Just as Jerry continued provoking Admiral Akainu while his water clone pressed his devastating advantage against the weakened Aramaki, Cavendish's battle with Admiral Fujitora was reaching full intensity on another section of the beach.
However, Cavendish was beginning to realize that his opponent didn't seem to be fighting with complete seriousness or genuine killing intent.
Although Fujitora's gravity manipulation was tremendously powerful and had already carved the coastal terrain into a complex landscape of deep craters and shallow depressions with just a few casual gestures, Cavendish possessed the natural advantages of a Logia user. The Admiral's gravity-based sweeping attacks and vertical strikes simply couldn't cause any meaningful harm to his lightning-transformed body.
Recalling Jerry's previous casual assessment of the "blind uncle," Cavendish decided to adopt a more flexible strategic approach and wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself.
In a brilliant flash, he soared high into the air with dazzling electrical energy radiating from his entire form, resembling an actual god of thunder descending to earth. Crackling bolts of lightning bombarded the area surrounding Fujitora's position, creating a grand and magnificent spectacle that lit up the entire battlefield.
Although the confrontation between these two powerful fighters hadn't resulted in any significant damage to either combatant, it had severely punished the many opportunistic pirates who had attempted to take advantage of the chaos. The area around their battle had been quickly and thoroughly cleared of all interference.
On the southeastern side of Treasure Island, when Ace and Marco arrived at their designated combat zone, what immediately came into view was the fierce confrontation already underway between Admiral Kizaru and former Admiral Zephyr, while Admiral Aokiji and Vice Admiral Garp stood at a considerable distance from each other, engaged in what appeared to be a heated verbal exchange.
"Oh my, sensei, your skills are still as terrifying as ever," Kizaru observed while staring at the elderly man before him, his voice carrying its characteristic lazy drawl mixed with genuine wariness.
"You haven't changed a bit, Borsalino!" Zephyr replied grimly, glancing briefly at Ace and Marco who had just arrived on the scene. He raised the massive mechanical arm equipped with Sea Stone that had replaced his severed limb, then launched a devastating punch directly at his former student.
This straightforward assault was naturally and easily avoided by Kizaru's light-speed reflexes and movement capabilities.
Following this opening exchange, both fighters began engaging in increasingly fierce combat, their battle escalating rapidly in both intensity and destructive potential.
"Gramps, what exactly are you doing here?" Ace asked with obvious confusion, blinking as he turned toward the legendary Marine hero. "Aren't you all supposed to be on the same side? Why do you look like..."
Garp burst into his characteristic booming laughter. "Bwahahaha! You little brat, you'd better worry about taking care of yourself first!"
At the same time, some distant memory seemed to flash through Aokiji's mind, prompting him to speak in a deep, contemplative voice: "Garp-san, I've always admired your casual approach to life. You taught me to live in the present moment and that indecision is nothing more than the behavior of the weak. So tell me—what exactly are you doing right now?"
Seeing Garp's jovial expression immediately disappear as he frowned with obvious displeasure after hearing this pointed question, Ace stared directly at Aokiji with narrowed, dangerous eyes. "Hey, you ice-cold bastard! Did you just say something insulting to my grandpa?"
Before his words had fully faded, Ace's figure blurred with incredible speed as he rapidly closed the distance between himself and the Admiral, then suddenly launched his right fist forward with tremendous wind pressure behind the strike.
Aokiji took a measured half-step forward, coating both arms with thick layers of Armament Haki before throwing an equally powerful counter-punch to meet Ace's attack head-on.
The muffled sound of enhanced flesh colliding echoed across the battlefield as Ace and Aokiji's Haki-coated fists met with tremendous force. Their official duel began with this simple but incredibly powerful exchange of raw physical might.
Both combatants were thoroughly familiar with each other's fighting styles and Devil Fruit abilities from their previous encounters, so they immediately began engaging in fierce close-quarters combat using fists enhanced with advanced Haki techniques.
To Aokiji's genuine surprise, Ace wasn't being overwhelmed as quickly as the Admiral had anticipated. Instead, the young pirate was able to repeatedly generate powerful bursts of crackling black lightning around his attacks, allowing him to persist in fighting on relatively equal terms.
This unexpected development shocked Aokiji to his core.
Although it was well-established that Ace was the biological son of Pirate King Roger and possessed truly amazing natural talent—and had certainly demonstrated his capabilities during the legendary Battle of Marineford—at that time he hadn't displayed such powerful and stable Conqueror's Haki coating techniques.
How much time had actually passed? For ordinary fighters, they might not have even developed a single new technique, yet this young pirate had already stepped into a realm that countless powerful warriors might never reach despite struggling for most of their lives.
Meanwhile, on the other side of this chaotic battlefield, the intense combat between Zephyr and Kizaru suddenly became complicated by Marco's intervention.
The Phoenix spun gracefully through the air to avoid Zephyr's massive Sea Stone-enhanced fist, then launched a fierce kick directly at Admiral Kizaru's position.
Kizaru instantly transformed into pure light to create distance, raised his finger, and fired a devastating laser beam directly at Zephyr's exposed position.
The former Admiral deflected the energy attack with his Sea Stone prosthetic, and amid the sound of the resulting explosion, he resolutely charged forward toward Kizaru's new position.
"Hey! What's going on here exactly?" Marco called out in obvious confusion upon witnessing this unusual three-way confrontation, though he didn't hesitate in his movements as he launched another kick at Kizaru.
Although Marco had certainly heard of the NEO Marines through various intelligence reports, he still hadn't completely figured out the true stance and ultimate objectives of this organization composed entirely of former Marine personnel.
Based on current observations, Marco could only tentatively classify them as a third-party force that appeared to be hostile toward both pirates and the current Marine establishment.
Suddenly, with the notable exception of the observing Garp, fierce battles were erupting simultaneously across multiple fronts of the island.
In the center of Treasure Island, faced with countless attackers from various hostile factions surrounding their position, Deuce and his companions launched their counterattack without showing any fear whatsoever.
Deuce maintained his impressive pink dragon transformation, and although he certainly didn't possess Kaido's overwhelming strength, his mere presence was enough to intimidate enemies and prevent them from approaching too casually.
Simply by relying on his enormous draconic body—even without having mastered the many advanced techniques that came with his Devil Fruit—just flying overhead and swinging his massive tail was sufficient to make numerous pirates extremely reluctant to engage in close combat.
Brook and the other crew members also demonstrated their individual strengths, coordinating their efforts seamlessly to form an nearly impenetrable defensive line capable of resisting enemies attacking from all directions simultaneously.
At the southern edge of the island, the Whitebeard Pirates fleet was approaching with tremendous speed and obvious hostile intent. With the notable exception of their flagship Moby Dick, most of the subsidiary crews chose to begin landing operations as soon as they came within range of the shoreline.
The Moby Dick itself, carrying Whitebeard and his division commanders, cut directly through the contested waters and headed straight toward the island's center where the heaviest fighting was concentrated.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the circular inner harbor where Deuce's group had established their defensive position.
At this critical moment, this particular area had become the epicenter of a massive free-for-all involving tens of thousands of combatants from all competing factions.
However, many of these fighters had clearly identified Deuce and his companions as their primary targets, making it increasingly difficult for the Black Star Pirates to maintain their defensive posture despite their tactical advantages.
Fortunately, everyone's individual mobility remained excellent. While Kotatsu continued managing the live broadcast, he also provided crucial combat support to Skull and the others during critical moments. Carina had cleverly distributed the fake permanent pointers to create confusion and misdirection between sea and land forces, winning precious breathing room for the entire team.
"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!" someone shouted above the din of battle.
The dramatic appearance of the Moby Dick immediately ignited both enthusiasm and tension throughout the entire assembled crowd. By this point, everyone understood the deep connection that existed between the Black Star Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates organization.
"Marines! And you little pirate brats! Stop this nonsense immediately!" Whitebeard's voice boomed across the battlefield.
As he spoke, the Emperor immediately launched a devastating punch through the air, sending massive shockwaves directly toward the area where Marines had been pressuring Deuce and his companions.
Almost simultaneously, the elite combat forces of the Whitebeard Pirates—led by Diamond Jozu and the other division commanders—rushed forward from their landing positions to provide direct rescue support.
"Whitebeard!" called out a familiar voice as Sir Crocodile emerged from the chaos, a large cigar clenched between his teeth. He swung his golden hook with sudden violence, deflecting Brook's sword strike while speaking with cold composure. "This is no longer an era where you get to have the final say in everything!"
"Oh my... then who exactly does have the final say now?" Brook asked with genuine curiosity, receiving only Crocodile's sharp, predatory gaze in response.
"You don't mean me, do you?" Brook continued with obvious amusement. "Well then, I suppose I'll have to give this my absolute best effort! Yohohoho!"
After delivering this characteristic laugh, Brook's entire fighting stance and offensive capabilities seemed to be injected with renewed vitality. His combat speed doubled instantly, and the rhythm of their duel changed dramatically.
Compared to his previous cautious and reserved approach, now that friendly reinforcements had arrived, he could finally release all restraints and engage the enemy with his full power.
The battle between Brook and Crocodile hadn't lasted very long up to this point, and neither had been able to inflict significant damage on the other during their initial exchanges.
However, once the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates joined the overall confrontation, the tactical situation reversed dramatically. They helped Deuce and his companions fend off numerous powerful pirates and Marine officers, reducing the pressure on the Black Star Pirates considerably and transforming what had been an increasingly desperate situation into something much more manageable.
Whitebeard himself stood at the bow of his ship like a conquering emperor, his massive form imposing and authoritative. As his keen eyes surveyed the chaotic battlefield around them, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure walking deliberately toward his position through the combat zone. His expression immediately shifted to one of genuine surprise and recognition.