Claudius straightened his waist as he took a few more steps forward. His once trembling arms steadied, and his aura grew increasingly fierce and unyielding.
Linlin, despite her massive stature several times larger than Claudius, managed to stand as well, albeit with visible difficulty. Yet, for reasons she couldn't comprehend, when she looked at Claudius, she felt as though she was staring at a giant towering dozens of times higher than herself.
Each step Claudius took filled her heart with dread, and her body began to tremble involuntarily.
Yes, Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom, the infamous pirate who had rampaged across the seas—was afraid. She was terrified of Claudius.
Her pride wouldn't allow her to fully succumb to this fear. A top-tier fighter like Linlin understood all too well that once fear gripped her heart, it was over. She would be utterly defeated.
Suppressing the invisible pressure and terror that bore down on her, Linlin bit her tongue fiercely, the sharp pain dragging her mind back to clarity. She forced her willpower to dominate the fear that threatened to overtake her.
She then let out a defiant roar, unwilling to concede:
"CLAUDIUS!!!"
With the shout, Linlin charged at him. Despite her injuries, she summoned every ounce of courage, planting her enormous feet into the ground as she rushed forward. Raising her remaining arm, now wrapped in a potent layer of Armament Haki, she unleashed a punch with all the power she could muster, aiming squarely at Claudius.
Claudius roared back in excitement, meeting her fury head-on:
"Have you made peace with your death, Charlotte Linlin?!"
As if to match her resolve, the steady rhythm of Claudius's "King Engine" reignited, its previous chaotic pulse now condensed into a single, deep, and resonant beat. It seemed to echo not just in the air but in the very souls of those who heard it.
He lunged forward, his arm swelling grotesquely large as his Nitrogen-Nitrogen fruit powers activated, extending his reach. His enormous fist bypassed Linlin's strike entirely and slammed directly into her head.
A sickening thud reverberated through the battlefield.
Linlin's pupils rolled back as her neck twisted unnaturally. A fountain of blood erupted from her mouth before her towering figure crashed to the ground. Claudius had driven her head-first into the dirt, creating a crater beneath her massive frame.
"Ughhhh…" Linlin groaned weakly, her voice full of confusion and disorientation. Her massive body then collapsed in a heap, drool, and blood dripping from the corners of her mouth as she lost consciousness.
For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent.
Then, from the centre of the crater, a bloodied arm reached out. The hand was mangled, with exposed finger bones visible through the shredded flesh. Yet, it gripped the edge of the crater firmly.
Moments later, Claudius, equally battered and drenched in blood, dragged himself out of the pit. He looked like a man who had walked through hell but somehow came out alive.
"It's my victory!" Claudius declared with a grim smile, his voice hoarse. He braced himself against the ground, breathing heavily, as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him.
But before he could catch his breath, Kaido emerged.
Despite having just tanked Borsalino's devastating kick, Kaido barely faltered. A thin trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he leveraged the impact to propel himself toward Claudius with startling speed.
Now, in his human form, Kaido wielded his massive spiked kanabo. He didn't waste time with threats or boasts, swinging the mace directly at Claudius's head with murderous intent.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!" Borsalino shouted, panic flashing across his face.
Big Mom had already been defeated by Claudius. At this point, their mission was essentially complete. As long as they could leave the battlefield with Linlin, they had achieved a resounding success.
But if Claudius were to fall to Kaido's surprise attack, no matter how victorious their mission seemed, the consequences would be disastrous.
"CLAUDIUS!" Gion screamed in alarm, her voice filled with urgency.
Claudius, though completely drained from his battle with Linlin, was keenly aware of the danger bearing down on him. But his body couldn't move fast enough to dodge. His energy was spent, leaving him vulnerable.
"Damn it, Kaido, you sneaky bastard!" Claudius cursed, his voice tinged with frustration and helplessness.
He understood, though. In the life-and-death chaos of battle, no one would hold back, and he wouldn't have hesitated to take advantage of a weakened opponent either.
But knowing that didn't stop him from swearing. "Shit… is this how I die?" Claudius thought bitterly, fully expecting Kaido's kanabo to crush him.
"Thunder Bagua!!!" Kaido roared, his voice filled with murderous resolve.
Kaido had watched Claudius's battle with Linlin closely. The man's power was terrifying, undeniably so. Even though Claudius couldn't maintain that peak state for long, Kaido could tell that his opponent had undergone a breakthrough. If Claudius survived this fight, his strength would undoubtedly reach even more monstrous levels.
And Kaido had no intention of letting that happen.
The fact that Claudius was a Celestial Dragon meant nothing to a monster like Kaido. Titles and status carried no weight in the face of absolute power.
As Kaido's mace closed in, the air itself seemed to distort from the sheer force. But before the weapon could land, another figure suddenly appeared behind Claudius, massive and imposing.
The newcomer moved with blinding speed, intercepting Kaido's strike.
A palm, wide and calloused, met the mace head-on. The collision created a deafening shockwave, but the palm absorbed the full force of Kaido's Thunder Bagua, rendering it useless. The recoil even sent Kaido's weapon flying out of his grasp.
"Your Highness Claudius," came the quiet, calm voice of Bartholomew Kuma.
The towering figure of Kuma had arrived, seemingly out of nowhere. Having disappeared at the start of the battle, the enigmatic warrior returned at the perfect moment.
Kaido, though momentarily stunned, quickly tried to retaliate. But Kuma wasted no time. He placed his paw-like hand against Kaido's chest and activated his ability.
A brief distortion rippled through the air, and Kaido's massive frame suddenly vanished, disappearing from the battlefield entirely.
"Did…" Did you just kill him?" Claudius asked in disbelief, his voice tinged with shock.
Kuma's expression remained serious as he replied, "No. At most, I've bought us three to five minutes. With his strength, Kaido will break free and return soon."
Indeed, Kuma's Devil Fruit powers were incredibly versatile and formidable, but they had their limits. Against someone as powerful as Kaido, the effects wouldn't last long.
Borsalino appeared next to Claudius, gently supporting him. "Your Highness, we've achieved our mission objective. Let's retreat now before Kaido comes back. It'll be troublesome if we linger."
Claudius knew Borsalino was sparing his dignity with those words. The "trouble" wasn't Kaido himself but the fact that Claudius was now a liability.
If something happened to him, the entire operation would be considered a failure, regardless of their earlier success.
Nodding, Claudius made the call. Kaido could wait for another day.
"Signal the retreat. Everyone, fall back! Take Charlotte Linlin with us. The mission is complete!" Claudius commanded firmly.
As the commanding officer of the operation, his orders were absolute. Borsalino immediately fired a flare into the sky, signalling their forces to withdraw.
He then turned to Kuma. "Charlotte Linlin is yours. Can you handle her?"
"No problem," Kuma replied calmly.