Jerry had initially been strongly opposed to Deuce and the others returning to Treasure Island, especially with Ace accompanying them.
The reason for his concern was simple: although this reunion had been thoroughly discussed and planned by everyone involved, he understood that the overwhelming temptation of Roger's legendary treasure made the entire situation completely unpredictable.
The distinctive appearance of their ship had long since been burned into the memories of every interested party across the seas. Their vessel could be recognized from tremendous distances with just a single glance, making stealth impossible.
Although everyone knew that the Black Star Pirates were incredibly powerful combatants, there were still countless people willing to take desperate risks for a chance at claiming the legendary treasure.
This was especially true when potential attackers realized that Jerry and Cavendish were both stationed on the island itself, leaving only the relatively weaker crew members like Deuce aboard their ship. This knowledge made ambitious pirates even more eager to make their move.
So when their familiar ship appeared on the distant horizon, the massive crowd of ships that had been lurking in the outer waters surrounding Jerry's defensive perimeter suddenly erupted into frenzied activity.
Dozens of pirate ships immediately rushed forward to attack the approaching ship, attempting to capture Deuce and the others as bargaining chips to trade for the coveted permanent pointer.
However, these attackers had severely underestimated the true strength of the Black Star Pirates crew members.
The intensive training that Deuce and his companions had undertaken during their journey hadn't been wasted effort. Their individual combat abilities had been steadily increasing throughout their adventures. Even though their growth rates varied considerably, none of them could be considered weak or incompetent anymore.
More importantly, they had Portgas D. Ace aboard their ship, and he was more than ready for a fight.
With Ace's devastating fire techniques and Brook's ice-based attacks clearing the path ahead, supported by the other crew members' coordinated efforts and the dramatic threat of Deuce suddenly transforming into his pink dragon form, their ship charged through the chaotic siege with tremendous momentum and reached Treasure Island's defensive barriers.
Just as Ace and the others were creating chaos during their approach, fierce artillery bombardment erupted from the opposite side of the island. The NEO Marines had arrived and immediately opened fire without any preliminary negotiations.
Although Zephyr's forces didn't possess a large number of ships, having both Garp and Zephyr commanding the operation made the entire situation increasingly volatile and unpredictable.
By the time Jerry had prepared to launch long-range support attacks, their ship had already successfully navigated through the dangerous whirlpool zone surrounding the island's outer defenses.
"Well, well! If it isn't the legendary Fire Fist Ace, who's been making such a name for himself lately!" Jerry exclaimed with obviously exaggerated enthusiasm after the reunited crews had finished their initial greetings.
Ace grinned widely in response. "I've heard plenty about you too! You're that Jerry who's gotten himself stuck in this place and apparently can't find his way out!"
The two sworn brothers chatted cheerfully for several minutes before eventually turning their attention back to the increasingly serious current situation.
Jerry guided their ship toward the base camp they had established more than ten days earlier on the central coastline. As they approached, he said with a slight smile, "You know, you really didn't have to come back here. I could have handled everything and then—"
Suddenly, Jerry slapped his forehead and shook his head dismissively. "Forget it. You're already here now, so there's no point talking about what might have been."
He changed his tone completely, clenching his fist and raising it dramatically toward the sky while shouting with renewed excitement, "From this point forward, let's sweep across the entire world together and head straight for the Laugh Tale fishing grounds!"
After his rousing declaration, Jerry expected to hear enthusiastic cheers from his companions. Instead, he received nothing but speechless stares from everyone present.
Deuce asked with obvious skepticism, "Are you absolutely certain there's actually a fishing spot there?"
This simple question seemed to open the floodgates for everyone's curiosity, and they all began speculating about completely unrelated topics.
"There should be lots of carrots and delicious snacks waiting for us there, right?" Carrot asked hopefully, her eyes practically sparkling with anticipation.
"If you ask me, there should be massive amounts of treasure, rare antiques, and priceless artifacts," Carina added with obvious greed in her voice.
"Yohohoho, I believe there might be—" Brook began.
Just as everyone was becoming thoroughly absorbed in this long-missed session of wild speculation and friendly boasting, Cavendish suddenly stood up with alert posture. His movement served as an immediate signal, causing Deuce and the others to quickly restrain their casual expressions and become serious.
"Is someone approaching the island again?" Skull guessed, reading the familiar signs.
Cavendish nodded with unmistakable excitement, and while waving toward Kotatsu to prepare the broadcast equipment, he replied eagerly, "That's right! I'll head over and take care of them first."
Watching his impatient figure launch into the air and fly toward the coastline, Jerry simply shrugged, indicating that he had grown completely accustomed to Cavendish's enthusiasm for combat.
Realizing that they had important strategic matters to discuss, Deuce pulled out a pen and paper and said thoughtfully, "How about we divide up our responsibilities and create a proper battle plan?"
The crew spent the next several minutes in quick but thorough discussion before dispersing to handle their individual assignments.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away inside Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku—whose hair was gradually turning gray from the stress of recent events—slowly exhaled a long breath of relief.
He carefully moved the document in his hand and placed it on top of the towering pile of paperwork covering his desk. Then he picked up his Den Den Mushi and spoke in a deep, authoritative voice: "Prepare to close the net. Begin the operation immediately."
On a Marine warship stationed thousands of miles from Treasure Island, a high-ranking officer responded with crisp professionalism before hurrying away to relay the orders as quickly as possible through the chain of command.
The following morning brought smoke and flames to the waters surrounding Treasure Island.
The chaos included not only conflicts between different pirate factions, but also fierce battles involving the NEO Marines, various kingdom armies, and other military forces against the assembled pirates.
Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered in this remote corner of the New World, and across the vast sea surrounding the island, countless ships were either forming temporary alliances or operating independently. Although fighting continued almost constantly, it hadn't yet engulfed all participants in total warfare.
Even within this chaos, many calm and calculating pirates maintained their composure, preparing to launch fresh assault waves regardless of whether it was morning, noon, or the middle of the night.
After enduring so many days of failed attacks, even the most reckless individuals without any coherent strategy had begun to clearly understand just how dangerous the defenders on the island truly were. Anyone brave or foolish enough to charge forward would most likely never return alive. This harsh reality had undoubtedly poured cold water on many previously fanatical hearts.
However, there would always be people in this world who refused to accept ordinary limitations. They firmly believed that they were destined to be the miracle that could change everything, dreaming of becoming the final force that would overwhelm all obstacles.
As time passed, numerous factions had begun formulating joint strategies, intending to work together initially to capture the island, then compete for the legendary permanent pointer using their individual strengths afterward.
However, just as this dangerous undercurrent was building toward a crescendo, a calm, authoritative voice suddenly echoed across the entire area.
As biting cold spread rapidly outward, the rough ocean surface was instantly frozen into an incredibly thick layer of solid ice.
"This—! Are the Marines finally going to take direct action?"
"How is that even possible? Aren't they afraid of being completely surrounded and overwhelmed by all of us?"
Across the vast ocean that had been transformed into an enormous ice field, countless pirates stared in shock at the Marine fleet that had suddenly emerged from the concealing sea fog and was now slowly advancing from the distant horizon.
"Well, well," Jerry said with amusement, turning his head to scan the defensive barriers he had created around the island. The massive tsunami that had been surging high around their position was now frozen into towering icebergs completely encircling Treasure Island. A knowing smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Then his expression shifted to mild annoyance as he looked down at his fishing line and hook, which were now trapped solid in the ice. He stretched out his left hand and snapped his fingers with obvious irritation.
"I can't let you freeze all my fish to death, can I?"
As the sharp sound of his finger snap echoed across the water, the ice covering the inland sea and the three rivers flowing within the island seemed to be shaken by some invisible force. The frozen surface began rumbling and cracking like thousands of horses galloping in formation.
Within seconds, the crackling sounds merged into a continuous melody as countless ice chunks shattered and began floating freely on the liberated water. The inland seas and rivers instantly returned to their former gurgling, life-filled state.
A short while later, Deuce and the others who had dispersed to establish defensive positions along the coastline during the early morning hours began returning one by one to their central meeting point.
"Just as we predicted," Deuce announced once everyone had gathered around their tactical discussion area. He gestured for Kotatsu to monitor the overseas situation from a safe distance before continuing, "Once the Marines finished sorting out the pirates from the Four Blues and Paradise, they were free to take direct action here."
Skull nodded with obvious understanding. "Of course, the Marines are also taking advantage of this entire situation. They're using the incident we created as justification to launch a major offensive against pirates worldwide."
"Besides," he continued, "this whole thing is connected to the Laugh Tale permanent pointer, after all. The World Government and Marines definitely couldn't just sit back and let anyone hold onto it without taking action."
"It's almost a shame we rushed to make all these counterfeits," Carina said casually, producing several permanent pointers from her coat that pointed in completely different directions. Each one was carefully engraved with the word "Laugh Tale" in convincing lettering.
These sophisticated fakes had originally been prepared by Jerry to confuse the outside pirate forces at the last possible moment, implementing his strategy of creating chaos to fish in troubled waters. However, now that their overall plan had changed significantly, the ultimate fate of these deceptive navigation tools remained to be determined.
Jerry didn't operate like Doflamingo when it came to trickery and deception. He maintained strict principles of honesty and integrity both with his crew and with outside parties.
After all, in the arena competition that Doflamingo had organized in the original timeline, the Heavenly Yaksha had actually offered the genuine Flame-Flame Fruit as the prize, rather than choosing to pass off a fake as the real thing or hide any underhanded tricks.
"How about we just toss them into the river and let whoever wants them fish them out?" Jerry suggested with characteristic practicality.
Everyone blinked in surprise at hearing Jerry's straightforward proposal. Carina raised her hand and praised him with obvious amusement, saying, "You really are incredibly thrifty—you absolutely hate to waste anything useful!"
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