"Soufflé!"
Suddenly, a low, booming voice reached Aeridar, startling him. He quickly focused his gaze downward.
On the ground below, Charlotte Linlin stood holding the giant sabre Napoleon, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at him. What was most surprising was that her body and clothing were completely undamaged—she was utterly unscathed.
"Just how much consciousness... does she still have?"
Staring into Big Mom's bloodshot eyes, which were filled with savagery and rage, Aeridar's heart sank. A chilling sensation ran down his spine.
"I'm going to chop you in half!"
In an instant, Charlotte Linlin's aura surged dramatically, almost coalescing into a strong gale.
At the same time, the giant sabre Napoleon in her hand began to change form. The blade curved upward, transforming into a massive, jagged greatsword. The blade now had a mouth filled with sharp teeth and eyes that glared with a ferocious light.
Immediately following this, Prometheus the sun covered the greatsword, forming a blade of scorching, raging fire.
"Cognac: Hahaba!"
Charlotte Linlin stamped her foot and suddenly launched into the air. Zeus followed immediately, carrying her body quickly upward. She swung the giant Blazing Blade in her hand, instantly unleashing a slash into the sky. The intense, raging flames scorched the air, making it searing hot.
Facing Big Mom's full-power attack, the terrifying might was frightening. Aeridar felt there was almost nowhere to run, as his focus had been completely locked onto by her Haki. No matter which direction he fled, he would be subjected to a fierce strike.
However, Aeridar did not retreat. Even setting aside the fact that his Soru could easily break such a lock, he himself was not afraid of Big Mom's power.
"I'll keep this size! Armament Hardening, Impact Fist: Twin Bear Pillars!!!"
Aeridar roared. His already thick right arm swelled up another notch, veins popping out. Armament Haki coated the entire arm in a pitch-black, metallic sheen.
As he swung his punch, faint ripples appeared in the air in front of his fist, immediately releasing a burst of kinetic energy, a sonic boom.
The giant sabre and the fist instantly collided.
CLANG!
RUMBLE…
The immense sound was like the striking of a colossal bell, nearly deafening. Searing, high-temperature flames burned in the air. A twisted wave of heat appeared first, sweeping outwards, followed immediately by a visible ring of white air, a veritable hurricane that swept in all directions.
The ground below fractured over a vast area, sending massive amounts of dust flying. The thick dark clouds high in the sky were thinned by the blast, and even Prometheus was blown away by the hurricane, vanishing from sight for a moment.
Outside the Seducing Woods.
"He... he took Mama's Cognac!"
Mont-d'Or, struggling to stand firm in the hurricane, watched in shock, his eyes bulging.
"That shockwave is a natural disaster! Is that guy a monster too?" Brûlée hid behind Katakuri, not daring to show her face.
Katakuri stared up at the sky. The ground beneath his feet continuously shifted and rippled, transforming into a glutinous, mochi-like substance. It then rapidly rose, forming a thick mochi wall that protected both him and Brûlée from the rampant hurricane.
"Sweet Fortress!"
Perospero extended his arm. Immediately, a massive amount of sticky candy flowed out, quickly forming a thick candy barrier in front of them.
"Such powerful strength! What a perfect man!" Smoothie folded her arms, standing behind Perospero's candy barrier.
Glancing at Smoothie, Perospero extended his long tongue to lick the candy cane he held, muttering with a frown, "That guy's gotten so much stronger. He definitely didn't have this level of power back at Gran Tesoro!"
"This monster!"
Cracker, hidden inside his Biscuit Soldier, stabilized himself and cursed under his breath.
As for the others, like Bobbin the Sweeper, Randolph the Crane Rider, and Diesel the Mysterious Chimney Man, they were struggling fiercely in the hurricane, having been knocked down several times already.
Clang, clang, clang, clang...
Just moments later, the initial blow proving futile, Charlotte Linlin, standing on Zeus, continued to swing the giant Napoleon blade madly at Aeridar.
With the aid of his formidable Armament Haki, Aeridar refused to back down. His entire body was hardened by Armament Haki, making him a metal-like sculpture, a slaughtering machine that clashed fiercely with Charlotte Linlin.
The blade and the fist continuously collided. The powerful kinetic energy formed ring after ring of air ripples spreading outward. Ripples of explosive air constantly erupted, carrying terrifying vibrations that radiated the monstrous power of both combatants.
Following the initial clash, visible Impact Waves, air cannons, blazing high-temperature flames, powerful lightning, and colossal slashes capable of splitting mountains and seas bloomed like fireworks in the sky...
This was two monsters wantonly displaying their mighty strength, powers as great as gods and devils!
After what felt like an eternity, Katakuri suddenly turned his head and asked, "Ask the head chef, is the soufflé ready yet?"
"Ah?"
Brûlée was first startled, then hurriedly replied, "Oh, it's almost done! They said it was put in the oven to bake fifteen minutes ago!"
"Understood!"
Katakuri nodded, his gaze toward the sky growing darker.
Though he felt a twinge of jealousy toward that man's strength, as one of the main leaders of the Charlotte Family and the Big Mom Pirates, he knew his mother had entered a true frenzy, and her opponent was also nearing the point of unleashing his full power.
Katakuri knew the battle absolutely could not continue. If that man were allowed to use the powers of the Float-Float Fruit and the Impact-Impact Fruit together, the entirety of Whole Cake Island would be sunk in the fight between him and his mother. This was a consequence and a spectacle he was desperate to avoid.
Suddenly, a blue figure swiftly darted past the crowd, running towards the Seducing Woods, leaving only a rich aroma of milk and sweet orange.
"That's… Jinbe the Knight of the Sea!" Katakuri focused his eyes and recognized the blue figure.
Katakuri then saw a cake, larger than a millstone, clutched in Jinbe's arms. His eyes widened in surprise: "Wait! What he's holding is... the kitchen finished it already?!"
With a change of thought, Katakuri quickly shouted, "Brûlée, get behind Cracker!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Brûlée, still confused, watched as Katakuri dispersed the mochi wall in front of him. Wielding his trident, he burst out, following right behind Jinbe.
Brûlée's strength was low, so she couldn't clearly see what was happening, but Perospero, Cracker, and Smoothie all understood.
Cracker actively shielded Brûlée, blocking the fierce hurricane.
In the center of the Seducing Woods, directly beneath the battle between Aeridar and Big Mom, Jinbe carried a millstone-sized orange Soufflé. He struggled through the hurricane, shouting loudly toward the sky.
"The Soufflé is here!!"