New World, Cake Island.
"Weiguo!!!"
Boom—
A giant sword energy shockwave pierced the island, annihilating everything in its path and splitting the sea.
Dong—
Like the chime of a bell, it reverberated across the island, accompanied by a turbulent airflow.
Aomaki extended blood-sucking vines, piercing several of Charlotte Linlin's children. He looked towards the direction of the massive explosion.
"So intense."
"Then I can't fall behind an old man."
Raising his other hand, more vines surged out, lashing towards the infinitely generated biscuit soldiers and the encroaching sea of sugar.
Cracker was in a sorry state, panting heavily. His ability was being perfectly countered, and large swaths of biscuit soldiers were being drained of energy and pulverized.
Although creation didn't require much stamina, the sheer number being absorbed was immense, and his internal strength was gradually being depleted.
Cracker charged at Aomaki with his greatsword.
"Stop!!!"
Ripples of air surrounded his sword as he swung it, a powerful shockwave of sword energy instantly arriving before Aomaki.
The sword energy shattered Aomaki's body, which dissolved into a cloud of green plant powder. He reappeared elsewhere.
"Useless."
"I am an ability user of the Nature-Nature Fruit."
"I am Nature!!"
As his voice faded, the biscuit soldiers absorbed by Aomaki were replaced by even more surging vines.
A small half of Cake Island was covered and submerged in green. All that was left in its wake were mummified corpses...
Cracker's face contorted.
"Scum!!!"
His devil fruit ability was perfectly countered, but if he didn't use it, he would be defeated even faster... Using it allowed him to at least buy some time...
Innumerable biscuit soldiers poured out, but they didn't charge at Aomaki. Instead, they began to retreat with his surviving siblings.
In just a short while, several of his siblings had already perished. They couldn't fight on any longer...
At this critical juncture, the island's defenses were weak. Katakuri was far away on Sai Con Island, and even if he were here, it might not have made a difference, but they wouldn't be in such dire straits.
It was already a struggle for just him and Perospero to hold their ground.
The opponent's ability perfectly countered most of the family's abilities...
The only one who might be able to counter this plant-based opponent, Oven, would still take some time to reach them from the encampment.
Cracker continuously slammed his hands together, and the emerging biscuit soldiers divided into two groups. One group, carrying Charlotte Linlin's children, fled, while the other, imbued with Armament Haki, clashed against the incoming vines.
As for the subordinates who had no close ties... they were almost all dead. Dangling from the dense vines were...
Perospero aimed his hands at Aomaki and activated his ability, summoning syrup that continuously flowed from the ground.
"Candy Wave!!!"
Thick syrup flowed and rose, engulfing Aomaki like a colossal wave.
Boom—
The syrup splashed and instantly solidified.
Large portions of vines were trapped within the solidified syrup, trembling slightly, as if trying to grow further, but being held back fiercely...
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Perospero's forehead.
"Hurry and retreat!!!"
He, who controlled the syrup, could sense the constant depletion of energy within it. The trembling of the vines intensified, and the hardened syrup would shatter completely in a short while...
Cracker's pressure eased somewhat as the biscuit soldiers swiftly carried the others away.
Suddenly, a dark shadow enveloped him. Cracker's pupils contracted, and his body was instantly coated with Armament Haki.
Chik—
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed.
Cracker looked down at his chest in disbelief. He... hadn't managed to resist it...
The flying vines pierced his body, twisting with blood.
"Urgh... urgh..."
His body's strength continuously drained, and he was unable to resist.
Perospero's eyes widened, and a look of terror appeared on his face.
"Cracker!!!"
He reached out, and several Sea Lions of Candy, imbued with Armament Haki, surged from the ground and charged towards Aomaki.
Aomaki's voice echoed faintly.
"Nature is ubiquitous..."
Aomaki thrust his hand forward, and Cracker's body struggled violently, but it was merely a final surge of energy.
The biscuit soldiers sent to escort the other siblings away exploded, and those who were thrown to the ground all looked behind them.
"Brother Cracker!!!"
Cracker... had been defeated and died...
Aomaki turned his gaze to the terrified Perospero, a cruel smile twisting his lips.
In the distance, at the edge of the sky.
Oven's furious voice, accompanied by scorching red sea currents, arrived.
"Kaiho Banrai!!!"
The searing sea currents struck the forest of vines. The plants scorched red by the boiling seawater withered and died...
Aomaki's figure vanished before being submerged by the seawater. A flying flower appeared above him, hovering in the air.
"Ah—"
"So hot..."
He extended his hands, turning into spreading plants that connected to the ground.
Giant tree-like figures erupted from the earth.
"Kinzo Mori Mori!!!"
The massive, modified tree-men, ignoring the scalding seawater, charged towards the fleeing Charlotte children. Aomaki himself looked towards Oven, who was approaching from the horizon.
"Such a nuisance..."
----------
Boom—
A colossal explosion sounded.
A super-gigantic fiery mushroom cloud billowed upwards.
At this moment, Charlotte Linlin's figure had thinned slightly, her head engulfed in fierce flames.
In her right hand, she held Napoleon, while her left hand crackled with electricity, raised high.
Boom!!!
Her fist, wreathed in lightning and Conqueror's Haki, collided with Garp's iron fist, sending shockwaves outward and cracking the ground.
Centered on the two of them, the shattered ground churned, filled with enormous craters.
On Napoleon, the saber in Charlotte Linlin's right hand, fiery red and orange flames ignited, distorting the air. She slashed towards Garp's head.
Boom!!!
Garp's other hand, coated in Armament Haki, tightly gripped the blade of Napoleon. The biceps in his arms bulged, his face contorted, veins popping.
"Haa—"
He directly lifted Charlotte Linlin's enormous body over his head and, with a stomp of his foot!
Carrying Charlotte Linlin, he rocketed up nearly a thousand meters into the sky before hurling her down.
At the moment she was thrown down to the ground.
Charlotte Linlin activated Zeus's lightning, somewhat frenziedly.
"Tenman Daizaijiten!!!"
Rumble rumble—
The thunderclouds gathered above Cake Island began to flash brilliantly.
Hundreds, even thousands, of lightning bolts struck Garp...