haki that erupted from his majestic eyes caused her heart to tremble with primal fear.
Even though she had already unleashed her own considerable Haki in response, she still felt as if she were caught in the midst of a raging hurricane. She possessed no power to resist, let alone any desire to continue her attack.
The supernatural pressure hit her like a physical force, sending Hancock flying backward through the air like a fired cannonball.
She twisted her body with feline grace and managed to land safely in a defensive crouch, but her muscles continued trembling slightly from the encounter. Hancock slowly clenched her fists and looked up at Jerry's distant figure with an expression of frustrated defeat, falling into troubled silence.
"Shishishishi! Why don't you call me 'Master' anymore?" the entity wearing Luffy's face taunted as he flew through the air with an unnaturally twisted smile.
Jerry walked casually through the empty sky, suddenly drawing his fishing rod and gripping it with both hands. "You really will chew on anything, won't you? If you want to play master, then call me daddy first!"
Before he finished speaking, both combatants launched fierce attacks simultaneously—one sweeping with his legs while the other swung his rod with deadly precision.
"Gum-Gum White Whip!"
"Sky Piercer!"
Their attacks collided without any defensive measures, and the violent aura and shockwaves spread rapidly outward. Many remaining Celestial Dragon buildings in the "Land of the Gods" below were reduced to smoking rubble in the blink of an eye.
The two figures separated from their clash, and Luffy covered his feet with both hands while hopping on one leg through the air, crying out in genuine pain:
"Ow! Ow! That really hurts! What kind of attack was that? How can something penetrate through my rubber body? And what's wrong with your strength? There shouldn't be any force in this world capable of competing with my power!"
Jerry steadied himself several hundred meters away, his eyes narrowing as he stared intently at his hopping opponent. "So you really aren't meant for this world, are you..."
At that moment, a brilliant streak of flame crossed the sky and quickly approached Jerry's position. Ace stared at the white-clad figure opposite them with obvious anxiety and confusion.
"Jerry! Luffy! What's happening here? What are you two doing?" Ace demanded as he prepared to fly toward his sworn brother's position.
"Don't be an idiot, Ace," Jerry said firmly, grabbing Ace's arm to prevent him from approaching. "Open your eyes and really look at him. Does he actually resemble your simple-minded brother?"
Ace rubbed his temple and carefully examined the white figure before asking with genuine bewilderment, "Well, aside from the hair color change, he still looks just as stupid as always. How could I be wrong about that?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, not only did Jerry roll his eyes in exasperation, but even "Luffy" in the distance couldn't help covering his head with both hands and wailing dramatically: "Agh! After 800 years, only this idiot is still the most suitable vessel..."
"What do you mean by that?" Ace asked, scratching his head in confusion.
Jerry sneered with dark amusement. "What he means is that the idiot floating over there is both your brother and not your brother at the same time!"
Ace tilted his head and stared at Jerry with his face full of question marks, clearly not comprehending the implications.
"Luffy" crossed his arms and glanced dismissively at the crowd watching this confrontation from the square below, as well as the live broadcast that Kotatsu was maintaining. The feed continued playing their recorded experiences from Laugh Tale alongside all the dirty secrets of the World Government that the Black Star Pirates had exposed.
Rather than attempting to stop Jerry from revealing the truth, Joy Boy laughed with obvious relish: "It seems you know quite a lot, you dimensional stowaway!"
He appeared to be genuinely enjoying the shock that would ripple through the global audience when his true identity was finally revealed.
Jerry glanced at Ace and spoke with complete seriousness: "Ace, don't be fooled by his familiar appearance. He's no longer your simple-minded brother, but a different fool from 800 years ago."
"Hey! You're the fool!" "Luffy" immediately jumped up and retorted with loud indignation.
Ace was visibly startled. "Then what happened to the real Luffy?"
Jerry shook his head with genuine uncertainty. "I don't know for sure. Maybe his consciousness is gone completely, or maybe it's just been sealed away while this ancient spirit took over his body."
Hearing this explanation, Ace turned his head toward the possessed figure, his eyes blazing with fury as he roared: "Damn you! Give my brother back to me right now!"
As Ace's flaming form shot forward with desperate determination, "Luffy" continued dancing through the air with mocking laughter: "Shishishishi! Come and try if you think you can!"
However, Ace's fist never reached its target. Just as he rushed forward, a flash of cold steel intervened, and the famous blade Gryphon blocked his path with expert precision.
Red-Haired Shanks had appeared without warning, his eyes glowing with an strange crimson light as he spoke with reverent solemnity: "Master Joy Boy, you have finally returned to us!"