Sakazuki's gaze was cold and unyielding. He gave a short snort, his voice carrying clear disdain.
"Hmph. I truly did not expect you to be hiding a trump card like this."
An endless tide of souls poured into Charlotte Linlin's massive body. Her already monstrous form continued to swell, her original height of nearly nine meters expanding until she stood at an astonishing eighteen meters tall, rivaling even the giants. Combined with her bloated physique, she loomed over the battlefield like a living mountain, exuding overwhelming pressure.
"Mama mama mama mama!" Big Mom laughed wildly, her voice shaking the air. "Now that I have fused all the souls of Totto Land into one, what kind of useless alliance could ever stand against me? At critical moments, they are all unreliable, forcing this old lady to waste fifteen years of her life. Today, I will show you the fate that awaits anyone who dares anger me!"
She bent down and lifted Napoleon from the ground. As her body had grown, the living sword responded in kind, transforming into a colossal greatsword more than ten meters long, its blade radiating terrifying power.
Sakazuki looked up at her towering figure, a faint curl of contempt appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"So you are merely borrowing external strength for a slight increase in power. Only strength earned by oneself is genuine. Gecko Moria did the same by stealing shadows, and the result was nothing but disappointment."
Big Mom's eyes burned with fury. She swung Napoleon violently, her voice thunderous.
"Do not compare this old lady to that worthless trash!"
She raised her sword high.
"Die, Sakazuki. Hakoku…"
Before the devastating slash could fully descend, the ground erupted. Massive vine fists surged upward, colliding head-on with the incoming sword energy. The impact produced a deafening roar. The vine fists shattered one after another, yet they managed to slow and gradually block the terrifying force of the Hakoku strike.
A deep, savage grin spread across Aramaki's face.
"Your opponent is me now."
His feet transformed into thick tree roots that burrowed deep into the earth. At the same time, his body began to expand, growing rapidly until he reached a height of nearly thirty meters, towering even above Big Mom. He sneered down at her.
"Let me see just how strong a Yonko really is."
With another surge of power, branches and vines twisted together, forming enormous fists that slammed toward Big Mom from all directions.
Big Mom reacted instantly. She swung Napoleon with terrifying precision, severing every vine fist that came at her. Her expression darkened as she spoke.
"So it is you, Admiral Ryokugyu."
Sakazuki turned slightly, his voice calm but commanding.
"Aramaki, hold her here. Once I deal with those two brats, we will join forces and crush this old hag."
Aramaki laughed, clearly pleased.
"No problem. Leave it to me."
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Katakuri watched Sakazuki advance toward him, his heart sinking. He knew all too well that he stood no chance against the Fleet Admiral. Even ordinary flames were enough to melt his mochi, let alone the terrifying power of the Magma-Magma Fruit.
Without hesitation, Katakuri shouted to the figure behind him.
"Smoothie, go. I will hold him back."
"Brother…" Smoothie's face tightened with hesitation. Her vitality had already been drained by Ryokugyu earlier. Although she had recovered a small amount of stamina by extracting surface water, she was in no condition to fight.
Still, she clenched her teeth and shouted back.
"No. You cannot stop him alone. Instead of running, I would rather die fighting beside you."
She understood the reality. Even together, they had barely managed to survive against Admiral Ryokugyu. Facing Sakazuki, who had defeated Kuzan and claimed the position of Fleet Admiral, their chances were even slimmer.
Katakuri's resolve hardened. The Big Mom Pirates were already standing on the edge of collapse.
"Even if we fight together, it will be difficult to change anything," he said firmly. "But Smoothie, you must survive. If we can hold out until the Phoenix Pirates and the Beasts Pirates arrive, there is still hope."
Smoothie shook her head, her voice equally resolute.
"If I leave now, you will surely die. If we stand together, perhaps we can still grasp a sliver of hope."
"Enough." Sakazuki cut through their exchange, his tone icy and dismissive.
"There is no need for this meaningless discussion. Neither of you will escape. Not just you, either. Every last member of the Big Mom Pirates will follow soon enough. You are simply going ahead of them."
A cold smile spread across his face.
"As for the reinforcements you are waiting for, do not worry. They will not come. And if they do, I will make sure they never leave."
At that moment, chaos erupted across the battlefield of Cake Island.
Dozens of towering figures resembling Bartholomew Kuma advanced in unison. Beams of deadly light fired from their mouths and palms, cutting through the battlefield with merciless efficiency and instantly claiming countless pirate lives.
These Pacifista, created by the Marine Science Unit, each possessed combat power comparable to a Marine Vice Admiral. Now, more than fifty of them had gathered here.
With the continuous barrage of laser fire, the already struggling Big Mom Pirates suffered catastrophic losses. Without the Homies to shield them, there was nothing to slow the advance of these human weapons.
"How can this be?" Flampe watched in horror as pirates fell one after another, disbelief flooding her heart. She had remained behind to seek revenge against the Phoenix Pirates and Ulti for humiliating her, never imagining she would witness such a nightmare.
The Pacifista moved like emotionless executioners, harvesting lives without pause. Their bodies showed no damage, no hesitation, no mercy.
A sudden explosion erupted nearby as a laser struck the ground in front of Flampe. The shockwave sent her flying, and she crashed heavily to the ground, blood pooling beneath her as darkness claimed her consciousness.
When Flampe finally awoke, clutching her bloodied forehead, what she saw was far worse than any nightmare she could have imagined.
With the overwhelming support of dozens of Pacifista, the battle had completely collapsed into a one-sided slaughter. Marines advanced behind the mechanical giants, methodically finishing off wounded pirates and leaving no survivors.
The remaining pirates fled in terror, only to be surrounded and annihilated. Even the elite officers of the Charlotte Family fell one after another.
The arrival of fifty Pacifista had completely turned the tide. Marine morale soared as they pushed relentlessly deeper into Cake Island, the battle no longer a clash but a massacre.
Only now did true panic, fear, and regret take hold in Flampe's heart. As she lay there trembling, a single thought echoed through her mind.
Perhaps she should have swallowed her pride and left Cake Island with Brulee when she still had the chance.