'Clang... Clang...'
'Boom... Boom...'
The earth rumbled with continuous explosions as Linlin, in her hybrid form, looked ferocious and terrifying. Wielding the sharp and intimidating Napoleon, each of her strikes was forceful and filled with murderous intent as she relentlessly swung at Sengoku.
Over the years, under the guidance of the formidable swordsman Streusen and through personal training from El—who had surpassed Streusen to become a true great swordsman—Linlin had developed extraordinary skills. Despite her youth, she was no longer just a brute force. Her swordsmanship was refined, and her strikes were both powerful and fierce.
Even Garp and Tsuru, who were observing from a distance, couldn't help but feel alarmed by the intensity of her attacks.
'Clang! Clang!'
The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the air. Sengoku's golden fists and palms, as solid as cast gold, were wrapped in Armament Haki, exuding a dark golden glow as they repeatedly collided with Linlin's rapid and powerful sword slashes. Sengoku's golden Buddha form boasted a near-impenetrable defense, strong enough to withstand even Linlin's overwhelming force. Despite her monstrous strength, which surpassed even the full might of Little Oars Jr., Sengoku was able to endure her onslaught without being overpowered.
Their battle was fierce and unrelenting.
'Swish...'
However, Linlin's speed in her hybrid form was ghostly fast, catching Sengoku off guard.
'Whoosh—' Sengoku's golden palm slammed down with incredible force, but it passed right through its target, meeting no resistance. The tall figure had been a mere afterimage.
"What? An afterimage!"
Sengoku's face darkened as he realized that what he had struck wasn't the real Charlotte Linlin, but just an illusion created by her incredible speed. His Observation Haki gave him a sudden warning, sending a chill down his spine.
The giant golden figure instinctively moved to defend, but it was already too late.
"Phantom Clone!" Linlin's towering and fearsome figure suddenly appeared behind the golden Buddha. "You let your guard down!"
Her sword, already poised, slashed down without giving Sengoku a chance to react.
"Mighty Nation!!!"
With a terrifying sound of air being torn apart, a massive wave of sword energy tore through the atmosphere, roaring toward Sengoku with blinding speed.
"What!?"
Sengoku's eyes widened in horror as he realized he had been caught off guard.
"Watch out, Sengoku!!" Tsuru shouted in shock, her face pale with fear as she saw what was about to happen.
'Swish!' Just then, a powerful young figure appeared like lightning behind Sengoku's Buddha form. A massive, pitch-black fist, covered in Armament Haki, struck out violently.
"Galaxy Impact!!!"
'Boom... Boom...'
A blinding flash of white light exploded, sending shockwaves in all directions.
Sengoku, who had barely managed to defend himself, broke out in a cold sweat but couldn't help feeling relieved and grateful.
As expected, he could always count on his brother-in-arms, Garp, to cover his back in critical moments.
But at the same time—
"You bastard! Don't interfere with Linlin's fight!"
A green-skinned figure roared in fury and charged at Garp.
'Bang!!' A fierce punch, wrapped in powerful Armament Haki, smashed into Garp's face before he could react.
Garp's face twisted in pain as he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a cannonball.
'Crash... Crash...'
Several massive trees snapped in half as Garp hurtled through the forest, finally embedding into a giant tree labeled "1."
"Garp!!"
Sengoku and Tsuru's faces turned pale as they looked at the figure that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield. It was a ferocious, green-skinned creature with horns, standing about two to three meters tall and radiating immense power.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma, well done, Oars!" Linlin praised the small Oars with satisfaction. She glanced mockingly in the direction Garp had been sent flying and added with a chilling smile, "Jumping into someone else's fight without an invitation is the height of rudeness!"
Had Garp not interfered just now, Linlin's strike would have seriously injured Sengoku. That was the advantage of her Mythical Zoan Vampire form, which granted her both ghostly speed and heightened reflexes, compensating for her large size and lesser agility compared to other top-tier fighters. Combined with her monstrous strength, near-invulnerable body, and El's relentless training, Linlin's full potential as a born monster was being unleashed.
Though she was still a teenager, her power was enough to make anyone tremble. When El had subdued her during her berserk fits, it was because she had fought like a mindless beast. Now, with her intellect and strategy intact, her strength was doubled.
"War isn't child's play. We're Marines, and you're pirates..."
Sengoku, in his golden Buddha form, spoke coldly. "This is a battlefield, not an arena! Besides, there's no need to talk about fairness with pirates as cruel and treacherous as you!"
He eyed Linlin warily, his respect for her growing. Her speed was terrifying, and even his golden Buddha form couldn't keep up. Had Garp not intervened, he would've been severely injured.
The Buddha's golden body was strong, yes, but not invincible. A powerful attack like Linlin's 'Mighty Nation' could indeed break through his defenses.
"You're right," Linlin said, nodding as she glanced at Tsuru standing nearby. She grinned menacingly and commanded, "Nef, Rock, Jien—capture that woman."
"Understood!"
"Leave it to us!"
At Linlin's command, Nef, Rock, and Jien stepped forward, their eyes fixed on Tsuru like predators stalking their prey. Though they treated Linlin casually most of the time, in the Fallen Angel Pirates, Linlin's strength and status placed her among the highest-ranking officers.
"You won't succeed!"
Sengoku's face darkened with anger as he lunged forward.
"Hybrid form!"
In the blink of an eye, his massive golden Buddha body shrank and condensed into a muscular, five-meter-tall golden figure. Compared to his previous form, this one was more compact and powerful.
"Hybrid form? Or maybe… Buddha-Man form?" Linlin raised an eyebrow, not too surprised. Most Zoan users, including the Mythical ones like Sengoku, had at least three transformation forms. His previous gigantic Buddha form must have been his complete beast form. According to El, Zoan users could use special drugs to manipulate their transformations, creating additional forms.
Currently, Nef, as the ship's doctor, was tasked with researching this ability. Though her research had only just begun, there hadn't been any major breakthroughs yet.
"Come at me if you want to catch me…" Tsuru stood tall and confident. "I'm no pushover!"
With her hands raised defensively, Tsuru kept her eyes on Nef, Rock, and Jien, unafraid and ready to fight. As one of the brightest stars of the new Marine generation, she wasn't as powerful as Sengoku or Garp, but she had absolute confidence in her abilities. There was no hesitation or fear in her stance.