"Boom!!"
"Crackle..."
Two powerful waves of Conqueror's Haki clashed.
Like a massive and a smaller sphere materializing in midair, they kept colliding and pressing against each other.
Wilhelm's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki was indeed stronger, but it couldn't completely crush Katakuri's. He refused to back down, stubbornly resisting.
"Woohoo—" A powerful shockwave blasted through the air, making it hard to even look directly at the scene.
Under Smoothie's stunned gaze, both bursts of Haki vanished as they canceled each other out.
Neither Wilhelm nor Katakuri hesitated. At the same time, they both disappeared in an instant.
Their fists and feet tore through the air, moving so fast they left countless afterimages behind.
Every strike, wrapped in Armament Haki, collided fiercely.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Woohoohoo!"
A series of deafening impacts echoed through the open space.
Powerful shockwaves rippled outward, sending waves of pressure rolling in every direction.
Onlookers couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines. The sheer force of the battle was terrifying.
Neither of them used their Devil Fruit abilities—they fought purely with physical strength, speed, and Haki.
Smoothie, unable to get close and forced to watch from a distance, was completely stunned.
That insane speed… That unbelievable power…
It was simply beyond comprehension. It made her scalp tingle.
"...090"
Finally, the two figures separated.
They stood there like statues.
Neither was out of breath, as if that intense, bone-crushing battle had never even happened.
"Wilhelm, big brother Katakuri..."
A flash of lightning—Smoothie rushed over.
She let out a sigh of relief, glancing at both of them. "I thought you two were seriously going to fight for half a day!"
"Don't say that..."
Wilhelm, completely unscathed, looked relaxed.
Shrugging, he smiled lightly. "It's been a while, so we're just testing each other's strength—just a friendly spar!"
"You've really gotten stronger..."
Katakuri stared at Wilhelm, unable to hide his admiration. "Whether it's Haki or sheer strength, you're not inferior to me at all."
Although he hadn't gone all out in their clash, Wilhelm also hadn't used his monstrous transformation—the form that instantly boosts his strength, speed, reflexes, and even Haki to an incredible level.
And yet, his performance had been shocking.
His Conqueror's Haki alone was already astonishing.
Even in terms of Armament Haki, Wilhelm's strength in his normal state wasn't necessarily weaker than Katakuri's.
As for Observation Haki, while Wilhelm couldn't foresee the future like him, his unique ability was still formidable. He could perfectly read attacks and react instantly thanks to his extraordinary reflexes.
Katakuri was almost certain of one thing—
Even if he mastered the Logia-type Air-Air Fruit in the future, he might not be able to suppress Wilhelm, whose Teleport-Teleport Fruit from the Paramecia class was already powerful.
And that wasn't all.
Wilhelm could also transform into a Moon Lion, essentially giving him the abilities of two Devil Fruits.
Katakuri had thought about it before.
This younger brother of his had inherited their mother, Charlotte Linlin's, monstrous talent.
Born with terrifying potential, Wilhelm worked far harder than anyone else. From the moment he could walk, he trained relentlessly, constantly seeking greater strength.
Katakuri knew that one day, Wilhelm would surpass him.
He just hadn't expected that day to come so soon.
It was… a little shocking, to say the least.
"Once I enter my Moon Lion form, my Armament Haki gets a full boost. At that point, I'd definitely surpass you in raw power, big brother Katakuri." Wilhelm spread his hands with a relaxed smile. "But my Observation Haki is still weaker than yours."
His unique Observation Haki allowed him to fight without relying on his eyes. It gave him an incredibly sharp sense of awareness, letting him predict attacks with extreme precision.
But in the end, it still wasn't enough to foresee the future like Katakuri could.
That skill required relentless training.
"Even so, your progress is beyond anything I imagined."
Katakuri spoke in a serious tone. "You're only fifteen. Meanwhile, I'm nearly thirty. I've trained for over twenty years, fought countless pirates, and experienced countless battles to reach this level."
Such an insane rate of growth…
It was only a matter of time.
Wilhelm would one day surpass even Charlotte Linlin, the mother they all respected—and feared.
After all, while both of them were born with the same monstrous talent, Wilhelm's effort was on another level.
And more than that—
Katakuri, who had personally trained Wilhelm in the past, knew exactly how terrifying his talent was.
In his eyes, Wilhelm's natural ability, intelligence, and mindset might even surpass their mother's.
His future was unimaginable.
But that was also Katakuri's biggest concern.
On one hand, he was proud to have such an incredible younger brother, happy that someone of this caliber existed within the Charlotte Family.
But on the other hand…
If Wilhelm ever became strong enough to challenge Charlotte Linlin—
A wolf that grows too strong may not simply watch as the old leader weakens.
An ambitious wolf would not follow an aging ruler without question.
And their mother…
To put it bluntly, she was not someone who easily let go of power.
It was a complicated situation.
As her children, it wasn't their place to judge her.
But Wilhelm…
Wilhelm was different from their other siblings.
He wasn't someone who would simply obey their mother without question.
The overwhelming, dominant Conqueror's Haki from earlier had already made one thing clear.
A fierce heart like a tiger… yet delicate enough to sense a rose.
"I think you should focus more on Armament Haki," Wilhelm said seriously as he looked at the strongest force in the Charlotte family. "Your Observation Haki has already reached its peak. From here on, just maintain it with daily training. There's no need to push it further."
Katakuri's Observation Haki had already reached the level of future sight. No matter how much he trained, he wouldn't see any drastic improvement.
At this point, it was better to shift his efforts toward physical combat and Armament Haki.
As for Conqueror's Haki—
Wilhelm had absolute confidence in himself.
He firmly believed that one day, he would completely master Conqueror's Coating, a power only a handful of people in the world could wield.
But as for Katakuri… Wilhelm couldn't say for sure.
It was safer for him to focus on Armament Haki first.
"Maybe you're right..." Katakuri fell silent for a moment before sighing. "A person's energy is limited. I've spent too much of mine on Observation Haki."
Watching his younger brother grow stronger and stronger, he couldn't help but feel the pressure.
It wasn't about losing his position as the strongest Sweet Commander.
It was about his own pride—his unwillingness to fall behind.
He made up his mind.
After this war with the Marines, he would take time to focus on his own training.
No matter what, as an older brother, he couldn't afford to be left too far behind.
Especially if the worst-case scenario ever became reality—
If Wilhelm and their mother ever came into direct conflict.
If he wasn't strong enough, he would be powerless to stop it.
That was the worst possible outcome.
At the thought, Katakuri clenched his fists.
He looked at Wilhelm—young, full of energy, and impossibly strong.
His expression was complicated.
"I owe him too much… I can't even stand on Mother's side anymore."
Feeling the monstrous power hidden within himself, a power far greater than the Logia Air-Air Fruit or the Paramecia Nuno Nuno no Mi, Katakuri let out a bitter smile.
"Wilhelm… was this also part of your plan?"
For a brief moment, he hesitated.
But then, his eyes hardened with determination.
If that day truly came—
No matter what decision he made or which side he stood on—
He refused to be too weak to even interfere.
Even though, deep down, both logic and instinct told him that compared to their unpredictable, cruel, and tyrannical mother… Wilhelm was far more suited to lead the Charlotte Family.
He was stronger, wiser, and more strategic.
But still—
Charlotte Linlin was their mother.
At the very least, when the time came, Katakuri hoped that Wilhelm would only place her under house arrest.
That she would still be allowed to live in comfort, without worry.
That was the only kindness a son could offer.
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