Above the ruins of Mariejois, a massive cloud of flames carried a large crowd of evacuees. They watched nervously as the battle raging in the sky and on the ground literally caused heaven and earth to shake with its devastating intensity.
It was worth noting that Beckman and the other Red Hair Pirates hadn't fallen under the same mind control that had completely consumed Shanks and stripped him of his free will.
Therefore, when they arrived at the scene, they had decisively worked together to capture their compromised captain, binding him securely to prevent further interference.
However, at this moment, no one was paying much attention to the red-eyed prisoners scattered around the battlefield.
The confrontation between Jerry and the possessed Luffy had already shattered their understanding of what was possible, filling even seasoned warriors with involuntary dread.
Realizing that everyone had successfully retreated to the safety of Deuce's flame cloud, Jerry suddenly accelerated and unleashed an extremely violent punch. He had decided to stop holding back any longer.
"Luffy," who had returned to his normal height, was caught completely off guard and was smashed heavily into the ground with devastating force.
Just as he prepared to assimilate with the earth to cushion the impact as he had done previously, he was shocked to feel excruciating pain erupting throughout his body, overwhelming his pain receptors in an instant.
Immediately afterward, the large area of ground he touched didn't transform into the expected rubber cushion to absorb his momentum. Instead, it suddenly disintegrated into powder and was swept away by the energy and water currents emanating from his body, causing him to fall even further into the depths hundreds of meters below.
The attack's damage exploded with full force, and "Luffy" couldn't help but cough up blood.
"What's happening?!" "Luffy" gasped in shock.
Looking at the land within a radius of thousands of meters around him being swept completely off the Red Line by inexplicable force and water currents—with dust flying everywhere and drifting toward the endless ocean ten thousand meters below—he found it impossible to understand the mechanics behind Jerry's devastating punch.
"Teacher Kaido taught me long ago that Haki transcends everything!" Jerry replied casually without pausing his assault. "If it can't transcend everything, that simply means the Haki isn't strong enough yet!"
In that previous punch, Jerry had used the same technique Ace employed to hide fire within enemies, except what he concealed was water element combined with advanced Haki.
He had also demonstrated an even more sophisticated internal destruction technique developed after his Armament Haki breakthrough—one that not only penetrated the enemy alongside the water element to cause internal damage, but also created a delayed explosive effect that attacked from within, destroying the surrounding terrain and cutting off Luffy's ability to dissipate force through rubberization.
At this moment, Jerry appeared before Luffy like a materializing phantom, gripping his fishing rod tightly and sweeping toward his opponent with explosive Haki power.
"Luffy" wore a cold expression as he thrust both hands into the ground, transforming the earth into rubber and lifting it upward as a shield.
However, although the rubberized ground possessed considerable elasticity, it couldn't withstand Jerry's overwhelming blow that could split mountains and shatter bedrock.
The fishing rod smashed through the rubber barrier with tremendous force, but Jerry's pupils contracted in alarm.
Through the smoke and debris, a flip-flop came flying at incredible speed, connecting with Jerry and sending him flying like a meteor to crash into the side wall of the massive crater.
A thunderous rumbling sound spread in all directions as large sections of the stone walls shattered and collapsed, burying Jerry's figure beneath chaotic debris in the blink of an eye.
"Luffy" seized the opportunity without hesitation, spinning his legs in rapid circles as he launched himself forward at tremendous speed.
"Gum-Gum Giant!"
Mid-flight, he shouted the transformation command, expanding into his colossal form once again before leaping high into the air.
"Gum-Gum White Giant Stomp!"
His flip-flop magically expanded to match his enormous size, carrying overwhelming Haki as he kicked hard toward the smoke-filled area where Jerry lay buried.
"God-Slaying Technique: Heaven Splitter!"
A roar echoed through the sky as the dust in the air was suddenly blown in all directions by fierce winds. Jerry's fishing rod, which he thrust forward boldly, appeared like a tiny toothpick as it pierced directly toward the opponent's massive descending foot.
In this duel with such an enormous size disparity, the result exceeded every observer's expectations.
The white giant who appeared to possess the power to support the heavens was struck by the minuscule "toothpick" and sent flying backward involuntarily, launched straight into the sky above.
"Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts!" The clouds that had gathered nearby were pulled upward by the white giant's passage, obscuring his form. Only his cries of pain continued echoing throughout the sky.
"Hmm?" Jerry's eyes narrowed as he pursued at high speed.
He understood perfectly that in this battle where both combatants had lost their predictive Observation Haki capabilities, many techniques could be concealed behind visual cover or misdirection, potentially playing decisive roles.
However, Jerry wouldn't hesitate or show the slightest fear in his attacks.
His body shot upward like a launching rocket, reaching the cloud layer in an instant with his fishing rod held in ready position.
But at that moment, the giant "Luffy" suddenly emerged from the clouds above.
What proved surprising was that he was gripping a brilliant bolt of lightning in his massive hand.
Seeing this development, Jerry muttered reflexively: "The Rumble-Rumble Fruit—even dogs wouldn't eat that thing."
"Yahahaha! Gum-Gum Thunder!"
With Luffy's wild laughter, the lightning he held was hurled forward with tremendous force.
Faced with this electrical attack that he encountered almost daily thanks to Cavendish's abilities, Jerry felt no panic whatsoever. He waved his left hand, and flowing water quickly spread outward, surrounding "Luffy" in a conductive barrier.
Constant crackling sounds filled the air, but all the electricity was safely directed skyward through the water's guidance.
Then Jerry flashed upward, appearing above the cloud layer while sweeping his fishing rod in a devastating arc.
"God-Slaying Technique: Dragon's Tail Sweep!"
With a fierce swing of his weapon, "Luffy" was whipped like a falling meteorite, plummeting diagonally toward the ocean ten thousand meters below.
Almost simultaneously, Jerry felt darkness engulf his vision before being grabbed by "Luffy" and dragged away from Mariejois entirely.
"Cough, cough!" "Luffy" spat up blood but showed no signs of slowing down.
As a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, the Nika Fruit possessed extraordinary endurance, defensive capabilities, and recovery abilities. As long as his heartbeat continued, the "Drums of Liberation" would keep sounding, maintaining his energy at near-peak levels.
"Shishishishi! I finally caught you! Now you have nowhere to escape!"
The giant "Luffy" forced himself to stabilize in the air not far from the ocean's surface. He stared at the tiny enemy in his grasp who looked like a action figure, his eyes glowing red as unhinged laughter escaped him.
Unexpectedly, Jerry showed no signs of panic. Instead, he raised a smugly confident smile. "Are you certain I have nowhere to escape?"
"Have you forgotten that I also possess abilities beyond mere physical combat?"
Before he finished speaking, the sound of massive water displacement echoed through the air, shaking Luffy's eardrums with its intensity.
The possessed Straw Hat instinctively turned to look, and his face immediately filled with shock as his mouth gaped open. "Hey! Tell me, whose abilities are more ridiculous here?"
A water elemental giant whose body was large enough to block out the sky—standing over ten thousand meters tall—slowly rose from the boundless ocean below. Two points of azure light blazed on its head like eyes, locking firmly onto "Luffy" with unmistakable intent.
In comparison, the giant "Luffy," who stood less than 100 meters tall, appeared roughly equivalent to a cockroach compared to a human when measured against the water colossus—an almost incomprehensibly vast difference in scale.