Suspended in the sky, Karin looked down upon Hachinosu, now shaded by her wings.
At this moment, she felt for the first time just how immense the power within this body truly was.
If Blackbeard hadn't displayed the ability to threaten her life, she wouldn't have unleashed one hundred percent of her strength now.
—In this state, her power was greatly enhanced, but her control was weakened by more than a little.
Fortunately, Kalifa and the others had already left. The only ones who would get hurt now were the Blackbeard Pirates.
"Warm-up's over. Time to get serious."
Like a god looking down on mere mortals, Karin's ethereal voice echoed in Blackbeard's ears, causing veins to bulge suddenly on his temples.
For one reason only.
Many years ago, he and his mother had been just like this… casually manipulated by those lofty figures, forced to scurry around like stray dogs.
And his father, that man of infinite ambition, the pirate among pirates, had also died at the hands of the so-called 'gods'.
"You sure talk big, you bastard..."
Tangible black aura rose from Teach's body. The Conqueror's Haki coiling around his fist grew even darker and deeper.
The other crew members were still watching the spectacle, but Lafitte, the quickest thinker, already sensed something wrong.
"This isn't good! Captain's about to lose control!"
"Run!!"
Van Augur quickly used the Wapu Wapu no Mi to teleport to Burgess's side, then continued moving them further away.
He hadn't fully mastered this fruit yet, or perhaps his own ability was insufficient, as each teleportation could only cover a limited distance.
In the upcoming clash between two great powers like Blackbeard and Karin, this distance was clearly not enough.
Doc Q and Lafitte also each used their own special skills, one riding his horse, the other flying on his own, flapping their wings so fast they almost sparked.
But it was all futile.
Because the next moment, the weather suddenly changed.
Wind.
Breeze, strong wind, gale, hurricane.
East wind, south wind, north wind, west wind.
In an instant, seemingly all phenomena related to 'wind' in the world spontaneously converged before Karin.
This was the power wielded by Garuda… one could even call it 'authority'.
It was remarkably similar to the power wielded by that certain Revolutionary Army's Supreme Commander.
Which is why they say Mythical Zoans are the top tier, and Logias have fallen out of the meta.
Normally, a storm should have only one direction, using terrifying force to suck all matter in, either tossing it high or flinging it away.
But under Karin's control, various storms coexisted in a manner completely violating meteorological principles, like countless giant 'millstones' grinding any matter caught within into the finest fragments.
Among the four Blackbeard Pirates, Lafitte and Doc Q, relying on their wings to fly, were the first to succumb.
The turbulent airflow completely robbed them of flight, sending them plummeting.
But before they could hit the ground and splatter, icy winds carrying hailstones froze them into ice sculptures, which then collided with another storm, scattering into countless fragments filling the sky.
Van Augur didn't fare much better either.
Relying on his teleportation ability, he could indeed temporarily distance himself from the eye of the storm.
But activating the Wapu Wapu no Mi consumed stamina, and he also needed a landing spot.
However, the entire Hachinosu was now disintegrating under the raging winds. He had no chance to choose a suitable next landing point.
Plus, having to carry the giant Burgess consumed even more stamina.
Their deaths came only slightly later than Doc Q and Lafitte's.
First, Burgess lost his footing and was directly swept away by the gale, his elongated scream fading as his figure completely vanished.
Clearly, he was done for.
Van Augur, enduring the increasing weakness throughout his body, frantically activated his teleportation, escaping at the last possible moment.
But before he could catch his breath, two small-mountain-sized rocks sandwiched him in between.
As a sniper, he didn't have Burgess's monstrous strength and physical resilience capable of shaking mountains.
In just an instant, he was completely crushed into pulp.
Seeing the deaths of the Blackbeard Pirates' members, even Karin herself was somewhat taken aback.
Truly... terrifying power.
From this perspective, Karin's decision to wait until Naomi and the others left before going all out was absolutely correct.
In this state, she couldn't protect her companions at all.
Watching the crew he had built since his defection vanish in an instant, Blackbeard's eyes turned bloodshot.
"Bastard!!!"
Flying in the air thanks to the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, Teach dodged an incoming wind blade, then raised his hand. Earth and rock, totaling one-tenth the size of the island, condensed into a spiral spear thrusting toward the divine bird above.
If anyone else were still on the island, he wouldn't dare use his power so recklessly.
But now—
His comrades were dead. He had no heart to distinguish right from wrong.
Boom!!
The giant spear directly struck Karin, but she blocked it with her alloy-like wings.
Yet from within the smoke, Teach's figure suddenly emerged, the Conqueror's Haki coiling on his hand already charged to its limit.
"Die!"
His hand, clawed, aimed for Karin's eye, as if to leave a scar on her face matching that certain user of the Face-Face Fruit. (T/N: In Chinese, there's a joke of how Shanks is Face-Face Fruit User. As in Chinese, Shanks usually said 'Give me face' to others, and others would always agree to his suggestions.)
Conqueror's Haki trailed from Teach's fingertips like black-red lightning, carving a vicious claw mark through the air.
This move's power even surpassed the island-sized spear just now. Even Karin sensed danger, unwilling to recklessly take it head-on.
Crackle crackle crackle...
Countless chains, like swimming serpents, extended from the void, winding toward Teach.
Because of her enlarged form, even the chains Karin released had proportionally enlarged.
Chain links originally wrist-thick were now as large as small boats.
"Get in here!"
Black smoke rose from Teach's other hand. Dark matter once again spread through the air, directly 'swallowing' the chains.
As if the dark space were infinite, the chains Karin could produce also seemed inexhaustible.
Even though Teach's Yami Yami no Mi could devour endlessly, it still took time.
But Karin's chains were different.
She could create multiple simultaneously.
While some were swallowed by the Dark Vortex, more chains attacked from the flanks.
"Damn it..."
Realizing he would be sandwiched if he didn't let go, Teach reluctantly abandoned his attack path, instead maneuvering to avoid the serpentine chains.
Instantly, a familiar scene reappeared.
Only this time, the roles of cat and mouse had completely swapped.
But whether because Teach's stout physique made him less agile, or Karin's chains were too fast, after dodging dozens of chains, Teach missed one. A chain like a heavenly pillar struck him, sending him plummeting.
Strike while the iron is hot.
After one hit landed, it was followed by a relentless barrage of chains.
Those chains seemed to become Karin's hands and feet, delivering a non-stop combo at Teach.
Bam!
Teach's figure crashed into the ground like a cannonball.
"Cough!"
Blood uncontrollably sprayed from Teach's mouth.
But it must be said, his endurance was truly incredible. The Yami Yami no Mi, while doubling his pain, also enhanced his already monstrous durability.
No wonder in the original work, after taking a [K-ROOM] that could heavily injure Big Mom, he was still full of energy.
"Ughaaaaaaa!!!!"
Pain intense enough to shatter sanity, combined with the despair of his 'enterprise being scuttled before it even got started', drove Teach to a roar of extreme unwillingness.
Blood and saliva sprayed from his mouth with his roar.
The veins on his forehead bulged instantly, like countless tiny worms.
Simultaneously, every ounce of power within his body was extracted to the limit.
Rumble...
Under Karin's somewhat shocked gaze, the entire Hachinosu began to disintegrate and deform in mid-air.
Just like when Naruto and Golden Lion fought to the end back then.