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Charlotte Linlin's furious roar cut through the smoky air as her towering figure steadied herself. With each of her steps, the ground quaked. More shocking than her initial setback were the visible cuts on her hands, bleeding in defiance of her legendary durability. The sight of blood on the so-called "steel balloon" left everyone in stunned silence.
Alex observed her calmly, a hint of challenge in his tone. "As expected of a 'steel balloon.' Even Kaido would have taken more damage than this. But all I've managed are a few scratches?"
Charlotte Linlin's response was immediate and furious. "Spear of Elbaf: Ikoku!"
Without another word, she unleashed a fearsome attack, drawing the surrounding air toward her blade. The atmosphere seemed to freeze as Napoleon transformed into a massive shockwave, cleaving through the space in front of her with overwhelming force. The destructive wave surged forward, its speed and power creating a suffocating momentum.
Alex barely managed to dodge, flickering out of range just in time. The area where he had stood was obliterated in an instant, reduced to rubble and cracked earth.
"Mama is using Ikoku!" Katakuri shouted, his expression grim. "At this rate, the island will be destroyed if they keep fighting !"
Perospero approached, his own face tight with worry. "The guests have been evacuated, but what about the island itself, Katakuri?"
Katakuri clenched his fists. Even after blocking Alex's Float-Float Fruit with Linlin's soul-infused control over Cake Island, he hadn't anticipated the sheer strength of Alex's swordsmanship and Haki. It was pushing their mother to new extremes.
"The only option is for Mama to defeat him, then we can use Wanokuni's resources to make up for any damage here." Katakuri kept his gaze fixed on the clashing figures. They'd underestimated Alex, and now their territory was paying the price.
Another massive shockwave shook the island, shattering the ground under the weight of their power. Amid the rising dust, Charlotte Linlin bellowed furiously, "Alex! Aren't you supposed to be strong? Then stop dodging and take my attack head-on!"
Alex didn't dignify her taunt with a response. Blocking a giant's spear-like slash, especially one charged with Linlin's power, would drain even his considerable strength, and he saw no reason to waste his energy like that.
He activated his Float-Float Fruit, lifting himself into the air. From there, he could control his position freely, watching Linlin's movements from above.
"Don't think you can escape!" Charlotte Linlin shouted as she spotted him airborne. Zeus, her massive Thundercloud Homie, swelled to carry her weight, and she launched into the air in hot pursuit.
Alex looked back, unflinching. "Escape? That's not what I had in mind."
Alex sliced through the roaring thunder with ease, remarking, "I have to admit, your soul-imbued powers are more formidable than I expected, but I wouldn't have come here alone if I didn't have more up my sleeve."
In the next instant, the sea beneath Alex surged upward.
Water erupted skyward, forming a monstrous, dragon-headed tidal wave that loomed beside Alex, its enormous, sinister eyes fixed hungrily on Charlotte Linlin.
Despite her rage, Linlin wasn't entirely consumed by fury; she recognized this technique from her encounters with the Golden Lion. But something far more shocking struck her—Alex had clearly awakened the Float-Float Fruit. To wield such control over the ocean itself, he must have crossed the threshold of Devil Fruit awakening.
This was no ordinary opponent. A master swordsman with advanced Conqueror's Haki, combined Armament and Observation Haki, and an awakened Devil Fruit—Alex was now operating at the level of a true top-tier powerhouse.
Linlin's shock gave way to urgency as she infused her blade, Napoleon, with even more of her soul energy. With Prometheus's flames and Zeus's lightning coursing through it, her weapon glowed white-hot, transforming into a brilliant Lightning Sword.
"Die, brat!" she roared.
The full force of her power erupted from Napoleon, creating a massive slash that tore through the sky, obliterating a vast portion of the summoned seawater and sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
But the sea was vast and relentless. With a flick of his wrist, Alex commanded the ocean's waters again, lifting them into the air with ease, undeterred by her destructive strike.
"Mother's Visit Cannon: 3000 Leagues of Misery!" Linlin bellowed, unleashing another attack. Four colossal, soul-animated female figures appeared, each charging at Alex from a different direction—front, back, left, and right—intent on trapping him.
In response, Alex raised Akazakura, channeling streams of seawater into the sword's edge, compressing it until it formed a sharp, concentrated water cannon. He swung, and a torrent of water, massive as a waterfall, surged forward, colliding with Linlin's giant soul warriors and dissolving them into wisps of soul essence.
Seeing the impact, Linlin's eyes widened. In desperation, she called upon her very lifespan, boosting her strength and enlarging both her body and her empowered blade, Napoleon.
She held up her gargantuan sword and shouted, "Roaring Light Cannon!" The weapon released a blazing beam that shot toward Alex's attack, clashing against the surging waterfall.
The impact shook the air, and with the strength of her own life force, Linlin managed to break through, dispersing the torrent and scattering the seawater.
Staring down Alex, she sneered, "You… you must be a double-fruit user!"
Alex smirked. "Didn't you know? In Impel Down, I dealt not only with the Golden Lion but also with Byrnndi World."
With that, Alex raised his hand, activating his Float-Float Fruit. A small island previously nearby lifted into the sky, floating toward him. "While the More-More Fruit isn't fully awakened yet, it should be 'more' than enough for you."
He placed his hand on the island, and it began to grow exponentially, expanding a hundredfold until it became a colossus nearly 10,000 meters across, casting a vast shadow over Cake Island.