High above the sky, Carl hovered while standing on the giant sword. On the opposite side, Big Mom stood atop the thundercloud Zeus, with the sun Prometheus floating beside her and the Emperor Sword Napoleon gripped in her hand. They had already traded a few blows, but neither had held back or wasted time testing the other. Although it was their first real fight, both were well aware of their opponent's strength, making any further probing unnecessary.
"Hey ha ha ha! Brat, your strength is quite impressive," Big Mom grinned. "Why don't you join my pirate crew? You can choose any of my daughters you like; you can have as many as you want! How about it? Do you want to think it over?"
Carl refused bluntly, "Sorry, you don't have many beautiful daughters, and I am already married."
"That is a pity. Let me see you on your way!" Big Mom did not seem disappointed. She raised Napoleon and launched another devastating attack, "Ikoku Sovereignty."
Carl did not retreat. He countered with the same technique, and the two shock waves collided with explosive force. It appeared there was no clear winner. While both were variations of the giant race's signature move, the power behind them was evenly matched.
However, Big Mom still had many tricks up her sleeve. Prometheus began spitting fireballs at Carl, while Zeus unleashed a barrage of thunderstorms. Carl, being too lazy to engage with such minor attacks, maneuvered his giant sword to dodge them continuously. As he pressed toward Big Mom, he drew his obsidian blade with his right hand.
"Dual Swordsmanship! Cross God Avoidance!"
The two slashes formed a cross and flew toward Big Mom. She clearly sensed the danger, yet she gritted her teeth and refused to dodge. Prometheus and Zeus spewed a massive ball of energy that wrapped around Napoleon, causing the sword to exude terrifying power.
"Heavenly Fire Saber!"
Boom! The thunder-and-fire-infused strike collided with the cross slash. To Big Mom's utter shock, the cross slash knocked back her energy attack and struck her the very next second. She felt a searing pain in her chest and abdomen as her entire body was sent flying backward, blood gushing from her wounds. She was dazed; it had been a long time since she had been seriously injured. Even when Luffy had struck her into the sea, she had not been hurt this badly. Her "steel balloon" skin had never been so easy to pierce.
"Mother!" Zeus and Prometheus cried out in alarm. Katakuri and the others also paled, panicking at the sight.
"Hey, hey, what is the matter with getting distracted during a battle?" Law reminded them with a grin.
With a quick movement, Law launched an injection-shot attack, knocking Katakuri into the air. Katakuri clutched his chest, blood dripping from beneath his scarf. It was clear that Law's attack had landed.
"Advanced Armament Haki? You are truly dangerous!" Katakuri exclaimed in surprise. He had initially thought Trafalgar Law would be the easiest target, but he had underestimated him. The opponent had taken advantage of a moment of distraction to land a critical hit, and the fact that he had mastered advanced Armament Haki raised his threat level significantly. Katakuri realized this enemy could not be allowed to live, as he posed a direct threat to the Big Mom Pirates. He decided to increase his attack intensity, confident that his mother would not be defeated so easily.
On the other side, Luffy had activated Gear 2, constantly using Geppo to chase Blackbeard. However, Blackbeard was being shameless, floating in the air and using his darkness-based attacks to harass Luffy without ever engaging in a direct confrontation. Luffy grew increasingly annoyed. In his view, Blackbeard was a coward who only used long-range tactics and did not dare to fight head-on. Compared to Kaido or Big Mom, he was far inferior.
Luffy paused and recalled the method Carl had used against Blackbeard, and a sudden smile spread across his face.
"Blackbeard, do you only know how to hide? That is right, you are a coward, a pathetic waste! You only plot against your own father and companions; you are a total softie! Aside from being born with the ability to eat three Devil Fruits, what else do you think you have? I bet you even stole your Conqueror's Haki!"
It was a rare moment where Luffy employed a taunt. The ability to use it so effectively caught Blackbeard off guard. His already ugly face grew even darker. "Bastard Straw Hat boy, do you not understand that this is called tactics? You are nothing but a fool—a monkey who only knows how to be reckless! You do not understand anything! It does not matter what means you use; as long as you win, you are the final winner!"
"Is that so? But a person like you can never become the Pirate King!" Luffy's words were spoken with such confidence that the entire battlefield seemed to pause. Most people watching, even if they could not pinpoint why, found themselves agreeing. Blackbeard was a despicable villain; could he really inherit Roger's legacy? They were all from the New World, and they thought more deeply about these things. Even if Blackbeard held the power of three Devil Fruits, it only made him special—not worthy of the throne. His character was a far cry from the hearty spirit of Roger.
"Thief hahaha! Straw Hat boy, the title of Pirate King is not defined by you! As long as you are strong enough, you are the Pirate King!" Blackbeard laughed loudly. "You do not understand the power of a triple-fruit user, you do not understand the greatness of my forbearance, and you do not know how admirable it is to do whatever it takes to pursue a dream. The sea is a place where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, and someone like you is doomed to die young!"
Luffy did not care whether he lived a long life or not. Going to sea was a gamble with his life. If one was greedy for life and afraid of death, there was no reason to sail in the first place. Furthermore, sinister and vicious people were destined to be alone, for they could not trust anyone, and no one would truly trust them in return. One could not survive on the sea without partners.
The clash of ideals was clear, but Luffy was finished talking nonsense. He continued to use his taunting skills, "I almost forgot. Your three-fruit ability is supposedly strong, but I have only ever seen you use two. Could it be that you are saving the third one as a trick for your dog?"
Blackbeard: "..."
Luffy gestured for him to come closer. "Come on, coward, stop hiding! If you keep hiding, you are going to become a dog!"
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