Above the site of the former Flower Capital.
Invisible electric charges surged around the clouds, jumping, forming a vast electric field.
The moment all the thunder locked on, a vast, resounding roar burst from the boundless night sky. The bright moonlight dimmed. Without warning, dozens of scorching rays of lightning fell from the sky.
"Imperial Thunder: Futsunomitama!" The roars of Kaido and Charlotte Linlin sounded simultaneously.
Zeus, enhanced by Linlin using the lifespans of the Flower Capital's residents, merged with the azure dragon's lightning, forming deep purple lightning that exploded with a crash.
"Lion's Power: Rumbling Ground Roll!" Shiki crossed his two swords and activated his ability.
Several giant lion-shaped blizzards opened their giant mouths, meeting the thunder of Kaido and Linlin, fighting without reserve!
However, the thunder, imbued with consciousness, guided by Zeus, sent an arc of light ahead, taking the lead in piercing all the snow lions. It suddenly blazed with scorching brightness. Endless heat expanded within.
It rapidly melted the still electrolyzed water molecules, generating large amounts of hydrogen gas, which were then ignited by the leaping electric sparks.
Finally, it triggered...
—Explosion!
The dazzling light swallowed everything.
Flames spread, blasting a spherical vacuum in the surrounding clouds. Residual lightning splashed and flowed in the storm, the remaining momentum undiminished as it flew toward Sakura and Shiki.
"Old lion, you're no good. Watch me!" Sakura joked with him, then gripped her storm greatsword and swung it hard. "Storm Sword - Ikoku Sovereignty!"
The light weaving along the greatsword's blade tore apart all the mixed colors. Haki broke down the thunder into the most minute electric charges. And at the forefront of the endlessly racing colors, a wisp of pale, sword-like light moved freely, sweeping by like a paintbrush in a fluid motion.
"Indeed, you're very good at manipulating elements!" A ferocious smile hung on Charlotte Linlin's dignified face. "But unfortunately, this is something I'm good at too!"
Her body swelling, Linlin raised her hand, coated in flowing Armament Haki, and pushed open an invisible armor in front of her to clash with the impact of the Ikoku Sovereignty.
Her other hand pulled out a soul from her body and pressed it hard against the storm contained within the impact.
In an instant, a cruel, sadistic light seemed to burst from within. Intermittent ripples slowly spread. The power not seeking grand, destructive force condensed upon the storm.
"Come on, be mine, Anemoi!"
The queen who dominated souls excitedly spread her arms and laughed up at the sky.
The storm gathered more and more in her hand, finally forming a small tornado-shaped Homie. At the eye of the wind, eyes opened, and a smile spread. "Yes, Mama!"
"Tch, young Sakura, I think you're the one who's no good. How many times have you given her power now?" Seeing the other gain another elemental Homie, Shiki turned his head and snapped at Sakura.
Sakura didn't answer. She gave Shiki a mysterious smile. "Don't worry. Let the bullet fly a little longer!"
In the distance, Linlin, having obtained her fifth Homie, couldn't wait. She used her ability to control the five Homies.
"Zeus! Tambuzu! Napoleon! Anemoi! Prometheus!"
"Yes, Mama!" x5
She called out the names of these Homies she had personally named, one by one, raising Napoleon in her hand and having them coil around the blade.
The four elemental Homies each bloomed with radiance as they charged toward the greatsword. The next moment, the blade of the greatsword reflected the illusory light of countless falling stars.
"Mama mama, take this, Haruno Sakura!!!"
Raising both hands to lift the terrifying residual light capable of annihilating souls, Linlin swung her sword with a wild laugh.
"Hey hey, that thing is really bad news, Sakura! You need to think of something!" Shiki's Observation Haki frantically warned, as if every inch of this space was filled with enemies, urging him to leave.
He had seen such a large-scale ability warping reality in many people. And he certainly knew the alternate name for this ability… Awakening!
"Mm, are all the Homies finished fusing?" Hearing Shiki's urging, the girl finally moved.
She lightly raised her hand, formed a hand seal in the direction of Charlotte Linlin, and activated the Chakra that belonged to her!
—Ninja Art: Four Symbols Seal!
How could Sakura not have prepared for Linlin's repeated tactics?
When she swung her storm sword earlier, she had mixed into the storm Chakra preset with Sealing Technique Formulas.
When Linlin used her soul to turn it into a Homie, the Chakra within would enter its body along with the suction of the elements.
And when this Homie, co-created by Sakura and Linlin, fused with the other Homies to launch an attack, that was the best time to trigger the trap Sakura had set!
Now, within the blade swung by Linlin, the balance between the various elements began to run wild, wantonly unleashing out-of-control souls.
"Ah, ahhh!"
Trapped by this power, Linlin began to spin.
Large amounts of black ink gushed from the blade that had been wrapped in endless fierce light. Then, the symbols of the Sealing Technique spread from her greatsword to her body.
"Hey, Linlin! Use your Haki to counteract it!"
The quickest to react, Kaido immediately swung his kanabo, coated in two Haki, and slammed it hard onto the rampaging greatsword Napoleon.
Instantly, the Haki, which could defeat all anomalous energy, shook the Homies that Linlin had used her ability to entangle.
Also reacting, Linlin increased her input of Ryuo, completely tearing apart the fused Homies.
Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon, bursting out, ran to her side. Meanwhile, Tambuzu and Anemoi, created using Sakura's Chakra, flew into the air, were completely swallowed by the black water of the Sealing Technique, and disappeared.
"Did they get away?" Watching Linlin and Kaido panting heavily in the distance, Sakura didn't feel much regret.
Shiki, beside her, quietly moved further away from Sakura, afraid that if he wasn't careful, this scheming girl would leave some countermeasure on him.
'Damn it! I was outsmarted by her!' Linlin's heart was full of regret.
The destruction of the two Homies didn't just mean losing two new abilities, but also the lifespan corresponding to the two portions of soul.
"Use that technique, old hag. You haven't lost your touch, have you?"
Kaido raised the kanabo in his hand. Conqueror's Haki drifted from his entire body. A purple radiance bloomed at the tip of the kanabo.
"We have no choice. Otherwise, we'll be looked down upon by that brat and that bastard Shiki!"
Composing herself, Linlin stirred up her aura of cruel trampling. Her boiling ability strengthened Napoleon once again, coating it with Haki.
In the entanglement of countless dark thunders, the greatsword and kanabo, entwined with each other's Haki, were raised behind the two tall, towering maritime overlords.
For a moment, a fierce light that exhausted the world's sharpness shot into the sky.
"Supremacy Sea—!!!" x2