That BIG MOM would secure a seat among the Four Emperors in the future was grounded firmly in her terrifying personal strength.
Ice Island had initially seemed to offer Shiraishi an environmental advantage, but the moment the entire landmass was converted into a colossal Homie, the tactical momentum flipped completely.
The entire island seemed to awaken, unleashing a monstrous, resonant roar. Under their mutual energy amplification, BIG MOM's broadsword Napoleon ignited with an inferno of brilliant purple flames.
BOOM!
The purple flames detonated. As Shiraishi retreated several paces, he noticed the lingering flames tracking his every movement like a shadow.
The colossal island cackled in manic delight, seamlessly harmonizing with BIG MOM's Soul-Soul Fruit to maximize her home-turf advantage.
As Shiraishi glided back, an arc of sword-light tore through the air. Twirling his silver blade, the cold gleam of the edge neutralized the incoming slash. Yet in that very instant, the temperature across Ice Island underwent a sudden, violent transformation!
The Homie's power began altering the island's underlying geological climate. The sub-zero snow rapidly melted away, replaced by scorching thermal waves that made the frozen earth boil.
A massive, smoky grinning face congealed in the air, echoing BIG MOM's twisted laughter.
"Aoki Shiraishi... why not consider becoming my husband? If the two of us join hands, the entire New World will belong to us!"
"My apologies. I am already a married man."
Ignoring her invitation, both seasoned pirates maintained absolute focus. Their casual banter was merely a tactical tool to lower each other's guard before executing a decisive, lethal strike.
Facing the boiling earth, a brilliant rune flared across Shiraishi's forehead—the mark of the DNA Splicer. In an instant, the structural form of his frost wings shifted. The specialized fire-turbine mechanism activated, absorbing and converting the ground's intense thermal energy into sub-zero freezing power before scattering it across the battlefield.
The moment his boots touched down, a suit of ice armor bearing blood-red sigils materialized over his frame, radiating a unique, ethereal brilliance.
Bathed in crimson light, the armor grew more formidable as ambient heat surged. Utilizing the Soul-Soul Fruit's spiritual perception, BIG MOM was shocked to detect a distinct Dragon Soul dwelling within Shiraishi's armor!
A Dragon Soul?!
Why would a Devil Fruit mutation manifest such a distinct spiritual entity?!
Unable to comprehend the phenomenon, BIG MOM watched as freezing mist billowed from Shiraishi's frame. Glaciate Cold Flames erupted in all directions, establishing a specialized domain where ice and fire seamlessly merged.
A forced territorial division!
BIG MOM had vastly underestimated the versatility of Shiraishi's power. Despite the rising temperature, the DNA Splicer allowed him to transmute the giant Homie's thermal heat directly into Glaciate Cold Flames.
"Mamama! An application of power I have never seen before... It seems I truly underestimated you!"
In late-stage Devil Fruit mastery, different development paths produced vastly different phenomena. That Shiraishi could refine his abilities to this degree was more than enough to stun BIG MOM.
With explosive power, BIG MOM charged forward like a rampaging behemoth. Her broadsword crashed against Shiraishi's silver blade with deafening force.
Suddenly, the ice armor across Shiraishi's arms self-assembled, transforming into a colossal Ice Dragon that coiled protectively before him.
Moving as if truly alive, the Ice Dragon lunged toward BIG MOM with crushing majesty. BIG MOM cleaved downward with Napoleon, releasing a blinding blast of energy that stirred up a violent tempest.
Amid the rolling shockwaves, neither conceded an inch. BIG MOM slammed a brutal fist downward, only for the Ice Dragon to bite down hard onto her guard.
Her legs—thick and sturdy as elephant pillars—moved with surprising agility. Carrying her towering, massive frame, she charged toward Shiraishi with blistering speed. Deceptively bulky on the outside, her rush was impossibly fast!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The ground shook beneath her heavy strides.
Closing in on Shiraishi's flank, BIG MOM shifted her center of gravity in a graceful arc like a nimble gazelle, flashing right behind her opponent. Unfurling her massive frame, she lunged forward like a giant bear!
"How can BIG MOM be that agile?!"
"She's a monster of these seas, after all. Never judge a powerhouse by their appearance."
Relying on his Observation Haki, Shiraishi lifted his foot and hopped forward a half-step—a movement so precise it seemed rehearsed a thousand times.
BIG MOM collided with empty air, triggering an explosive sonic boom. Sensing the miss, she twisted her torso to release an atmospheric shockwave, but Shiraishi had already pivoted using the momentum, diving straight toward her.
Tensing his right arm, Shiraishi thrust forward. Wherever the Ice Dragon roared, the surrounding air froze like a solid river, rushing to envelop the upper half of BIG MOM's body.
Glaciate Cold Flames!
As one of Shiraishi's signature techniques, Glaciate Cold Flames shared the core traits of Blue Flare—capable of manifesting tangible flames while delivering deep sub-zero burns. This dual nature made it exceptionally potent against soul-based entities like BIG MOM.
Under the biting chill, the Ice Island Homie beneath their feet fell into an eerie silence as BIG MOM's massive frame began to freeze solid.
Seizing the opening created by the sudden freeze, Shiraishi brought his right fist down in a hammer-strike. The crisp impact echoed across the island like the toll of a temple bell. In the same motion, Shiraishi gripped BIG MOM's shoulders with both hands, coiling his abdominal muscles and channeling explosive kinetic torque to flip his body—hurling the giant woman straight into the sky!
Shiraishi possessed the physical proportions of an ordinary human, while BIG MOM rivaled a half-giant in mass. Yet he had hoisted and tossed her through the air like a ragdoll.
The visual spectacle was breathtaking.
Onlookers across the battlefield gaped in pure, stunned disbelief.
CRASH!
BIG MOM slammed heavily into the frozen earth. The impact left her head spinning. As she struggled back to her feet, she looked up to see a profound transformation occurring within Shiraishi's eyes.
Illuminated in silvery light, the hovering Ice Dragon descended, condensing into an ornate Ice Dragon Helmet over his head.
Countless blood-red runes pulsed along his armor. Exhaling a steady breath of freezing mist, Shiraishi solidified the surrounding perimeter.
Just as Uchiha Madara had awakened the Sharingan earlier, Shiraishi activated the power of the Tenseigan. The silvery lunar radiance shining from his eyes was exquisitely majestic, yet overwhelmingly terrifying.
Gripping his silver blade, a colossal sphere of condensed ice rose slowly into the sky behind him.
Radiating a bone-chilling aura, the frozen sphere fused with the Glaciate Cold Flames around Shiraishi's blade, rapidly transforming into a massive, radiant Ice Moon that bathed the battlefield in silvery moonlight.
Synthesizing the Tenseigan with the Ice Moon, Shiraishi stepped through the pale lunar light, his silver blade gleaming with an otherworldly luster.
"Mamama...! Is this the absolute limit of your true strength?!"
Struggling to her feet, BIG MOM had taken little physical damage from the throw, but the sheer humiliation of the exchange left her tone venomous and bloodthirsty.
"The limit of my strength?"
Shiraishi swung his silver blade, releasing a blinding arc of light. Reaching up, he calmly removed his glasses.
"Perhaps... a limit has never existed to begin with."