What made Charlotte Linlin grit her teeth was the black lightning swirling around her body. It gnawed at her like a savage beast, burning not only her flesh, but even the soul energy she had harvested for decades. She could feel it slipping through her grasp, fading faster than she could contain it.
"How is this possible? How can his lightning damage the soul itself..." Her voice trembled as shock overtook pain.
The Soul-Soul Fruit was the foundation of her reign. It was the reason she built Totto Land, the very reason she became one of the Four Emperors. Her power, her children, her empire — all of them were tied to this ability. And now, she had encountered someone whose lightning could harm the soul. Someone whose power directly restrained hers.
A cold murderous intent surged from her like a tidal wave. The temperature around her plummeted, as if winter itself had descended on the battlefield.
"Never. Never will I let you walk out of here alive!" she roared.
"Zeus!"
At her command, Thundercloud Zeus appeared in front of her, trembling.
"Mama, my lightning doesn't work on him!"
"Then get into the sky and harass him!" she shouted.
"Mom, he left that strange skeleton!" Prometheus emerged beside her in crackling flames, speaking with unease.
"That turtle shell finally came out." Charlotte Linlin's voice was ragged.
She seized Prometheus in one hand while gripping Napoleon in the other. Flames surged along the blade's length, forming a burning edge as she stomped forward, charging toward Kaito like a falling mountain.
Above them, Zeus expanded into a raging thundercloud. Lightning filled the once-bright sky, spreading into dense darkness.
Booming cracks echoed as bolts as thick as pillars crashed downward toward Kaito.
"You underestimate me."
Kaito did not move. He looked at Zeus with calm, emotionless eyes.
A bolt of deep-blue lightning struck him directly. For a moment, his entire form was engulfed in blinding radiance. Charlotte Linlin's eyes lit up.
"Good work, Zeus! Hit him until nothing is left!"
But as the lightning faded, her triumphant expression froze.
Kaito stood untouched, his clothes unburned and his stance steady. If not for the charred earth beneath him, no one would believe he had been struck at all.
He slowly lifted his gaze toward Zeus. His eyes were cold, distant, and unfeeling. Zeus shuddered in the sky.
Dark lightning wrapped around Kaito's arms as he raised one hand.
"Universal Pull."
An immense force erupted outward like a shockwave. The suction tore through the air and seized Zeus instantly.
"Mother! Zeus is being dragged down!" Prometheus cried.
"I can see that!" Charlotte Linlin growled.
Prometheus plunged into Napoleon, coating the blade with raging flames.
"Emperor Sword, Powerful Nation!"
She slashed downward. A massive column of fiery sword energy burst from Napoleon's tip, roaring toward Kaito.
The attack carved a burning rift into the ground, splitting it open with blistering heat.
Kaito's expression did not change.
"Struggle all you want."
His other hand lifted as crushing force exploded outward.
The ground cracked apart in widening waves before colliding with Big Mom's flaming sword strike.
A deafening explosion followed. A mushroom cloud surged skyward while a violent shockwave tore through everything nearby.
Smoke, dust, and flame covered the battlefield for hundreds of meters.
Not far away, Perospero and several high-ranking officers watched with pale faces.
"Is this Kaito's power? He's matching Mama… This is insane," Perospero muttered.
"Brother Perospero, our forces have evacuated. Should we retreat too? The situation outside isn't good," Daifuku said nervously.
"You all go. I'll stay and watch. If Mom wins, we regroup. If she loses..." Perospero didn't finish.
Everyone understood what he meant. Losing here meant the Big Mom Pirates would suffer the same fate as the Red-Haired Pirates. They would be hunted endlessly by Kaito's forces.
"Understood, Brother Perospero." Daifuku led the remaining cadres away.
...
In the blood-stained sea surrounding Totto Land, several ships exchanged heavy artillery fire.
On Thunder Pirates' flagship, Redfield and Issho stood at the bow, observing the distant sky.
"The captain has started. We must move faster," Redfield said.
"We're already at top speed. The only reason we captured so many territories earlier was because they were unprepared," Issho replied.
"Now they're reacting. Even though Katakuri has fallen, if the remaining Sweet Commanders defend properly, progress will stall."
"There is another way," Redfield said.
Issho tilted his head. "And that is?"
"Force their senior forces into a direct battle. Katakuri has been defeated, and if we face the remaining commanders together, we can take them down."
"But will they agree to that?"
"If they won't, we'll make them. I'll go first. Tell Bullet to prepare for a direct assault."
Issho nodded. As he turned away, he looked at the rising mushroom cloud with concern.
"Captain… please hold on."
...
Cake Island.
As the mushroom cloud faded, the battlefield was revealed.
A massive crater stretched across the land, deep and jagged like a meteor impact.
At opposite edges of the crater stood two figures. Their clothes fluttered in the lingering shockwaves as the clash continued.
Kaito and Charlotte Linlin faced each other once more.
____
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