146. Bigmom Lost

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: p@treon.com/CosmicKaminari

----------

The clash of kings was as brilliant and overwhelming as the climactic battle of a feature film.

Though the descent was swift, lasting only a moment, it was enough for everyone to recognize the victor in the confrontation.

On the side of Big Mom's Totto Land forces, shock rippled through the ranks.

Perospero, the eldest son and closest witness to the unfolding scene, let out a piercing scream after a moment of stunned silence. He sprinted frantically toward the ship, which had begun to sink.

"It's clear now—our Shogun has won," Laffitte declared. With a sharp thud, he brought down his cane, brimming with Armament Haki, aiming to subdue the desperate Perospero.

Perospero, seeing the attack, acted quickly. His body morphed into a syrup-like state, intercepting the blow and avoiding direct impact. He dared not withstand Laffitte's strikes head-on.

Not only was Laffitte's Armament Haki potent, but his attacks carried devastating effects. A single gap in Perospero's defensive Haki could leave him vulnerable to Laffitte's terrifying hypnosis powers.

As Perospero defended himself, the syrupy substance surrounding him expanded outward, ensnaring not only the nearby pirate soldiers but also his own family members, who had already suffered losses and were now under Laffitte's control.

Clapping his hands, Laffitte triggered the controlled forces of Totto Land. Countless soldiers turned their weapons against Perospero, attacking him without hesitation.

Gritting his teeth in fury, Perospero desperately glanced toward the battlefield obscured by Laffitte.

It was then, out of the corner of his eye, that he noticed something peculiar. Wisps of hazy, white light floated skyward, gradually fading into nothingness.

"That's… the souls of the Homies…" Perospero muttered in realization. His lips trembled as he turned his gaze across the battlefield.

Sure enough, he saw numerous Homie soldiers disintegrating into dust before vanishing into the air.

These were not the Homies created directly by Big Mom's soul but by the empowered souls she had bestowed. Their destruction left no doubt about the grim truth:

Big Mom had not only fallen into the sea but was likely unconscious from the severe trauma she had sustained.

"Linlin… defeated?!"

Kaido, sensing the shift, unleashed a surge of fury, his presence growing even more imposing. A monstrous shockwave erupted from him, sending Yamato and Hancock flying backward.

Kaido glared at the battlefield, disbelief etched across his face. He had intended to finish off the two opponents who had dared to challenge him before turning to support Big Mom.

But to his astonishment, she had fallen far sooner than expected.

Even with the toll of childbirth weakening her over the years, Big Mom's natural resilience and the enhancements from the souls should have made her nearly invincible. Kaido, with his own power, wasn't confident he could completely defeat Charlotte Linlin in a fight that lasted hours, let alone in such a short time.

Kaido's thoughts turned to the man standing before him. Alex had proven himself capable of surpassing even Kaido's strength, reaching a higher realm of power altogether.

Descending gracefully from the high-altitude battlefield, Alex's attention shifted to the ocean below. His sharp gaze locked onto the faint trace of Big Mom's aura beneath the waves.

With a decisive motion, he raised his right hand.

— Boom!

The sea roared in response.

Through the power of the Float-Float Fruit, Alex manipulated the very substance that Devil Fruit users feared most. The seawater churned violently, lifted into towering waves that surged upward. 

The countless soldiers from Totto Land and the Beasts Pirates who had plunged into the sea to rescue their comrades were mercilessly swept away by the massive waves Alex had summoned.

At the heart of the churning seawater, Charlotte Linlin—completely submerged and unconscious—was trapped.

Her condition was dire.

The once-indomitable Yonko bore the marks of a crushing defeat. Her clothing was shredded by Alex's sword, exposing a massive gash carved into her steel-like skin. Blood flowed freely, staining her body and the surrounding water, turning it into a sea of red.

Her once-massive figure, towering over ten meters tall, had reverted to her original size. The vibrant pink of her hair had faded into a stark gray-white, a sign of her dwindled vitality.

Years of life force and soul energy consumed in battle, combined with the devastating injuries inflicted by Alex's overwhelming power, had forced Charlotte Linlin into an aged, weakened state.

Kaido, watching from below, underwent a sudden and violent surge of emotion. His roar reverberated across the battlefield as his body began to transform. Through the power of his Devil Fruit, he entered his hybrid form.

With this transformation, Haki erupted from his body in a torrent. The sheer force shattered the decks of the surrounding ships without him even moving.

"Raimei Hakke!"

Kaido vanished in an instant, moving with a speed utterly unmatched by his size. Purple lightning coiled around his Hassaikai, compressing into a deadly, crackling line as he charged directly at Alex.

Then—

The combined attacks of Yamato and Hancock, both infused with Conqueror's Haki, clashed against the advancing Raimei Hakke.

The battlefield shook as these tremendous forces collided.

Despite their strength, Kaido's attack overpowered Yamato and Hancock's combined efforts. The energy of their strikes was flung aside, but before the weakened blow could reach Alex, he casually intercepted it with a single swing of his blade.

The collision created a powerful shockwave that tore through the air, splitting the atmosphere and scattering fierce winds across the battlefield.

Boom!

The aftermath exploded in a deafening burst of sound, reverberating across the sea.

Kaido pressed forward, muscles bulging with raw strength as he swung his kanabo like a massive baseball bat. His attack, reinforced by all his might, struck with devastating force.

Yet Alex, unaffected by the ferocity of the blow, merely adjusted his stance. With a single, deliberate motion, he deflected the attack and stepped back a short distance, unshaken.

"Why persist? Your alliance is crumbling, and Charlotte Linlin has already fallen. Do you truly want to continue this fight?"

Kaido growled, his voice thunderous with raw emotion.

"I owe her a debt that can't be repaid!"

In this moment, Kaido cared nothing for the practical advantages of their alliance. The Beasts Pirates had unilaterally severed their cooperative bond, driven purely by Kaido's personal conviction.

Over decades of wandering and battles, Charlotte Linlin had earned a unique and profound place in Kaido's heart. Their relationship, however, was far from simple; their rivalry often overshadowed their bond.

Still, Kaido could not accept her defeat so easily. He had dedicated his strength and built his empire alongside her alliance, and now, to see her fall like this.