This strike pierced straight through the ground.
BIGMOM's skull caved inward at the back of her head. Her vision blurred as she lay there, gasping violently for breath.
Her pink hair was disheveled and spread wildly, while blood continuously spilled from the corners of her mouth, staining a large swath of the rocky surface crimson.
Despite struggling with all her might, her massive frame still couldn't rise.
"Mamamamama... It's been so, so many years since anyone's made me this pathetic, you damn brat!"
Veins bulged at her temples as she mustered all her strength, letting out a furious roar before finally leaping out of the crater. She landed with a thunderous impact, glaring viciously at Xiano, who hovered in the air.
"Same to you, you damn hag!"
Xiano grinned back, meeting her gaze.
He, too, was covered in bloodstains, his black cloak tattered and torn. Bruises and lacerations marked his face, neck, and chest, while his fists were a mangled mess of flesh.
His opponent was one of the veteran Four Emperors!
In a life-or-death battle against such a monster, even with formidable regenerative abilities, maintaining a pristine appearance was impossible amidst relentless combat!
"Prometheus! Hera! Where the hell are you all?!!"
BIGMOM drew Napoleon and howled at the sky.
"Mom, we're here!"
Prometheus and Hera's voices echoed from the distance—they had been blasted away by Xiano's Conqueror's Haki shockwave.
"Mom... we're running out of strength..."
"Mom, we're so hungry... so hungry... Hurry up and use that move, please?"
The three Homies whimpered pitifully.
"Mamamamama, no need to remind me. Even I've reached the point where I have no choice but to use it."
BIGMOM cackled grotesquely, her eyes narrowing before snapping wide open—whoosh! White Soul Flames erupted from her pupils.
Her right hand shot upward, unleashing an overwhelming wave of soul-crushing pressure!
"LIFE OR DEAD!!!"
A furious roar!
Bzzzt!
In the blink of an eye, countless white specks of light ignited across the night sky, like summoned fireflies or drawn-in stars, surging madly into her body.
Her battered, withered skin visibly plumped up, her caved-in chest and skull rapidly restored, and even her pink hair regained its luster.
"Mamamamama, it's back, it's all back! This is the feeling!!!"
She threw her head back in laughter, her body radiating terrifying soul pressure, as if the very air trembled under her manic glee.
At the same time—
Prometheus' Flames swelled several times over, the thundercloud grew even more menacing, and Napoleon became thicker and sharper.
The three Homies' strength had not only returned to its peak—it surpassed it!
But...
"Not enough! Still not enough! Even with this, it's not enough to crush that damn brat!"
BIGMOM screeched, stretching out her palm as purple Soul Bubbles emerged, expanding under her gaze.
"The souls of these lowly Pirates can only provide nourishment to this extent after all. To grow stronger… I suppose I'll have to use my own lifespan in the end?"
How much lifespan would it cost?
One year? Two? Or three?
None of that is reliable!
None of that is safe!
Since I've resolved to fight this brat to the death, I might as well stake everything in one go!
Ten years!
She would sacrifice a full decade of her remaining life!
Even if her soul was nearly drained dry, it didn't matter. As long as Totto Land remained, whatever she lost today could be reclaimed tenfold through the Soul tax in the future!
"Mamamama! Come at me, brat!"
BIGMOM laughed maniacally as she shoved the purple Soul Bubble into her mouth and swallowed it whole!
In an instant!
Her body truly began to inflate like a balloon, rapidly expanding as her muscles bulged and knotted, her aura growing even more terrifying.
Her already massive frame now swelled to a staggering twenty meters tall, reaching the height of the giants of Elbaf!
"See this? This is my resolve!"
She looked down at Xiano, who had slowly descended to the ground, her eyes burning with white soul Flames as she bared her teeth and roared, "A full decade of my lifespan! More than enough to grind you into paste, you little brat!"
"Ten years, huh?"
Xiano raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "So you've got more than ten years left to live? Quite the sacrifice, old hag. But…"
He grinned, raising his bloodied fists as black-red Lightning coiled around them once more:
"Whether it's ten or twenty years! Even if you stake your entire lifespan, the outcome won't change!"
Even among the Sea Emperors, there were distinctions in strength.
Whether it was the fat old hag in her normal state or this glowing, enlarged version fueled by her lifespan—since he could overpower the former, he was confident he could defeat the latter too!
You're a Charlotte, not a Monkey.
What right do you have to unlock plot armor and play the comeback game with me?!
"Enough of your boasting, brat! I'll show you my true strength!"
BIGMOM bellowed, gripping Napoleon tightly as the blade erupted with even more violent Lightning and Flames, clashing with Xiano at full force!
BOOM!
The already split island began to fracture further.
Countless boulders were sent flying by the Shockwave, trailing flames like falling stars as they plummeted into the sea.
After a brief stalemate—
Xiano's body was sent flying like a Cannonball, smashing through over a dozen massive rocks before finally plunging into the ocean.
This time, it was his turn to be sent flying.
By burning a decade of her lifespan, BIGMOM had finally surpassed him—both in raw strength and the intensity of her Haki.
But…
"It's only by a tiny margin!"
The next moment, a geyser erupted from the sea!
Xiano burst out of the water, covered in blood but still glaring fiercely!
"This slight advantage isn't enough to end the fight! You can't maintain this state for long, can you, old hag? Try crushing me before it runs out!"
Otherwise…
Once her lifespan-fueled state faded, she'd be the one getting crushed!
"Oh really?!"
BIGMOM tightened her grip on Napoleon once more, laughing savagely amidst the blinding Flames as she swung down with all her might:
"In that case, this strike will send you to hell! Singing Light Sword!!!"
"Hell?"
Xiano burst into laughter, neither dodging nor evading, instead throwing a punch to meet it head-on!
"A place like that can't hold me. The one who should go to hell is clearly you, you old hag!"
God's Punishment!
BOOM!!!!
This time, the Shockwave reached an even more terrifying level, pushing back the ocean from the shore and exposing the raised bedrock of the continental shelf beneath.
The seawater barely had time to rush back before being vaporized the next second by an even more violent surge of energy.
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