Realizing that Deuce wasn't joking or suffering from some bout of philosophical melancholy, but was genuinely seeking an answer to his sudden moral crisis, Jerry's expression grew uncharacteristically serious as he responded:
"Yes. Whether you're willing to accept it or not, as long as the power to define sin remains in the hands of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, then any country or individual that disobeys them or fails to provide profit is guilty by virtue of existing."
"You..." Deuce found himself momentarily speechless. He understood that this was Jerry's honest answer, and it provided an explanation that could account for many of the absurd phenomena plaguing their current world.
In this increasingly oppressive atmosphere, even Cavendish lost his usual desire to show off. He reached out and patted Deuce's shoulder supportively.
"I agree with Jerry's assessment. As a former prince, I haven't experienced that particular hell personally, but I know plenty about the World Government's methods and policies."
"Unfortunately, they always operate this way," Skull added quietly. As an excellent intelligence specialist, he possessed extensive knowledge of such atrocities.
After hearing these confirmations from Jerry and the others, Deuce pressed his lips together tightly and remained silent, though the veins on his clenched fists bulged from the excessive force he was applying.
Carina and Bonney also stared into the distance in stunned silence, each seemingly lost in their own troubled thoughts.
In the midst of this depressing atmosphere, Carrot looked up at the towering bridge structure and spoke with obvious distress: "But... aren't they suffering too much?"
The still-young mink instinctively recognized that the scene before them was fundamentally wrong. She had witnessed inhumane acts like slave trading on places like Sabaody Archipelago before.
However, for one reason or another, those slaves had generally been rescued either directly or indirectly by Jerry, so she hadn't been forced to confront such overwhelming helplessness.
But at this moment, the scene before their eyes was too massive and too heartbreaking. Not only Carrot, but even someone like Deuce—who understood there was considerable darkness in this world—couldn't help but be deeply affected.
Amid the thunder and lightning, violent storms, and torrential rain, countless people remained shackled and forced to perform endless physical labor.
Far from being allowed to rest, even those who accidentally slipped and fell were forced to get back up and continue working under the fists and whips of their overseers.
And this was only the small corner they could observe—a tiny fraction of the bridge's massive scope.
Carrot turned her head and looked at Jerry with hopeful desperation, speaking hesitantly: "Brother Jerry, can we...?"
"Wait... Carrot, let me speak." After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Deuce interrupted her plea.
He looked around at everyone's expressions and spoke with solemn determination: "I know this might be meddling in affairs that aren't our business, or it might be like drinking poison to quench our thirst..."
As he continued, Deuce's eyes grew more resolute. "Jerry, is there a way? We can do something about this, can't we?"
"Just this once, I want to rescue them. Even if the World Government will simply recruit more people to continue building this never-ending bridge..."
Jerry gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, looked toward the increasingly rain-obscured scene in the distance, patted his chest confidently, and declared with firm conviction: "Of course! You can always count on me!"
The moment he finished speaking, Jerry stood up and began manipulating the ocean currents, accelerating their ship's approach toward the massive bridge.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM!
Suddenly, several artillery shells came roaring down from the bridge's defensive positions, exploding in the water around the Black Nova.
Apparently, the guards stationed on the bridge had noticed the approaching pirate ship. Rather than attempting any form of communication, they had simply opened fire as their greeting.
These sudden cannon blasts—loud enough to cut through even the heavy rainfall—along with the guards' shouted identification of "pirates," attracted the attention of many slaves laboring on the bridge.
However, most of the workers simply glanced up with numb, clouded eyes before hurriedly lowering their heads and returning to their backbreaking tasks.
Such situations weren't uncommon for them. Rather than paying attention to insignificant pirates, they needed to focus on their work—otherwise, the whips of nearby overseers would remind them of their priorities in the most painful way possible.
But among the masses, there was also a small group of special individuals who were quietly observing the movements of both the pirate ship and the guards.
They seemed to know each other, scattered throughout the crowd at regular intervals while communicating secretly through eye contact and subtle gestures.
These people belonged to the Revolutionary Army. They had already infiltrated Tequila Wolf and were currently making contact with more like-minded individuals while gathering intelligence and secretly searching for opportunities to rescue the enslaved workers.
If the right moment presented itself, the Revolutionary Army even hoped to put an end to this mysterious bridge project once and for all.
At this moment, the members of the Black Star Pirates stood on their deck, watching with calm expressions as shells fell rapidly around them—none managing to find their mark—while waiting for Jerry's next move.
"Hmph! Who do you think you're dealing with? Bring us alongside!" Jerry swung his fishing rod dramatically and roared with blood-pumping enthusiasm, as if channeling his inner Jack the Drought.
Deuce and the others felt metaphorical sweat drops forming on the backs of their heads. Skull scratched his skull-covered head and called out loudly behind Jerry:
"Boss Jerry, stop being ridiculous... You're the one controlling the ship's movement. Whether we dock or not is entirely up to you."
"Huh!? What did you say? I can't hear you over the excitement! Anyway, bring us in closer!"
Seeing that Jerry remained completely absorbed in his theatrical performance while shouting enthusiastically, everyone else fell into resigned silence.
A few moments later, the Black Nova—now surrounded by a massive protective shield of seawater—quickly reached the ocean area near the bridge's supporting pillars, moving through the hail of gunfire and heavy rain with ease.
"Alright, now it's time for us to officially start fishing for freedom!" Jerry continued waving his rod and grinned with anticipation.
Deuce and Carina were already secured in the fixed seats designed for aerial maneuvers, calling out loudly to remind everyone: "Quick! Hold on tight!"
"You all know the drill by now. Flight mode activated!" Jerry glanced at his friends and began manipulating the ocean currents beneath their ship.
WHOOSH!
A tremendous waterspout carrying countless smaller high-pressure streams shot straight up toward the bridge's deck level.
Witnessing this completely abnormal phenomenon, the guard captain who had been directing the artillery barrage suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs: "All units alert! All units alert! Don't cease fire! The pirate ship is ascending!"
He waved urgently toward his subordinates, signaling them to quickly gather nearby troops and immediately request reinforcements from the distant kingdom.
"Move aside! Move aside! If you get crushed, don't blame me for the uneven ship bottom!"
A loud splashing sound erupted at the bridge's edge, accompanied by Jerry's cheerfully obnoxious warning echoing in all directions.
At this moment, not only the countless slaves working on the bridge—whose numbers resembled ants in a disturbed colony—but even the armed guards stared in complete amazement at this scene that defied their understanding of reality.
Looking at the pirate ship that resembled a moon surrounded by stars, supported by countless smaller water columns and carried atop a massive waterspout, the densely packed slaves nearby instinctively fled toward the rear areas.
Within seconds, except for the guards with guns and cannons who remained at their defensive positions, a large open space had formed behind them.
Jerry swept his Observation Haki across the entire area, and in the next instant, countless thin streams of water transformed into precise arrows, flying toward the guards stationed throughout the bridge.
"Quick! Cover fire!" The guard captain gave urgent orders, snapping many of his subordinates out of their stunned paralysis.
Before the captain could finish his command, screams began echoing from multiple directions.
One guard crouched trembling with his head in his hands for what felt like an eternity, until the screams around him gradually faded and were replaced by the confused murmuring of slaves. Bewildered, he patted his entire body and muttered uncertainly to himself:
"Wait... I'm... I'm unharmed?"
Looking up, he discovered several colleagues with equally confused expressions standing nearby, completely at a loss about what to do next.
Aside from these few individuals, most of the guards and overseers stationed on the bridge were now lying motionless in pools of blood.
"Attention, remaining guards! If you value your lives, step aside and don't interfere with our landing."
"Or would you prefer to experience firsthand what it feels like to have water slice through your necks?"
Jerry's voice carried clearly from the pirate ship still hovering above the churning waters.
Immediately afterward, streams of rainwater began forming small currents that appeared directly in front of the surviving guards, twisting and writhing as if performing an ominous dance.
Faced with this supernatural display, the terrified guards quickly huddled together and scrambled to one side, clearing the landing area completely.
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