In a blinding flash, the two devastating techniques collided with tremendous violence, like unstoppable forces meeting in an explosion of raw power.
A deafening roar erupted immediately as azure water and absolute darkness intertwined and crashed against each other in mid-air, creating a spectacular display that resembled gorgeous fireworks blooming across the battlefield.
For several heart-stopping moments, these two earth-shaking attacks remained locked in a fierce stalemate, their opposing energies crackling and surging against one another. Then, after a tremendous explosion that shook the very foundations of Marine Headquarters, the darkness began to be rapidly devoured by the massive sea dragon that continued its relentless charge forward.
At the same time, Jerry—who had vanished from the dragon's head during the collision—fell like a blazing meteor, his razor-sharp eyes piercing through the dissipating shadows and locking onto Teach with predatory focus.
His Conqueror's Haki seemed to take on physical form, dancing visibly in the air around him as it coated the fishing rod in his hands, radiating overwhelming pressure that made the very atmosphere tremble.
Faced with Jerry's combination of devastating wide-range assault and pinpoint single-target precision, Teach found himself with absolutely no means of escape.
Realizing he had nowhere to retreat, and barely having time to catch his breath after launching his previous desperate attack, Teach threw a final, powerful punch with everything he had left.
However, Teach's hastily mounted counterattack proved as futile as a praying mantis attempting to stop a speeding chariot.
Jerry's Haki-enhanced fishing rod not only deflected Teach's desperate fist but struck him squarely in the chest with earth-shattering force.
A violent shockwave suddenly swept across the entire area along with the tremendous impact. The reinforced ground beneath Teach's feet—using his position as the epicenter—first exploded into countless spider-web cracks that instantly spread outward for hundreds of meters in every direction.
Then the fractured earth within the massive crack pattern collapsed suddenly, forming an enormous crater that resembled the blast site of a devastating explosion. Dust clouds rolled skyward like a miniature mushroom cloud, obscuring the devastation below.
Blood sprayed in all directions as Teach was blasted deep beneath the surface, his fate uncertain as debris rained down around him.
High above, the colossal water dragon that had devoured Teach's dark sphere completely dissolved, transforming into surging seawater that poured into the newly formed crater. Within moments, turbulent waves filled the depression, creating an instant lake in what had been solid ground.
However, Jerry's assault wasn't finished. He positioned himself above the churning waters with his legs slightly bent, gripping his fishing rod tightly with both hands before suddenly jerking it upward.
"Come on up, you big fish!"
After being thoroughly soaked in seawater—which negated his Devil Fruit abilities—the battered and scarred Teach looked like an enormous caught fish as he was hauled up by Jerry's fishing line, bound tight and dangling helplessly.
Jerry shifted his stance and, with a smooth casting motion, slammed Teach heavily onto the newly formed lakeside with bone-jarring impact.
Afterward, he took several deep breaths to steady himself and smiled warmly at Ace, Marco, and the other approaching Whitebeard Pirates. "This fat fish is all yours now."
"Thank you, Jerry!" Ace and the others expressed their heartfelt gratitude.
Before he could even finish speaking, they swarmed toward Teach, who possessed no strength left to resist their justified retribution.
"Let's give him the beating he deserves first!"
The sounds of impacts continued echoing across the battlefield as everyone took turns venting their accumulated anger and fury. After they had thoroughly expressed their feelings about Teach's betrayal, they escorted the broken traitor back toward the main plaza.
On the other side of the battlefield, Marines led by Garp, Kizaru, and Aokiji also joined the cleanup operation, systematically subduing Shiryu and the remaining Blackbeard Pirates without any significant resistance.
At this point, the newly established Blackbeard Pirates had been completely dismantled—Captain Teach and his entire crew captured on the spot by the combined efforts of the Whitebeard Pirates and Marines respectively.
This turn of events left Devon, Shiryu, and the other survivors feeling utterly helpless and frustrated beyond measure.
They understood that even without Van Augur's sniper attack on Kotatsu, their presence would have been discovered eventually.
But they had escaped from Impel Down with such high spirits and ambitious plans, not to get thoroughly beaten down in this humiliating fashion. As a result of this defeat, they had not only suffered casualties and injuries but would now be thrown back into that suffocating underwater prison.
Moreover, when they returned to Impel Down this time, their living conditions and treatment would be drastically reduced—even basic survival would likely become a daily struggle.
In the aftermath of these decisive battles, under the watchful eyes of countless Marines scattered across the battlefield and viewers around the world, the various pirate crews and Revolutionary Army members slowly gathered at the edge of the gap in Marine Headquarters' iron wall barrier.
Finally, this world-renowned execution operation—after most of a day filled with fierce multi-faction combat—came to its conclusion with the dramatic appearance of the Red Hair Pirates serving as mediators.
Although some personnel on the Marine side still insisted on refusing to yield and wanted to continue fighting to the bitter end, after careful consideration and weighing all strategic factors, Sengoku rejected their opposition and officially called for an end to hostilities.
It wasn't that Sengoku lacked the will to continue—it was simply that the Marines lacked the capability.
Setting aside Garp's conflicted performance at critical moments, even counting him at full strength, it would be nearly impossible for the Marines to compete simultaneously against two Four Emperors' crews, the Revolutionary Army, and the emerging Black Star Pirates.
Previously, when it had been confirmed that Whitebeard was aged and hadn't yet unleashed his full power, the Marines—who had originally held the advantage—were dragged into a balance or even disadvantage by Jerry's overwhelming individual performance.
What's more, there was Dragon—the enigmatic leader of the Revolutionary Army—lurking nearby, and it remained unclear whether he had even demonstrated his true capabilities.
When the Blackbeard Pirates' arrival had attracted Jerry's attention and divided the enemy forces, the Marines had briefly grown slightly stronger.
But with the appearance of the Red Hair Pirates, the Marines found themselves completely outmatched in terms of raw power.
Unless Mariejois could provide immediate military assistance, the Marines faced inevitable defeat.
The promised support from CP organizations was now seriously lacking, with the most powerful CP0 members severely depleted due to various incidents involving Jerry and his allies.
They were already stretched dangerously thin providing security for the Celestial Dragons, let alone contributing high-level combat support to Marine operations.
While there were numerous other CP agents who had infiltrated Marine ranks, they had failed to play any substantial or decisive role in the conflict.
Given these harsh realities—especially when comparing the high-level combat capabilities of both sides—Sengoku couldn't help but glance toward Mariejois before reluctantly deciding to accept the ceasefire terms.
The pirates and Revolutionary Army chose to evacuate the battlefield in an orderly fashion after brief consultations among their various leaders.
Although some soldiers had lost their lives in the confrontations with Marine forces, the Revolutionary Army and pirates had ultimately succeeded in rescuing their target objectives.
After clearly separating themselves from Marine positions and properly attending to their wounded and fallen comrades, the pirates and Revolutionary Army members officially returned to their respective ships.
In the vast ocean approximately half a day's sailing distance from Marine Headquarters, aboard the flagship where Whitebeard held court, the senior personnel of the Whitebeard Pirates, Black Star Pirates, Straw Hat Pirates, and Revolutionary Army had gathered for their post-battle conference.
Looking at Ace and Sabo—who were still crying tears of joy at their reunion after so many years of separation—Dragon surveyed the scene where nearly everyone bore injuries and bandages. He spoke with sincere gravity: "Thank you all for this rescue operation. Without your combined efforts, I fear it would have been extremely difficult to successfully save our people."
Jerry waved his hand dismissively. "If you want to thank someone, thank Ace. It's because of his unwavering determination that we achieved today's results."
Whitebeard sat comfortably in his massive chair and laughed heartily in agreement: "Gurararara! That's absolutely right!"
Hearing this acknowledgment, Dragon nodded silently and glanced once more at Sabo and Ace, their emotional reunion bringing back memories.
This reminded Dragon of the day when Sabo's memory had been restored, and the very first thing the young Revolutionary had done was shout at his commander, demanding to launch an immediate rescue operation for his sworn brothers.
Then Dragon turned toward Zoro and the other Straw Hat members with a genuine smile: "It seems Luffy has found himself some truly remarkable friend."
"Of course! In fact, we still had some backup plans we never got to use—otherwise you would have witnessed the true capabilities of this sniper king... Ow!" Usopp puffed out his chest proudly and began bragging, but before he could finish his boastful claims, he was interrupted by Nami's iron fist connecting with his head.
"Stop exaggerating! You're blowing hot air into the stratosphere," Nami complained with characteristic bluntness.
Hearing this exchange, Sanji raised both hands high and began twirling around Nami like an ecstatic creature: "Miss Nami is absolutely correct! That plan obviously belongs to the Black Star Pirates—how did it become your personal backup plan?"
What they were referencing was the tactical option that had originally been planned for Usopp to operate—using the Black Star Pirates' energy conversion weapon to launch a devastating attack on Marine Headquarters itself.
However, due to the early intervention of the Whitebeard Pirates and the subsequent development of numerous unexpected events, the war had concluded without ever deploying this ultimate weapon. The Black Nova which was found earlier in the water on the way to Marineford remained hidden beneath the ocean surface in Jerry's protective current barrier within the crescent-shaped harbor.
"It's fine, it's fine! We didn't need to use it anyway. Maybe next time we'll get the chance..." After saying this, Jerry blinked thoughtfully and added with a knowing chuckle, "Oh wait—there probably won't be a next time! Ahaha!"
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