Gazing at the ice chunks that had been shattered and scattered by Whitebeard's devastating attack, many people nearby secretly thanked their lucky stars that they'd been smart enough to retreat from the immediate area earlier.
Suddenly, the thunderous roar of machinery at the harbor's edge grew louder, drawing the attention of everyone present.
The pirates and Revolutionary Army members were shocked to realize that during Whitebeard's massive assault, the Marines had cleverly used the chaos as cover to withdraw and reposition themselves along the elevated edges of the plaza.
"Pops is incredible! What a perfect opportunity! Let's charge into the square!"
Finding themselves suddenly without opponents, the allied forces erupted in excited shouts and battle cries.
They all surged forward together, but came to an abrupt halt after only a few steps.
"What the hell is that?! An iron wall?"
"Are the Marines... giving up the fight?"
Many Revolutionary Army soldiers and pirates stood dumbfounded as they watched massive iron barriers—tens of meters high—rising along the bay's perimeter, completely cutting off the harbor from the plaza above.
At that moment, a cry of surprise rang out from near the execution platform.
"Look over there! There's no wall on that side!"
"Really? Did the Marines mess up?"
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Amid the chaos and shouting, the allied forces began rallying toward the gap and launched a fresh charge toward the execution platform.
"Why didn't all five encirclement walls deploy?! What's going on?!" Sengoku's earth-shaking roar echoed across the battlefield once again.
A frantic response crackled through his Den Den Mushi: "Fleet Admiral, sir! The internal gears and mechanisms of those wall sections have been severely damaged—they cannot be raised!"
Hearing this report, Sengoku felt as though some invisible hand was working against them in the shadows, systematically destroying their carefully laid battle plans.
But he shook his head, trying to dispel the paranoid thoughts creeping into his mind.
The detailed combat strategy was known only to the highest-ranking Marine officers. Based on the current situation, unless someone had leaked the information in advance...
Moreover, the saboteur would need intimate knowledge of Marineford's layout and infrastructure, plus the ability to slip past Marine patrols and surveillance Den Den Mushi undetected to carry out such precise destruction.
As his strategic mind raced through possibilities, Sengoku suddenly heard triumphant laughter echoing across the battlefield.
Following the sound, he spotted Usopp standing proudly next to Whitebeard, hands on his hips and his long nose pointed skyward as he laughed boastfully.
"Ahahaha! You can all thank the great sea warrior Usopp! It was me who paved the path to victory for everyone!"
His proclamation naturally drew the attention of every person present on the battlefield.
"That damn brat!" Sengoku muttered through gritted teeth.
"Wow! Usopp! Incredible work!" Luffy shouted happily from the execution platform, showing absolutely no awareness that he was supposed to be the one facing execution.
Whitebeard turned to look at Usopp, whose nose was practically pointing straight up with pride. After noticing that the Pacifistas behind them had already begun unleashing devastating laser barrages, he couldn't help but acknowledge: "Indeed! That action was extremely important."
"Hehe, it wasn't just Usopp's doing! We all helped out. Besides, this was an operation suggested by Big Brother Jerry and planned by Big Brother Deuce and everyone else," Carrot said with her tongue sticking out playfully.
Carina, Nami, Bonney, and even Kotatsu all nodded in enthusiastic agreement.
"Hey! Are you guys planning to announce all our covert operations to the entire world?" Deuce's exasperated voice carried from the ship's deck behind everyone.
Carrot quickly covered her mouth with both hands and blinked her large eyes apologetically. Carina and the others suddenly snapped back to reality, remembering that Kotatsu was still broadcasting everything live to the world.
But once words are spoken, they're like water spilled from a cup—impossible to take back.
Their entire conversation had already been transmitted live to every corner of the globe, heard by everyone watching.
Jerry noticed the countless gazes now focused on him from all directions—some filled with admiration and respect, others burning with hostility and rage.
He slapped his forehead in resignation. "I keep telling you all—don't always drag me into the spotlight! I can handle my own reputation, thank you very much."
As he spoke, he straightened his posture and clasped his hands behind his back, adopting an air of supreme intelligence and mysterious depth.
If you ignored the casual beach shirt he was wearing, the fishing rod extending prominently from his back, and the comfortable slippers on his feet, his bearing was almost otherworldly—like that of an enlightened sage.
Jerry cleared his throat and announced in a deliberately serious tone, "Ahem! That's correct! Please address me as 'Strategist Jerry' from now on!"
Witnessing this theatrical display, Sengoku felt his own resolve harden to steel, his fists clenching with barely contained fury.
Only now did he truly realize that this man had likely harbored malicious intentions from the very beginning—probably planting the seeds of conspiracy long before Jerry became one of the Seven Warlords and gained access to Marine Headquarters with his crew.
Although Sengoku still couldn't pinpoint exactly when his strategic plans had been compromised, he had no time for further investigation.
"If we can't surround and eliminate them, then we'll proceed with direct annihilation. Akainu—begin the operation." Cold determination flashed in Sengoku's eyes.
Akainu immediately spread his arms wide to either side. Intense heat rapidly accumulated in his palms, and within moments they had transformed into two massive, churning pools of molten magma.
"Hmph! Leviathan! If you've got the courage, try finding a way out of this technique!"
"Meteor Volcano!"
Akainu roared as he thrust both hands skyward. Dozens—no, hundreds—of enormous lava fists suddenly erupted from the magma masses, rocketing into the sky like meteors before arcing downward toward the harbor that was now surrounded by iron walls and Pacifistas.
"He's trying to melt all the ice! Take away our footing!"
Countless pirates and Revolutionary soldiers trapped in the bay cried out in terror. They shouted desperately, but there was nothing they could do. Unable to fly, they could only watch helplessly as the meteor shower of giant lava fists approached from above.
The spectacle was so magnificent and terrifying that it rendered the thousands of people watching the live broadcast around the world completely speechless.
Regardless of which side they supported, anyone who witnessed the countless giant lava fists blotting out the sky couldn't help but feel a sense of hopeless inevitability.
Looking at the devastating attacks rapidly descending from above, Whitebeard gritted his teeth in frustration. Against such numerous and widely dispersed assaults, even with his Devil Fruit powers, he could only destroy a small portion with each earthquake punch.
His aging body simply wouldn't allow him to use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power continuously over such a short timeframe.
Ace found himself in a similar predicament. He knew perfectly well that his ordinary Fire Fist techniques couldn't easily counter magma of this magnitude, let alone completely destroy it.
But he also understood that if this lava bombardment succeeded, his allies would suffer catastrophic casualties.
Therefore, Ace clenched both fists tightly and began gathering his energy with desperate intensity.
"Your opponent is me, Dragon!" Noticing that Dragon was attempting to disengage, Aokiji—who had been at a disadvantage throughout their battle—suddenly lunged forward with a devastating ice-enhanced punch to prevent Dragon's intervention.
"We need to escape!" Many pirates and Revolutionary soldiers were on the verge of panic when they suddenly felt tremendous movement coming from deep beneath the ice under their feet, as if something massive was about to burst through the frozen surface.
"CRACK!" Countless sounds merged into a single deafening roar.
Throughout the harbor, the thick ice shattered into dozens of enormous holes almost simultaneously, creating a spectacle as dramatic as the collapse of heaven and earth itself.
Gigantic water dragons erupted skyward from each opening, their towering columns reaching toward the heavens in magnificent displays of raw power.
"Water God: Dragon Ascendant!"
Through the cacophony of noise and chaos, a calm but thunderous voice rang out across the battlefield, penetrating layers of sound to strike directly at people's hearts.
Jerry could be seen with his arms spread wide, his feet planted firmly on surging ocean currents as he rose high into the sky like the sovereign ruler of the seas.
His figure appeared so majestic suspended between ocean and sky that no one could help but stare in awe at his commanding presence.
The water dragons he'd summoned twisted and coiled through the air, each one massive enough to intercept multiple lava fists. Steam hissed and billowed as elemental forces collided in mid-air, creating a spectacular light show that illuminated the entire battlefield.
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