The next day marked the official inclusion of Big Mom into the Rocks Pirates. Her acceptance, however, came at a painful price.
Rocks had chosen to test her immediately, and their clash ended before it even truly began.
The fight lasted for only a single exchange of blows, as Rocks unleashed one of his strongest attacks from the start, proving to everyone present that he did not intend to play around or show mercy.
His Conqueror's Haki coated his weapon like a storm made solid, mixing with his Armament Haki and his own unique form of swordsmanship.
The result was devastating, his blade cutting straight through Linlin's natural defense, which was famous for being nearly indestructible.
Linlin tried to resist, roaring in frustration, but the difference in strength was clear.
Rocks' strike tore through her guard completely, sending her sprawling to the ground and knocking her unconscious in an instant.
Thor had been standing nearby and watched the entire exchange with serious focus.
Rather than simply being impressed, he analyzed every movement, every shift of Rocks' posture, and the strange rhythm of haki manipulation that he used.
He wanted to replicate the technique, not to copy it exactly, but to understand how that kind of power could be reproduced in his own style.
After the fight, Rocks decided to take both Linlin and Streusen into his crew.
Streusen had not been part of the original offer, but he insisted on joining, proving that even if his physical strength was lacking, his wits and practical skills were enough to make him valuable.
Rocks saw the potential and agreed, though it was more out of convenience than need.
Soon enough, Linlin was back to her usual self, acting as if the earlier defeat never happened.
She began pestering Thor constantly, approaching him whenever he was with Newgate and Stussy.
Her old obsession resurfaced almost immediately, the same kind of obsession that had once brought destruction to Elbaph.
"Give me one of your sons," Linlin said one afternoon, her tone disturbingly casual. "We could produce the strongest children in this entire world." Streusen, standing behind her, was already holding three of her newborns—Perospero, and Compote—while Linlin herself was visibly pregnant again, already planning her next offspring before the last had even learned to walk.
Thor, however, was not amused. "I will never have a child with the criminal who killed one of our oldest warriors," he said firmly, his voice colder than usual.
"If we were not standing on a ship right now, I would crush every tooth in your mouth for what you did." His hostility was obvious, and everyone nearby could feel the weight of his anger.
Linlin was one of the main reasons why Elbaph's reputation had fallen, and even though her crime had been committed when she was only a child, it had left a stain that never faded. The death of Jorul had been a humiliating scar on Elbaph's pride.
Linlin responded with laughter, a sharp and mocking sound that echoed across the deck. Despite her earlier defeat by Rocks, her confidence was untouched. "You may be a giant," she said, "but you are still just a child yourself. You probably do not even remember the reason I am hated in Elbaph."
Her words irritated Thor immediately. Without saying another word, he stepped forward and threw a punch.
Linlin met the attack head-on, and their fists collided in a violent gust that sent shockwaves through the ship. Neither used Haki, yet the impact alone almost split the vessel apart.
If not for Newgate, who intercepted the backlash with a counter-force of his own, the ship would have been destroyed outright.
As their fists met, Linlin's grin faltered for the first time. She had felt the weight behind Thor's strength and realized it was not something she could take lightly. His raw power was greater than her own, even without full mastery of Haki.
Thor drew back, ready to strike again, but before he could, Shiki and Newgate rushed in from the other side of the deck, using their combined strength to restrain him.
They both knew that if Thor lost control and went on a rampage, the entire ship would be gone in minutes, and with so many Devil Fruit users aboard, the sea would finish the rest.
"Are you both idiots?" Rocks shouted as he approached, his voice cutting through the tension. "Why would you fight on the ship?" His glare moved between Thor and Linlin, both of whom were still glaring at each other, unwilling to back down.
Thor's expression carried pure hostility, while Linlin's look had shifted into something else entirely—a mixture of desire and amusement. Her earlier goal had only strengthened.
She now wanted Thor even more, believing that a union between them would produce the strongest possible offspring, one that could elevate her dream of creating a world that housed every race under her command.
When the ship finally docked a few hours later, Linlin wasted no time in renewing her proposal.
Once again, she asked Thor to give her a child. Once again, Thor's answer came in the form of his fist.
This time, however, he used both Armament and Conqueror's Haki, not holding back as much as before. Linlin only grinned and countered with her own strikes, the ground beneath them splitting from the repeated impact of their blows.
The two of them were natural-born destroyers, but Thor possessed an additional advantage.
He was not only a destroyer by nature, but also an ancient giant, something that magnified his strength even further.
That alone allowed him to fight Linlin on equal footing despite her greater experience.
Linlin's only true advantage was the maturity of her Haki, yet even that began to fade as Thor's adaptability allowed him to close the gap with each exchange.
Their clashes tore through the island. Each swing of their weapons carved ravines into the earth, each burst of impact scattering debris into the air.
Linlin took the offensive at first, her attacks wild and relentless, but Thor was beginning to match her rhythm, his movements growing sharper and more efficient.
Rocks watched from a distance, considering whether he should stop them. The longer they fought, the more the island itself began to crumble under the strain. But he also saw value in letting them push their limits. For now, he chose to watch.
Eventually, both Linlin and Thor stepped back, gathering their power for something greater. The air grew still, the pressure between them thick enough to distort the air. At the same time, both shouted the same word.
"HAKOKU!"
Two colossal forces met in midair, each forming a massive wave of energy that clashed violently before dissipating into the clouds.
The resulting windstorm swept across the island, flattening trees and shaking the ship anchored on the shore.
Both combatants were preparing for another strike when a sudden, compact burst of pressure slammed into the ground between them.
Rocks had finally intervened, his sword strike carrying enough force to cut through the noise and stop both fighters in their tracks.
"Enough," Rocks said, his tone half a command and half a warning. "Save your fight for after we have achieved our goals." His eyes lingered on both of them, making it clear that he would not tolerate another outburst for now.
Thor lowered his weapon slightly, though his glare remained locked on Linlin. "Next time," he said, his voice steady, "your head will be rolling on the ground."
Linlin only laughed again, her eyes glimmering with something closer to interest than anger. "We will see," she said, almost teasingly.
From that moment on, Thor and Linlin were forced to coexist aboard the Rocks ship, their rivalry simmering beneath every encounter. Their tension mirrored that of Silver Axe and Golden Lion, who would one day follow similar paths under the same flag. Despite the occasional scolding from Rocks, the crew adapted quickly, learning to ignore the hostility that came with having too many powerful egos on a single deck.
The weeks passed, filled with new raids and sieges. Then, during a quiet morning, Rocks finally stood before his crew and broke the silence.
"It is time," he said simply.
Every pirate present looked up at him, their grins spreading slowly as they understood what he meant.
The next step in Rocks' ambition had begun, and even Thor, who was still irritated from his earlier encounters, could not help but feel the same rising thrill as the rest. The sea ahead promised chaos once again.