"Mama! Mama!"
Panic-filled cries echoed from within the cherry blossom sphere.
Charlotte Linlin's face instantly twisted into a deep scowl.
"Brat…" she growled, her voice grinding out from between clenched teeth.
"You think just by sealing them off, you can beat me, the Great Charlotte Linlin?!"
BOOM!
The ground beneath her feet shattered violently, crumbling inch by inch as a wave of invisible Conqueror's Haki exploded outward like a tidal force.
Her titanic frame shot toward Carl in a blur, and the blade 'Napoleon', now coated in advanced-level Armament and Conqueror's Haki, cleaved through the air with explosive momentum.
Carl's expression sharpened. The [Hell Road] in his right eye ignited, pulsing with crimson energy.
Two Ryuo-based shockwaves—invisible but overwhelming—clashed mid-air.
CLANG!
The reverberation of clashing supreme-grade weapons echoed like thunder through the sky.
Charlotte Linlin laughed madly, her blows raining down in a torrent. 'Napoleon' roared with every swing, the very air catching fire around its arc.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Her control over Conqueror's Haki Infusion had reached a level where even non-physical strikes tore craters into the terrain.
Her muscle mass, reinforced by her iron balloon body, pressed Carl downward with every clash.
The earth beneath Carl's feet cracked and crumbled; it felt like the entire island wanted to pull him under.
A dangerous glint passed through Carl's eyes. Then—
SLASH!
Out of nowhere, a blood-red claw lashed across Linlin's back. Although shallow, the wound sizzled as a corrosive murderous aura gnawed at her flesh.
ROAR!
The blood-beast manifestation, coalesced from Carl's killing intent, materialized overhead again, snarling at her with jaws wide open.
"Well, well…" Charlotte Linlin's smile grew unnervingly wide.
But fury burned in her tone, so hot it distorted the air around her.
A massive pulse of Soul Power burst forth from her core—an aura that blanketed all of Cake Island.
Although the scratch was minor for someone with the Soru Soru no Mi, the malicious aura felt like poison in her nerves.
BOOM!
With monstrous force, she erupted toward Carl, her massive body phasing through space like a juggernaut.
"EMPEROR SWORD!!"
This time, Carl didn't take the hit head-on. He dove backward mid-air, spiraling as shockwaves trailed behind him.
He couldn't afford to exchange brute strength again—not against this monstrous physique.
Even if they both wielded a similar [Tough Body], Charlotte Linlin's base frame was that of a giant, giving her a ridiculous edge in raw strength.
"Are you even human, old woman?" Carl muttered, eyes flickering dangerously.
His mind recalled her origin: born to ordinary humans, but abandoned on Elbaf due to her uncontrollable strength and size.
She had been unnaturally massive since childhood—a walking disaster.
Carl shook his head.
"Doesn't matter," he said coolly, gripping 'Sakura Ten' tightly. The blade trembled in his grip.
HOOUUU—!
A long, solemn sword cry pierced the heavens.
Behind Carl, spectral swords of various forms—holy, cursed, divine, demonic—drifted through the air.
One by one, they converged on his blade.
When they fused into Sakura Ten, all their distinct auras vanished, replaced by sheer cutting intent—so pure, it sliced the wind.
Charlotte Linlin's eyes widened. Even her iron balloon skin tingled with danger.
She tried to move—but found her limbs frozen.
A sphere of sword aura had locked her in place, anchoring her to the battlefield.
"Extreme Ghost Sword Art—Storm Style: Change!"
The red glow in Carl's eye vanished.
Murderous aura surged up the blade like hellfire.
"Slash!"
FWOOOOM!
The entire sky ignited with a crimson-black wave, rising like a demon from the earth.
"Mama… won't lose!!"
KRA-KOOM!
Cake Island trembled.
With a monstrous bellow, Charlotte Linlin released a tidal wave of soul force, shattering the invisible sword prison.
She reared back, more furious than ever, and brought down her blade with cataclysmic force.
In a sheer display of might, Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, raised her bicorne-shaped sword, Napoleon, with both hands. She channeled an immense amount of Haki into the blade and unleashed the devastating attack, "Hakoku!"—a technique traditionally requiring the combined strength of multiple giants. Remarkably, Big Mom executed it single-handedly, underscoring her extraordinary power.
As her formidable slash collided with Carl's counterattack, the impact enveloped the battlefield in a maelstrom of red and black energy. The section of Cake Island where they clashed was torn asunder by the overwhelming force. The entire island trembled violently, tilting precariously as if on the verge of sinking into the sea.
Both combatants were propelled backward by the shockwave. Carl managed to withstand the assault, his black liquid armor absorbing much of the impact. In contrast, Big Mom appeared noticeably disheveled; her usually immaculate hair was in disarray, and her massive frame bore several superficial slash marks oozing fresh blood. Though minor relative to her size, these injuries marred her formidable presence.
"Brat!!!" Big Mom's voice thundered, her eyes blazing with fury as her composure began to unravel. Gripping Napoleon tightly, she charged at Carl with renewed ferocity.
"What a nuisance…" Carl muttered, his expression darkening. Despite deploying his most potent techniques, he had yet to inflict any significant damage on the Yonko. It became evident that confronting such a behemoth at her peak was an arduous endeavor, unlikely to yield a swift resolution. Moreover, as the battle raged on, Big Mom's assaults grew increasingly relentless, her strength seemingly boundless.
Their Haki-infused weapons clashed repeatedly, each collision fracturing the ground beneath them.
"It's over, it's over…" Perospero and other members of the Big Mom Pirates observed from a distance, their faces pale with apprehension. The prospect of their mother—whom they had always deemed invincible—facing potential defeat was inconceivable. Yet, the current circumstances forced them to confront this unsettling possibility.
"There's no other way. Cracker, deploy your biscuit soldiers to bring the ship around. We're evacuating!" Perospero commanded urgently.
"But what about Mom…" Cracker hesitated, torn between obedience and concern for their matriarch.
"At this point, we have no choice!" Perospero insisted. The ground beneath them quaked once more, the battlefield's devastation escalating to cataclysmic levels. "If this continues, Cake Island will be obliterated!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Cracker ceased his protests and summoned his biscuit soldiers to maneuver the ship to the shore. The crew hastily boarded, relief washing over them as they distanced themselves from the crumbling island. They anchored nearby, unwilling to stray too far lest they incur Big Mom's wrath once the battle concluded.
From the deck, they watched the titanic clash unfold. Carl, having previously vanquished Katakuri and Opera, had initially quelled much of his anger. However, Big Mom's relentless onslaught rekindled his fury, driving him to meet her ferocity head-on.
"Slash Wave!" Carl unleashed a powerful attack, his weapon slicing through the air toward Big Mom. The battle intensified, neither combatant yielding an inch.
As the first day of their confrontation drew to a close, the island's terrain had been drastically altered. The relentless exchanges between the two powerhouses had eroded significant portions of Cake Island, its landmass diminishing with each passing moment.
On the second day, the ferocity of their battle showed no signs of abating. The island continued to bear the brunt of their monumental struggle, its very foundation threatened by their unyielding assaults.
By the third day, the intensity reached a fever pitch. Perospero, observing from the ship, voiced the concerns shared by many.
"Brother Perospero, how long are they going to fight?" Pudding inquired, her voice tinged with anxiety.
"I don't know…" Perospero admitted, shaking his head. "Battles of this magnitude aren't settled quickly. Even someone of Katakuri's caliber can't conclude a fight swiftly. As for these two monsters… only they know when it will end."
Meanwhile, at the Navy Headquarters in the New World (formerly G-1 Branch), Fleet Admiral Sakazuki sat in his office, a deep frown etched on his face as he set down the Den Den Mushi.
"So, Carl went straight to Totto Land…" he muttered.
Kizaru, lounging nearby, raised an eyebrow. "That's quite bold. Shall I intervene?"
"Yes," Sakazuki nodded. "Go retrieve him. While his initiative is commendable, this move was reckless. Carl is a cornerstone of the next Marine generation; we can't afford to lose him."
"Understood," Kizaru replied nonchalantly before vanishing in a flash of light.
Back on Cake Island, amidst deflecting another of Big Mom's formidable "Mighty Nation" attacks, Carl's mind was momentarily interrupted by the mechanical chime of his system.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully signing in at the special location: Cake Island!"
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