Sakazuki said indifferently,
"What the Marines want to do is not for mere pirates to dictate."
"As for you, why aren't you properly at home having children, and instead running around everywhere."
"It won't be good if you affect your pregnancy."
Katakuri behind Charlotte Linlin:
"You fellow..."
He raised his trident and pointed it at Sakazuki.
Enel behind Sakazuki snorted coldly:
"Hmm?"
He raised his golden staff, crackling with lightning, and pointed it at Katakuri.
Perospero on the opposite side had candy flowing from his hand.
Forming a longbow, it aimed at Enel.
Meanwhile, Borsalino crossed his hands.
A cross of light flashed at his fingertips:
"How... delightful~"
"Why is everyone so impulsive~"
Charlotte Linlin waved her hand:
"Mamamamama~"
"Stop, Katakuri."
"We're not here to fight today."
Katakuri and Perospero slowly retracted their weapons and abilities.
Sakazuki also waved his hand.
Enel lowered his staff, and Borsalino slowly withdrew his power.
Charlotte Linlin tossed a sea chart onto the ground.
Pointing Napoleon at the island they were currently on:
"Since you Marines have already fought your way here."
"Then the territory of Shiki the Golden Lion is likely almost entirely yours."
"Let's make a trade."
Saying that, she drew a line across half of Shiki's territory on the sea chart.
"If you let me have this part, you can name your terms."
Sakazuki glanced at it:
"Giving this part to you would directly fill the gaps in our territory."
"That would be very disadvantageous for us Marines."
Charlotte Linlin narrowed her eyes:
"The Marines' frontline cannot be stretched that long."
Sakazuki chuckled:
"You are right."
"In that case."
He tapped his finger on the map, piercing the locations of several islands.
"How about these go to the Marines."
As Sakazuki pointed, the general objectives of the current operation became clear.
If the exchange was successful.
By occupying half of Shiki's territory and adding the exchanged islands.
The Marines would form a trapezoidal sphere of influence in the New World, relying on the Red Line, with island garrisons capable of coordinated action.
Charlotte Linlin would fill the gaps in her sphere of influence, forming an oval-shaped territory, allowing for both offense and defense.
And if Helknock conquered Fish-Man Island, he would form a long, strip-like sphere of influence on the edge of the New World, controlling the inflow of resources into the New World.
With the three parties redividing, there would be no gaps in their respective territories.
However, these few islands occupied important positions for the Charlotte family.
As they were close to the Red Line and Fish-Man Island, they were also prioritized for trade.
After a moment of thought, Charlotte Linlin...
"Mamamamama~"
"Pleasure doing business with you."
She extended her right hand.
Sakazuki said softly:
"Pleasure doing business with you."
They shook hands.
The moment their hands clasped, their arms were instantly covered in Armament Haki.
Boom!
A violent gust of air erupted from their center.
Napoleon in Charlotte Linlin's hand, entwined with Conqueror's Haki, slashed towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki, who had somehow condensed a magma gauntlet, directly smashed it against Napoleon.
Clang!
Hiss—hiss—
The clashing Conqueror's Haki sparked lightning.
Charlotte Linlin snarled:
"Heavenly Fire!"
Prometheus's flames burned intensely, rushing towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki said indifferently:
"Cliff Sword!"
A greatsword made of magma elongated infinitely, erupting from underground and colliding with Prometheus.
Boom!
As the two clashed, rampant energy surged.
Fire and magma instantly exploded, intertwining and spreading outwards.
A huge fiery mushroom cloud formed, soaring into the sky.
The scorching heat almost melted Katakuri and Perospero, who were hiding at a distance.
Without daring to delay, the two rapidly retreated towards their ships outside the island.
Enel and Borsalino flashed and pursued them.
A thousand meters around Charlotte Linlin and Sakazuki was blown into a giant crater, yet the two remained firmly planted.
At the same time, they cursed inwardly:
"Old fox."
"Little fox."
Charlotte Linlin grinned ferociously:
"Mother Cannon Three Thousand Miles!!!"
Then, the abilities around her converged, fire, lightning, and sword energy forming a giant female figure behind her.
"Kill him for me!"
The giant female figure let out a scream:
"Yes, Mother!"
The giant arms made of sword energy, carrying sharp auras, stabbed towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki took a deep breath, his chest puffed out, and exhaled:
"Hoo—"
A compressed ash bomb shot out, exploding at the head of the giant illusion.
Boom!!!
It exploded from the two of them.
Rolling smoke and ash clouds were swept along by the violent air currents.
Spreading outwards.
The entire island instantly turned into a black world.
Then, several lava spears imbued with Haki pierced from the ground, forming a dense forest of spears.
Pushing the giant female illusion back.
Their clasped hands did not loosen, tightly gripping each other.
Suddenly, they withdrew their weapons and gauntlets.
Thunderclouds gathered densely above the island.
Charlotte Linlin raised Napoleon high.
A thick bolt of lightning struck down, directly connecting with Napoleon's blade:
"Lightning!!!"
The extremely high-pressure lightning was guided and struck towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki's retracted gauntlet suddenly transformed into armor covering half of his body.
His entire body was covered in Armament Haki, and he directly gripped the striking sword and lightning.
Sakazuki grunted as the immense impact.
The bones that had shattered days ago from fighting Garp, not yet fully recovered, cracked further.
Currents surged into his body, a wave of numbness flashed, and was instantly dispersed by Haki.
Sakazuki tightly gripped the sword and took a deep breath:
"Magma Golem!"
Magma surged madly from his back, instantly forming a thirty-meter-tall magma giant.
Wielding a giant magma hammer, imbued with Armament Haki.
It smashed directly towards the two wrestling figures.
At some point, the ground beneath their feet instantly turned to lava.
Charlotte Linlin's pupils contracted.
Boom!
The giant hammer fell, causing the earth to shake.
The two were directly pounded into the ground.
Using the impact, Charlotte Linlin was dragged by Sakazuki, plummeting an unknown depth underground.
Charlotte Linlin held her breath, releasing her grip, but Sakazuki was relentless.
A fierce glint flashed in Charlotte Linlin's eyes.
Napoleon, entwined with Conqueror's Haki, directly slashed towards Sakazuki's wrist.
Sakazuki snorted and immediately let go.
His entire body rapidly turned red and expanded:
"Magma Bomb!"
Boom————!!!
In the sealed underground, the explosion and impact grew exponentially.
At the port, Enel and Borsalino, who were entangled with the Charlotte Pirates, felt the strong tremor.
They looked towards the center of the island with concern.
Enel looked at the dense thunderclouds in the sky:
"Borsalino, you hold on for a bit."
Then he transformed into lightning and charged into the thunderclouds.
After a brief, friendly exchange with Zeus, he seized control.
Endless thunderclouds converged from the center of the island towards the port.
A deadly threat loomed in the hearts of those on the island.
The thunderclouds piled up into an island-sized sphere, pressing down towards the ground.
"Thunder Roar!!!!!"