A soaring pillar of magma and fire sliced through the sky as a crimson heatwave swept in all directions, its violent energy palpable even from a great distance. Such destructive power could belong to none other than Sakazuki's Magma-Magma Fruit.
With urgency pressing upon her, Borsalino did not linger. Golden light erupted around her form as she transformed into a dazzling, condensed pillar of light that tore through the air, crossing thousands of meters above the streets in an instant and heading straight for the heart of the eruption.
Within a few breaths, she touched down upon the battlefield. Utter devastation met her eyes. Broken wooden cabins, charred rubble, and scalding lava residue littered the earth, while the air hung thick with the pungent stench of sulfur and gunpowder smoke. The surrounding soil was scorched, hardened, and cracked by the blistering heat.
Onigumo and Yamakaji were half kneeling on the ground, wounded and pale, clearly having barely survived a perilous, bitter struggle. In the center of the field, a resolute figure stood firmly before them. Sakazuki was enveloped in churning crimson magma, waves of heat rising from his body as pitch black Haki guarded his form against the formidable enemy ahead. Yet his left arm hung limply at his side, scalding blood dripping continuously from his fingertips onto the charred earth in dark, gruesome stains.
Opposite him stood a tall, commanding figure. Voluminous, gorgeous pink wavy hair cascaded freely down her back, framing a striking face with sharp eyes, purple eyeshadow, and vibrant red lipstick. Wearing an elegant vintage black top hat, her stature was towering yet remarkably well proportioned, entirely lacking the bloated physique brought on by years of indulgence and constant childbirth in the future.
At this moment, Charlotte Linlin was in the golden prime of her youth, standing at the absolute pinnacle of both beauty and power on the high seas. In her hand, her hat had transformed into Napoleon, a sharp European broadsword whose blade gleamed with a cold luster. The tip dripped with specks of crimson blood, a clear testament to the fierce clash that had just taken place.
In their direct exchange, Charlotte Linlin had clearly held the absolute advantage. Looking down at her blade, her voice carried a touch of genuine appreciation. "Logia users are troublesome, to be sure, but fighting them is quite satisfying."
Turning her head sharply, her amber eyes locked onto Borsalino as she landed. A flash of playful scrutiny flickered across her gaze before she spoke calmly. "Oh? Another Logia Marine rising star arrives."
With a single glance, she recognized the newcomer's identity.
Yet with Borsalino's arrival, the suffocating tension hanging over the field quietly softened. Onigumo and Yamakaji allowed their rigid postures to slacken, while Sakazuki's furrowed brow relaxed ever so slightly. To the young officers present, Borsalino had become an unshakeable pillar of support.
Borsalino's gaze turned serious as she spoke in a firm, steady voice. "Sakazuki, fall back and recover."
Her tone was sharp, stripped entirely of her usual nonchalance. That Sakazuki had managed to endure several exchanges against Charlotte Linlin in her prime was due solely to the extraordinary destructive capability and spatial control of his Magma-Magma Fruit. But in a clash between true powerhouses, ultimate victory depended on Haki and battle experience.
At his current level, Sakazuki could not withstand a prolonged assault from Big Mom in her prime. Once the battle devolved into a pure contest of Haki, his defeat was inevitable. The Charlotte Linlin standing before them was a peak powerhouse occupying the apex of the seas, possessing maxed out Haki, innate talent, and a terrifying physical constitution. Without a single glaring weakness, she was vastly faster and far more dangerous than her bloated future self.
Sakazuki understood his limits and chose not to push blindly. Gritting his teeth, he slowly dispersed his magma, enduring the severe pain in his arm as he stepped back to rejoin his comrades.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Onigumo rapidly briefed Borsalino, his tone laced with frustration and helplessness. "Two recruits discovered traces of the Big Mom Pirates. Attempting to gather intelligence on their location, they tailed them in secret, but were detected immediately by the enemy's Observation Haki. The pirates showed no mercy, intending to slaughter them both on the spot." New chapters come out on g.com first.
"Yamakaji and I stepped in to pull them out, but the gap in power was far too massive. It was only because Sakazuki arrived in time that we managed to hold out against Charlotte Linlin."
Listening to the brief explanation, Borsalino's expression remained calm, offering no scolding or reproach. She cast a long look at Sakazuki, who stood silent with frustration burning in his eyes. To encounter Big Mom in her prime and still manage to rescue his allies was already a remarkable feat. After all, Sakazuki had only been cultivating his Haki for a little over six months.
"Leave the rest to me," Borsalino said, stepping forward to face Charlotte Linlin alone while addressing the recruits behind her. "Regroup and keep the rest of the Big Mom Pirates at bay."
She understood the Big Mom Pirates' current hierarchy well. Though the monstrous empire that would later rule the New World had not yet reached its full glory, and their collective strength fell short of its future zenith, they still boasted several senior officers proficient in dual-color Haki alongside veteran figures like Streusen. They were far beyond any ordinary pirate crew.
With her orders delivered, Borsalino cleared her mind of all distraction, spreading her Observation Haki outward. A golden shimmer rippled across her skin while dense, pitch-black Armament Haki wrapped tightly around her hands, locking her focus entirely onto the pink haired woman before her.
Across the field, Charlotte Linlin stood tall with Napoleon in hand, her eyes blazing with rising battle intent as a confident smile curled her lips.
Looks like a fight is unavoidable, Borsalino thought. Let us see how I measure up against a future Emperor of the Sea.