Charlotte Linlin stared at Borsalino standing before her, her opponent's body shimmering with flowing golden light. The playful look in Linlin's eyes gradually faded, replaced by solemn intensity. She had heard rumors of this Marine nova heavily injuring young Kaido over a year ago. At the time, she had dismissed it as wildly exaggerated, but now, sensing the vast reservoir of Haki within the young woman, she knew she faced an opponent worthy of her full power.
"I did not expect a monster like you to emerge from the new generation of the Marines," Linlin remarked, her crimson lips curving slightly. "Very well. It has been a long time since I encountered anyone who could let me cut loose."
Tension filled the air, stretching the atmosphere to its absolute limit.
Deep within Borsalino's eyes, a flicker of anticipation flared. Having mastered the Six Powers while advancing her dual-color Haki and Devil Fruit abilities far beyond where they stood a year and a half prior, she had lacked a proper outlet to test her true upper limit. Facing Charlotte Linlin in her prime was the ultimate opportunity.
Memories from her past life drifted briefly through her mind. She harbored little prejudice toward Charlotte Linlin. While others viewed the woman as a cruel, insane tyrant, Borsalino knew her life was rooted in tragedy. Abandoned by her parents as a child and manipulated by Mother Caramel, Linlin had spent her entire life chasing a simple dream of family and belonging. That longing was the bedrock of Totto Land. Her bloodthirsty instability was largely the result of a fractured psyche following the tragic loss of her childhood sanctuary.
Beneath that violent exterior rested a genuine sovereign. In the years to come, Linlin would build Totto Land from the ground up, establishing laws, expanding maritime trade, and forging an independent order. Throughout history, royal dynasties had been founded on war and conquest; looking back ten generations, almost every major power rose by stepping over mountains of corpses, counting bandits and conquerors among their lineage. Had it not been for the protagonist's arrival, Totto Land would likely have legitimized its standing within a decade or two, perhaps even securing recognition from the World Government as an allied superpower. Neutralizing a Yonko crew through diplomatic integration would have yielded immense profits for the World Government.
Borsalino reined in her wandering thoughts as her fighting spirit surged. The woman opposite her was a true apex powerhouse of the high seas, a future Emperor, deserving of complete focus.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
With a low shout, Borsalino launched the opening attack.
Brilliant golden light erupted around her. Countless high-density light particles condensed and burst forth, forming a dense volley of piercing light projectiles across the sky. Moving at light speed, the barrage rained down toward Charlotte Linlin.
Facing the overwhelming volley, Linlin remained unbothered. With a flick of her hand, Prometheus roared into the sky.
"Heavenly Fire!"
A torrent of blazing fire poured from Prometheus, coalescing into massive, scorching fireballs that surged upward to clash with the light projectiles.
The clash of light and flame exploded in a thunderous roar across the sky. Blinding white light and crimson fire interwove, swallowing the battlefield in thick smoke as intense heatwaves melted the surrounding stone.
As the smoke cleared slightly, Borsalino accelerated forward at light speed. Qingyue slid from its sheath, its cold steel gleaming. Pitch black Armament Haki wrapped around the blade, translucent and dense, while compressed light particles adhered tightly to the steel.
Linlin met the charge head-on, wielding Napoleon with towering battle spirit. The two blades collided with violent force.
Dense Armament Haki clashed edge to edge. Pitch black shockwaves squeezed and tore through the air, bursting into arcs of black lightning. Surrounding structures collapsed under the pressure, turning into rubble and dust.
In the distance, Sakazuki, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and the others watched in awe. For the first time, they glimpsed the true depth of Borsalino's power. Everything she had displayed previously was merely the tip of the iceberg. Facing a legendary pirate, she moved with effortless composure, every strike precise and lethal. Sakazuki clenched his fists tightly; he had believed the gap between them was shrinking, yet it remained vast.
Gold light flowed across Borsalino's form as she moved across the battlefield like a streak of light. Though Linlin in her youth possessed peak speed, physical strength, and fierce combat instincts, the Glint Glint Fruit's speed kept her perpetually on the defensive. Light speed movement granted Borsalino complete positional dominance, allowing her to flash across the battlefield while Linlin's slashes and flames struck empty air.
Capitalizing on her speed, Borsalino launched rapid close-range strikes. Whenever Linlin showed a subtle opening, golden sword qi surged from her blade toward vital targets, forcing Linlin to shift from offense to parrying.
"You have some skill!" Linlin's gaze hardened. Gripping her sword with both hands, immense power erupted from her frame.
"Ikoku!"
A colossal wave of sword qi exploded outward, a devastating attack originating from the giants of Elbaf. The heavy strike swept across the entire battlefield, seeking to crush Borsalino's speed advantage with pure area destruction. The ground collapsed, and remaining buildings were pulverized into dust.
Borsalino tapped her toes, retreating at light speed to dodge the rampaging shockwave while acknowledging Linlin's terrifying power. Even if Instructor Zephyr were here, he would find this a daunting challenge. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Linlin's excitement grew, her laughter booming across the ruins. "Exhilarating! It has been far too long since I had such a fight! The warmup ends here!"
The two separated by a hundred meters, each gathering their full power.
Borsalino held Qingyue horizontally across her chest. Massive amounts of Armament Haki poured into the blade, stacking and compressing alongside high-frequency vibrating light particles. Light and Haki fused into a seamless, unified force.
"Senki: Suihua!"
Across the field, Linlin's aura transformed. Crimson lightning crackled across her body as Conqueror's Haki swept over the island in overwhelming waves. It was the Conqueror's Haki infusion of an apex powerhouse. Prometheus's heavenly fire, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki stacked onto Napoleon's blade, wreathing the weapon in roaring flame and dark patterns.
"Emperor Sword: Hohobami!"
Dark clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the sky as two colossal energy torrents confronted each other.
Borsalino grit her teeth inwardly. Conqueror's Haki infusion placed her at an inherent disadvantage in a direct head-on clash, as she had yet to awaken Conqueror's Haki herself. Few could shatter Conqueror's infusion through sheer physical force alone like Vice Admiral Garp.
Yet she did not hesitate.
Both swung their blades simultaneously.
The fused light technique collided directly with the flaming Emperor Sword, unleashing a catastrophic shockwave. Sensing the lethal force, Sakazuki and the recruits retreated at top speed, evacuating the core of the battlefield.
The world fell silent for a single heartbeat as time seemed to stop.
The next instant, a deafening roar shattered the silence. Centered on the point of impact, the earth cracked and collapsed in web-like fissures extending for hundreds of meters. Surrounding ruins were ground into fine powder, and the entire island trembled violently.