Theoretically, Ace's fire abilities would have a natural advantage against Aokiji's ice powers, but Jerry understood that Devil Fruit abilities alone weren't nearly enough for Ace to face an Admiral directly.
Aokiji had spent countless years honing his Armament Haki using the same brutal training methods as Garp—repeatedly punching warships until his fists could shatter steel. In comparison, Ace's current level of both Armament and Observation Haki probably wasn't sufficient to compete with someone of Aokiji's caliber.
Even if Ace wouldn't be defeated instantly, he'd still be in serious trouble against such an opponent.
Jerry stepped forward slowly, with Ace and Cavendish moving alongside him in perfect synchronization. It had to be said that they were no longer ordinary pirates who could be easily dismissed.
"Oh? Planning a coordinated assault?" Aokiji asked, his expression becoming slightly more serious as he observed their unified movement.
Gion and Maynard remained silent but adjusted their stances, ready to engage at a moment's notice.
After taking several measured steps, Jerry's figure suddenly blurred. In the next instant, he shot forward like a bullet, appearing directly in front of Aokiji with his fist already in motion.
"Your water techniques won't work on me," Aokiji stated expressionlessly, casually raising his hand to catch Jerry's punch while simultaneously freezing and shattering the water dragon that accompanied the strike.
"Who knows?" Jerry grinned, immediately drawing his fishing rod and swinging it horizontally in a fluid motion.
Sensing the concentrated Haki and deadly intent behind the attack, as well as the follow-up combinations being prepared, Aokiji leaped backward, simply and efficiently avoiding all of Jerry's offensive intentions.
Still airborne, Aokiji suddenly spread his arms wide and counterattacked Jerry, who continued his relentless pursuit after missing his initial strike.
"Ice Block: Two-Thorn Spear!"
Faced with the attack emanating bitter cold and whistling through the air, Jerry dodged and advanced without hesitation. His fishing rod was wrapped in thick, black Armament Haki as he smashed through the ice spear flying toward him, then immediately rushed toward Aokiji's new position.
Jerry's preemptive assault wasn't born from arrogance or belief he could actually defeat an Admiral. Instead, he was deliberately forcing Aokiji to relocate the battlefield away from this sensitive area.
After all, they were currently surrounded by scattered burial mounds and grave markers. Aokiji himself didn't want to desecrate such a place with unnecessary violence, so he willingly allowed Jerry to lead the fight elsewhere.
On the other side, as Jerry engaged Aokiji, Ace and Cavendish simultaneously moved toward Gion and Maynard respectively. The combatants seemed to share an unspoken understanding as they quickly and tacitly shifted the battle to a more appropriate location.
"Fire Fist!"
On a stretch of coast far from the gravesite, Ace took the initiative. Not only did he launch his signature massive flaming fist to cover Maynard's position, but he also closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, following up with a Haki-enhanced punch delivered with the speed and ferocity of a hunting predator.
Just as Maynard finished dealing with the flames raining down from above, a fist the size of a cannonball suddenly appeared in his face. Caught off guard, he had to hastily reinforce his arms with Armament Haki and desperately try to parry the unexpected close-range attack.
Before the battle began, Cavendish had arranged for his horse Farul to follow Deuce and the others, helping them find opportunities to evacuate toward their ship first. With that concern handled, he could focus entirely on the fight.
Wrapping the powerful force of lightning around his body to form a crude but effective suit of electrical armor, Cavendish utilized an ability he hadn't fully mastered but which still possessed tremendous destructive potential.
His sword crackled with electrical energy as his body flashed forward, slashing toward Gion with lightning-enhanced speed.
However, just one second later, Cavendish flew backward at the same velocity, hitting the ground with a resounding crash.
"This isn't how it's supposed to go!" Cavendish exclaimed in shock, supporting himself with one hand on his sword while clutching his chest with the other. "Shouldn't I be the one showing off my skills and driving back the enemy?"
If he hadn't reacted quickly enough to swing his sword defensively, and if his lightning armor combined with the basic Armament Haki he'd recently awakened hadn't absorbed the residual power of Gion's charged attack, he would have been finished in their first exchange.
"Cherry Blossom Sword: Shadow Dance!"
The sudden battle cry made Cavendish leap away like lightning, barely avoiding the devastating follow-up strike.
From that moment, Cavendish began his grueling journey of being constantly suppressed and chased. His incomplete lightning armor might prove effective against other opponents, but Gion's mastery of both Haki and swordsmanship ranked among the finest in all the seas, far surpassing Cavendish's newly awakened abilities.
If he took a direct hit without any defenses, Cavendish's half-developed lightning armor and rudimentary Armament Haki would be pierced instantly.
For now, Cavendish could only rely on his Observation Haki combined with his Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities to briefly hold his own against Gion's relentless assault.
The fighting quickly evolved beyond strict one-on-one duels into more of a chaotic four-way melee. Whether facing Ace or Cavendish, Gion held clear advantages. The only difference was that Ace performed much better than Cavendish, so his suppression wasn't quite as obvious.
The situation reversed completely when facing Maynard. Ace's fierce offensive combinations and Cavendish's swift, lightning-enhanced attacks put tremendous pressure on the Vice Admiral.
Therefore, whenever Maynard found himself in danger of being completely overwhelmed, Gion would look for opportunities to share the burden with him. Similarly, if Cavendish faced Gion alone, he'd quickly fall into a completely passive situation.
The individual strengths varied significantly between combatants, but when combined, they created a dynamic yet dangerous stalemate.
After several exchanges, the fighters began switching opponents with tactical precision. Taking advantage of a brief opening after a clash, Ace moved toward Gion and forced her slightly away from the other two combatants.
"Cavendish, handle the bearded man!" Ace called out while engaging the Admiral candidate.
Hearing Ace's shout from across the battlefield, Cavendish nodded grimly. He understood this was the correct tactical choice given their circumstances.
Although Ace would be somewhat disadvantaged against Gion, the gap between them wasn't insurmountable. Under normal circumstances, neither would achieve a decisive victory quickly.
Despite clearly understanding the battle dynamics, Cavendish still felt a surge of wounded pride. He gritted his teeth, then surrounded his entire body with crackling lightning and rushed toward Maynard at tremendous speed.
"Don't underestimate me!" Maynard clenched his fists and shouted angrily, choosing to meet the lightning-enhanced charge head-on.
"Let's follow Ace and the others first, then break through toward those woods when we get the chance," Deuce whispered urgently after Jerry and his group launched their assault. He used subtle eye movements to indicate the direction of the main battle.
"Brook, we'll need you to clear the path for us," Deuce continued his rapid tactical planning while observing the fully armed Marine soldiers positioned at the forest's edge. "Carina will escort little Bonney and Farul to the center of our formation. Skull and I will cover the rear, while Carrot and Kotatsu will watch for opportunities on our flanks."
"Everyone be careful out there."
After giving these instructions, Deuce patted his head lightly, sensing he might have missed some important factor, but the urgent situation didn't allow time for further consideration.
The Marine forces had completed their repositioning and formed a tight encirclement around the area. Captain Isuka was leading a small group of elite soldiers and approaching their position steadily.
It seemed the Marines had anticipated their movements and realized their intention to break toward the ship. The net was closing fast, and their window for escape was rapidly shrinking.