Falling from the sky toward the sea was none other than BIGMOM.
"Mom!"
Hera frantically followed close behind, darting toward the spot where BIGMOM was plummeting.
Yet before she could get close, BIGMOM's massive figure suddenly came to an abrupt halt midair. With a stomp, she used the recoil to forcefully leap out from between the waves, landing steadily on Hera's back.
"Mamamama! No need to worry, Hera!"
BIGMOM wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "This level… this is nothing! Not even enough to warm up!"
"Xiano, you brat!"
She suddenly looked up, her crimson eyes locking onto the black figure high in the sky.
Xiano hovered above, looking down from his vantage point, the Authentic Blade wrapped in black-and-red lightning, its tip pointed straight below.
Sky Dance Technique.
On the way to Totto Land, he had refined it a bit more. Though he hadn't mastered it completely, using it in battle was no longer much of an issue.
"Mamamama, so you can fly…"
BIGMOM grinned. "No idea how you're doing it, but flying higher than me is really pissing me off… Hey! Prometheus, help me drag this bastard down!!"
"Got it, Mom!"
Prometheus let out a loud cry as it detached from her hair. In the next instant, the massive Napoleon sword clenched tightly in BIGMOM's hand erupted with towering flames!
At the same time.
The Hera thundercloud beneath her feet burst with blinding lightning, propelling her upward.
"Blade Mother's Flame!"
The surging torrent of flames expanded wildly as it raced forward, nearly swallowing half the sky.
The sight was nothing short of apocalyptic. The sudden, scorching heat above made many of the fighters below involuntarily look up.
"If all you've got is flames, that's far from enough, you old hag!"
Xiano, however, seemed utterly unfazed by the oncoming inferno. With a scoff, he didn't retreat—instead, he dove downward, his blade slicing through the air as torrents of black-and-red lightning cascaded with it!
"Divine Departure!"
The black-and-red slash surged forth like divine retribution, piercing through the sea of flames and splitting the fiery torrent cleanly in two!
Why this move again?
BIGMOM's pupils contracted slightly as she swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the residual shockwave of Divine Departure.
She glanced back at the ocean, now split by a chasm thousands of meters long, her expression darkening instantly.
As the queen of the soul realm, she knew quality when she saw it. She could clearly sense the terrifying will imbued within that slash.
It was an absolute strength that neither flames could burn nor lightning could shake.
True to its name…
A force so overwhelming, even gods would retreat!
Whether it was Prometheus or Hera, neither of their strengths alone could withstand this slash—they would be forced back without any chance of resistance.
There was no room for a stalemate. There was no way they could repel him!
"Mamamama, so…"
"We'll just have to fuse!"
BIGMOM sneered as she landed on the ice, raising the massive Napoleon sword high above her head.
The blazing solar fireball lunged forward, biting onto the hilt of the sword, while Hera surged violently at the tip, gradually merging with it.
The three Homies had now become one.
"Mamamamama! Witness the strength of an Emperor!"
With BIGMOM's maniacal laughter, the energy rings on the sword suddenly expanded, transforming into a black-and-red vortex of thunder and flames over ten meters in diameter.
Blinding white, violet-black, and fiery-orange energies spiraled together, ionizing the surrounding air into dazzling arcs of light. When the energy reached its peak—
BIGMOM swung her sword with a roar!
"Bright Light Cannon!"
A cataclysmic torrent of energy erupted, shooting skyward!
Where it passed, glaciers vaporized, seawater evaporated, and even space itself twisted and trembled.
In the sky, Xiano's black hair whipped wildly in the gale, his face contorting from the force—yet his response remained unchanged. He simply raised his sword—
"Divine Departure!"
A blinding cross-shaped slash of light flashed!
The slash descended from the heavens, colliding with the Bright Light Cannon. Countless thick black-and-red lightning bolts intertwined with the tri-colored energy torrent, unleashing a deafening explosion like a collapsing mountain and raging sea!
Fortunately.
The two attacks clashed high in the air, one from above and one from below. Otherwise, the vast glacial battlefield would have been completely shattered!
The aftershocks of a battle between Sea Emperors…
Were no joke!
Even so.
The terrifying shockwave spread outward in an arc, dispersing the dark clouds gathered for kilometers around, revealing an endless expanse of azure sky.
Hiss! BIGMOM's massive body slid backward from the recoil, carving two deep trenches into the ice as she skidded dozens of meters.
"An attack of this caliber… and still a stalemate?"
BIGMOM bared her teeth, licking the roof of her mouth.
"Truly worthy of the title 'World's Greatest Swordsman.' Your swordsmanship is even more impressive than I imagined, brat!"
On the other side.
Xiano was also sent flying by the shockwave, tumbling several times in midair before barely regaining his balance.
"Hmph…"
He glanced down at his slightly numb right arm and grinned. When this old hag got serious, her power was nothing to scoff at.
Truth be told.
Though this was their first clash, both had long regarded the other as an equal, leaving no room for underestimation.
That was why, in less than half an hour, the warm-up phase had ended entirely—plunging them straight into the heat of battle!
Again!
Whoosh—!
A black shadow flickered as Xiano vanished from the sky.
"Oh?"
BIGMOM frowned, crimson light flashing in her eyes as her Observation Haki precisely locked onto a blurry afterimage.
"Mamamamama! You can't hide from me, brat Xiano!"
As for where he would reappear—
"Right here!"
With a grotesque grin, she twisted her massive body with unexpected agility, flipping three or four times midair before reversing her grip on the sword and thrusting toward the black figure that had just materialized.
"Mama Raid!"
Her preemptive defense turned the tables, seizing the initiative. Against a less experienced opponent, this strike would have landed a devastating blow the moment they reappeared.
However, despite Xiano's young age, he had faced numerous formidable opponents no weaker than himself along his journey, making him no less prepared in this regard.
Thus.
The response BIGMOM received remained those same two words—
"Divine Departure!"
The Bright Light Cannon, after gathering energy, unleashed a force powerful enough to offset the frontal impact of Divine Departure.
But this sudden, swift sword strike clearly wasn't up to the task.
"Ugh—!"
BIGMOM cried out in pain as Napoleon slipped from her grasp. Caught off guard, her massive body was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through seven or eight Tart ships in a row without losing momentum.
She soared off the icy battlefield, over the sea, and finally crashed onto a large island over ten kilometers away...
BOOM!!!
BIGMOM's enormous frame plummeted into the sandy shore like a meteor, sending a towering sand plume dozens of meters high.
The entire island trembled from the impact, and colossal waves surged along the nearby coast.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Amid the dust, BIGMOM staggered to her feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
She glanced down at her chest, where a gruesome wound stretched across her torso, flesh torn open and blood seeping relentlessly.
A surge of fury ignited within her. Gnashing her teeth, she glared at the figure descending from the sky and roared in humiliated rage:
"What the hell?! Brat Xiano! The so-called World's Greatest Swordsman—is this the only move you know?!"
Divine Departure, Divine Departure... an endless barrage of Divine Departure!
A trump card of this caliber must consume an enormous amount of stamina. Using it once as an opening move was one thing, but spamming it nonstop?
Did he really think he could cut her down with nothing but Divine Departure? No one in the world could pull that off—who was he trying to fool?!
"I just wanted to see how many strikes it would take to break through your Iron Balloon."
A calm voice drifted down.
Xiano landed gracefully, his feet touching the sand.
Surveying BIGMOM's mangled wound, he finally nodded in satisfaction before casually tossing his Greatsword into the air.
Clang!
The blade plunged straight down, sheathing itself effortlessly.
"I believe in fairness. Since you've lost your sword, it's only right that I don't use mine either."
Seriously?
BIGMOM eyed him skeptically.
Only when she saw Xiano crack his neck, producing a series of bone-chilling pops, and then actually assume a bare-handed stance did her disbelief turn to shock.
"With no one else around, I might as well speak plainly."
Her gaze locked onto Xiano's face. "Not just your strength—I've always admired your spirit. If a new era truly has arrived... then its sole legend can only be you! No one else could ever stand beside you!"
But then again...
This was the same man who had gone toe-to-toe with Kaido in hand-to-hand combat. How reliant could he really be on swordsmanship?
"Menopausal old hags sure are moody. Now you're praising me?"
Xiano continued stretching his neck, unfazed. "Does that mean Bonney's situation is negotiable?"
"Don't push your luck, brat."
BIGMOM straightened up with a cold laugh, baring her teeth. "At our level, there's no need to fight and kill like those lowly pirates. Most things can be negotiated... but Bonney—that little brat—I'll never hand her over!"
The one thing she desired most—how could she ever let it go?
After finally getting her back, losing her for even a single day was unacceptable.
That gluttonous, adorable little girl with pink hair just like hers had to stay by her side until the day she was buried in her coffin!
"Figured as much."
Xiano smirked, glancing around. "Speaking of which, why is this island so deserted? Where are the residents? Don't tell me you ate them all?"
"?"
A vein bulged on BIGMOM's forehead. "What kind of nonsense is that?! What do you take me for, you damn brat?! Look closer—doesn't this island seem familiar?!"
Oh?
Xiano flashed to a higher vantage point, scanning the surroundings before landing back on the beach with sudden realization.
Nodding at BIGMOM, he said, "Ah, so it's that island Golden Lion dropped back then."
"Exactly!"
THUD! THUD!
BIGMOM's expression twisted as she widened her stance, raising her fists. Pitch-black Armament Haki instantly coated her arms.
"It took a hell of an effort to move this island to the outskirts of Totto Land's waters as the 35th territory of my kingdom. Construction just started—there's no one here yet! Perfect, isn't it?! Now we can go all out!"
Swordsmanship was just a side skill for her.
With this body of unparalleled natural strength, even without much training, her Martial Arts were unmatched by almost anyone in the world!
"Couldn't agree more!"
Xiano burst into laughter, clenching his fists as overwhelming Armament Haki surged forth like a tidal wave.
"Then let's settle this with our fists!"
WHOOSH!
The two erupted into motion simultaneously, streaking toward each other at speeds beyond human sight.
As Sea Emperors, their physical prowess was something ordinary people could only dream of.
But beyond that—
BIGMOM's massive fist was wreathed in pale soul-fire, like a spiked knuckle-duster, amplifying both defense and impact. Meanwhile, Xiano's fist crackled with black-and-red lightning as they collided violently in the center of the beach.
BOOM!!!!
A terrifying Shockwave exploded outward, blasting away hundreds of meters of sand and exposing the bedrock beneath.
The force sent waves surging outward, forming a ring-shaped tsunami dozens of meters high.
"MAMAMAMA! Now this is a fight!"
BIGMOM's pink hair whipped wildly as she threw her head back, laughing before swinging her other fist.
"How many years—how many years has it been since I've had such a thrilling brawl?!"
CRACK!
Xiano sidestepped, lashing out with a whip-like kick that slammed into BIGMOM's thick waist.
THUD!
A deafening impact!
BIGMOM grunted, her face contorting—but she didn't budge an inch. Instead, she seized his ankle mid-recoil.
"That hurt, you bastard! But now I've got you!"
Her eyes gleamed with malice as she swung Xiano overhead and smashed him into the ground.
"THUNDER BAGUA!!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Xiano was hammered into the earth three times like a nail.
The person was unharmed, but the bedrock beneath couldn't hold any longer. With thunderous cracks spreading rapidly toward the island's center, the ground shook as if from an earthquake.
"Couldn't come up with a name on the spot, so you stole that guy's move? But if you're going to use that name, this level is far from enough! Hey, Linlin, put some more effort into it!"
"Oh? Is that so? Then as you wish!"
BIGMOM let out a ferocious laugh as she tightly gripped Xiano and raised him to her highest point.
Just as she prepared to slam him down for the fourth time, Xiano's eyes sharpened. With a sudden twist of his core, he flipped free from her grasp while scissoring his legs around her wrist with crushing force.
In the next instant—
Using the rotational momentum, he explosively pivoted with terrifying speed and power, hurling the massive frame of this Sea Emperor high into the air!
"You've got some nerve! Don't even think about it! In close-quarters combat, there's no way I'd lose to you, you old hag!"
He roared with laughter as his fists erupted with blinding black-red light—Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki Infusion perfectly merging at his knuckles. His entire body launched skyward like a cannonball.
Whoosh!
In a flash, he soared past BIGMOM's height, positioning himself directly above her. Grinning down with a mouth full of gleaming teeth, he bellowed:
"Galaxy... IMPACT!"
The full-force strike—
Landed square on BIGMOM's abdomen!
Her colossal, corpulent frame cratered into the island's center like a meteorite, the devastating impact instantly shattering the already compromised bedrock.
The entire island trembled violently beneath deafening tremors.
Then—crack! A monstrous fissure erupted from the impact point, violently expanding north and south toward the coasts at breakneck speed!
BOOOOM—!
With an earth-shattering roar, the island—which had miraculously survived being dropped from 10,000 meters by the Golden Lion—was now cleanly split in two by this single punch...
(End of Chapter)