Jerry moved like a phantom, simultaneously grabbing each collar bomb with lightning speed and hurling them throughout the venue with explosive enthusiasm. Adhering to his philosophy of waste not, want not, he took care to throw each collar into different sections of the building.
The once-grand and elegant auction hall was suddenly transformed into smoldering ruins, with debris flying in all directions. Those who had been knocked unconscious and were still lying on the ground could only hope for the best.
"Might as well add some fuel to the fire," Jerry muttered, running around to ignite additional flames throughout the structure.
Soon enough, he caught up with the main group that had moved ahead to the auction house's primary entrance. He noticed that Carina had a bulging backpack and was chatting happily with Carrot, both looking quite pleased with themselves.
Outside the entrance, numerous enemies had taken positions, each armed with firearms and forming a semi-circle that aimed directly at their exit route. Everyone pressed themselves against the wall beside the doorway.
Jerry glanced at Rayleigh and could tell the old pirate probably didn't plan to take action once they left the building. He addressed Valk and the others: "There are quite a few people waiting outside. I'll provide cover for now. You should return to your ship as planned and set sail immediately."
"Thank you so much, Jerry. Should I go out first to help with cover?" Valk offered.
"No need—don't worry about it. Just focus on protecting the others and make the best use of your time to escape," Jerry replied firmly.
Not wanting to let this stranger he'd barely met take risks on his behalf, Valk had wanted to lead the charge, but Jerry's refusal was absolute.
Seeing Jerry's determined expression and confident smile, and remembering the incredible strength he'd displayed inside the venue, Valk patted Jerry's shoulder gratefully. He understood that his own power was far inferior to the person before him, and that staying behind to protect his lover and the other rescued slaves was indeed what he needed to do.
"The Marine is coming," Jerry warned Skull quietly. "You'll need to adapt to the situation as it develops."
Perhaps one of the Marine officers had managed to send out a distress signal before losing consciousness. Jerry could sense another group rapidly approaching their location.
After speaking, Jerry took the lead, condensing a water sphere in his right hand while using his left to push open the closed door.
"Fire! Open fire!" the ambushers shouted.
The enemies surrounding the entrance were primarily auction house personnel. The moment they saw the door open, they began shooting without hesitation.
Jerry flashed outside directly, curling his lips in disdain as he swung his right hand through the air. The water sphere instantly separated into countless droplets that not only intercepted the incoming bullets but also struck down each enemy in the encirclement one by one.
The few stragglers who escaped this initial assault were quickly dealt with as Jerry rushed forward at incredible speed.
"All clear! Come out!" he called, clapping his hands and shouting toward the door behind him.
But just as he was about to say something else, a cold sword slash cut through the air toward him!
His eyes sharpened as he casually drew his fishing rod, coating it with Armament Haki before swinging it to meet the incoming sword energy.
"Leviathan Jerry, are you the one causing this disturbance?" a woman's voice called out.
"Oh? Now here's someone remarkable," Jerry replied with interest.
The newcomer was tall and wore casual red clothing that revealed her long, pale legs. A large tattoo was faintly visible on her thigh as she walked slowly down the street, holding a long sword with practiced ease.
The arrival was none other than Vice Admiral Momousagi Gion, one of the admiral candidates. She wasn't wearing her officer's coat today—like Isuka, she had originally been on vacation on the island.
After sensing the battle and receiving an emergency signal, she had immediately rushed to investigate.
The people inside began streaming out through the entrance, though Rayleigh remained discretely hidden within the crowd. Seeing this group of obviously rescued slaves and the burning auction house behind them, Gion fell silent for a moment.
Jerry kept his eyes on her, not daring to relax his guard. Without even turning his head, he addressed those behind him: "All of you need to run—leave this to me!"
"Brother Jerry..." Carrot began.
"Boss Jerry, we should—" Skull started.
"Follow the plan! Escape!" Jerry interrupted with a tone that carried multiple meanings, instructing both groups to execute their predetermined emergency procedures.
Not knowing who this woman was who had suddenly intercepted them, Valk wanted to step forward and help, but Skull stopped him. As an intelligence specialist, he had recognized Gion immediately.
"Let's go—trust him. He'll be fine," Skull assured them.
Seeing that Jerry's own friends were confident in his abilities, Valk realized this wasn't the time for extended discussion. He turned and bowed solemnly to everyone.
"Jerry, thank you so much! We will never forget your kindness!"
After speaking, he led the others in a quick escape along their established route, with Rayleigh blending into the crowd and following them.
During their flight, Rayleigh explained Gion's identity to Valk and the others, making it clear that pursuit would likely follow. They weren't certain whether the Marine would specifically target them, but Jerry had definitely solved numerous problems for them both inside and outside the auction house.
While Valk's group was escaping, Jerry had already engaged Gion in combat. After all, he wasn't certain of her objectives—whether she was simply responding to the emergency or had other goals, and whether she would try to stop the slaves or his own crew from escaping.
Skull followed their always-prepared emergency plan, leading the crew's retreat toward their own ship via a different route from Valk's group. As they fled, Carrot kept looking back at the battle between Jerry and Gion.
"Brother Jerry will be okay, right?" she asked anxiously.
Before they had run very far, they noticed a commotion at the street corner ahead and quickly ducked into a nearby alley. Sure enough, within seconds, a large group of Marines came running down the main street toward the auction house.
At the same time, a familiar voice rang out: "Fire Pillar!"
"I don't know what's happening over there, but it would be better if you didn't join the party," Ace's voice called out confidently.
With a thunderous roar, a wall of flames erupted, separating both ends of the street. The Marines trying to reach the auction house suddenly found their path completely blocked.
The person who had arrived was Ace. After he and Deuce had gotten away from Isuka, they had been wandering the streets casually. They had witnessed Jerry's water dragon shooting straight into the sky and guessed that their friend had gotten into a fight. The two had decided to come investigate.
It happened that during their wandering, they hadn't been very far from the auction district. When they got closer, they discovered that large numbers of Marine personnel were also rushing toward the same location.
Having sensed the battle emanating from the auction house's direction, Ace knew Jerry must still be there. Without hesitation, he moved to intercept the reinforcements. The fire wall burned fiercely as Ace stood on a street-side rooftop, looking down at the blocked Marines.
"Skull, you're still here?" Deuce appeared seemingly from nowhere, stopping Skull from calling out to Ace in the alley.
"Uh, Deuce, why are you here too? Jerry told us to activate the emergency plan," Skull replied.
The Marines present were all focused on Ace's dramatic intervention. After Deuce quietly led the others out of the alley, he gestured to Ace on the rooftop.
After responding with an OK gesture, Ace nodded and shouted down: "Alright, you guys go first!"
When the Marines heard his seemingly nonsensical words, they all looked around in confusion, trying to figure out who he was talking to.
"He has accomplices somewhere! Quick! Don't let them escape!" one officer shouted.
Ace scratched his cheek with a sheepish expression.