The two tsunamis collided with earth-shaking force, instantly transforming the entire ocean surface into churning chaos. Massive waves spread outward in every direction, tossing both ships violently despite their considerable distance from the impact point.
Finn's eyes widened with genuine surprise. Charlotte Linlin's methods were truly extraordinary. Imbuing soul into ocean water itself, creating a living homie from the sea? That was creative combat application at the highest level.
But the emotion passed quickly, lasting only a heartbeat.
The tsunami had failed to destroy her flagship, so Finn immediately shifted tactics. He pointed Sōzai directly at the Queen Mama Chanter, and the gravitational energy within his body surged rapidly, gathering and compressing.
Then Finn pressed his blade downward with deliberate force.
"Gravity Domain: Devourer of the Sea!" Finn's voice carried across the water, deep and commanding.
As the tsunami subsided and the Queen Mama Chanter returned to floating on the ocean's surface, Charlotte Linlin barely had time to feel satisfaction before her entire body suddenly sank. Her massive frame compressed downward as if someone had draped a mountain across her shoulders.
Not only her. Katakuri and Perospero's expressions changed dramatically as invisible weight descended.
Katakuri managed to stay on his feet, his powerful physique and advanced Haki providing resistance. But Perospero nearly collapsed to his knees on the ship's deck, his legs buckling under the crushing pressure.
Apart from the three of them, the ordinary pirates aboard had no capacity to resist whatsoever. They were instantly crushed flat against the deck, blood spurting from their mouths and noses. They wanted desperately to struggle upright, but no matter how they strained, their bodies refused to obey.
"So this is what they call gravity?" Charlotte Linlin's eyes flashed with cruel interest, though her voice carried a hint of genuine appreciation for Finn's power.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she raised one massive hand and swung her fist through empty air. Although she struck nothing visible, it was as if the punch swept away the invisible gravitational force binding her body, shattering it through sheer physical strength and Haki.
However, at that same moment, the deck beneath her feet began cracking. The entire ship groaned under pressure, wood splintering as the vessel was crushed downward toward the sea. Ocean water had already submerged half the hull, flooding into lower compartments.
Finn's eyes held surprise.
With this technique, he'd intended to directly destroy Charlotte Linlin's flagship, sinking it outright.
Under normal circumstances, the gravitational pressure that could crush even Marine warships should have completely destroyed the Queen Mama Chanter instantly, smashing it into the depths.
Instead, the ship was merely showing signs of gradual collapse, still stubbornly afloat despite the crushing force?
But soon he observed the ship truly beginning to fail, its structure giving way. He felt slightly reassured.
Perhaps there's no need to engage Charlotte Linlin in direct close combat to defeat her after all?
However, at that precise moment, the tsunami Charlotte Linlin had imbued with soul gathered again. The massive living wave forcibly bore the crushing gravitational pressure and filled the collapsed sea area beneath the sinking ship, providing support from below.
The flagship didn't sink into the ocean as Finn had intended.
Simultaneously, Charlotte Linlin shouted loudly, raising her hand in a grasping motion. She pinched at empty air, and enormous amounts of dark green light overflowed from her palm. This luminous energy, soul fragments from her own life force, quickly merged into the hull of the Queen Mama Chanter.
The ship, which had been on the verge of complete collapse, suddenly seemed to come alive. The damaged wood repaired itself, reinforced by Charlotte Linlin's Devil Fruit power. The ship stabilized, withstanding Finn's gravitational pressure through animated resilience.
Charlotte Linlin herself appeared somewhat strained by these efforts, her breathing heavier than before. Seeing both Katakuri and Perospero crushed by the overwhelming gravity, she seemed completely unconcerned with her sons' suffering. Instead, she raised her hand once more and made another summoning gesture.
Thunderclouds appeared, coalescing before her. Zeus, the thunder cloud homie, manifested from the storm energy.
With her huge and powerfully built body, Charlotte Linlin stepped onto Zeus with one foot. Gripping Napoleon in his Emperor Sword form, she launched herself directly off the deck. A ferocious smile spread across her face as she flew rapidly toward Finn's warship, riding the thunder cloud like a missile.
Finn was genuinely stunned. He hadn't expected Charlotte Linlin's ability to withstand his gravitational assault to be this formidable.
Watching Charlotte Linlin charge toward him without hesitation, he felt a surge of complicated emotions.
After all, this wasn't the world of twenty years in the future.
By that later era, the Four Emperors' territories would be firmly established, and the New World would have achieved a certain terrible stability. Neither the Marines nor the Four Emperors would easily initiate all-out warfare on the high seas.
Both sides would maintain tacit understanding of unspoken rules, maneuvering within those boundaries through political means and proxy conflicts.
Real fighting wouldn't erupt until one side could no longer restrain themselves, or until an opportunity arose to deliver a genuinely fatal blow to their opponent.
The Summit War at Marineford had been exactly that kind of opportunity.
But now? The New World was in absolute, genuine chaos. Both sides fought with zero reservations, no political maneuvering, just raw violence.
Two days ago, Finn and his crew had encountered an affiliated pirate from the Whitebeard Pirates and killed him without exchanging a single word. No negotiation, no warning, just immediate combat.
Today, running into Charlotte Linlin herself, a truly major figure, and the two of them had started fighting without even basic introductions. No posturing, no threats, just instant warfare.
While reflecting on the chaotic nature of the New World's current state, Finn simultaneously felt genuine admiration for Charlotte Linlin's courage and decisiveness.
She was worthy of being the pirate world's most powerful woman for the next two decades. Truly mighty and genuinely brave, not just talk.
But this was exactly the right approach for survival here.
Only someone like this would be worthy of becoming one of the Four Emperors of the Pirates in the future. Hesitant, cautious people didn't thrive in the New World. They died here.
On these seas, one had to be brave and fearless. Anyone who looked ahead and behind excessively, who hesitated when action was required, would perish sooner or later.
"The sea has always favored the brave!" Finn laughed, his voice carrying genuine respect for his opponent's spirit.
Sōzaiin his hand was instantly wrapped in Armament Haki, the blade turning jet black. The gravitational pressure on his own body suddenly disappeared as he activated weightlessness. At the same time, he took a single step and vanished from the warship at tremendous speed, his weightless state allowing explosive acceleration.
When the Rear Admiral standing nearby finally reacted, he found that Vice Admiral Finn had already launched himself toward the ferocious Charlotte Linlin without the slightest hesitation, meeting her charge head-on.
"Vice Admiral!?" the Rear Admiral exclaimed in shock. Then, without wasting another moment, he shouted to the crew, "Fire! Provide covering fire! Sink that pirate ship!"
"Rod..." Charlotte Linlin felt excitement surge through her when she saw Finn rushing toward her fearlessly. She wanted to shout his name in acknowledgment of his courage.
In the end, she couldn't quite remember what his name was. She only recalled it started with "Rod" or something similar.
"Gravity Blade: Tiger Kill!!!" Finn didn't give her time to figure it out. The moment before the two warriors would collide in midair, he suddenly slashed with his sword.
Powerful gravitational force escaped from the blade, transforming in the blink of an eye into a spectral tiger's roar, complete with visible fangs and claws formed from compressed gravity.
Charlotte Linlin stopped trying to recall the name. She couldn't remember it right now anyway, so she'd fight him first to determine how strong he really was.
If she could kill him with a single strike, there'd be no need to bother asking his name. That kind of person wasn't worth remembering anyway.
If he proved interesting? It was never too late to ask after testing his capabilities.
"Emperor Sword: Breaking Blade!" Charlotte Linlin didn't hesitate, slashing with her backhand. Blazing flames instantly ignited along Napoleon's edge, Prometheus lending his fire to the attack.
In terms of physical stature, Finn was significantly smaller than Charlotte Linlin's massive frame. In terms of raw strength, the moment their two blades collided, Finn immediately felt immense pressure.
Charlotte Linlin's power was absolutely outrageous, the strongest pure physical force he'd ever encountered in his life.
He found himself wondering: if Garp used his full strength without any restraint, could he match Charlotte Linlin's monstrous brute force?
Probably. Garp should be capable of it.
Finn's own physical strength wasn't inferior to most opponents. Unlike ordinary fighters, every time he broke through to a new level, the quality of his body enhanced dramatically. His strength increased far beyond what training alone could achieve. Was this also a manifestation of the Black Core's influence? Some kind of innate advantage?
Although he couldn't compare to Charlotte Linlin's natural-born monster strength, he could still compete with her.
Under the blessing of his gravitational manipulation, adding force to his strike, Finn managed to block Charlotte Linlin's blade.
When the two clashed, the collision of their Armament Haki erupted instantly. Black lightning crackled between them, and the already turbulent ocean surface was whipped into even greater chaos by the explosive shockwave.
"Rod... Tell me your name!" Charlotte Linlin demanded without breaking her assault, impressed that Finn had blocked her attack.
"You old woman, remember this!" Finn roared back, his voice carrying across the water. "I am an Admiral Candidate of Marine Headquarters! Rodriguez Finn!!!"
As the words fell from his mouth, gravitational energy surged through his body again. On the opposite side, Charlotte Linlin seemed to have anticipated the move. She struck backward with her free fist, punching at empty air.
Her fist landed on the invisible gravitational force emanating from Finn, and she shouted, "Heavenly Fire!!!"
This punch, accompanied by another flash of Prometheus's flames, shattered the invisible gravity attack before it could fully manifest.
At the same moment, Charlotte Linlin's eyes flashed with battle-lust. The smile on her face became even more wild and rampant.
The next second, a powerful aura burst forth from her body. This was none other than Conqueror's Haki, released without warning or buildup.
Finn hadn't expected Charlotte Linlin to unleash her Conqueror's Haki this quickly into their confrontation.
Was this woman really this wild and aggressive in her younger years? Just immediately going all-out?
There was no time to contemplate the question. The powerful energy within Finn's own body began surging upward in response to the challenge.
"Don't think you're the only one who possesses Conqueror's Haki!" Finn cursed, his voice carrying genuine irritation.
As soon as he finished speaking, equally powerful Conqueror's Haki exploded from his body in response.
The clash of two Conqueror's Haki users instantly overwhelmed even the collision of their Armament Haki. The space around both combatants seemed to distort and crack faintly, reality itself straining under the pressure.
Black lightning no longer flickered occasionally. It now flashed constantly through the air between them, arcing and crackling with supernatural energy.
The originally turbulent ocean surface was forcibly pressed downward by the combined momentum of these two warriors. A massive depression formed in the water itself, as if both Finn and Charlotte Linlin were standing on solid ground rather than suspended in midair. The sight was terrifying in its impossibility.
In the sky above, the originally clear weather suddenly transformed dramatically.
Two dark storm clouds manifested, one on the left, one on the right, colliding with each other where Finn and Charlotte Linlin's wills met. Lightning flashed within the clouds and disappeared into their depths, the heavens themselves responding to the clash of Conquerors.
Aboard the Queen Mama Chanter, Katakuri stood completely dumbfounded.
How long had it been since he'd last encountered Finn? Only two or three years, perhaps?
Two or three years ago, when this Marine fought him on Kenzan Island, Finn had been giving everything he possessed and ultimately won with a narrow, desperate victory. He'd been exhausted at the end, barely standing.
Yet after not seeing each other for merely two or three years, Finn was actually capable of fighting his mother Charlotte Linlin to an apparent standstill?
Did that bastard consume some kind of miraculous enhancement drug? Is this growth rate even humanly possible?
Katakuri had felt that his own strength had increased tremendously during this period. His Observation Haki especially had evolved, and he could now occasionally glimpse moments of the future during combat. He'd intended to use this technique against Finn as a shocking surprise, a gift to repay their previous battle.
But upon meeting, he'd been immediately stunned by Finn's brutal advancement instead.
Since Finn was fighting Charlotte Linlin with his full concentration, the gravitational pressure that had previously enveloped the Queen Mama Chanter had long since disappeared. The crushing weight was gone.
Watching the two powerful figures clash in the distance, Perospero asked Katakuri with genuine amazement, "Katakuri, you said that years ago, Finn fought you while giving his all, and ultimately won by a narrow margin?"
Although Katakuri heard the question clearly, he really didn't want to acknowledge his elder brother right now.
Is that how you phrase a question?
Perhaps to avoid the embarrassment, or perhaps because he genuinely wanted to eliminate Finn quickly, Katakuri ignored Perospero's inquiry entirely. His tall body stepped onto the ship's railing, and after a few fluid arm movements, his trident materialized in his hands, drawn from wherever he stored it.
With a surge of Armament Haki coating the weapon black, Katakuri stretched his torso using his Mochi-Mochi Fruit powers. His arms extended, and he hurled the trident forward with tremendous force.
The target was obviously Finn, currently engaged in close combat with Charlotte Linlin.
Originally, Finn was already somewhat inferior to Charlotte Linlin in terms of pure physical strength. The only reason he could hold his own against her was primarily due to his overwhelming momentum and the addition of gravitational force to his strikes.
If the extended fight continued at this intensity, he would definitely lose eventually. His stamina wouldn't outlast hers.
But in this critical situation, Katakuri suddenly raised his hand and threw his trident as a surprise attack.
This made Finn curse internally with genuine anger. Wasn't it said that Katakuri was an honorable warrior, a real man who valued fair combat?
Why the hell are you launching a sneak attack in the middle of someone else's duel?
But then he reconsidered. This wasn't actually a formal one-on-one duel between warriors. This was genuine warfare between Marines and pirates. In such battles, no tactic was truly outrageous or dishonorable. Everything was permitted.
Without time to dwell on philosophy, Finn clenched his teeth. The muscles in his arms bulged visibly, veins standing out as he roared with effort. He ferociously blocked Charlotte Linlin's Emperor Sword with his own blade, forcing her weapon aside.
At the same moment, his Conqueror's Haki output suddenly stagnated. The confrontation between their two overwhelming wills was forcibly interrupted from Finn's side as he redirected his focus.
Without any pause in his movements, Finn blocked the Emperor Sword with one hand, then slashed toward his side with a backhand strike. His blade intercepted Katakuri's incoming trident and cut cleanly through the weapon, severing it in half.
But Charlotte Linlin seized this opportunity immediately. She launched a sweeping backhand punch with her free fist, her massive knuckles wrapped in Armament Haki.
Finn only had time to raise his blade defensively before the brutal force crashed into him. Despite his hasty guard, the sheer power sent him flying backward through the air like a cannonball.
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