The battle in the frozen harbor raged on with increasing intensity. Ace's strike team continued their steady advance toward the main plaza, using the chaos as cover while pirates and Revolutionary Army forces provided long-range support from behind. Marine officers in the square responded with disciplined counterattacks, but their formation was beginning to show cracks under the relentless pressure.
However, most of the senior Marine leadership had their attention focused elsewhere—specifically on one particular Warlord who seemed far too knowledgeable about battlefield developments.
"Ahaha, why's everyone staring at me like that?" Jerry laughed, waving his hands dismissively. "Look, Cavendish is a grown man—he's responsible for his own actions, right?" He turned toward the lightning-wreathed prince with an innocent expression. "Isn't that right, Cavendish?"
"Exactly! What's wrong with all of you?" Cavendish had removed his full helmet at some point, revealing his perfectly coiffed blonde hair. He tossed his curls dramatically as he spoke. "Can't a man make a magnificent entrance without everyone acting suspicious?"
The narcissistic display made Deuce, still trapped among the revolutionaries, roll his eyes so hard they nearly fell out of his head. Even Ace and the others spared a moment of exasperation for their former crewmate's theatrical antics before quickening their pace toward the square.
Their advance was abruptly blocked by a familiar figure.
Vice Admiral Gion stepped into their path, her famous sword Konpira already drawn. Behind her came a squad of elite officers, including Captain Isuka, all moving with the precise coordination of seasoned warriors.
"Sorry, Fire Fist," Gion called out, her blade catching the sunlight. "This is as far as you go."
Back in the Warlords' section, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had heard enough nonsense. His weathered face was a mask of barely contained fury as he glared at Jerry.
"Leviathan Jerry," Sengoku growled, using Jerry's official epithet with ice-cold formality. "You'd better give me a satisfactory explanation. Now."
Jerry flapped his hands helplessly, like a man trying to wave away smoke. "Ah, see, the thing is—when I try to explain, you'll probably say I'm not listening. And when I don't listen, you'll say I'm not explaining. It's a real catch-22 situation, you know?"
Sengoku's expression darkened further, storm clouds gathering behind his eyes. The Fleet Admiral's patience, already stretched thin by the chaos of the battle, was rapidly approaching its breaking point.
"Okay, okay!" Jerry sighed dramatically, as if accepting defeat. "The truth is, I'm not really that familiar with the guy. I mean, look at him—he's all flashy and attention-seeking, while I'm humble, low-key, and polite. We're clearly not the same type of person..."
"Fufufufufu!" Doflamingo's manic laughter cut through Jerry's explanation. "Did you want to look at that massive dead fish you're still dragging around before you talk about being low-key?"
Jerry gasped in mock offense, pressing a hand to his chest. "What's wrong with the fish? It's completely innocent! Are you seriously going to blame a poor dead fish for existing?"
Sengoku watched this exchange with growing incredulity. The battle for Marineford—possibly the most important military operation in Marine history—was raging around them, and this man was arguing about fish.
"That's enough!" Sengoku snapped, his attention shifting to the silent figure of Bartholomew Kuma. But before he could give the order, Jerry suddenly straightened up, his entire demeanor changing.
"You know what? I'm tired of pretending," Jerry announced, crossing his arms and dropping his playful act entirely. "Time to lay my cards on the table."
Every eye focused on him. Sengoku leaned forward slightly, finally expecting real answers. The other Warlords, Marine officers, and even some of the nearby combatants paused to listen.
Jerry cleared his throat importantly and spoke in the most solemn, compassionate tone he could manage: "The truth is, the Five Elders personally asked me to do this. Everything I've done today has been for the sake of the Marines, the World Government, and the innocent people of the world..."
Sengoku exploded.
"ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES!" The Fleet Admiral's roar echoed across the plaza, his face flushed red with rage. He'd wasted precious minutes listening to this man's elaborate nonsense while the battle slipped further out of Marine control. "Bartholomew Kuma! Arrest him immediately!"
The moment Sengoku's order rang out, the scientific troops relayed the command through their communication systems. Kuma, who had been standing motionless like a statue, immediately responded to his programming.
Without warning, the cyborg's massive hand shot toward Jerry, paw pads glowing with compressed air.
But Jerry had been expecting this moment. His lazy grin widened as he vanished in a blur of movement, reappearing beside Jinbe.
CRACK!
Kuma's shockwave created a perfect paw-print crater where Jerry had been standing, sending chunks of stone flying in all directions.
In the chaos of the impact, Jerry leaned close to Jinbe's ear and whispered something so quietly that even the nearby Marines couldn't hear it. Then, before anyone could react, he delivered a perfectly aimed kick that sent the Fish-man sailing through the air in a high arc.
"Sorry, Big Blue!" Jerry called out cheerfully. "Come on, Bartholomew! Let me get a proper taste of what that Paw-Paw Fruit can really do!"
He beckoned provocatively with one finger, dancing backward as another devastating shockwave blasted the spot where he'd been standing.
The sight of Jerry openly fighting a Marine-allied Warlord was the final straw for the remaining "neutral" parties. Hawkeye, who had been content to test himself once against Whitebeard, drew his black blade again. Boa Hancock stepped forward from her previous position as a passive observer, her beautiful features hardening into combat readiness.
"Fufufufufu! Finally, some real chaos!" Doflamingo leaped down from the Warlords' platform, his fingers already moving to create nearly invisible strings. "If you're all going to fight, then I want to play too! Who wants to be my puppet?"
The orderly battle lines dissolved into complete pandemonium as the Seven Warlords turned on each other.
In the Harbor
Jinbe crashed into the frozen bay with a tremendous splash, ice crystals flying in all directions. As he surfaced and swam toward shore, he replayed Jerry's whispered words in his mind and nodded grimly.
He positioned himself directly in Ace's path as the fire-user's team approached, spreading his arms wide in an obvious blocking maneuver.
"Fire Fist Ace!" Jinbe's voice boomed across the ice, carrying clearly to the Marines watching from the plaza. "If you want to reach that square, you'll have to go through me first!"
Ace and his companions skidded to a halt, staring at the Fish-man in confusion. Why was Jerry's ally suddenly opposing them?
"Mr. Ace, don't hesitate—just hit him!" Brook's cheerful voice cut through their uncertainty. "I saw Mr. Jerry kick him down here, yohohoho! If Jinbe were really an enemy, our captain never would have sent him in our direction!"
Sanji nodded quickly, his tactical mind already assessing the situation. "Brook's right. Look around—there are no Marines anywhere near Jinbe's position. They've all kept their distance from the Warlords. This is our chance to break through their lines!"
"Got it!" Ace's confusion cleared as he understood the strategy. He raised his fists, flames already dancing around his knuckles, and glared at Jinbe with theatrical intensity. "Jinbe! If you're going to stand in my way, don't blame me for what happens next!"
The nearby Marines watched eagerly as the confrontation unfolded. The Seven Warlords had always been an unpredictable element in their plans, and seeing them fight among themselves was almost as good as having them fight the pirates.
What the Marines didn't notice was the ten-meter radius of empty space around Jinbe's position—a clear zone that their own caution had created.
"Come at me!" Jinbe roared, dropping into a combat stance.
"Take this!"
Under the excited gaze of hundreds of Marines, Ace's team launched what appeared to be a devastating coordinated assault. Fire, steel, bullets, and kicks rained down on the Fish-man in a spectacular display of combat prowess.
When the smoke cleared, Jinbe was flying backward through the air, crashing heavily into the retaining wall at the harbor's edge with enough force to crack the stone.
"Go! Go! Fire Fist's broken through!"
The pirates behind them erupted in cheers as Ace's team sprinted toward the main plaza, having apparently defeated one of the Seven Warlords in single combat.
Meanwhile
Jerry, still dodging Kuma's relentless attacks, spared a glance toward the "battle" and sighed in exasperation.
"I told you to act, not overact," he muttered, ducking under another shockwave. "What was that, community theater?"