Jerry stared unflinchingly at the massive fist rapidly expanding before him and met it without fear.
"Serious Punch!"
The two fists—vastly different in size—collided violently in mid-air. Overwhelming Haki energy erupted from the impact point, causing wind and clouds to surge chaotically while the surrounding building ruins were pulverized into dust and scattered on the wind.
"Whoa! Stop dancing!"
"Run! It's not safe here anymore!"
Several shouts from the group of rescued slaves managed to break through the infectious rhythm and interrupt those who were still singing and dancing under Joy Boy's influence.
Bartholomew Kuma snapped out of the cheerful drumbeat's hypnotic effect, glanced at the completely devastated Mariejois—now reduced to scattered rubble—and called out urgently: "Little Bonney, come here quickly! I need to evacuate everyone from this area immediately!"
"Staying here definitely isn't advisable..." Tesoro observed Jerry being knocked toward the lake surface, only to see him absorb the impact through the concave water just as "Luffy" had done before launching himself back skyward in pursuit. His expression was grave as he spoke.
Just as they were about to take action, a massive pink dragon suddenly appeared beyond the cliff edge of Mariejois.
Moments later, a cloud of flames rose slowly upward, carrying the ships and personnel of the Black Star Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, and Red Hair Pirates on its surface.
The giant dragon glanced at the fierce aerial battle that had suddenly escalated, then observed the ground-level confrontation where Ace and Mihawk were coordinating their assault against Shanks. He turned toward Tesoro and the others with concern.
"Come over here," Deuce called out in his dragon form. "I can transport everyone safely, then we'll organize proper arrangements for the rest."
After a moment, as Kuma walked alongside the crowd toward safety, Deuce narrowed his eyes and addressed him directly: "Mr. Kuma, may I ask if you're aware of Monkey D. Dragon's recent actions as leader of the Revolutionary Army?"
Hearing this question, Kuma appeared genuinely confused, looking at little Bonney before scratching his head. "What's wrong with him? Has something happened?"
Nearly everyone aboard the flame cloud, including all members of the Black Star Pirates, was staring at Kuma with obvious suspicion.
"Brother Deuce!" Bonney realized the atmosphere had shifted dramatically and quickly jumped to her father's defense. "My father just recovered his consciousness! There's no way he could know about the Revolutionary Army's movements!"
Deuce considered this for a moment before nodding slowly. "You're right. Come here, little Bonney."
"What's wrong? What happened?" Bonney stepped onto the Black Star Pirates' ship with obvious confusion.
She could tell something serious must have occurred to cause such tension among Jerry's crew.
As if to confirm her suspicions, Carrot approached with Carina, both wearing troubled expressions as they began explaining the situation.
Flashback: The Battlefield Ten Thousand Meters Below
Shortly after Ace and Shanks had rushed toward Mariejois, the Revolutionary Army had brazenly launched a full-scale assault against the Marines.
What proved most shocking was that for reasons unknown, most Revolutionary Army members displayed a faint red glow in their eyes that made them fearless and reckless in combat, showing no regard for their own lives.
Combined with the morale-boosting abilities of Belo Betty, the Revolutionary Army's East Army Commander and her Pump-Pump Fruit, the revolutionaries had managed to suppress Marine forces temporarily, forcing their defensive perimeter to shrink rapidly toward the G-1 Branch.
Multiple army commanders and numerous officers, led by Dragon himself, had engaged Marine Fleet Admiral Aokiji, several Admirals, and many other high-ranking generals in intense combat.
As the chaos spread, the conflict quickly expanded to include the NEO Marines as well.
The Black Star Pirates, who had been resting nearby while preparing to ascend to Mariejois using Deuce's dragon-form flame cloud, were suddenly attacked by the Revolutionary Army.
The assault was led by Monkey D. Dragon, who had taken the opportunity to return to the battlefield.
As a result, Cavendish had been seriously wounded when he threw himself in front of Deuce to block an attack the navigator couldn't react to in time.
At the critical moment when Dragon's lightning assault was about to overwhelm both Deuce and the injured Cavendish, Skull made a split-second decision. He flew forward, retrieved the water droplet Jerry had left them, and crushed it in Dragon's direction.
Even though Skull had no idea what the emergency device actually did, he had complete faith in Jerry's preparations.
The next instant, an earth-shaking wave of Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted, sweeping across the entire battlefield in a devastating pulse.
Countless combatants collapsed with their eyes rolled back and foam spilling from their mouths. Even Revolutionary Army officers and Marine Vice Admirals weren't spared from the overwhelming pressure. Even the strongest fighters felt momentarily disoriented.
"What?!" Dragon, who took the direct hit, was visibly shocked. His entire body was blown backward hundreds of meters before crashing heavily onto the ice field.
Although the Conqueror's Haki didn't cause him fatal damage, it completely disrupted his attack and left his breathing irregular, preventing him from launching another assault immediately.
"Wow... Boss Jerry's emergency device is incredibly powerful!" Skull stared at the battlefield that had suddenly fallen silent, examining the water stains remaining on his hands while muttering in amazement.
"We're unaffected! Go! Capture him now!" Deuce quickly regained his composure, pointing toward Dragon's location and roaring the command.
But at that moment, a figure in a black coat dropped from the sky and confronted the fallen Dragon with a devastating punch.
"Dragon! Have you lost your mind? Why are you starting this war?" Garp demanded of his son, who seemed to have become a complete stranger. His iron fist aimed for the distinctive tattoo on Dragon's face.
However, Dragon's figure suddenly vanished from his position. After avoiding Garp's attack, his eyes blazed with that unnatural red light as he responded with disturbing conviction: "You foolish old man! The World Government and Marines should all be swept away by the tide of history. Only Joy Boy deserves to be king of this world—or even its supreme deity!"
"What do you think was the true purpose of the Revolutionary Army's existence? Why did we endure for so many years without declaring open war against the World Government?"
Dragon ignored Garp's stunned expression, raising both hands high as he continued with fervent excitement: "It was all to wait for his arrival! To welcome his return! Every bit of strength we accumulated was for this glorious day!"
"No matter how difficult our previous struggles were, the world will finally laugh because of Joy Boy's coming!"
"It is the sacred duty of our Revolutionary Army to eliminate all forces that dare resist him! And this incomprehensible Leviathan and his pirate crew have betrayed the savior that people worldwide have desperately awaited. I—"
Before he could finish his declaration, an extremely intense column of fire energy streaked toward him from the distance.
Along with it came Deuce's furious voice: "Stop spouting that nonsense!"
"Exactly!" Brook's figure flashed across the ice field as he rushed toward Dragon at high speed. "If people can only laugh because of some mysterious drumbeat, where does that leave their souls and free will? How incredibly tragic!"
Beside him was Carrot, who had transformed into her Sulong form with blazing white fur and crackling electricity.
"You're absolutely right!" Marco declared as blue flames surrounded him. "A genuine smile should come from the heart, not be artificially induced!"
In addition to Marco's support, both Garp and Aokiji also rushed toward Dragon's position with grim determination.
The battlefield was no longer chaotic at this moment. Only the Black Star Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates retained their full combat effectiveness, having somehow avoided the effects of Jerry's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki.
The Marines, NEO Marines, and Revolutionary Army were left with only a handful of high-level combatants still conscious.
Therefore, the Revolutionary Army instantly became the target of universal condemnation.
Under the coordinated assault from multiple factions, although the Revolutionary Army members remained supernaturally brave, they were quickly suppressed and systematically subdued.
Afterward, the pirates—led by Whitebeard, Beckman, and Deuce—jointly represented their respective crews in negotiating a temporary ceasefire agreement with Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Admiral Aokiji of the Marines, as well as Garp and Zephyr representing the NEO Marines.