Noticing that Jerry and Aokiji had moved their battle away from the group, while Ace and the others had finally settled into fixed positions with their respective opponents, Deuce looked at his friends with grim determination.
"Let's move," he said in a low voice.
Everyone nodded, and Brook took point as their spearhead, charging straight toward the Marine encampment with his signature stride.
"Lullaby Parry!"
Brook launched the first attack, flashing forward with supernatural speed toward the Marine forces. As he moved with fluid grace, haunting musical notes drifted from his skeletal form into the ears of nearby soldiers, causing several to stumble as drowsiness overwhelmed them.
"I won't let you!" Captain Isuka intercepted him like an arrow, swinging her blade in a precise arc aimed at Brook's spine.
The sharp ring of metal on metal echoed as their swords collided and quickly separated, both fighters recoiling from the impact.
Observing the Armament Haki coating the Marine officer's blade, Brook raised his sword as an otherworldly chill suddenly emanated from the weapon. His recent development of the Revive-Revive Fruit's true potential was clearly bearing fruit.
"Please be careful, Miss Marine," Brook said courteously. When facing female opponents, especially those who weren't mortal enemies, he maintained his gentlemanly demeanor even in combat.
Isuka was momentarily startled by his politeness but quickly regained her composure. She gripped her sword tighter and suddenly stepped forward, her blade creating countless afterimages in rapid succession.
"Nail Strike: Swift Tempo!"
As the vanguard with his trusted friends depending on him, Brook refused to yield ground. He brandished his sword and chose to meet her assault head-on.
"Polka Remise: Chilling Thrust!"
As Brook's advance was blocked by Isuka's intercepting attacks, the surrounding Marines took advantage of the opening to launch their own assault. However, they quickly discovered that any bullets fired directly at the group were knocked aside by Kotatsu's enhanced reflexes and small size.
Meanwhile, the pirates pressed their advance aggressively, forcing the Marines to abandon ranged tactics in favor of close combat.
But the Black Star Pirates and Marines weren't the only forces present on this battlefield.
As the melee reached its peak intensity, two white figures suddenly burst from the woods where Marine forces had been positioned. The moment they appeared, they attacked Carrot and Kotatsu at tremendous speed, targeting the two who were distracted while defending their friends against multiple surrounding enemies.
This scene shocked Deuce, who happened to witness the sneak attack from nearby. Without hesitation, he launched himself toward Carrot, who was approaching with her back to the attackers, completely unaware of the danger.
Deuce's unconscious shout and sudden movement, combined with the rush of wind from the enemy's approach, alerted Carrot to the threat, but she had just finished knocking away a Marine soldier and couldn't dodge in time.
At that critical moment, a man's voice called out from the distance, though most people's attention remained focused on Deuce's warning cry.
"Finger Pistol: Madara!" A white-clad figure appeared with deadly intent, his cold voice accompanying the vicious attack.
The sharp whistle of air being pierced made Carrot's fur stand on end. She was about to exert all her strength to avoid the strike when she suddenly felt a powerful force from behind—a pair of strong hands shoving her out of harm's way.
A muffled grunt followed as Carrot stumbled forward several steps before spinning around to see a sight that made her eyes go bloodshot with rage and horror.
"Brother Deuce!"
Carrot's anguished scream rang out just as another voice approached rapidly from above.
The attacking white figure was caught completely off guard and sent flying by a powerful kick from the newcomer. The tremendous impact interrupted the chaotic melee as everyone nearby turned to see what had happened.
"Deuce! How are you holding up?"
Except for Brook, who continued his duel with Isuka at the front lines, everyone from the pirate crew looked toward Deuce with deep concern as Carrot supported his weakened form.
Deuce was pressing both hands against his bleeding abdomen, lying there pale and weak while forcing a reassuring smile onto his face despite the obvious pain.
"I'm okay," he managed between labored breaths. "Fortunately, Marco arrived just in time, so the injury isn't too serious."
The last person to arrive at the scene was Marco, Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division, his distinctive pineapple-shaped hair making him instantly recognizable.
He had come speeding through the sky in his phoenix form, first driving back the enemy who had been attacking Kotatsu from a distance, then rushing over without pause to deliver a devastating blow in his half-beast transformation to the second attacker targeting Deuce.
Marco nodded to the group and was about to speak when a deafening explosion echoed from the distance.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash accompanied by a wave of intense heat preceded the sudden appearance of a flame-wreathed figure.
Bearing several shallow cuts across his body, Ace materialized beside Deuce. After confirming his friend wasn't in mortal danger, he nodded gratefully to Marco before speaking with a voice dark with fury:
"Marco, please keep that woman busy for me. I need to teach someone a very painful lesson right now."
Ace's fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone white, veins bulging along his arms as his eyes blazed with killing intent directed at the white-masked man struggling to his feet.
The two attackers wore contrasting masks—one crimson, one white—creating a stark visual opposition. The taller figure sporting the red mask had a unique hairstyle resembling blooming flower petals or an open spider's claws, making him particularly distinctive.
The other wore what appeared to be a white theatrical mask with contrasting black and white eye sections, topped by a bowler hat. He stood slightly shorter than his red-masked partner.
These were CP0 operatives under the World Government's direct command. The crimson-masked figure was Gismonda, who had failed in his sneak attack on Kotatsu, managed to avoid Marco's long-range assault, and was now retreating toward the tree line.
The white-masked agent was Guernica, a high-ranking World Government assassin who would later be responsible for documenting significant Devil Fruit awakenings for his superiors.
"Be careful out there," Marco said simply, nodding before turning to rush toward Gion, who was pursuing him from their previous engagement.
"Beautiful Sword: Pegasus Meteor!"
CRASH!
A massive charred crater appeared in the ground where Cavendish's lightning-enhanced attack had struck.
Cavendish glared at the Vice Admiral before him, who was defending with everything he had, gritting his teeth in frustration.
Shortly after their battle had begun, Maynard realized he couldn't match Cavendish's speed advantage, so he'd shrewdly changed his strategy. He understood that he couldn't afford to be defeated quickly—if this enemy broke free, whether he joined forces against Gion or targeted other Marines, it would spell disaster for their operation.
Therefore, he'd adopted a defensive "turtle shell" tactic, focusing on protection and evasion while waiting for counterattack opportunities.
As a Vice Admiral, Maynard naturally possessed both Armament and Observation Haki. His tactical decision frustrated Cavendish immensely.
Despite his confidence in the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power, the Vice Admiral's cautious approach forced him into exactly the kind of prolonged battle he wanted to avoid.
When Cavendish launched pure lightning attacks, Maynard would either smash through them with Haki or simply dodge. When he combined his fruit power with sword techniques, his opponent avoided direct confrontation entirely.
Even with the Armament Haki Cavendish had recently developed, he couldn't completely penetrate this Vice Admiral's defensive shell. Most of his attacks managed only superficial damage.
"Let's see if you're tougher than I am!" Cavendish snarled through clenched teeth.
He transformed into living lightning, surrounded by countless electrical discharges and crackling energy, encircling Maynard and launching an intensive storm-like assault from multiple angles.
Meanwhile, Jerry and Aokiji continued their fierce battle at an even greater distance from the main conflict.
Watching his frozen constructs being shattered once again with apparent ease, Aokiji spoke with genuine concern in his voice: "Incredible. Your monstrous rate of improvement actually makes me feel threatened."
Aokiji clearly remembered the first time he'd heard this young man's name—it was after the Spade Pirates had spent over half a year at sea, landed at Sabaody, caused a massive incident, and escaped from Kizaru's pursuit.
As far as Aokiji knew, among the Spade Pirates at that time, only Ace had attracted serious Marine attention due to his Logia-type abilities. The rest of the crew members hadn't warranted significant concern from headquarters.
Yet barely more than a year had passed since then.
Especially after leaving the Whitebeard Pirates and reforming as the Black Star Pirates, the past 'Dragon Fist' now 'Leviathan'—who had always been overshadowed by Fire Fist's reputation—had become completely uncontrollable.
He'd caused trouble at every stop, and by the time Marine intelligence began paying serious attention, his strength could no longer be ignored or underestimated.
"What's wrong? Are you going to start calling me 'scary' like Kizaru does?" Jerry asked with a peculiar expression, massaging his aching arm where Aokiji's ice had numbed the muscles.
The Admiral's acknowledgment of his growth was both flattering and ominous—it meant he was finally being recognized as a genuine threat to the World Government's authority.
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