Kizaru's Eight-Foot Mirror Jewels were indeed a sight to behold—countless points of brilliant light streaking through the air with devastating speed and power. However, Jerry noticed something crucial about the Admiral's technique: by dispersing his attack into so many individual beams, the power of each light projectile was naturally reduced compared to his focused laser strikes.
Jerry found himself in his element, literally. Surrounded by the endless expanse of the ocean, controlling water felt as natural as breathing. The seawater around him responded to his will with effortless precision, rising and shaping itself according to his Fishman Karate techniques.
More importantly, seawater naturally restrained Devil Fruit powers. Even though this restraint was somewhat weakened when dealing with ranged energy attacks rather than direct contact, the advantage was still there. Combined with Jerry's Ocean Blessing and the sheer volume of water at his disposal, he managed to maintain what appeared to be an even footing against an Admiral of the Marine.
The explosions continued to light up the sky above Sabaody's coastline as water met light in spectacular collisions. To any distant observer, it would seem like the two combatants were evenly matched—a incredible feat for someone facing one of the Marine's strongest fighters.
But Jerry knew better. Despite the impressive visual display, he was gradually being pushed back. Kizaru's light projectiles were getting closer and closer to their mark with each exchange. The Admiral wasn't even fighting at full strength, and Jerry could feel the mounting pressure.
"Looks like it's too early to brag," Jerry muttered to himself between attacks, sweat mixing with seawater on his face. "I still need to be careful of him, even in the ocean."
Huff... huff... this old monster is wearing me down. Time to get out of here.
Through the chaos of explosions and his heightened Observation Haki, Jerry sensed something that made his heart leap with relief. In the distance, the distinctive presence of the Spade Pirates was moving—they had begun their dive beneath the waves.
Around the archipelago's waters, numerous warships had appeared like sharks drawn to blood. The Marine fleet was systematically bombarding every pirate ship they could find, creating a deadly gauntlet for anyone trying to escape. Artillery fire rained down on vessels throughout the area, and Jerry could see several ships that hadn't been properly coated being reduced to splinters and flames.
Only the pirate crews smart enough to prepare ship coating in advance—like Ace and his crew—had any hope of diving deep enough to escape the surface bombardment.
Jerry grinned through his exhaustion. His crew was safe, and that was all that mattered.
"Uncle Kizaru!" Jerry called out over the sound of continuing explosions. "I'm done playing with you! Catch you later!"
Without waiting for a response, Jerry dove straight down, disappearing beneath the surface before Kizaru's next barrage could reach him.
After all, Jerry thought as he descended, if I stay any longer, those light beams are going to start connecting.
Once underwater, Jerry felt his fatigue wash away almost instantly. This was his domain, where his movements became fluid and swift, where the water itself seemed to welcome him home. His enhanced swimming abilities, rivaling those of a mermaid, allowed him to cut through the ocean depths with incredible speed.
The Spade Pirates' ship hadn't descended too deep yet—Jerry could see the familiar bubble coating surrounding the ship as it slowly made its way toward the ocean floor. With powerful strokes, he quickly caught up to his crew.
Through the translucent coating, Jerry could see his shipmates watching the water around them with tense expressions. When they spotted his approaching figure, their faces immediately broke into relieved smiles and excited cheers.
Jerry pressed against the bubble coating and felt it give way, allowing him to slip inside. The moment he was through, seawater cascaded off his body as he landed on the familiar deck of their ship.
"Wow! Boss Jerry, you're incredible!" Skull rushed over immediately, his eyes shining with admiration. "You're seriously amazing! To think you could fight toe-to-toe with an Admiral and successfully buy us all that time!"
Before Jerry could react, Skull had thrown his arms around him in an enthusiastic hug, practically shouting in his ear with excitement.
"Ahem! Keep it down, keep it down," Jerry coughed, gently but firmly pushing the over-enthusiastic crew member away. "I still got banged up pretty good during that delay tactic."
He definitely wasn't comfortable with such overly physical displays of affection from his male crewmates. Some boundaries needed to be maintained.
"Meow~"
A soft sound drew Jerry's attention downward, where he found Kotatsu rubbing against his legs, the large lynx purring contentedly as if welcoming him home. Jerry couldn't help but smile as he scratched behind the cat's ears.
"Brother Jerry, you're finally back!"
Jerry looked up to see three young women approaching, their hands clasped together over their chests in relief. The speaker was clearly Dora, though she and her sisters were now wearing hooded cloaks that concealed most of their features.
"We were all so worried about you," Dora continued, her voice filled with genuine concern.
The sight of the three mermaid sisters immediately drew envious glances from several crew members who had gathered around. Jerry could practically feel the waves of curiosity and barely contained excitement radiating from his shipmates.
Earlier, when Kotatsu had first led the three cloaked figures aboard, most of the crew hadn't known what to make of them. It wasn't until the lynx led them directly to Wallace—their Fishman crew member—that Dora had felt comfortable enough to explain what had happened on the island.
The revelation that they had three actual mermaid sisters aboard their ship had sent ripples of excitement through the entire crew. Beautiful mermaids were legendary creatures to most people; the stuff of sailors' dreams and tavern tales. Few people ever had the chance to see one in person, let alone three at once.
Fortunately, the Spade Pirates were fundamentally good-hearted people. While they were undeniably fascinated by their new passengers, their attention remained respectful. They satisfied themselves with curious glances and polite attempts at conversation, though Wallace had quickly stepped in to ensure the sisters weren't overwhelmed by too much attention.
"I'm fine! See? I'm still in one piece!" Jerry replied to Dora with a reassuring grin, flexing his left arm to show off his muscles in an exaggerated display of strength. "I'm relieved to see you all made it here safely too."
"Jerry's so strong!"
"We saw the whole thing—fighting an Admiral like that was incredible!"
"That explosion light show was amazing!"
The gathered crew members burst into excited chatter, their voices overlapping as they shared their amazement. Most of them had returned to the ship early that morning after the coating specialist had finished his work, expecting a normal departure from Sabaody.
They had been relaxing and chatting casually when Skull had suddenly burst onto the deck, shouting for everyone to prepare for immediate departure because something big had happened on the island.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before they spotted Kotatsu returning with the three mermaid sisters and news about Jerry's situation. As they began sailing slowly along the coast, they could hear explosions echoing from the shore. Then Ace and Deuce had literally leaped aboard the ship, both looking worse for wear.
The crew had been stunned into silence when they witnessed Jerry and Admiral Kizaru actually fighting in mid-air above the ocean, creating a light show that could be seen for miles.
"So-so, maybe third strongest in the world," Jerry said with mock arrogance, basking in the praise. "You guys aren't bad either. At most, you're only a little bit behind me."
The crew laughed at his obvious exaggeration, but Jerry didn't mind. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits despite the dangerous escape they'd just pulled off, and that was what mattered.
"I'm just glad you kept your promise and came back safely!"
Jerry turned to see Ace and Deuce approaching, both sporting fresh bandages over various injuries. Deuce's voice carried obvious relief, but Jerry noticed something was off about Ace's expression.
While Ace was smiling, there was a heaviness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Something had clearly happened during their escape.
"Of course I made it back," Jerry replied with a casual grin. "When I say I'll do something, I do it. That's just how I roll."
But his expression grew more serious as he studied Ace's face. "Ace, what happened to you? And where's Isuka? Wasn't she following you guys? What went down back there?"
The absence of the Marine Lieutenant was glaring. Jerry had expected her to be with them—after all, she'd helped them escape from Vice Admiral Draw. Her missing presence, combined with Ace's subdued mood, suggested something significant had occurred.
"Let me explain," Deuce said, glancing at Ace with obvious concern before turning back to Jerry. "Here's what happened after you went to hold off Kizaru."
Deuce launched into a detailed account of their escape from Sabaody. After Jerry had peeled off to confront the Admiral, the remaining three had begun their desperate sprint toward the coast.
Thanks to Isuka's insider knowledge of Marine operations and patrol patterns, they had successfully avoided the numerous Marine blockades that had been set up throughout the archipelago. Her intelligence had proven invaluable in navigating the increasingly dangerous situation.
During their flight, Ace had questioned Isuka about the overall situation. What they learned was troubling: Vice Admiral Draw had apparently been planning a comprehensive operation from the very beginning, with contingencies for both land and sea. His goal had never been simply to capture them—he had intended to destroy the Spade Pirates entirely.
The chilling realization was that Isuka hadn't been fully aware of Draw's true intentions until it was almost too late. She had believed she was participating in a standard arrest operation, not a potential massacre.
Armed with Isuka's intelligence about the Marine's deployment, Deuce had consulted the navigational charts and cross-referenced them with the emergency plans he'd discussed with Skull and Mihar while still aboard the ship.
Their contingency planning paid off. If an emergency evacuation became necessary, the ship would depart early with several predetermined rendezvous options depending on the situation.
Following their established protocols and calculating where their crew would likely position the ship, Deuce had led their small group in adjusting their route accordingly.
Sure enough, after a tense journey through Sabaody's back alleys and mangrove roots, they had reached the designated coastal area and spotted their ship drifting at a safe distance from shore.
"Captain! Deuce! Quick! Jump aboard!" The moment they appeared, the crew had erupted in cheers, shouting encouragement across the water.
"Alright! Let's go! Isuka, come on!" Ace had called to his companions, his voice filled with relief and excitement. With a powerful leap that showcased his physical abilities, he had soared through the air and landed safely on deck.
The ship immediately began moving away from shore, putting crucial distance between them and the Marine forces swarming the island.
But when Ace turned around to make sure everyone had made it safely aboard, his heart sank.
Isuka was still standing on the shore, watching him with complex emotions written across her face. She was waving, but she hadn't made any move to jump.
"Hey! Didn't we agree you were coming with us?!" Ace had shouted across the growing distance, his voice carrying a note of desperate confusion. Even Deuce had noticed the slight hoarseness in their captain's tone.
"Ha! Idiot!" Isuka had called back, but her laughter was bright and genuine, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Who told you I said that?"
Ace had stared at her in bewilderment, trying to understand what had just happened.
"You... you still want to be a Marine?" he had called out, his voice barely audible over the sound of the waves.
"Yes! Even after everything, I'm still a Marine!" Isuka's voice had carried clearly across the water, filled with determination despite the tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. "Ace! Thank you for everything! Please... please stay safe!"
Her final words had been a shouted farewell before she turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of Sabaody's massive mangroves.
Ace had watched her retreating figure until she was completely out of sight, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"I should have grabbed her hand," Ace murmured now, staring down at his palms with a expression of deep regret. "But... I'm a pirate. My hands would have just burned her..."
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