Swoosh!
Seawater violently poured into the fissure, stirring up towering waves.
Through the spray, BIGMOM could faintly be seen half-buried in the crevice of the rock layer, her chest caved in with a massive fist imprint.
This punch—hurt!
It hurt so much!
Just the residual shockwave from the strike was enough to split the entire island in two.
As for BIGMOM, who took the full brunt of the blow, the pain was indescribable.
Even with her Iron Balloon physique, she was now grimacing in agony, her wrinkled face twisted into a knot.
"Four... no, five ribs broken?"
BIGMOM endured the excruciating pain, trembling as she stretched out her thick palm. When she opened it, a Soul Bubble emerged.
Half pink, half purple, about the size of an average person's head.
"Mamamama! What a punch, brat! It's been ages since I've suffered such severe injuries!"
But.
Her lips curled into a sinister grin.
Wounds of this level could be healed at any time!
"I grant you life—awaken, mend, my bones!!!"
BIGMOM roared. The Soul Bubble merged into her chest, and the fractured bones emitted cracking sounds. The next moment, cheerful, childlike singing voices rang out—
"Yes, Mama!"
"Don't worry, Mama!"
"We'll stitch you right up!"
Amid the sounds of children laughing and playing, the broken ribs rapidly healed, and the caved-in chest swelled back to normal.
"Mamamama! Well done, such good children!"
BIGMOM laughed heartily in satisfaction.
In the next instant.
She pushed off the ground with force, leaping out of the fissure. Her massive body flipped nimbly midair before landing steadily atop a banana tree.
"See that, brat!"
BIGMOM thumped her fully restored chest, producing dull thuds:
"This is my power! Even if my heart were torn apart, I could still fix it! You're a hundred years too early to defeat me with just this much!"
Xiano hovered in midair, casting a pitying glance at the banana tree before looking back at her.
The Soul-Soul Fruit had been developed to such an extent—its abilities were indeed bizarre and diverse, too many to count.
Even with her already being an "Iron Balloon," she could still wield such eerie soul-based regenerative powers. It made no sense...
No wonder she could recklessly abuse her body yet still reign over the seas for decades.
"Truly impressive. But there's one thing I'm quite curious about."
He studied BIGMOM's chest with keen interest. "Just how many times can these soul-infused body parts repair themselves?"
There had to be a limit!
Where was the breaking point?
He wanted to see!
Whoosh!
Before the words even faded, Xiano's figure vanished.
Hm?
Such speed!
BIGMOM's pupils instinctively contracted, but she quickly regained composure, chuckling lowly. "Mamamama, as expected, even at our level of strength, there are still flaws."
"Just like you are now, no matter how hard you try to hide it, your presence still shines like a star in the night sky—so easy to lock onto!!!"
Might as well use that move.
Although Napoleon hadn't arrived yet, it didn't matter. When she first learned this technique, she had executed it with her bare fists!
"Elbaf's Spear…"
She suddenly turned, grinning fiercely as she clenched her fist!
"Might Nation!!!"
"Might Nation!!!"
Two deafening roars erupted simultaneously. BIGMOM and Xiano, who had flashed into view, adopted identical stances at that very moment.
Their right arms pulled back in the opposite direction, muscles bulging and coiling, compressing and condensing their strength to the limit before unleashing it with full force!
The only difference was:
BIGMOM unleashed a pure purple energy wave in an arc.
Meanwhile, Xiano—that guy whose Conqueror's Haki seemed inexhaustible—had wrapped his attack in black-red lightning!
BOOM!!!!
Two world-shattering shockwaves collided violently, tearing through space itself. The resulting shockwaves swept outward, flattening nearly all vegetation on the island.
How was this possible?!
BIGMOM's face twitched uncontrollably as she watched her own fist being forced back inch by inch.
Her proudest technique, mastered since childhood, was now being suppressed by the same move from her opponent!
Well, it wasn't surprising, given how recklessly he abused Supreme Haki Infusion…
But the real issue was—
"Hey, you bastard! You've never even been to Elbaf, so how do you know this move?!" she couldn't help but roar in frustration.
Could it be…?
Had that world's strongest nation—the one she had yearned for years to ally with but failed to win over ever since Lola ran away—somehow formed ties with the Curtain Closer behind her back?!
"Guess?"
A calm voice came from behind her.
Oh no!
BIGMOM snapped back to reality. Her obsession with the giants had distracted her so much that she hadn't even noticed Xiano shifting positions again.
She hastily turned to counter, but it was already too late.
As she spun around, she was met with a Conqueror's Haki-infused whip kick from Xiano!
CRACK!
The kick landed squarely on BIGMOM's chest, sending her massive body spinning through the air before crashing into a mountainside, collapsing half of it.
"Guh—!"
Amid the rubble, she spat out a mouthful of blood and pushed herself up with one hand. Meanwhile, the bones that had been cheerfully singing earlier now wailed pitifully:
"Oww, Mama!"
"It's breaking, it's breaking!"
"Waaah, this meanie keeps hitting the same spot!"
"SHUT UP!" BIGMOM bellowed furiously. "This isn't the time for your whining! Hurry up and fix yourselves!"
"Y-yes, Mama!"
The bones sniffled and obeyed, the fractured ribs slowly knitting back together under the power of her soul.
But this time, the healing was noticeably slower than before.
"So there's a limit after all."
Xiano hovered midair, watching as the bones on BIGMOM's chest struggled to mend. A grin spread across his face:
"If there's a limit, then this'll be easy."
At this rate, one more direct hit would prevent those bones from fully healing before the battle ended—and the same went for the rest of her body.
Comparing the two sides…
His regenerative ability was endless as long as his stamina held out—surpassing even BIGMOM's!
Then there was nothing left to hesitate about!
He would escalate the battle further, adopting a brutal, injury-for-injury fighting style to utterly tear apart, shatter, and destroy this Iron Balloon!
This fight would determine not just superiority, but life and death!
"Mamamamama! You think it's that easy?" BIGMOM's expression grew increasingly ferocious. "Bold words, brat!"
"Mother!"
At that moment, Prometheus, Hera, and Napoleon finally rushed back from the distance, rejoining BIGMOM's side.
"Oh, you're back."
BIGMOM bared her teeth. "Perfect timing. Hey, rejoin the fight, all three of you!"
"Yes, Mother!"
That youthful, formidable physique was truly enviable.
Even she, who prided herself on her own unparalleled talent, had to admit that this brat wasn't just skilled in swordsmanship—his close-quarters combat ability was in no way inferior to hers!
In fact, it might even be slightly superior!
And after being suppressed for so long, she had to face the truth: to crush him, her fists alone wouldn't be enough.
The strength of her three Homies was indispensable!
"Mamamamama! Guess I'll have to stick to my most familiar fighting style. I let you have your fun just now, but it's my turn to counterattack, you little runt, Xiano!"
She raised her head, gripping her sword hilt tightly once more. Their cold, murderous gazes locked onto each other—then, in the same instant, they vanished from their spots, charging toward one another!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sky above the island erupted with continuous sonic booms.
The sheer scale of the commotion was so immense that even the distant glacial battlefield could hear it clearly…
——————
"Mother!"
Katakuri's expression shifted slightly as he abruptly turned, looking toward the direction of the island split in two.
The disturbances coming from there were simply too overwhelming to ignore.
By now, the sun had set, night gradually falling as the sky darkened completely.
Naturally, nothing could be seen with the naked eye.
But in the vague impressions conveyed by his Observation Haki…
Mother…
Her aura was noticeably more erratic. Had she actually been at a disadvantage in their earlier exchanges?
Katakuri narrowed his eyes, a shadow crossing his face.
But upon calming down, he realized it didn't matter much.
After all, battles between Sea Emperors often lasted for days and nights. Gaining the upper hand or being suppressed was common, but determining a true victor—let alone life and death—was exceedingly rare.
Especially when it came to the so-called "Four Emperors"… not a single one was easy to kill!
Therefore, what truly concerned him at this moment was the state of his siblings' battles on this frozen battlefield.
Not good.
Not good at all…
Snack, at least, held the advantage, suppressing his opponent—some guy whose name he couldn't recall, but who apparently had a similar-sounding name.
As for Perospero, with his vast experience and wisdom, he was making things difficult for Xiano's sister, who was struggling in their fight.
Those two weren't a concern. Given a little more time, they'd likely secure victory. But the others…
Especially Smoothie. Not long ago, a surge of Conqueror's Haki had erupted from her direction—sharp as a blade, piercing the heavens. There was no way that could have belonged to his sister.
"Tch, now's not the time to lose focus!"
Jack's furious voice rang out as his twin sickles, wrapped in thick and violent Haki, slashed down fiercely. "What the hell, have you forgotten? Your opponent is me, Katakuri!"
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed across the battlefield. Katakuri hastily blocked the attack but was forced back several steps by the overwhelming force.
He glanced down at the blood seeping from his palms and let out a cold snort.
"Ohohoho! Finally drew blood!" Jack grinned triumphantly, revealing his bloodstained fangs. "You're finally paying the price for your arrogance, you bastard!"
This was fucking tough!
While Katakuri had just started bleeding, Jack was already covered in wounds from head to toe.
How could this monster in human skin be so strong?!
Even when facing Admiral Aokiji or Kaido back in the day, he hadn't felt this much pressure!
"Don't get cocky!" Katakuri's eyes flashed with cold intensity.
The situation was worse than he'd anticipated. He'd already been held up for too long—he needed to push harder and end this quickly!
Crack!
His Trident Earth Dragon plunged downward.
The upper layers of ice, untouched by seawater, were instantly assimilated by his Awakened ability, transforming into flowing mochi.
Controlled as effortlessly as his own limbs!
"Down!" Katakuri roared, pressing the trident further. The mochi-assimilated ice followed, exerting tremendous downward force. Within moments, the ice layer spanning hundreds of meters collapsed with a deafening crash.
It was a total, catastrophic collapse—everything happened too fast for anyone to react.
Jack barely had time to register what was happening before his massive body lost its footing and plummeted into the freezing sea.
"Gurgle—"
Seawater flooded Jack's mouth and nose. Panic flashed across his face as he instinctively flailed his limbs, trying to swim upward.
As a Fish-man, even as a Devil Fruit Ability User, he could still breathe and remain conscious underwater.
But a drowning man was still a drowning man.
The overwhelming weakness rapidly consumed his body, and his twelve-meter-tall frame sank like a stone.
"It's over." Katakuri stood at the edge of the ice hole, coldly watching the blurred figure sinking into the depths.
He wasn't a fool.
Halfway through the fight, he'd realized this Ancient Zoan mammoth was too damn tanky to break through easily.
A little more thought made it clear—this guy had been arranged by the Curtain Closer specifically to stall him.
Could he defeat Jack?
Absolutely, without a doubt.
But using conventional methods would take at least an entire night. By the time the sun rose, his siblings might already be dead or severely injured!
What meaning did so-called "manly victory and glory" hold in such a situation?
Family—his sisters—were what mattered most!
Scanning the battlefield with Observation Haki, Katakuri decided to go support Smoothie first.
Kuina, the Curtain Closer's Vice-Captain, was his rightful opponent anyway!
Moreover, Smoothie's energy was rapidly weakening—she clearly wouldn't last much longer.
Gripping his trident, Katakuri turned to leave.
But then—
A sudden disturbance!
Boom!
A streak of silver lightning split the sea's surface as Agin burst upward, gripping Jack by the scruff of his neck. The massive wolf landed gracefully on the distant ice, sending water spraying everywhere, and casually dropped the towering warrior.
"Thanks!"
Jack flipped himself upright, panting heavily, drenched from head to toe—yet the fighting spirit in his eyes remained undiminished. He patted Agin's head with a wide grin and said,
"Nice work, Senior Agin!"
Agin dodged his large hand with a look of disdain, not bothering to respond, and immediately transformed back into a silvery blur as it dashed off into the distance.
With its incredible mobility and seasoned lifeguard experience, Agin had become the most versatile mobile support strength on this battlefield.
Jack scratched his head awkwardly, watching Agin disappear into the distance before shifting his gaze to Katakuri's face.
"You're not getting away that easy! Otherwise, my crew's gonna be in big trouble!"
He wiped the seawater from his face and roared fiercely,
"I'll stake my life on keeping you right here! Getting knocked into the sea was my own carelessness—but once is enough! There won't be a second time!"
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