"What was that?" Kudins jumped back, frowning at the gaping hole in the island cloud.
Careful sensing revealed who had fallen—BIG MOM, locked in battle with Rolan. He spat in disgust. "Truly useless! Pirates are never reliable."
When Kudins had first received the mission to unite the Four Emperors, BIG MOM and Kaido, to eliminate Rolan, he had already suspected these two were unpredictable. Now, seeing BIG MOM fall directly from the sky, his suspicions were confirmed.
A thundercloud crackled with lightning as a blaze of fire shot down the hole.
"Mama!" Zeus and Prometheus cried, rushing toward the giant figure that had fallen. They drilled through the thick island cloud and saw BIG MOM struggling in the waters below.
"Mama! Hold on, we're coming!" Both creations of BIG MOM's Soul-Soul Fruit knew that if she sank into the sea, her powers would vanish, and their own souls might disappear along with hers.
They quickly enveloped BIG MOM with purple light, forming ropes that wrapped around her neck.
"That's great, Mama!" Zeus breathed a sigh of relief as they lifted her slowly upward.
BIG MOM coughed violently, spitting seawater from her mouth. "Rolan! I'll make you pay for this!" She gestured angrily, commanding Zeus to return to battle.
The cadres of the BIG MOM Pirates immediately sensed their captain had fallen.
"Impossible! Mama's Soul-Soul Fruit awakened—she can't be defeated!" Perospero yelled from the ground, his disbelief clear. He knew her Devil Fruit had awakened fully. Originally, she needed opponents to fear her to claim their souls, but now, even the strongest could be overwhelmed instantly.
Rolan had struck with a move powerful enough to send her plummeting. Perospero hadn't expected that BIG MOM, now stronger than ever, could still be knocked out of the sky. And as a Devil Fruit user, falling into the sea could have been fatal.
He silently cursed himself for supporting BIG MOM's invitation to the Tea Party. Had she lost again, it would be a catastrophic blow to her crew. After her revival, she was supposed to reclaim her status as one of the Four Emperors. Losing now, after her previous defeats, would make her a mere footnote in the New World.
"Mama!" he shouted again.
Cracker and Snack, their smoke clearing, slowly regained consciousness, their former arrogance tempered by repeated blows.
Prometheus, carrying BIG MOM's slightly disheveled form, reappeared on the field.
"Mama!" Zeus called, aiding in the lift.
BIG MOM's voice rang out, filled with fury. "Prometheus, go higher!"
"Aye, Mama," Prometheus responded, lifting her further.
But then, another colossal figure fell from above, sending waves of cloud flowers scattering. Horror filled the onlookers' faces.
It was an enormous azure dragon.
"Lord Kaido!" King recognized him immediately.
"Governor!" Queen shouted in alarm.
The dragon shrank, transforming back into Kaido's humanoid form. He began coughing violently, blood spurting from his mouth—clearly gravely injured.
King froze. Kaido, the strongest person he respected and one closest to the Pirate King's throne, was hurt. Reports had claimed Rolan had defeated BIG MOM and Kaido before, but King had assumed it was a combined assault. Now, seeing Kaido injured, he realized only Rolan could have caused this.
"Wororororo… quite capable, Rolan!" Kaido laughed weakly.
"You're really an unkillable cockroach, Kaido!" Rolan's voice cut across the battlefield as he appeared, clutching his chest, blood staining the corner of his mouth. His face was pale, showing signs of internal injury from his battle with the two Emperors.
Hancock's face twisted in heartache. "Husband!" she cried, stepping forward.
"Boa Hancock, do you take me for nonexistent?" Kudins suddenly appeared in front of her with Soru, his finger transforming into a glowing spear of yellow light. "Finger Pistol: Piercing Rainbow!"
Hancock barely dodged, stomping her heel into the ground to appear before Kudins instantly.
"Perfume Femur!" she shouted, striking with her high-heeled shoe, imbued with Haoshoku Haki, toward his chest.
Kudins roared, his upper body transforming into a massive ape. He gathered Haoshoku Haki to block her strike. Black lightning raged around them, the island beneath split by their immense aura, and the sky above seemed torn in two.
After holding their standoff for a moment, both retreated dozens of steps.
"Hancock, calm down! Let's just watch your Captain perform," Kudins said, returning to his human form.
Rolan noticed the commotion between Hancock and Kudins, but he couldn't intervene directly. Lina's attack had been held back by Qimo Ji, and the two remained in a tense standoff.
The same stillness gripped Nami and Wein's battlefield. All sides paused, watching the three powerhouses.
Now, Rolan, BIG MOM, and Kaido faced off in three separate directions, each a formidable force in their own right.