“Boom!”

Mary Geoise shook violently.

Palaces collapsed.

The ground cracked.

Countless massive boulders tumbled from the towering Red Line, crashing into the sea. Ships fleeing the river at full speed looked back in horror at the apocalyptic scene.

Terrified, passengers clutched their heads and crouched on the deck.

“It’s starting. The war has begun.”

“This is terrifying.”

Desperately, they steered their ships away from the Red Line, pushing their vessels to their limits.

Outside the Red Line, towering waves rose on the sea, caused by Kuke’s relentless stomping.

Each stomp drove “Sister Carmel” deeper into the ground.

Sister Carmel was dazed from the repeated impacts.

“I’m using Linlin’s body now! Her physique is the strongest—the strongest!” Carmel repeatedly told herself, trying to bolster her confidence.

She had schemed and labored for years to acquire Charlotte Linlin’s extraordinary body.

Gathering her resolve, she placed her hands on the fractured ground, attempting to push herself upright.

But just as she steadied herself, another stomp landed.

Her newfound strength shattered instantly, her head slamming into the ground and distorting under the impact.

Within the spiritual realm of her mind, Charlotte Linlin’s soul sat isolated in darkness.

She had lost all awareness of the outside world.

“Waaah… it’s so dark. Linlin is scared. Somebody, please save me… please save me,” she sobbed, curled up like a frightened child.

Outside, Kuke casually picked up the mangled form of “Sister Carmel.”

With a powerful swing, he hurled her into the two charging Five Elders, sending them both flying as blood sprayed from their mouths.

The short-haired elder, a user of soul-based abilities, smashed into a wall and slumped there, barely alive. His powers were bizarre but lacked physical strength.

The bald elder, a Logia user specializing in air manipulation, fared slightly better but was still battered.

“You look truly pathetic,” Kuke said, lifting “Sister Carmel.”

Before, being overweight was one thing. She wasn’t pleasant to look at but wasn’t disgusting either.

But now, Kuke felt only revulsion and disgust when looking at Carmel.

“Captain, spare me! Please, spare me!” Sister Carmel begged.

“Captain?” Kuke chuckled coldly. “There’s no place for you on my ship.”

His body ignited with supreme Haki as he slammed Carmel back into the ground with full force.

Sister Carmel’s spirit faltered, her limbs dangling lifelessly over the broken abyss while Kuke held her by one foot.

Her body was on the verge of falling apart.

“Boom!”

Kuke unleashed a full-power strike against the helpless Carmel.

Without her powerful Homies like Zeus and others, her combat strength had significantly diminished. The gap between her and Kuke had widened even further.

With Kuke holding nothing back, the fight was completely one-sided.

A golden fist struck Carmel’s chest, causing her to gag and dry heave as if her organs were about to spill out.

She finally realized that even Charlotte Linlin’s body wasn’t invincible.

“Charlotte Linlin, come out,” Kuke demanded, slamming his fist into Carmel’s head again.

Her vision went black.

“Come out,” he repeated, punching her again.

Though Kuke lacked soul-related abilities, his direct and brutal method was more than sufficient.

Repeated punches to the head elicited screams and pleas for mercy from Carmel.

The scene left the two remaining Five Elders utterly stunned.

“Kuke is this strong?”

Though they were well-versed in Kuke’s exploits, including his battles against Kaido, Big Mom, and Whitebeard, all they had were reports and photographs. They had never witnessed his strength firsthand.

His decisive victories, like defeating Kaido in hours, Big Mom in just over an hour, and Whitebeard in mere minutes, had seemed almost mythical.

But now, seeing Kuke in action shattered all their doubts.

“He’s far more terrifying than the intelligence suggested. The disparity is enormous.”

The two elders were visibly shaken.

Their opponent was a combination of Charlotte Linlin’s unparalleled body and Sister Carmel’s Soul-Soul Fruit abilities.

“This kind of enemy isn’t someone we can handle.”

Realizing the futility of their efforts, the two elders no longer dared to approach.

“Moreover, Kuke hasn’t even used his special abilities. We can’t win this fight.”

The bald elder turned to his companion. “We must seek help from Lord Imu. Should we activate the ultimate weapon?”

The short-haired elder trembled. “But Lord Imu is still in slumber. Summoning them without permission would be a grave disrespect.”

“We have no choice. Without Lord Imu, Mary Geoise will fall,” the bald elder argued, watching the continued devastation of the holy land.

Each second saw more palaces collapsing.

Each second saw more lives lost.

World Government officials, high-ranking marines, and even Celestial Dragons were dying in droves.

“Reinforcements from Navy Headquarters will take at least three hours. Even if they arrive, the current forces are insufficient,” the bald elder analyzed grimly.

The Navy was as understaffed as Mary Geoise. The strongest available forces were Tsuru and Zephyr, but even they would only buy time, not change the outcome.

“The main forces will need four or five days to return.”

Four or five hours seemed an impossible challenge, let alone days.

“This is all Feith’s fault! I opposed large-scale action against the Sun and Moon Pirates. Now they’re fine in the New World while we’re the ones suffering.”

“Indeed. Lord Imu must punish them severely.”

Their frustration turned to anger against their absent colleagues.

“Let’s go. We have no other choice but to rely on Lord Imu today,” the short-haired elder conceded.

With that, the two elders quietly retreated.

Kuke, still beating Carmel, sensed their movements through his Observation Haki.

He knew they weren’t fleeing but heading deeper into the holy land.

“So, they’re finally playing their trump card.”

Feigning ignorance, Kuke continued pummeling Carmel.

“Come out!” he demanded.

Inside her mind, Charlotte Linlin trembled as the dark space began to quake. Light seeped in, and faint voices called her name.

“Who’s calling me? Is it… Captain?” Linlin’s eyes lit up with hope.

“Captain… Captain…”

Outside, Kuke’s relentless attacks pushed Carmel to the brink of death. Desperate, she abandoned her ambitions and attempted to retreat deeper into Linlin’s consciousness.

“You can’t kill me unless you kill Charlotte Linlin too!” she screamed, hurling her last threat before succumbing.

Kuke ignored her words, landing one final blow.

Linlin’s eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness.

Seconds later, her blank eyes regained clarity. Tears welled up as she gazed at Kuke, radiant light surrounding her.

“Linlin, rest for a while,” Kuke said gently.

Drawing his Supreme Grade blade, he pierced Linlin’s chest.

During the brief moment when Carmel and Linlin’s souls switched places, her body lost its innate defensive abilities.

The blade went clean through.

“Captain, why?” Linlin whispered in disbelief.

“Trust me. Just sleep for now,” Kuke replied, gently laying her down.

As Linlin’s body fell lifelessly to the ground, Carmel’s screams echoed in her mind.

“You killed Linlin? Damn it! Damn it!” Carmel’s voice grew fainter until her presence vanished completely.

Linlin’s body slowly disintegrated, leaving no trace behind.

Charlotte Linlin was dead.

——

DONT FORGET POWER STONE

________________________________

P/S: If you are interested, you can read up 50+ chapters at patreon.com/Emik01.

________________________________

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep