In the distance, Newgate leaned against a ruined stone block. His hand was still clenched over the horrific wound on his waist, his eyes showing signs of weakness.
It seemed they were going to lose. Charlotte Linlin couldn't stop that Diarmuid.
Was this where he was going to die? What a pity. After dominating the seas for so many years, he was ultimately defeated by a Marine's scheme.
Was he unwilling?
Perhaps not particularly. If he had to die, he would die honorably on the battlefield. For a pirate, wasn't that a perfect ending?
Just as Newgate was thinking this, his eyes suddenly changed. His free hand violently swung backward and down.
A powerful Tremor force instantly spread out.
A cloud of white smoke erupted suddenly, and Smoker's figure shot out rapidly from the smoke, snatching at Newgate.
"Pops!" Teach's figure arrived nearby, though no one noticed when, and he swung his blade toward Smoker.
Smoker quickly turned into an element, darting past Newgate. Newgate spat out another mouthful of old blood, his already weak condition worsening.
Looking back at the white smoke in the distance, Smoker's figure slowly solidified. In his hand was a crimson blade.
The cursed sword, Kokorowatari!
Smoker's eyes were slightly bloodshot; the evil aura of Kokorowatari had already begun to influence his mind. However, Smoker quickly suppressed the inner turmoil, looking at the blade in his hand with some shock.
"How in the world does that Diarmuid use such an evil sword?" Smoker muttered softly.
He ignored Newgate and the anxious Teach. Soon, he transformed into white smoke and disappeared from the area.
It was only then that Newgate spat out another mouthful of blood, his face dry and withered with exhaustion.
"Pops!" Teach rushed to support Newgate, who was on the verge of collapsing.
"Teach..." Newgate called out weakly, then said, "You must leave quickly. Escape from this island..."
Truthfully, Teach harbored some affection for Newgate. No matter how wicked, dark, or ambitious he was, he was still human. He had spent so many years on Newgate's ship and received so much care from him. To say he felt no affection for Newgate would certainly be impossible.
But Teach was also undeniably cold-blooded. Such feelings only existed when there was no conflict of interest.
If Newgate's existence ever blocked his path, he would kill his 'Pops' without hesitation.
For now, however, Teach and Newgate were still intertwined.
He needed the great banner of 'Whitebeard'. As long as Whitebeard's banner didn't fall, he could utilize more resources. Therefore, Newgate couldn't die right now in Teach's eyes.
Moreover, he understood the principle that when the nest overturns, no egg remains intact.
If Newgate died on this island, the Whitebeard Pirates would surely be finished. Without Whitebeard's banner, how could he secretly search for the Dark-Dark Fruit?
"Pops, we're leaving together!" Teach said in a deep voice.
The moment he finished speaking, disregarding Newgate's will, Teach hoisted Newgate, who was twice his size, onto his shoulder, trying to withdraw from the island.
Meanwhile, after completely sealing Rayleigh within the Planetary Devastation, Diarmuid was truly enraged by the volatile madwoman, Charlotte Linlin.
"Get the hell out!" Diarmuid roared. Invisible Gravity instantly erupted from his body, the strong repulsive force stopping Charlotte Linlin's Cognac sword mid-air.
Just then, Smoker's figure, trailing thick smoke, swiftly coiled around Charlotte Linlin's body. Then, Smoker yelled: "Catch!"
A cold light flickered as it flew out of the white smoke. A smile touched Diarmuid's lips. He reached out, and guided by his Gravity, the cold light quickly settled into his hand.
A dark, obscure, and evil aura instantly burst forth from his grip.
At the same time, Charlotte Linlin violently tore through Smoker's white smoke, her massive, stout figure bursting free.
But the next second, her expression froze.
Because, not far away, Diarmuid wore a savage smile, and the cursed sword Kokorowatari, which was supposed to be stuck in Newgate, was now in his hand.
"Ready to face despair, old hag?" Diarmuid grinned maliciously.
The moment he finished speaking, the Kokorowatari was held horizontally in front of him.
Charlotte Linlin's expression changed dramatically. Her Cognac sword trailed searing flames, and without a word, she slashed toward Diarmuid.
Smoker, at this point, fought with desperation. A massive amount of white smoke erupted from his body, slamming straight into the furiously burning Cognac sword, instantly grappling with Charlotte Linlin.
Diarmuid's expression was completely unchanged, looking utterly composed. He gently stroked the blade of the Kokorowatari, murmuring: "Abyssal Devourer…"
Regardless of how simple it was, Abyssal Devourer was undeniably effective. Repetition was the key to success.
The instant he finished speaking, the Kokorowatari turned pitch black. And at that exact moment, Charlotte Linlin punched Smoker's main body out of the white smoke.
The next second, Diarmuid's figure shot forward, slashing the Kokorowatari, imbued with Abyssal Devourer, toward Charlotte Linlin.
As a character who had suffered a great loss to Kokorowatari before, nearly being decapitated, Charlotte Linlin knew just how ferocious this technique was. She dared not block it, roaring as she stomped her foot, her massive, obese body quickly retreating backward.
"Die!!!" Charlotte Linlin yelled.
Accompanying her roar, numerous Homies burst out of the ground, all made of Dyna Stone!
"Ice Age!!!" Kuzan's angry roar came from a distance.
It was clear that the Admiral was truly furious now.
Just as the ten-plus Dyna Stone Homies were about to explode, an icy, bone-chilling frost energy swept across the ground with extreme speed.
In a brief flash, all the Dyna Stone that was meant to explode was completely sealed by Kuzan, not a single spark visible.
Charlotte Linlin's face changed. Before she could speak, she felt her movements halt. Her feet seemed to be frozen to the ground.
It was this single hesitation that allowed Diarmuid's figure to break through to Charlotte Linlin's front. With a murderous look in his eyes, the terrifying Abyssal Devourer slashed down!
"Yaaaaaah!" Charlotte Linlin shrieked in shock and fury. Her Cognac sword, encased in Haki and searing flames, finally slashed toward Diarmuid's Abyssal Devourer.
No sound was made. The Kokorowatari, wreathed in Abyssal Devourer, instantly crushed the Haki coating Charlotte Linlin's Cognac upon contact.
The next second, Napoleon, the spirit animating the sword, cried out in pain.
"MAMA!!!!"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes blazed with ferocity. A relentless flow of soul energy poured into Cognac. Surprisingly, this actually managed to block Abyssal Devourer for a moment!
But it was only for a moment. The next instant, Napoleon wailed, and the Cognac sword was cleanly sliced into two by Diarmuid's blade!
The moment of respite Napoleon bought was enough for Charlotte Linlin to break free from Kuzan's ice confinement.
With a sharp crack, Charlotte Linlin's feet regained their freedom.
With no time to run or retreat, Charlotte Linlin, just like in the past, without any grace or strongman's composure, unhesitatingly rolled her huge, obese body into a ball, tumbling desperately away from the point of impact.
Diarmuid's Abyssal Devourer attack still missed, only destroying Napoleon.
Before she could even get back on her feet, Charlotte Linlin lay sprawled on the ground, roaring. Searing flames instantly erupted from her arm, rushing toward Diarmuid.
Diarmuid casually swung the Kokorowatari, effortlessly slicing the flames apart. The next moment, his figure vanished within the blaze.
Charlotte Linlin's Observation Haki was active, locking firmly onto Diarmuid.
The instant Diarmuid vanished, Charlotte Linlin unhesitatingly rolled two more times on the ground. Sure enough, just as her figure moved, Kokorowatari plunged into the exact spot where Charlotte Linlin had just been.
"Soul Pocus!" Charlotte Linlin violently slammed her palm through the air.
A massive, ghostly-green wave of soul energy burst forth from her hand like a tsunami, engulfing Diarmuid instantly.
Diarmuid's movement stiffened. For a fraction of a second, his mind went blank—it was the intense Soul Shock!
He even felt that this invisible, intangible soul shock was completely unavoidable.
This was indeed one of Charlotte Linlin's ultimate attacks. Even Kaido and Whitebeard, upon taking this attack, would have their thoughts interrupted for a moment.
And for top-tier fighters, that moment was enough to create the necessary opening.
But for Diarmuid, it was only an instant. His Iron Will instantly activated, and the force that could shake the soul abruptly disappeared.
However, he feigned a lack of reaction, remaining motionless in place.
Charlotte Linlin, however, whether she had been terrified by Diarmuid's attacks or had realized Diarmuid's intentions, did not seize the 'opening' to charge forward. Instead, she quickly scrambled to her feet and backed away a few steps, creating distance from Diarmuid.
"Tch... Didn't fall for it?" Diarmuid clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Charlotte Linlin was stunned for a moment. She hadn't actually realized Diarmuid was faking it; she had simply been too cautious to charge in at that moment.
Paradoxically, this caution allowed her to avoid Diarmuid's hidden trap.
"Impossible. This kind of soul shock is unstoppable unless you're a master of manipulating souls..." Charlotte Linlin said in disbelief.
"Nothing is impossible. The only reason you think it's impossible is because you haven't encountered this situation before." Diarmuid smiled viciously.
Seeing Diarmuid's savage smile, Charlotte Linlin suddenly realized something. Her Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted, spreading out in all directions.
But it was already a step too late!
Kuzan's figure, enduring the shockwave of the powerful Conqueror's Haki, stood firmly behind Charlotte Linlin, placing one hand on her massive body.
"It's over..." Kuzan said softly.
Chilling cold energy spread from his hand. Charlotte Linlin's movements became stiff.
It was at this moment that Diarmuid's figure appeared beside Charlotte Linlin.
A flash of blood. Charlotte Linlin felt the excruciating pain, then she began to wail.
"Aaaahhhhhhhhh!!!"
The piercing wail instantly shattered the frost Kuzan had imposed upon her. Even Kuzan's body was instantly fragmented into shards of ice.
Diarmuid was also thrown back by the terrifying sound wave.
He didn't look too bad, though, stabilizing himself on the ground after being thrown back ten meters. A smile played on his lips.
Bang!
A sound seemed to interrupt Charlotte Linlin's wailing. Looking over, a huge, powerful arm, cleanly severed at the shoulder, was dripping massive amounts of blood onto the ground.
It was Charlotte Linlin's left arm!
The instant Kuzan restrained Charlotte Linlin, Diarmuid had used Abyssal Devourer to forcibly dismember one of her arms!
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