The other Marines who had followed looked at each other in bewilderment. They weren't sure whether they should laugh during such a serious situation, as this was the same scene that always played out between the two Admiral candidates.
After glancing around and seeing everyone shared the same confused expression, they pursed their lips, nodded to each other, then ran after their superiors.
With mutual protection and teamwork, Deuce and his friends finally escaped through multiple checkpoints all the way back to their ship. There was no one guarding the ship, and there weren't many valuables aboard anyway.
Their ship was docked in a relatively secluded location, not placed in the regular ports or harbors alongside other pirates' ships.
At a distance from the shore, dense bushes surrounded a large area of low grassland near the sea. Toward the coast stood a steep cliff several meters high, with their ship moored just below it.
Just as everyone had quickly completed preparations for departure, the figures of pursuing Marines appeared in the distance.
Isuka was leading the charge, followed by a group of other Marines, including Rear Admiral Briggs—his once-flowing hair now patchy and singed, with his wounds only partially treated.
Ace stood on the shore and saw the Marines pull out their firearms to begin collective shooting. He extended one arm forward.
"Flame Pillar!"
His arm transformed into blazing fire and shot forward, instantly forming a massive wall of flames that blocked both the enemy's attacks and their advance.
The fire wall continued burning fiercely, making it impossible for ordinary Marines to approach or continue shooting.
"Woo-hoo! I'm back!" came a voice from afar, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind.
"Quick, set sail! There are pursuers behind me, and they'll reach the sea soon," Jerry urged as he landed in front of Ace, calling for Deuce and the others to depart immediately.
He could sense that Gion and Tokikake were pursuing him closely from behind, and on the distant ocean, the silhouettes of warships were gradually becoming clearer.
It seemed like another chase and escape sequence from Sabaody Archipelago. History had a surprising way of repeating itself—last time he'd also been fleeing under similar circumstances.
Even though this time it wasn't an Admiral, two Admiral candidates probably wouldn't make much difference. Jerry had fled all the way back, scaling walls and leaping across rooftops, not daring to delay for even a moment.
He'd also set numerous traps and obstacles along the way. Although most had been violently destroyed by his two pursuers, they'd still bought him precious time.
"Right! Set sail immediately!" Deuce confirmed when he saw Jerry return, knowing they couldn't delay any longer and had to leave shore quickly.
After exchanging a glance, Jerry and Ace didn't board the ship immediately, but looked together toward the fire wall.
The barrier was disrupted by enemy attacks and disappeared after a large hole was created. Gion and Tokikake stepped through first.
"Don't think you can escape again!" Gion declared firmly.
"That's right! Did you hear that? Don't even think about running away!" Tokikake enthusiastically agreed with Gion's words, nodding quickly before continuing.
"We just happened to arrive, and with so few people here, we'll capture you all in one sweep!"
"Yes, exactly right! Stop your futile resistance—we're going to catch all of you at once!" Tokikake continued nodding, placing his hands on his hips while shouting loudly.
Closing her eyes with visible veins appearing on her forehead, Gion could no longer tolerate the nuisance beside her. She turned and snapped, "Get lost! Stop copying me!"
'Eh? Why is she telling me to get lost? Is she worried that I'm too tired from the pursuit? Wow, she's so gentle and considerate—I like her even more!' Tokikake was initially startled, but his internal monologue was running wild.
Seeing his affectionate gaze, Gion got goosebumps all over her body. "What do you mean by that expression? Stop daydreaming and get moving!"
"Isuka, don't get too close," she warned.
Not wanting to figure out what that guy was thinking about, Gion decided not to waste more words on him and charged forward.
"Understood, Vice Admiral Gion," Isuka replied.
Although she had a good relationship with Gion privately, she still used proper titles in official situations.
Isuka took two steps back to observe from a distance alongside Briggs and the others. They understood that it would be difficult for them to intervene in the upcoming battle.
"As expected of the woman I love—even her running form is charming," Tokikake sighed dreamily, staring at Gion's retreating figure before turning to run after her with determination.
"I'm coming! Pirates, don't think you can escape!"
Jerry, Ace, and the others all looked confused, wondering if this was some kind of signature Marine comedy routine. For a moment, they almost forgot about escaping.
At this point, Gion and Tokikake rushed forward and confronted Jerry and Ace in individual matchups.
They had no choice but to fight back—Jerry against Gion, Ace against Tokikake—and both pairs began fierce combat.
"Boom! Boom boom!"
Soon, Ace and Tokikake were engaged in an intense battle of heavy punches and explosive power.
The continuous sound of physical collisions echoed across their battlefield. Although Ace's movements were flexible and his responses timely, as time passed, he found himself slightly suppressed.
Not everyone could be a candidate for Admiral rank. It was unclear how much strength lay above the Vice Admiral level.
Ace was forced to combine his fire abilities with physical techniques, knowing that against an enemy of this caliber, casually emitted flames probably wouldn't cause any damage at all.
Unless his opponent gave him time and opportunity to charge his power, fruit abilities alone were still somewhat lacking.
Noticing Ace's strength, Tokikake's eyes sharpened, but he responded with a smile using his Haki and physical skills. Obviously, he didn't seem to be in any hurry.
On the other side, Gion and Jerry clashed again. Since they'd fought for an extended period earlier, there was no need for testing now.
After taking a step, she vanished from her position. Gion instantly appeared behind Jerry and immediately launched a thunderous attack.
"Cherry Blossom Drift!"
"Water Blade: Spinning Slash!"
Jerry received warning from his Observation Haki and reacted quickly. He stepped forward as a sharp, high-pressure water blade suddenly formed around his fishing rod.
As he swept forward without looking back, the technique's focus was behind him—a 360-degree water blade slashed through the air around his entire body.
He shifted his position half a step, and his slashing attack intersected with Gion's strike, neutralizing each other.
After missing her first attack, Gion tried again and began moving at high speed. Jerry wasn't about to be outdone and flew forward, using his fishing rod as well as his fists and feet.
In an instant, the four combatants separated into two groups and began fierce fighting in this relatively open space.
Their attacks were like violent storms—dense and heavy. The intense battle between them occasionally burst with brilliant light and fierce air waves.
"Brother Jerry... and Brother Ace..." Carrot said with obvious concern.
"They can handle it, right?" Carina added worriedly.
"Trust them—trust your friends," Deuce replied solemnly, as if comforting them while strengthening his own resolve.
The Black Star Pirates' ship had left shore and was gradually sailing out to sea. After living together for some time, Carina was apparently integrating into this group unconsciously.
In the current battle, both sides were actually intentionally trying to buy time. Tokikake and Gion were following orders and had been told reinforcements would arrive by sea.
Jerry and Ace were waiting for their ship to sail a sufficient distance—otherwise, if there were too many attacks from shore, it would be somewhat troublesome.
After a while, seeing his crew's ship moving away from the coastline, Jerry laughed and called out to Ace, who was locked in melee combat:
"Haha! Ace, it's time to get out of here!"
Ace responded by throwing another powerful punch, but his opponent showed no signs of weakness—Tokikake wouldn't let them escape easily.
"Want to run away?" Tokikake challenged.
Jerry also exerted his strength to drive off Gion, leaped back to stand on the cliff's edge, put away his fishing rod, spread his arms wide, and swung them suddenly toward the sky.
"The Sea Laughs!"
A tsunami wave over twenty meters high rapidly rose from the ocean surface and climbed into the air behind Jerry. The water flow continued rising slowly at a speed visible to the naked eye.