Rolan frowned slightly, his expression calm but his eyes sharp.
"How is that possible?" he muttered. "How could Charlotte Linlin still be alive?"
He clearly remembered the last battle. At that time, he had personally sensed Big Mom's soul power completely dissipate. That kind of disappearance was absolute. It meant true death, without any room for doubt.
And yet, the figure standing before him contradicted everything he knew.
Before Rolan could think further, an overwhelming sword energy surged forward. The shockwave tore through the air, arriving in front of him in an instant.
He recognized the attack immediately.
"Elbaf's Spear, Hakoku."
Big Mom's signature technique.
Without hesitation, Rolan clenched his hands. Electromagnetic energy condensed instantly, forming an Electromagnetic Blade in each palm. He crossed them in front of his chest and met the incoming sword energy head on.
The impact was violent.
A deafening crash echoed as the shockwave exploded outward, sending Rolan flying dozens of meters backward before he finally stabilized himself midair. When the sword energy dissipated, a massive rift had been carved into the land below, stretching like a canyon across the battlefield.
Rolan rolled his shoulders slightly, his arms aching but steady.
His gaze lifted to the massive figure descending slowly from the sky atop Zeus.
"Old woman," Rolan said flatly, his voice carrying neither fear nor respect. "You dare come looking for me again? Looks like the lesson I taught you last time wasn't enough."
…
Not far away, on Health Island.
"Husband!"
Boa Hancock instantly sensed the clash of two overwhelming Emperor level presences. Her eyes widened as she stood up, ready to rush to Rolan's side.
Before she could move, Lina reached out and stopped her.
"Sister Hancock, don't worry," Lina said calmly. "Captain Rolan will be fine. And against two well known Emperors, if we rush in recklessly, we will only get in his way."
Nami nodded in agreement. "She's right. It's not Kaido and Big Mom teaming up against him. Rolan can handle this. We should trust him."
Hancock paused, sensing carefully with Observation Haki. After a moment, she nodded, though her expression remained cold.
"If they dare lay a hand on my husband," she said quietly, "I will make sure they regret it."
…
Charlotte Linlin looked down at Rolan, watching him block her attack with ease. There was no surprise on her face, only rage simmering beneath her expression.
"Rolan boy!" she roared. "This time, I will settle every grievance between us, both old and new!"
At that moment, rubble shifted nearby.
Kaido emerged from the ruins, his body covered in dust and debris, looking more disheveled than usual. Charlotte Linlin's earlier attack had clearly caught him within its range.
His eyes locked onto the stout figure floating above.
Suddenly, his pupils shrank.
That figure was unmistakable.
Charlotte Linlin.
The same Charlotte Linlin who had died a month ago.
Though her aura was weaker than before, Kaido could tell immediately. This was Big Mom herself. Alive.
Confusion surged through him.
From every report he had received, and from the reactions of Katakuri and the other children, there was no doubt that Big Mom had truly died once.
So why was she standing here now?
Was it a trick? A suspended death? Had Rolan and the Big Mom Pirates reached some secret agreement?
Kaido had even felt a rare flicker of sadness when he first heard of her death. Yet now, after returning from the grave, this old woman had come straight for his throat.
The last trace of that sentiment vanished instantly.
Kaido roared in fury. "Go to hell, old woman! Are you looking for death? I helped you take revenge, and this is how you repay your benefactor?"
Charlotte Linlin's laughter was filled with rage. "You bastard! How did you treat my children after I was gone? You dare say you helped me? Don't make me laugh!"
After resurrecting, the first thing she had done was rush back to Totto Land. Along the way, she saw her territories in complete chaos.
She had expected pirates to take advantage of her death, but she never imagined it would be so blatant.
By the time she reached Cake Island, the once prosperous Cake City had become a desolate ruin.
For a brief moment, she regretted provoking Rolan and his crew. But far stronger than regret was hatred.
Hatred toward Rolan.
If not for him, the Big Mom Pirates would still stand at the top of the world of One Piece. Totto Land would still be thriving, bustling with people from every sea.
Now, Cake Island had become a joke, mocked by pirates everywhere.
The Big Mom Pirates had fallen into ruin, reduced to wandering survivors. Though not everyone hunted them, peace was no longer an option.
Walking through the wreckage, she found only a handful of her children clearing debris. Katakuri and the others were nowhere to be seen, nor could she sense them with Observation Haki.
Only after questioning the remaining children did she learn the truth.
Katakuri and the others had been forcibly taken under Kaido's banner. The Big Mom Pirates had become subordinates of the Beasts Pirates.
It was nothing but opportunism.
From that moment on, her hatred for Kaido surpassed even her hatred for Rolan.
When she heard that Kaido had come to the Sky Nation, she rushed there without stopping, intending to deal with both enemies at once.
Hearing her insults, Kaido exploded.
"What did you say? You ungrateful bitch! If it weren't for me, your children would be dead and your territory completely erased!"
Charlotte Linlin trembled with fury atop Zeus. "Don't dress your greed up as righteousness! Today, even if Saturn himself descends, both you and Rolan will die!"
Rolan watched the two Emperors argue, his expression indifferent. He had already pieced together the reason behind their conflict.
"I don't care about your grudges," he said coldly. "Since you both chose to come to the Sky Nation today, this will be your burial ground."
Charlotte Linlin's fury erupted.
"Shut up! You little brat! Even if you rebuild Totto Land with your own hands, you still die today!"
Rolan's lips curved slightly.
He found it almost amusing. These once untouchable Emperors, when pushed to the edge, cursed worse than ordinary people back on Earth in his previous life.
Since both were already on his kill list, and since they had delivered themselves to his territory, there was no reason to let either leave alive.
Fighting two Emperors at once would be troublesome, but trouble had never been something Rolan avoided.
In the next instant, his figure vanished.
Using Electromagnetic Instant Transmission, Rolan appeared directly in front of Kaido. His hand rose, and he slashed downward toward Kaido's head.
Kaido, still consumed by rage, reacted too late. He raised his club instinctively to block.
Clang.
The Electromagnetic Blade struck with overwhelming force, smashing the club down into Kaido's neck and driving his massive body straight into the ground.
Without pausing, Rolan vanished again.
He reappeared in front of Charlotte Linlin, his right foot coated with Conqueror's Haki. Spinning smoothly, he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick.
The impact sent Charlotte Linlin flying off Zeus.
Before she could recover, Rolan appeared behind her once more. The Electromagnetic Blade in his hand extended at terrifying speed, piercing straight through her shoulder.
The battlefield fell into a momentary, deadly silence.
…
---