"Re... Really?!"
A light of unbelievable hope instantly erupted on half of Gölz's face.
"Then... how should I address you?"
Charlotte Linlin's voice suddenly rose, becoming grand and vast, as if drawing upon the thunder of the nine heavens, booming throughout the consciousness space and even the outside world:
"At this moment, I would rather be called: the Thunder God!"
Rumble—!
A clap of thunder echoed through heaven and earth!
A tachi hilt wrapped in violent purple lightning suddenly emerged from Charlotte Linlin's proud chest!
She gripped it with her slender hand and opened her eyes; a brilliant purple light appeared in her gaze, condensing into profound and majestic lightning element symbols, devoid of sorrow or joy, gazing upon the world like a deity!
Rumble!
The world lost its color, and the winds and clouds changed abruptly!
An incredibly massive, indifferent purple thunder-eye phantom suddenly opened in the sky behind her. Within the pupil, three-tomoe-shaped lightning element symbols slowly rotated, emitting a pressure that seemed to judge all things!
The originally clear sky was instantly swallowed and covered by dark thunderclouds, the range expanding rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire Beehive Island and even the surrounding hundred miles of sea!
Beehive Island, within Whitebeard's territory.
Newgate, who was in the middle of drinking from a wine bowl, suddenly froze. The wine bowl slipped from his hand and hit the ground, his expression turning incomparably solemn as he stood up abruptly, his massive frame turning toward the direction of Charlotte Linlin's territory.
"Oh my~!"
Bakin, who had been leaning on his hand wearing leopard-print silk stockings, was sent stumbling to the ground by this sudden movement, letting out a coquettish complaint.
"Newgate! What nerve has gotten into you..."
But her complaining words stopped abruptly as she also looked in horror at the suddenly blackened sky outside the window and felt the heart-palpitating, terrifying pressure, her face instantly turning pale.
"Thi... This... what is about to happen?!"
Newgate did not answer; he had already clearly perceived the source of that familiar yet strange, domineering aura.
He slowly sat back down, grabbed a huge wine barrel nearby, took a heavy gulp, and let out his signature laugh, though the laughter held a few more shades of complexity:
"Gurarararara! I didn't expect that girl... to still be hiding such a trump card!"
But soon, his smile faded, his brow furrowed, and his eyes showed worry and doubt.
"However... who exactly could force you to use this level of power right now?"
"Is it that girl... Charlotte Linlin?" Bakin's brow was tightly knit, waves of shock surging in her heart.
Familiar with Newgate, she knew clearly who the 'girl' he spoke of was.
To be able to draw such heavenly might, her strength, even if not equal to Newgate's, was likely not far behind!
'It seems... many of the original schemes and methods targeted at her must be stopped immediately!'
Bakin made a judgment instantly. She knew very well that once a scheme failed and was noticed by Charlotte Linlin, the consequences would definitely not be something she could bear.
Even if Newgate would protect her, it would inevitably lead to Newgate loathing her even more.
More importantly, if Charlotte Linlin truly came to kill in a rage, there was no way she could survive the aftershocks of a confrontation of that level!
'Perhaps... it's time for a change of approach. Doesn't Charlotte Linlin still owe Newgate a favor? This debt might be utilized in another way later...'
Bakin's mind raced, quickly adjusting her plans. 'Before ensuring absolute safety, I must try my best to avoid another direct conflict with her.'
On Beehive Island, things had long since fallen into chaos.
"Why has the sky turned black?! Is it the end of the world?!"
"Run! The Heavens are angry!"
"Tsunami! A great tsunami must be coming!"
"Mama! I want to go home!"
Countless pirate lackeys rushed out of buildings in terror, screaming, shoving, and fleeing like headless flies in the sudden darkness.
Cries, curses, and the sounds of collisions were heard incessantly; the entire island fell into a state of chaos.
Some tried to light torches, but that weak firelight seemed futile and laughable under the oppressive might of heaven and earth.
"Enemy attack! Someone is attacking Beehive Island!"
"Quick! Go inform the Captain!"
"The Captain is not on the island!"
"Then inform Lord Wang Zhi! Inform the other great executives!"
Within Wang Zhi's territory.
A pirate lackey came scrambling in, his voice distorted by extreme fear:
"Lord Wang Zhi! This is bad! The... the sky has collapsed! Someone is attacking us!"
Wang Zhi was also staring solemnly at the lightning-filled sky outside the window, the heart-palpitating sense of familiarity growing stronger and stronger.
He forced himself to stay calm and even managed a gentle smile as he spoke to his terrified subordinate:
"No need to panic, it is not an enemy attack. Although this Cult Leader does not know exactly what happened over there, I can assert that their target is definitely not us!"
But in his heart, he was sneering secretly: 'Hmph, even if it really is aimed at us, the first one who should have a headache is Newgate, whose territory is right near there!
If a major mess really occurs, I'll just push it all onto him, saying this Cult Leader trusted that his strength was enough to handle it! Ke-hehehehehe...'
Hearing this, the lackey immediately showed an expression of immense admiration:
"As expected of the Pirate Cult Leader, Lord Wang Zhi! You predict things like a god!"
"By the way,"
Wang Zhi seemingly casually added a point, planting the seed for shifting blame in advance,
"That direction... seems to be the area under Newgate's jurisdiction, right?"
"Answering the Cult Leader, yes!" The lackey nodded quickly and then added,
"However, half a year ago, the Dragon Swordsman Charlotte Linlin's territory was also assigned to that direction."
"What?! That woman is also over there?!"
The composure on Wang Zhi's face vanished instantly as he whipped his head toward the lackey, crying out in shock!
He finally remembered who that familiar and unsettling aura belonged to—Charlotte Linlin!
"Damn it! That woman! That woman actually already possesses this kind of strength now?!"
Wang Zhi's face twisted with extreme jealousy and wariness. He stared fixedly in the direction where the thunderclouds were densest, his fists clenched until they cracked.
Rumble—!!!
At the same time, as Charlotte Linlin completely drew musou isshin from her chest, endless purple lightning surged from the blade, merging into the rolling thunderclouds in the sky!
The domineering and peerless will blended with the majestic Haki, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth!
This weapon, which contained the will of a true deity and was said to be able to sever everything in the world, was perhaps the only hope for completing this "impossible" task!
The purple light in Charlotte Linlin's eyes grew intense to the limit, as if person and blade had transformed into the core of the thunder. She raised musou isshin, which was completely enveloped in brilliant lightning, and swung it down indifferently toward the Female Giant's head!
"Now—is the moment of Musou no Hitotachi!"
The blade-light flashed, not as a physical strike, but as a purple electric arc composed of pure, extreme lightning and the will to sever karma, sinking into Galmo's (Gölz's) head!
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!