As Shiki led the island ship and the Leviathan from Kuri on the west side of Wano toward the Flower Capital, a giant dragon similarly rose from the Flower Capital and flew toward Onigashima.
Far away in Udon, after burning the last Ice Oni Homie to ashes, Sakura suddenly felt a powerful aura descending from the sky.
"Ha-ru-no-Sa-ku-ra!"
Thunderlight enveloped the girl's figure. A sharp, ear-piercing sound, like claws scraping glass, spread across the entire sky.
The little giant riding the thundercloud raised her right hand, gathering the flames that had been diffused throughout the battlefield, instantly reforming the shattered Prometheus.
Her angry eyes locked onto her target. The vast, resounding thunder of her two-color Haki burst from the tip of the blade in her other hand.
Dyeing the blade with flames, she gripped her sword with both hands and swung it down with a crash!
—Emperor Sword: Breaking Blade!
The earth cracked. Hurricanes howled. The monstrous strength, enough to tear apart mountains, dragged flickering firelight as it descended.
"Finally, we meet, Evil Spirit!"
Sakura laughed, raised her finger, and undid the restrictions of Life Return - Kama on her body. Her body expanded to the same size as Linlin's. Her two Haki exploded.
Her clenched cloud rope greatsword was shaped by the ability of the heat cycle. Countless fragments of iron clouds spread and spun within the howling storm, rubbing against each other to ignite the gale.
—Storm Sword: Rough Soul!
Boom!
Two terrifying rays of light, like comets, crossed a vast distance and collided in mid-air. The entanglement of their spirits swirled between the greatswords, igniting crimson thunder that sprayed like fire in all directions.
The earth wailed under the two violent, monstrous forces. Countless axe and blade cuts tore the soil apart. Giant boulders were trampled into mud.
Then the bursting air waves actually made the hard ground undulate like the sea. The residual waves of destruction shot into the sky, punching a spiral-shaped hole in the drifting clouds.
Their figures crossed paths, using the impact from each other to push off the ground, trampling two long fissures.
"Who the hell are you? How do you know that title!"
Utterly unconcerned with the destruction she had wrought upon the surrounding land, Linlin whipped her head back, her eyes bursting with rage.
According to her intelligence network, Sakura had first become active on the seas in 1495, twenty-three years ago.
At that time, the young Sakura was suddenly brought onto Roger's ship as an apprentice and gradually made a name for herself in subsequent battles.
Given Sakura's age and the silence of the giants on this matter, she had no reason to know about this past event!
But now... but now!!!
"What kind of person am I?"
Sakura tossed her ponytail, which she had tied up with a hair tie, behind her back, revealing a heroic smile.
Emperor of the Seas, Enemy of the Celestial Dragons, Shikkotsu Forest's Sage... Along the way, she had gained too many identities and honors.
But now, facing this enemy, as someone who wielded the power to open the future and advance toward freedom, she preferred to declare herself as...
"I am a giant!"
Pressing her storm greatsword into the ground, the girl clenched her fists and shouted.
"Don't lie!"
Her sinister eyes narrowed. The wild wind blew Linlin's hair fluttering.
If there was anyone in the world who knew giants best, aside from the giants themselves and the World Government, it was her, Charlotte Linlin.
The customs of giants, the culture of giants, the techniques of giants, the beliefs of giants... She had collected everything about giants using the Charlotte Family's intelligence network.
She had even invested in facilities for studying giants, with the goal of adding the giant race to Totto Land.
Sixty-three years ago, accidentally killing Jorul, one of the giant heroes, led to her being hostile by all the giants who had once treated her well. It was a permanent pain in her heart.
Even later, when she made a great name for herself on the seas and the Marine gave her the ugly title of [Big Mom], she didn't care.
It was only when the title [Evil Spirit], which only giants would use, was mentioned that she couldn't control her emotions, so recklessly abandoning all plans to rush straight to Udon for a duel with Sakura.
"Damn it! What gives you the right! A brat like you actually gained their recognition!!!"
Flames burned from Linlin's arm, igniting her long hair, also igniting the envy in her heart.
Her pitch-black eyes raised. Her dignified face became cold, fierce, and gloomy. Her Haki turned into ferocious thunder, cruelly raging.
Linlin rode the expanded dark cloud Zeus, charging once again toward Sakura ahead.
"Why did I gain their recognition? Of course, it's because my persona is a spirited, beautiful, and war-capable girl! Hahahaha!"
The storm spread from the blade to Sakura's arm. A low, sharp sound echoed. Countless ripples of air vortices formed an arm guard in the collision.
Her green eyes narrowed. Her translucent white skin flushed red from the storm. Her Haki, trembling with dark thunder, rose, matching Linlin's spirit.
Sakura stamped her foot on the ground, kicking up large chunks of rubble. The storm in her hand met the rapidly approaching Linlin.
"Ikoku Sovereignty!" x2
The same shout and the same technique collided simultaneously. Two sword waves crashed together. Black and white pillars of light intertwined and rose into the sky.
Linlin then lowered her body and gathered strength. Suddenly, her body pivoted on her spine, reversing direction. Blurred from the high speed, she was like a sharp-edged top. Her blade once again swung back with terrifying force.
Sakura retreated, locking onto the path of Napoleon's attack. Her storm greatsword, wreathed in light, thrust forward, heading for Linlin's poorly defended head.
Clang!
The blades, each aimed at the other's vital points, violently crashed together under the perception of their Observation Haki, emitting a low, grinding sound like monsters biting rock.
Then, realizing that their attack patterns were very similar, the two simultaneously chose to increase the speed of their blade swings.
Boom, boom, boom, boom—!
The two surging, flowing wills were engaged in an intense, exhilarating battle.
The sound of metal clashing suddenly burst out. Sparks leaped from the void. In an instant, a high-pitched metallic scream spread.
When the members of the Charlotte Family, following their mother's vivre card, arrived at the edge of the Udon river, what greeted their eyes was earth that had been plowed back and forth several times.
And at the center of the battlefield, two born destroyers were swinging their blades at each other, already having become the eye of the storm.
"Mama!"
Seeing this, Oven released high temperature from his body and forcibly charged toward the two.
But he was struck by a terrifying fierce light slashed out by one of the combatants, and flew backward, his body covered in blood, shattering the earth and embedding himself in it.
"Oven!"
Seeing this, Katakuri quickly stopped his other siblings. He himself received several aftereffects of the clash between the two Emperors in front of everyone.
But he was also shocked until his arms went numb. The tip of his tightly gripped trident, Mogura, trembled incessantly.
"Don't go up there! You'll definitely die if you get caught up in that! This is a battle between Emperors!"
He quickly led the others back several kilometers, avoiding the loss of precious combat power due to intervening in the battle.
His Observation Haki kept predicting the two's fight. But even though he could see their future, this violent power still left no room for him to intervene.
Taking Oven out of the combat zone and handing him over to the ship doctor, Katakuri sat down to the side, unwilling to accept it, his gaze fixed dead on the battlefield.
"Damn it... natural disasters?"