Just as Jerry and the others were besieging the Blackbeard Pirates, in the central battlefield, Luffy's group continued fighting their way toward the gap in the iron wall while dragging their large force slowly but steadily forward.
On the Marine side, soldiers led by Vice Admiral Tokikake were desperately trying to stop their advance.
Among the Seven Warlords, only Doflamingo was still actively working to stir up chaos, while Hawkeye and Boa Hancock had long since become inactive observers.
As the Revolutionary Army and pirate forces drew closer to the plaza's edge, their morale climbed higher and their fighting spirit intensified.
Under the combined assault of Revolutionary Army commanders led by Karasu and the Whitebeard division captains, the Marine officers couldn't halt their steady progress.
Even though the Marines had several giant officers in their ranks, they couldn't utilize their full capabilities in such a chaotic melee. If they weren't careful, their massive attacks might strike not only enemies but also friendly forces.
Perhaps they were invincible in siege warfare, but when it came to defending positions—especially in enormous melees where allied and enemy personnel were completely intermingled—the giants found themselves severely constrained.
Additionally, once the giants attracted attention, they became targets for concentrated attacks from all directions.
This was precisely why the number of giant officers—who had appeared so imposing at the battle's beginning—had been rapidly reduced to this point.
It was because of this deteriorating situation that Akainu had decisively abandoned his fight with Shiryu and the Blackbeard Pirates, choosing instead to provide crucial support there.
"This is too much! Can't you just stay quiet and let me handle this first?" Jerry sighed softly. At this moment, he desperately wished he possessed several more clones.
He pushed Shiryu away, flew backward, twisted nimbly in mid-air, and was about to pursue Akainu when he heard Teach burst into triumphant laughter.
"Zehahaha! Here's your garbage back!"
Teach waved his hands violently as countless compressed and crushed building debris mixed with absorbed water, combining into massive piles of construction waste that erupted rapidly from the black vortex tornado above his head.
The building remains that blotted out sun and sky seemed to be used by him as physical artillery shells, blasting toward both Jerry and Ace, who was also preparing to turn and give chase.
Teach noticed Akainu's movements, and a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes, as if he could smell a critical turning point approaching.
He immediately stretched out his left hand, pointed it directly at Ace—who was attempting to transform into his elemental form—and shouted triumphantly: "Dark Water!"
Obviously, Teach's intention was to intercept both Ace and Jerry here. At least during Akainu's operation, he would try to delay their rescue efforts, even if only for a few precious seconds.
Teach understood perfectly that the more chaotic the situation became, the more likely his deepest plans would be realized.
After all, he had led his crew here and already paid the price of several accomplices being killed or injured. If he couldn't successfully achieve his ultimate objective, it would represent a devastating loss.
Teach made rapid calculations in his mind, glared at Jerry with vicious hatred, and became even more determined to play his role as the ultimate troublemaker.
However, while he could use the Dark-Dark Fruit's power to attract Ace, he couldn't attract the old man standing near the Fire Fist user.
Garp also noticed Akainu's movements, but due to his internal turmoil and conflicted emotions, he still didn't act independently—instead adopting a more indirect strategy.
Not fully understanding the characteristics of Teach's Devil Fruit, he decided to respond in the simplest and most brutal way possible.
Garp flew forward and caught up with Ace, who was being pulled backward by Teach's ability. He reached out and grabbed the young pirate, then spun around and hurled him away like a sack of grain.
Without pausing, he raised his Haki-blackened fist and swung it straight at Teach with devastating force.
Deafening crashes continued echoing as the building debris thrown by Teach crashed to the ground one after another. For several moments, dust clouds flew upward, obscuring both sky and sun.
Amid the smoke and debris, the remaining Blackbeard Pirates began their counterattack.
Shiryu took the lead in the assault, with Pizarro and Devon providing support from the flanks as all three joined forces to besiege Jerry.
Meanwhile, Teach—accompanied by the seriously injured Lafayette and Doc Q, who was looking for opportunities to attack from the side—faced off against the legendary Marine hero Garp.
On the other side of the battlefield, Akainu was racing forward like a hurricane without encountering significant obstacles along his route.
Many Marine officers who noticed him passing seemed energized by his presence, their combat skills appearing to improve dramatically as they overwhelmed their opponents.
Thanks to his molten powers providing concealment and his own tremendous strength, even though Akainu was injured, he couldn't be easily stopped by others.
After Ace was hurled away by Garp, he immediately disengaged from the battle and gave chase to the Admiral.
At this critical moment, seeing that Akainu had reached Luffy's vicinity, Ace realized he couldn't arrive in time and immediately shouted desperately: "Luffy! Look out!"
"Straw Hat Luffy! Have you been jumping around long enough? Now it's time to end this!" Akainu suddenly attacked with a menacing growl.
Thanks to the fierce fighting between middle and high-tier combatants around him, Akainu seemed to be moving through empty space. He suddenly accelerated and rushed toward Luffy in the crowd with thunderous force.
His massive fist was raised high as Akainu's accumulated power attack was about to fall with devastating impact.
"Luffy!" Robin and the others cried out in terror, shouting anxiously.
Sabo wanted to turn back for the rescue but found himself surrounded by several Vice Admirals.
After this extended period of intense fighting, Sabo's identity and strength had made him a primary focus for Marine forces.
In a split second, a towering figure suddenly materialized behind Luffy, who was staring at Akainu in shocked surprise.
"If you were to go on a journey, where would you like to visit?"
Hearing this quiet whisper, Luffy couldn't help but be startled: "Huh?!"
Then he noticed it was the giant man from the Seven Warlords who had appeared silently behind him.
"Kuma..." Before Robin and the others could cry out in alarm, the cyborg's bear paw had already struck Luffy before Akainu could reach him.
Suddenly, in full view of everyone present, Luffy was sent flying and disappeared without a trace.
Seeing this unexpected intervention, a massive purple-haired head in the distance shouted loudly: "Hey! Kuma! What are you doing?!"
"BOOM!" Akainu's attack missed its target as the ground exploded beneath his fist.
He ignored everything else, raised his head, and spoke with deadly seriousness: "Bartholomew Kuma! You'd better give me a proper explanation!"
The response came from Kuma, whose face showed no expression whatsoever, his voice carrying a mechanical tone completely devoid of emotion: "Target: Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Mission accomplished."