Sakazuki said coldly:

“The Navy doesn’t need a lowly pirate pointing fingers about what it should or shouldn’t do.”

“As for you—shouldn’t you be staying home having babies? Why are you running around the world like this?”

“Agitating your pregnancy wouldn’t be good.”

Behind Charlotte Linlin, Katakuri growled:

“You bastard…”

He raised his trident, aiming it at Sakazuki.

Behind Sakazuki, Enel snorted coldly:

“Hmm?”

He raised his golden staff, crackling with electricity, and aimed it at Katakuri.

On the opposite side, candy began to flow from Perospero’s hands.

It formed into a longbow, aimed at Enel.

Meanwhile, Borsalino crossed his arms.

A glowing X of light shimmered at his fingertips.

“Why is everyone so hot-headed~”

Charlotte Linlin waved her hand.

“mamamamama~”

“Stand down, Katakuri.”

“We didn’t come here today to fight.”

Katakuri and Perospero slowly withdrew their weapons and suppressed their abilities.

Sakazuki also gestured for calm.

Enel lowered his staff, and Borsalino gently retracted his power.

Charlotte Linlin tossed a nautical chart onto the ground.

With Napoleon in her hand, she pointed directly at the island they were currently on:

“Since you Navy people have already made it this far…”

“Then I assume Golden Lion’s territory has mostly fallen into your hands.”

“So, how about a trade?”

As she spoke, she slashed across half of Golden Lion’s territory on the map.

“Hand this part over to me. You can name whatever conditions you want—how about that?”

Sakazuki glanced down.

“Giving you this area would patch the gap in your sphere of influence.”

“That wouldn’t be very favorable for us.”

Charlotte Linlin narrowed her eyes slightly.

“The Navy’s battlefront can’t stretch that far.”

Sakazuki chuckled lightly.

“You’re not wrong.”

“In that case…”

He tapped several islands on the map with a Shigan.

“How about giving these to the Navy?”

As Sakazuki pointed, the general objective of this operation became clear.

If the trade succeeded—

By occupying half of Golden Lion’s territory and adding the exchanged islands,

The Navy could form a trapezoidal zone of influence in the New World, relying on the Red Line. The island garrisons could form a linked defense network.

Charlotte Linlin, by filling in the gap in her territory, would form an elliptical zone of influence, both offensive and defensive.

Meanwhile, if Knock managed to conquer Fish-Man Island, he’d form a long strip of influence along the New World’s edge, taking control of the region’s material imports.

…

With this new three-way division, there would be no more gaps in any of their territories.

However, the islands the Navy claimed were of great significance to the Charlotte Family.

Because of their proximity to the Red Line and Fish-Man Island, they were key trade hubs and crucial to her finances.

Charlotte Linlin considered for a moment…

“mamamamama~”

“A pleasure doing business.”

She extended her right hand.

Sakazuki said softly:

“A pleasure doing business.”

And reached out to shake it.

The moment their hands touched, both arms were instantly clad in Armament Haki.

BOOM!

A violent shockwave erupted from between them.

Charlotte Linlin’s Napoleon flared with Conqueror’s Haki and slashed toward Sakazuki.

At some point, Sakazuki had formed a magma gauntlet, which he smashed straight into Napoleon.

Clang!

Szzzzzz—!

The clash of Conqueror’s Haki sparked with lightning.

Charlotte Linlin snarled.

Prometheus’ flames roared violently as he surged toward Sakazuki.

Sakazuki responded indifferently.

A massive magma sword shot from the ground and extended infinitely, colliding with Prometheus.

BOOM!

The collision sent chaotic energy surging everywhere.

Flames and magma erupted, twisted, and fused in a violent spiral that spread outward in all directions.

A massive, fiery mushroom cloud surged into the sky.

The searing heat nearly melted Katakuri and Perospero, who were hiding at a distance.

The two didn’t dare linger and quickly retreated to the ships beyond the island.

Enel and Borsalino, however, flashed into motion, pursuing them in bursts of light.

Around Charlotte Linlin and Sakazuki, a kilometer-wide crater had been blasted open, yet the two remained firmly rooted in place.

Both muttered curses under their breath:

“Old fox.”

“Little fox.”

Charlotte Linlin grinned viciously:

“Mother Visit Cannon: 3000 Leagues!!!”

As her power surged, flame, lightning, and sword aura gathered behind her to form a massive female figure.

“Kill him for me!”

The towering woman let out a high-pitched shriek:

“Yes, Mama!”

Two enormous arms formed of sword aura slashed at Sakazuki with razor-sharp intent.

Sakazuki took a deep breath, his chest swelling before he exhaled:

“Huuuuu—”

A compressed volcanic ash bomb burst from his mouth, exploding against the giant specter’s head.

BOOOOOOM!!!

An explosion erupted between the two.

Billowing smoke and ash were swept up in a furious shockwave.

Spreading rapidly in every direction.

The entire island was instantly plunged into darkness.

Countless magma spears coated in Haki shot up from the ground, densely packed like a forest of lances.

They forced the massive female shadow to keep retreating.

Neither released their grip — they held onto each other with unrelenting force.

Suddenly, both withdrew their weapons and armored arms.

Thunderclouds churned above the island.

Charlotte Linlin raised Napoleon high into the air.

A thick bolt of lightning struck down, directly connecting with Napoleon’s blade.

“Thunder!!!”

A massive surge of high-voltage lightning was channeled straight at Sakazuki.

Sakazuki’s retracted armored arm suddenly expanded into a suit of armor covering half his body.

His entire form was coated in Armament Haki as he grabbed hold of the incoming sword and lightning.

Sakazuki let out a muffled grunt from the impact.

His bones, still not fully healed from the fight with Garp a few days earlier, cracked open again under the immense pressure.

Electric current surged through his body. A wave of paralysis swept through him but was instantly dispelled by Haki.

Sakazuki clutched the longsword tightly and took a deep breath.

“Magma Colossus!”

Behind him, magma erupted wildly and rapidly took the form of a thirty-meter-tall magma giant.

It wielded a massive magma hammer, coated in Armament Haki.

The hammer came crashing down on the struggling duo.

At some point, the ground beneath them had turned into magma.

Charlotte Linlin’s pupils contracted.

Boom!

The giant hammer struck, shaking the earth.

The two of them were smashed straight into the underground.

Using the momentum from the impact, Sakazuki dragged Charlotte Linlin with him, plunging deep beneath the surface.

Holding her breath, Charlotte Linlin finally released her grip.

But Sakazuki refused to let go, still gripping tightly.

A fierce glint flashed in Charlotte Linlin’s eyes.

Napoleon, now entwined with Conqueror’s Haki, slashed down toward Sakazuki’s wrist.

Sakazuki snorted coldly and released his grip.

His entire body rapidly turned crimson and began to swell.

BOOM————!!!

In the sealed underground space, the explosion and shockwave grew exponentially.

…

At the harbor, Enel and Borsalino, still entangled with members of the Charlotte Pirates, felt the powerful tremor.

They looked toward the center of the island with concern.

Enel glanced up at the thunderclouds swirling above.

“Borsalino, hold out for a bit.”

He transformed into lightning and shot up into the storm clouds.

After a brief and cordial exchange with Zeus, he seized control.

Endless thunderclouds began converging from the center of the island toward the harbor.

A deadly sense of threat rose in the hearts of everyone on the island.

The thunderclouds condensed into a sphere the size of an island and began pressing down toward the ground.

“Lightning Judgment!!!!!!”

—

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