Thunder roared across the battlefield as countless pirates collapsed one after another, their bodies smoking from electrical burns.
In that devastating moment, Cavendish seemed to transform into the very incarnation of the thunder god himself. Moving with the unstoppable force of divine lightning, he systematically eliminated every pirate who had been pressing their attack against Deuce and the other Black Star Pirates during the volcanic chaos.
Within minutes, the inner coastline of the island's central region had been completely cleared. Apart from the Black Star Pirates and their Whitebeard Pirates allies, every other pirate crew had been forced to retreat to distances of hundreds—even thousands—of meters away from the consolidated defensive position.
Seeing the two allied pirate groups gathering together in obvious coordination, the surviving pirates from around the world began looking around with growing alarm. What they discovered was a shocking and demoralizing reality that none of them had anticipated.
Of the countless forces and pirate crews who had once rushed to these dangerous waters with tremendous ambition and high spirits—all attempting to seize the legendary Laugh Tale pointer—only a precious few remained alive and combat-capable.
"Big Head! Big Head, where are you and the others?!" one captain screamed desperately. "Damn it, why am I the only one left from my entire crew?!"
"We've been completely fooled!" another pirate shouted in rage and despair. "The pointer I grabbed is pointing in exactly the same direction as my Dressrosa Eternal Pose!"
"Are you stupid?" came a bitter reply from yet another survivor. "Of course all those pointers she scattered around were fake decoys!"
"So wait... does that mean the Laugh Tale pointer is fake too?"
"Hell yes! This whole thing is an elaborate setup! The Black Star Pirates must have teamed up with the Marines! They lured us all here just to slaughter us like animals!"
The remaining pirates continued shouting accusations and theories at each other, their voices filled with the kind of desperation that only comes from surviving something truly horrific.
They had endured tremendous hardships during their journey to reach this point. First, they had been forced to navigate through heavily guarded Marine-controlled sea routes and passages. Then they had experienced brutal multi-party combat situations when they finally reached the waters outside Treasure Island. After that came the devastating wide-scale attacks led by multiple Marine Admirals working in terrifying coordination.
Having finally managed to land on the island itself, they discovered they were completely powerless to interfere with the actions of Jerry—the real owner of the authentic Laugh Tale pointer.
After all, that monster had been heading straight toward Admiral-level opponents with the casual confidence of someone going for an evening stroll.
Except for a handful of truly elite pirate crews and exceptionally powerful individual fighters, no rational pirate would willingly provoke the Admirals of the Marines. Such an action was widely considered to be an elaborate form of suicide.
Therefore, the vast majority of the surviving pirates had operated under the subconscious assumption that the genuine Laugh Tale pointer couldn't possibly be in Jerry's personal possession. Logic dictated that it must be kept by other, more vulnerable members of the Black Star Pirates—crew members who could potentially be overwhelmed and captured through coordinated assault.
This tactical reasoning explained why they had desperately focused their siege efforts on Deuce and his companions after successfully landing on the island.
Of course, they couldn't entirely rule out more opportunistic motivations. Many pirates had undoubtedly hoped to exploit the chaotic situation by targeting the seemingly weaker members, potentially taking hostages that could be used to force Jerry's surrender.
At that moment, Whitebeard observed Ōchoku's rapid retreat with calm, measured eyes. The Emperor made no move to pursue his former Rocks Pirates crewmate, showing neither anger nor particular interest in prolonging their confrontation.
His expression remained unusually serene as he glanced casually around the battlefield. Not a single pirate in the distant crowds dared to meet his gaze directly—the sheer presence of the world's strongest man was enough to cow even the most arrogant survivors into submission.
"Pops! Deuce!" Ace called out as he and Marco descended from the sky, their voices filled with obvious concern. "Are you guys all right?"
After offering a respectful nod toward Whitebeard, Deuce shook his head and replied with grave seriousness: "We're fine physically, but I'm afraid we can't remain in this location much longer."
Seeing that everyone had turned their attention to him with obvious curiosity, Deuce stomped his foot against the ground with deliberate emphasis, his expression growing even more troubled.
"Look around you," he continued, gesturing at the increasingly unstable terrain. "Everything here is already extremely unstable. I can feel violent energy building up beneath the surface. I'm afraid it won't be long before this entire area transforms into an active volcanic zone."
"That's exactly right," Cavendish interjected immediately after Deuce finished speaking. "Jerry specifically asked me to return and evacuate with all of you as quickly as possible. He said the rest of this battle will be handled by him personally."
Hearing this declaration, everyone present exchanged bewildered glances. Whitebeard himself burst into hearty laughter that echoed across the devastated battlefield.
"Gurararara! That brat! It's not his place to give orders to the Whitebeard Pirates!"
However, after making this proclamation, Whitebeard paused meaningfully, leaving everyone around him in a state of confused anticipation.
Ace scratched his head with obvious puzzlement, exchanged uncertain glances with Deuce, Marco, and the other companions surrounding him, then turned back to his adoptive father with a bewildered expression.
"Uh... Pops, what exactly should we do next?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Whitebeard grinned broadly and waved his hand with casual authority. "Of course we should retreat immediately! Do you want to stay here on an active volcano and play around with molten lava?"
Hearing this practical response, Ace and the others felt metaphorical sweat drops appear on their foreheads. Despite all his bluster about not taking orders, Whitebeard was clearly planning to follow Jerry's tactical recommendation.
On the northern side of the island, Kizaru had witnessed the earth-shaking battle between Jerry and Akainu with genuine amazement. The Admiral of Light stood in stunned silence, struggling to process what he had just observed.
He made every effort to extend his Observation Haki—which had been mysteriously interrupted during the most intense moments of the confrontation—in order to sense the surrounding area and determine the aftermath of the incredible clash.
After several long moments of concentrated effort, Kizaru looked toward Jerry with an expression of profound shock. His lips moved slightly as he spoke in obvious disbelief:
"You... Sakazuki, he..."
At precisely that moment, dozens of warships stationed in the open ocean launched a coordinated artillery bombardment against Treasure Island. The massive naval formation had been waiting for exactly this opportunity.
A commanding officer's voice boomed across the water through powerful loudspeakers: "Attention all Marine personnel! Super Buster Call authorization has been granted and is now active!"
In an instant, countless artillery shells and Pacifista laser beams began raining down on Treasure Island like a mechanical storm of destruction.
Jerry took several deep breaths, pressing his left hand firmly against the wound on his abdomen while focusing his enhanced recovery abilities on accelerating the healing process. He turned his head to observe Kizaru, who was still hovering in the air above, and allowed the corner of his mouth to curve upward in a slight, confident smile.
"Admiral Kizaru," Jerry called out with casual politeness, "if you're not planning to take action against me, I think I'll be leaving now."
"I'm afraid that simply won't be possible," Kizaru replied while rubbing his temple and releasing a soft, weary sigh. "After all, we find ourselves in fundamentally opposing positions, and you've caused the Marines to suffer truly devastating losses."
Jerry casually stored his fishing rod in his system space and shrugged with obvious indifference. "Don't blame me for Akainu's tactical mistakes and moral failings. Besides, isn't the current situation actually beneficial for you? The Marines can still maintain their three-Admiral structure, and now you can retire within the system exactly as you've always wanted..."
Kizaru's eyes widened dramatically as he interrupted with obvious alarm: "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? How can you see straight into my heart like... ahem!" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Regardless, you've caused tremendous problems for our organization. I'm afraid it's far too late for you to simply leave..."
Before Kizaru could complete his statement, an unusual and distinctly otherworldly aura suddenly manifested in the air around them. A strange pentagram summoning circle appeared directly beside both combatants, its geometric patterns glowing with supernatural energy.
"Hmm? What the hell is that supposed to be?" Jerry muttered, staring at the mystical construct that seemed completely inconsistent with this world's typical power systems. "Some kind of summoning technique?"
Then he remembered that this particular ability was possessed by only a handful of the world's most legendary and feared individuals.
As if to confirm his suspicions, the loudspeaker system aboard the Marine fleet crackled to life once again: "Attention all Marine officers! Saint Jaygarcia Saturn of the Five Elders has personally descended to Treasure Island. No personnel below the rank of Vice Admiral are authorized to look upon him directly!"
"Repeat the message! Attention all Marine personnel..."
This announcement sent shockwaves not only through the Marine forces, but also stunned Ace and the others who had been preparing to board their ships and depart the island via the southern river route that Jerry had carved through the landscape.
Even veteran pirates who had spent decades roaming the seas had only heard whispered legends about the Five Elders but had never encountered one in person.
Common knowledge held that the Five Elders were the supreme leaders of the World Government, operating from their fortress within the holy land of Mariejois. No one in living memory had ever witnessed one of them personally descending to an island in the open ocean.
A strange, oppressive aura began emanating from the magical circle, drawing the undivided attention of both Jerry and Kizaru.
Then, a massive black spider shadow began slowly materializing within the formation, surrounded by ominous black flame clouds—the external manifestation of an awakened Zoan-type Devil Fruit's true power.
At the same time, a contemptuous voice drifted through the air with the authority of someone accustomed to absolute obedience.
"Borsalino! I don't recall giving you permission to engage in casual conversation with this worthless insect..."
However, before Saint Saturn could complete his arrogant declaration, a relatively small figure appeared directly above him with ghostlike speed and precision.
Jerry extended his body to its full length, twisted his waist for maximum torque, and brought his right arm down in a devastating punch enhanced with advanced Armament Haki that manifested as crackling black lightning around his fist.
"Maelstrom Abyss Breaker!"
The impact created tremendous gusts of wind and explosive electrical discharges as whistling shockwaves spread outward in all directions.
The location where Saint Saturn had been materializing suddenly collapsed inward, forming a massive crater with a diameter of several hundred meters in an instant—a display of raw destructive power that left witnesses speechless with shock.
Jerry's sudden assault had been so unexpected and overwhelmingly swift that not only the newly arrived Saint Saturn, but even Kizaru—who had been standing directly beside the summoning circle—was caught completely off guard. The Admiral of Light could only stare at the devastating scene in absolute amazement, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by genuine alarm.
The message was clear: Jerry had just struck the first blow against one of the World Government's ultimate authorities, escalating this conflict to an entirely new level of significance.