That energy...
It was Xiano and BIGMOM, neither pausing for even a moment, still locked in a desperate, all-out battle!
In an instant, they had forcibly carved out a barren stretch of land spanning several thousand meters along the shore, extending toward the sea.
"Why won't you just die already, brat!"
BIGMOM's Giant Sword, wreathed in Thunderfire, came slashing down. Xiano sidestepped and countered with a vicious punch, crackling with black-red lightning, smashing into her ribs.
Ten slashes, a hundred, a thousand!
Ten punches, a hundred, a thousand!
Fresh wounds continuously split open on both of them, blood raining down like a storm.
But neither cared anymore!
Between heaven and earth, above the vast sea, there was only one person in their eyes, only one primal, beast-like instinct left in their minds.
Utterly crush the other!!!
The brutality escalated.
The savagery intensified.
They rolled and grappled, their techniques long abandoned, leaving only the most primitive, most barbaric struggle for survival. Every strike carried lethal intent, every wound only fueling fiercer retaliation!
There wasn't even time to catch their breath!
...
Time flew by.
Unnoticed, the night gradually faded, and when dawn finally broke, the sun rising over the horizon—
Pop!
A sound like a bursting balloon echoed.
BIGMOM's massive twenty-meter-tall body trembled violently, her bulging muscles visibly withering and collapsing.
The Soul White Flame burning in her pupils rapidly receded.
"Guh—!"
She spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering before dropping to one knee.
Napoleon clanged as it lodged into a crevice in the rocks, while Prometheus and Hera sagged like deflated balloons, weakly drifting down to rest on her shoulders.
"Tch, tch, tch… What's this? Has… time run out already?"
She stared blankly at her rapidly shriveling hands, then touched the new wrinkles on her face. The weakness of ten years of lifespan burned away washed over her like a tide.
With great effort, she lifted her head.
Xiano, who had just been sent flying, was now shakily rising to his feet, gasping for breath.
Compared to last night, his condition looked far worse than BIGMOM's.
A chunk of flesh had been carved from his right shoulder, exposing bone. His left eye was swollen shut, barely able to open. Deep sword wounds—some reaching bone—covered his abdomen and legs, blood seeping relentlessly.
After BIGMOM had staked all her remaining lifespan, the physical strength she attained could be called the greatest in the world.
And yes, he had been thoroughly suppressed.
But so what?
In the end, she hadn't been able to finish him, had she?
This life-or-death battle—
Victory was already his!
"Mamamama…"
BIGMOM suddenly let out a low, hoarse laugh. Staggering, she propped herself up with Napoleon, her pink hair fluttering wildly in the morning wind.
"Never thought… it'd be you, brat…"
She glanced at Xiano, then turned her gaze toward the distant ice field over ten kilometers away, where the sounds of battle had long since faded into silence.
The all-out war beneath the two of them seemed to have ended before a victor could be decided.
As for who won or lost…
It no longer mattered. BIGMOM closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
"Giving up?"
Xiano's voice reached her. "You should be able to tell—I still have some strength left, while you're practically running on fumes. In this state, there's no way you can hold out against my fists."
Yeah.
BIGMOM still didn't open her eyes.
The brat's words were harsh, but undeniably true. She really couldn't win anymore.
Still, if she didn't want to die, there were actually two paths left before her.
Surrender.
Or flee.
Even if her body was exhausted, with Hera by her side, few on the seas could catch her if she chose to run. The Navy's "Yellow Monkey" was one, and Kaido in his Azure Dragon form was another.
Beyond that, there weren't many—and this brat in front of her definitely wasn't among them.
As for surrender?
That was even less likely to be refused. After all, who wouldn't be tempted to take in a Sea Emperor who had dominated the seas for decades as a subordinate?
But…
But!
If she did that, she'd end up like Moria—broken by Kaido—reduced to a weakling with a shattered spirit!
The Queen of Souls would vanish from the seas!
All that would remain was a hollow shell, a walking corpse wearing the name Charlotte Linlin!!!
"Giving up?!"
BIGMOM suddenly snapped her eyes open, bursting into wild, frenzied laughter.
"Stop yapping about surrender, brat! Don't make me laugh!"
"I am Charlotte Linlin! The ruler of Totto Land, the Queen of the Seas! Who the hell do you think I am?! Even if I die, I'll never bow to anyone!!!"
Her bloodshot crimson eyes locked onto Xiano's gaze.
All noise faded away, and even time itself seemed to freeze.
Clang!
She yanked Napoleon free, unleashing the last remnants of her soul's power. The flames and lightning on the blade, though dim as dying embers, flared violently once more like a final resurgence.
"Come! One last strike! Let everyone watching see—who will fall first?!"
"Gladly!"
Xiano bared his teeth in a grin, raising his right arm and channeling nearly all his Haki into his palm, shaping it into a spinning disk.
Boom!
The ground shattered beneath them as they charged at each other.
"Emperor Sword · Blade of the End!"
"God Split!!!"
BOOOOOOM—!!!
A deafening explosion erupted, black-and-red lightning rolling outward in all directions.
The island, already ravaged throughout the night, finally reached its limit—shattering into countless fragments before vanishing from the sea entirely.
Splash…
As the dust settled and the waves gradually calmed…
A light rain began to fall from the sky.
BIGMOM's massive body lay sprawled on the ocean's surface, her abdomen nearly split open, her vacant eyes staring at the sky.
Napoleon, broken in two, sank into the depths beside her. Prometheus and Hera dissolved into motes of light, scattering into the air.
The raindrops… how annoying. They pattered relentlessly against her face, refusing to let her rest in peace.
"Mamamama…"
She murmured in a voice so soft only she could hear it: "Whatever, it's been... so many years since I've had such a satisfying fight..."
Not far away.
Xiano knelt on one knee. From the elbow down, most of his arm had been blown apart, leaving him nearly drenched in blood.
Yet he still managed to force himself to stand.
He walked slowly to BIGMOM's side, remaining silent for a moment before looking down at this Pirate who had been, was, and always would be counted among the legends.
"Hey, Linlin."
He spoke slowly: "It's all over now. Do you... have any last words?"
BIGMOM strained to turn her eyes toward him: "Last words, huh..."
"Mamamama."
She forced a smile: "Rather than last words, I'd rather ask you something first... You brat, you promised during that Sabaody broadcast, didn't you? To end this era completely, to change this world... Mamama, even now, hearing that makes me want to laugh at your audacity. Hey, even Rocks couldn't do it back then. Can you? Can you really do it?"
"If you can."
Without waiting for Xiano to respond, she continued on her own, "Add my dream to yours. If you really achieve your dream, adding mine shouldn't be too much trouble..."
BIGMOM's voice grew weaker, but the light in her eyes burned brighter:
"Let all races... coexist peacefully on the same seas..."
"Elbaf, the giants, the Fish-men... even those long-armed and long-legged freaks, those tiny things smaller than my finger... they should... they all should... Hey, you, you understand what I mean, right? Can you do it?"
Her pupils began to lose focus, but her stubborn will kept her gaze locked on Xiano's face, demanding an answer—no, a promise.
How frustrating.
Even as one of the so-called Sea Emperors, her power had its limits. The scope of her dream could only extend as far as this tiny Totto Land.
Compared to the vast, boundless seas, to that towering Red Line...
It was nothing.
But this kid, this more capable and outstanding successor... could he do it?
Could he climb that mountain, could he cross even more seas?
Xiano watched her silently, rainwater dripping from his hair.
Even he hadn't expected that BIGMOM, who until recently had worn such a vicious and cruel expression, would have these as her final words.
Looking at that wrinkled face, he nodded slowly: "Yeah, I promise."
"Mamamama... Good..."
BIGMOM finally smiled in satisfaction.
That's good.
Her gaze drifted past Xiano, toward the distant sky.
The rain fell harder now. In the gray expanse, she seemed to see her younger self running through Elbaf, the gentle smile of Mother Carmel, the unruly monsters aboard Rocks' ship...
And finally.
A single image froze in her mind: a pink-haired little girl happily holding a cake, grinning foolishly at her.
"Bonney..."
She whispered faintly, her eyes glazing over momentarily.
For a second, she understood. No wonder, no wonder she'd felt such an unshakable obsession with that little girl. It wasn't just because of the Age-Age Fruit after all...
Was it because he saw his younger self in her?
That little girl who had lost her parents, who was gluttonous, naive, and desperate for love.
Finally, he remembered—it all felt so distant now...
Her breathing slowed, her eyelids grew heavier.
The rain washed over her face, gradually cleansing the bloodstains and carrying away the last vestiges of life from this Sea Emperor who had ruled the seas for decades.
"Rest in peace, old woman."
Xiano reached out and gently closed her eyes.
Then.
Amid the mournful sea winds, he stood in silence for a long while before straightening up and gazing toward the distant horizon where dawn was breaking.
(End of Chapter)