For a single heartbeat, the air turned even colder than the raging storm around them.
The woman bared her teeth in a smile—innocent, yet terrifyingly cruel.
“That’s right!
My name is Charlotte Linlin!
You’re the first people who’ve ever dared speak to me like that!” “You have two choices: submit…
or die!” “Charlotte Linlin?” Rocks repeated the name, the icy look on his face giving way to an amused smirk.
Behind him, Newgate grinned broadly.
Rather than facing a formidable enemy, he looked like a child who had just found an interesting new toy.
“Gurararara!
You’ve got quite the mouth on you, little girl!” “Little girl?” Linlin’s enormous eyes narrowed dangerously.
She casually slammed the massive spiked club Napoleon resting on her shoulder onto the deck.
BOOM!
The reinforced alloy deck Dorum had only recently upgraded caved in with a deep, unmistakable dent.
Dorum’s heart lurched at the impact.
His face instantly drained of color as he silently muttered, “My ship…
my precious baby…” “That’s right.
I was talking about you.” Rocks stepped forward.
An overwhelming burst of Conqueror’s Haki spread outward like a tidal wave, instantly crushing Linlin’s wild and domineering presence beneath its weight.
Even the howling white storm seemed to pause for a fleeting moment before that indomitable will.
“This ship belongs to me.” “The people aboard are my crew.” “And the food on this ship was made by my Head Chef.” His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried absolute authority that brooked no argument.
“Now get off my ship.” “And I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.” “Wahahahaha!
Interesting!
How very interesting!” Rather than becoming enraged, Linlin burst into even louder laughter.
Her giant eyes sparkled with greed and excitement, as though she’d discovered something even more fascinating than treasure or fine food.
“Your Haki is impressive.” “I like it.” Licking her lips, Linlin’s enormous body suddenly moved with a speed completely at odds with her size.
The thundercloud beneath her feet, Zeus, chirped happily as it carried her high into the sky.
At the same time, a blazing mass of living fire appeared in her left hand, taking the shape of a miniature sun that radiated scorching heat.
“Prometheus!” “Zeus!” With the blazing sun in one hand and the thundercloud beneath her feet, Linlin resembled a demon god descending upon the mortal world.
This was the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit, which allowed her to grant souls to inanimate objects and turn them into utterly loyal servants.
“If you refuse to submit…” “Then you’ll become part of my collection!” With a shrill cry, she hurled Prometheus like a blazing meteor toward Rocks’ ship, its heat seemingly capable of incinerating everything in its path.
At the same time, Zeus gathered an immense mass of lightning in his mouth before firing a colossal bolt straight at Newgate.
The combined attack possessed enough power to obliterate an entire Marine battleship—and the surrounding sea along with it.
“Gurararara!
Is that all?” Instead of retreating, Newgate charged forward.
He didn’t even bother using the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
He simply swung the naginata in his hand.
A flying slash formed entirely from Conqueror’s Haki tore through the air.
The mountain-cleaving lightning shattered like fragile glass the instant it collided with the slash, exploding into countless tiny arcs before vanishing.
Meanwhile, facing the blazing meteor capable of melting steel, Rocks couldn’t even be bothered to lift his eyelids.
He merely raised his right hand and made a grasping motion toward the incoming flames.
“Black Vortex.” A pitch-black gravitational vortex appeared directly in Prometheus’s path, swallowing even the surrounding light.
The instant the living flame touched the darkness, it vanished without so much as a struggle.
Silently.
Completely.
As though it had never existed.
“What?!” For the first time, genuine shock appeared on Linlin’s face.
Her two strongest Homies had been neutralized so effortlessly?
“Wahahaha!
Gatz!
You’re up!” Rocks laughed as he gave the order.
“OOOOOH!” Unable to hold himself back any longer, Gatz let out an excited roar.
He kicked off the deck with tremendous force.
His massive body shot skyward like a black cannonball, charging directly toward Charlotte Linlin.
“Great Anchor: Meteor Crash!” Swinging the gigantic anchor in his hands, Gatz created an impenetrable black whirlwind before bringing it crashing down toward Linlin’s head.
A trace of disdain flashed across Linlin’s eyes.
A mere crew member dared attack her?
She raised Napoleon to meet the blow.
CLANG!
The deafening metallic collision echoed across the battlefield.
Gatz felt an overwhelming force surge through Napoleon into his own weapon.
The skin between his thumb and forefinger split open instantly.
His entire body was blasted away like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily onto the deck before skidding more than ten meters.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
With a single exchange, the difference in strength was unmistakable.
“Worthless trash.” Linlin snorted coldly before locking her gaze onto Rocks and Newgate once more.
Just as she prepared to attack again— A silver blur silently appeared behind her.
Silver.
At some point, he had already slipped into her blind spot.
His spear shot forward like a venomous serpent lying in wait, thrusting soundlessly toward the back of her neck.
That single thrust embodied every ounce of his strength, spirit, and killing intent.
It represented the absolute pinnacle of his assassination techniques.
Yet when the spearhead came within a centimeter of Linlin’s skin…
It stopped.
An invisible barrier of Conqueror’s Haki blocked the attack completely.
.
“Hm?” “Armament Haki…
and Conqueror’s Haki coating?” “Now that’s interesting.” Linlin didn’t even bother turning around.
She simply swung Napoleon backward with one hand.
Silver’s pupils contracted.
He immediately withdrew his spear and leaped back, but the club was far too fast.
He only managed to raise the shaft of his spear in time to block.
BANG!
A tremendous force sent Silver flying as well.
Although he twisted his body midair and landed safely on his feet, the arm holding his spear trembled uncontrollably.
“Gurararara…
the warm-up’s over.” Newgate planted his naginata firmly onto the deck.
An invisible shockwave spread outward, calming even the raging seas around the ship.
“Rocks, leave this woman to me.
You stay and keep an eye on the ship.” “No.” Rocks shook his head.
He strode forward until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Newgate, his burning gaze fixed on Linlin hovering overhead.
“She’s mine.” “You just deal with those two flying pests.” “Wahahaha!
Fine!” “Let’s see who finishes off their opponent first!” The two men who would one day rule the seas reached an unspoken agreement.
Watching the two terrifying figures below, Charlotte Linlin’s excitement only grew.
“Coming at me together?” “Perfect!” “Saves me the trouble of dealing with you one at a time!” Laughing wildly, she directed Zeus and Prometheus into battle.
A fierce melee erupted amid the White Storm—an unstoppable natural disaster.
The battle opened with thunder and fire.
“Emperor Sword: Ikoku!” Charlotte Linlin seized Prometheus in her hand.
The living flame instantly swelled, transforming into a colossal blazing sword that swept horizontally toward Rocks and Newgate below.
The slash seemed capable of splitting the sky and sea in two.
Its scorching heat was so intense that even the torrential rain in the distance evaporated before reaching it.
“Gurararara!” Newgate laughed and charged forward instead of retreating.
Gripping his naginata with both hands, he swung with all his might.
“Seaquake!” CRACK!
The space before him fractured like a mirror struck by a giant hammer, filling with spiderweb-like cracks.
The blazing Emperor Sword entered the shattered space, and its flames immediately became unstable before exploding over a hundred meters away from the ship, scattering into a rain of fire.
“Zeus!
Thunderbolt!” Linlin launched another attack without pause.
Zeus opened his mouth and unleashed countless bolts of lightning, weaving them into a massive electrical net that descended upon Newgate.
“Your opponent…” “…is me.” A cold voice rang out.
Rocks had appeared in midair without anyone noticing.
Standing upon an invisible field of gravity as though walking on solid ground, he calmly raised a single finger toward the descending net of lightning.
With a gentle tap— An overwhelming repulsive force erupted.
The enormous web of electricity, powerful enough to cripple an entire fleet, was torn open through the middle before being forced apart by an irresistible power, finally dispersing into nothingness.
“Your Devil Fruit…” “…is quite interesting.” Linlin stared at Rocks, the greed in her eyes burning even brighter.
“My collection just so happens to be missing someone who can control gravity.” “Is that so?” Rocks grinned savagely.
“My crew also happens to be missing a durable punching bag.” Before his words had even finished— He vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared directly before Linlin.
A devastating punch coated in crackling Conqueror’s Haki slammed toward her face.
Linlin reacted instantly, raising Napoleon horizontally to block.
BOOM!
The collision between fist and club exploded with a deafening roar.
A visible shockwave burst outward from the two of them, forcing the sea below into a massive crater-like depression.
Linlin let out a muffled grunt as the overwhelming force drove her backward dozens of meters.
“The strength of this bastard…” Before she could finish speaking, Rocks’ assault continued like an unrelenting storm.
Fists.
Kicks.
Elbows.
Knees.
He pushed his hand-to-hand combat to its absolute limit, every strike landing with pinpoint precision in the smallest gaps of Linlin’s defense.
He didn’t rely on flashy Devil Fruit abilities.
Instead, he crushed her through sheer physical might and overwhelmingly domineering Haki.
Meanwhile, Newgate turned his attention to Prometheus and Zeus.
“You two little brats…” “Get down here!” He drove a punch toward the sky.
An invisible shockwave spread outward.
Prometheus and Zeus were blasted off balance, tumbling through the air as they cried out in pain.
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