Sakazuki's molten lava, unleashed from enduring a slash, worsened Kaido's already severe injuries, pushing him closer to death, though Charlotte Linlin had managed to block it with Armament Haki, Kaido was now barely breathing.
Seeing Kaido on the verge of death, Charlotte Linlin was nearly consumed by rage, her sanity threatening to break, but she managed to control herself for Kaido's sake.
An idea struck her instantly, her eyes gleaming with ferocity as she gazed at the surrounding pirates and marines.
"Offer your lifespans!"
"Life or slave!"
As Charlotte Linlin roared, her Conqueror's Haki, coupled with the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit, swept through the battlefield. All pirates and marines caught in the blast visibly aged and died.
"Aaaah!"
"Help us!"
"Big Sister Linlin, we're allies!"
"You bastard!"
"Run, quickly!"
"Big Sister has lost her mind!"
"Madwoman!"
"Aaaah!"
Countless pirates and marines wailed and cursed as they watched themselves and those around them age and wither. Their emotions ultimately dissolved into pure terror.
With their ambitions and dreams unfulfilled, they closed their eyes and ceased to exist.
In an instant, a multitude of pirates and marines perished, and the battlefield fell silent. All eyes turned in horror towards the figure engulfed in lava, holding a man.
Charlotte Linlin, however, had no time to spare. The gathered lifespans converged in her right hand, which she quickly pressed onto Kaido, pouring the lifespans of thousands into him.
As lifespans were infused, Kaido's aura gradually strengthened, but the lifespans in her hand dwindled at an astonishing rate.
Without hesitation, Charlotte Linlin picked up Kaido and rushed towards Rocks' pirate ship, harvesting the lifespans of pirates and marines along the way. Everywhere she went, she left behind only the withered corpses of the aged.
The morale of the pirates on this battlefield, which had only just been reassembled after Sakazuki's two magma bombardments, finally crumbled under Charlotte Linlin's harvesting.
By the time Charlotte Linlin reached Rocks' ship, movement began to stir on the battlefield. First, people walked, then they ran, all pirates scrambling towards the few remaining pirate ships.
"You bastard, get off!"
"Get lost, this is my ship!"
"Please, let me on!"
"I'm the navigator!"
"Aaaah, die!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Die!"
Countless pirates swarmed forward, brotherhood and loyalty rendered worthless in this moment. They fought savagely for a place on the ships, their flesh and blood flying, leaving a ground strewn with corpses.
***
Origin points +0.3, Origin points +0.3, Origin points +0.3....
On the other side, Sakazuki, unaware of any of this, saw the system suddenly display origin points and knew that the magma he had left inside Kaido had erupted.
As for whether Kaido had died, seeing the origin points stop after only a few additions, Sakazuki already had his answer.
"Big Mommo..."
A low voice rumbled, and Sakazuki, now transformed into magma, continued to descend into the depths of God Valley. After an unknown duration, the temperature gradually rose, and he had descended several thousand meters.
Finally, he felt a hint of heat, emanating from the molten lava churning beneath the earth's crust.
After falling into the lava, Sakazuki assumed a half-human form, standing on the surface of the molten rock. He closed his eyes, activating his ability. The endless magma beneath the earth swirled around Sakazuki.
Time seemed to stand still. In this moment, Sakazuki was the god who commanded molten rock.
The converging magma grew increasingly voluminous and turbulent, with countless bubbles exploding.
After a long while.
"Not yet, not yet, it's not time."
Sakazuki's low voice echoed, like a father comforting his child. The restless magma, at Sakazuki's soft whispers, actually began to calm down.
Only Sakazuki knew the power contained beneath this placid magma.
It was the power that could plunge the Four Seas into eternal winter, the power that could erase a nation from the map, the power... the power to destroy the world.
"Still missing one catalyst..."
He looked up at the sky, his gaze seeming to pierce through thousands of meters of earth, to the cataclysmic battle unfolding above. Then, he transformed into magma once more.
He surged upwards towards the embattled area, turning the land in his wake into rolling magma, carving out an outlet for the restless molten rock.
"Let the world feel the fear named magma."
Sakazuki's low voice resonated through the magma sea thousands of meters below ground. As if understanding, the magma pulsed with joyous excitement, growing hotter and hotter...