With a thunderous CRASH, the Black Nova landed with tremendous force on the bridge deck that had been hastily cleared by everyone present.
Compared to the massive scope of the bridge structure, their ship occupied only a tiny fraction of the available space.
Standing tall and proud on their ship's distinctive skull figurehead—with its center-parted hair design—Jerry crossed his arms over his chest in a commanding pose.
Then, under everyone's bewildered gaze, he slowly raised his right hand and stretched it toward the storm-filled sky above.
The next moment, his raised hand suddenly clenched into a tight fist, and the very air within a radius of several kilometers seemed to freeze in place. Everyone watched in stunned amazement as the torrential rain that had been pouring down mercilessly suddenly stopped mid-fall, suspended impossibly in the air.
This physics-defying spectacle left all the slaves and guards who witnessed Jerry's display standing with their mouths agape in shock.
"This... this is impossible..."
"Am I having some kind of hallucination?"
Before they could voice any more astonishment, the suspended raindrops began flowing upward in coordinated streams, forming an enormous protective water shield in the sky that completely blocked out the continuing storm above.
Noticing that the distant guards and overseers had quickly regrouped after their initial stunned paralysis and were attempting to mount an organized counterattack, Jerry waved his left hand dismissively toward his crew and spoke with calm authority:
"Go ahead and do whatever you need to do. I'll handle everything else!"
Jerry was keenly aware that his friends were all restraining considerable anger, and it was time for them to release those pent-up emotions constructively.
With himself providing overwatch, plus Cavendish and Brook leading the assault while the already-formidable Carrot and Kotatsu provided support, Deuce and the others could completely conquer this on their own.
After all, Jerry's continuously active Observation Haki confirmed that there were no overly powerful enemies present. Apart from the regular guards and slave overseers, there were only a few members of various World Government CP organizations.
"Alright everyone! Stay alert—we're going on the offensive!" Deuce shouted with unusual determination, displaying rare eagerness for direct confrontation.
As the ship's doctor and de facto vice-captain of the Black Star Pirates, Deuce's fighting ability might not seem impressive—but that was only relative to the powerhouses of the Grand Line and New World.
Both he and Skull had been training relentlessly alongside Carina throughout their journey.
In fact, the Black Star Pirates' rigorous training culture had originally been initiated through the persistent efforts of Deuce and Skull pushing everyone to improve.
After such an extended period of dedicated practice, while Deuce and the other two hadn't yet successfully awakened their Observation Haki, they had indeed made significant progress in strength, speed, and overall combat skills.
Nowadays, even when facing a Marine Captain or potentially even a Rear Admiral, they could hold their own in battle—though their specific chances of victory would still depend on the actual combat circumstances.
Watching Deuce and the others leap onto the bridge deck and charge straight toward the assembled guards, Jerry remained motionless, standing calmly atop the figurehead's distinctive center-parted skull.
"I recognize them. They're the Black Star Pirates who disappeared for over a year," a Revolutionary Army member whispered after secretly observing Jerry, then quickly lowered his head to address several accomplices nearby.
Another young revolutionary who appeared to be their leader gently raised his hand, signaling them to stop their increasingly heated discussion while lowering his voice further:
"Everyone stay calm. We'll contact the other cells later. This could be the opportunity we've been waiting for. Let's observe how this develops and be prepared to act at a moment's notice."
After exchanging knowing glances and slight nods, they dispersed throughout the crowd to begin their covert preparations.
At that moment, a powerful and intimidating aura swept across the entire area before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Despite its brief duration, everyone instinctively stopped making noise. As if responding to some primal instinct, they all turned their attention toward the figure who seemed simultaneously towering yet human-sized, standing proudly on the pirate ship's bow.
Jerry looked down at the densely packed masses of enslaved workers with piercing intensity. While he wasn't targeting any specific individual, everyone who met his gaze felt overwhelming pressure, as if being evaluated by a predator.
What seemed like an eternity—yet could have been mere seconds—passed before Jerry suddenly raised his right fist toward the sky and spoke with loud, passionate conviction:
"Do you want to remain cowards for the rest of your miserable lives? Or do you want to be heroes, even if it's just for a few precious minutes?!"
"What you need isn't just courage—you need hearts that yearn for light and freedom!"
"You clearly outnumber your oppressors by thousands to one, yet you don't dare resist! Are you afraid of the overseers who are already lying dead on the ground? Or perhaps the guards who are being defeated with pathetic ease?"
His voice rose to a thunderous roar: "Or is it the so-called almighty World Government and those Celestial Dragons who don't even consider you human beings?!"
These sonorous, rebellious words struck everyone present like lightning bolts, shaking the entire bridge and echoing across heaven and earth.
Living in this world, anyone who hadn't grown up in some completely isolated mountain village—even young children—could feel the absolute authority established by eight centuries of World Government and Celestial Dragon rule.
At this moment, whether they were slaves who had been working like mindless machines, hidden Revolutionary Army operatives, or guards currently fighting Deuce's assault team, everyone's attention became involuntarily focused on Jerry.
Jerry's eyes seemed to emit dazzling light that pierced straight into people's souls.
"What?! Are you all waiting for some savior who hasn't appeared yet and might never come? Some god from heaven to descend and rescue you?!"
"You're all terrified of losing, and you've never even considered becoming your own saviors!"
Jerry's calm but cutting words continued reaching everyone's ears with perfect clarity.
Then his anger seemed to intensify, and he shouted even louder:
"If you just accept whatever fate throws at you without ever resisting, do you really believe your lives will magically get better? Or are you all so completely paralyzed by the fear of death?"
He paused, eyes burning with fury.
"You're already living in hell. So what else is there left to fear?"
Perhaps Jerry's remarks seemed one-sided, or perhaps people simply found his words too harsh. From within the crowd that was gradually becoming more agitated and restless, a hoarse shout suddenly rang out:
"Who says we don't dare to resist?! Who says we're afraid of death?! What do you know about the pain we've endured?!"
Another voice shouted from the crowd, filled with anger and frustration.
"That's right! You're just some outsider who knows nothing, yet you stand there preaching like you understand!"
A third rose up, bitter and raw.
"You think we never tried to fight back? We did. And because we did, we learned the hard way..."
The speaker suddenly seemed to realize something and found himself unable to continue that painful thought.
Many slaves present appeared deeply affected by these exchanges and couldn't help falling into memories of their past attempts at rebellion.
Their expressions grew complex—some showing pain, others burning with renewed anger—and they began expressing and venting their emotions with those around them.
"Quick! Stop him! Shut that pirate up!"
At that moment, a desperate command echoed from the guard unit being intercepted by Deuce and the others in the distance.
Observing the changing expressions on the slaves' faces, Jerry chose not to simply stand idle and watch.
The corner of his mouth curved into a mocking smile as his voice carried clear contempt: "In the end, you're still afraid, aren't you? Nothing but cowards!"
"You damn pirate! What gives you the right to call us cowards?!" With a resounding CLANG, a hot-blooded young slave smashed the shovel in his hands against the ground.
He glared fiercely at the figure making such cutting remarks from atop the pirate ship. Just as he was about to unleash a stream of curses, he suddenly felt his hands and feet grow light—the heavy steel shackles that had been locked around his wrists for countless days suddenly fell to the deck with metallic clatters.
At that moment, the same infuriating pirate voice cut through the air again.
"You don't like what I'm saying, do you? Fine. I've broken your chains—now prove me wrong. If you've got even a shred of spine left, stand up and show everyone you're not the coward I claim you are!"
Jerry's voice surged, now aimed at the entire crowd.
"Anyone else feeling insulted? Then stand up! If you think I've misjudged you, show me."
"Let's see if your rage is more than just words. If your courage is so thin it could be scattered by the wind, then prove me wrong. Show me what you can actually do!"