Chapter 170 A Natural Monster
"Enough talk! Just follow Mama's lead!"
Napoleon, the bicorne hat perched atop Charlotte Linlin's head, also revealed a face.
Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon.
These three were the three great Homies created by Charlotte Linlin using the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit.
"Let's go! This old lady wants to see which bastard dares to provoke me like this!!"
Riding the thundercloud Zeus, Charlotte Linlin flew rapidly toward Cacao Island with a face full of fury.
It wasn't just Charlotte Linlin who was moving.
Zane's earth-shattering roar had reached every island in Totto Land.
Amidst shock and astonishment.
The entire Big Mom Pirates swung into action.
Aside from Katakuri and the others who were out searching for Zane, Perospero, who had remained in Totto Land, along with Snack and Smoothie of the Sweet Commanders, as well as the other officers, all rushed toward Cacao Island.
Having used Conqueror's Haki to powerfully announce his challenge.
Zane waited quietly in place until Charlotte Linlin, riding a thundercloud and clutching flames, appeared in his line of sight coming from the direction of Whole Cake Island.
Charlotte Linlin arrived in a towering rage.
But when she reached Cacao Island and saw Zane waiting quietly on the shattered street through the presence she sensed with Observation Haki, her anger immediately dissipated.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! So it's you, Three-Eye Zane. Where's Katakuri? Since he brought you here, why did he leave you all alone?"
Charlotte Linlin laughed like a child, even looking around as if searching for her perfect son.
Obviously, she thought Katakuri had found Zane and that Zane had accepted her recruitment.
His legs bent slightly.
*Whoosh!*
Faced with Charlotte Linlin's jovial mood, Zane leaped into the air with an expressionless face.
It was like a flicker of movement.
Zane instantly appeared before Charlotte Linlin in mid-air.
He threw a punch, his right fist wrapped in Haki-Nen, smashing toward her face like a falling star.
Danger!!
Her pupils shrank violently.
Charlotte Linlin didn't even have time to think; her body's instinct made her trigger Armament Haki to wrap around her head.
*Boom!!!*
The terrifying impact sprayed outward like a beam of light.
The right fist caved her face inward.
Amidst the radiating shockwaves of a storm-like gale, Charlotte Linlin's body recoiled. Her feet left the thundercloud Zeus as she turned into a blur, blasted away into the distance at high speed.
Inside the Door-Door Space.
When she saw Mama appear, Pudding's body couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably.
But now.
Witnessing Mama being sent flying by Zane's punch, Pudding immediately covered her mouth, her face a mix of disbelief and unspeakable joy.
'He's really incredible.'
'He actually managed to knock Mama away.'
'The Iron Balloon? It really is a fitting name!'
Watching Charlotte Linlin fly into the distance, Zane clenched and unclenched his right fist, thoughtfully recalling the sensation from the impact.
With that punch, in addition to his physical strength, his Haki-Nen had also used internal destruction techniques to strike her head.
However...
Not only was her exterior exceptionally tough.
But even her interior.
When his Haki-Nen invaded her head, it felt as if it had struck empty air; there was nowhere to exert force, and the energy was neutralized layer by layer.
Zane was truly astonished by such a defense.
It had to be said—Charlotte Linlin was indeed a natural monster.
Whether in terms of destruction or defense, she was a genuine monster.
The God's Eye slowly opened.
Vertical pupils glowing with a golden luster appeared.
Zane stared at the distant Charlotte Linlin with an unreadable gaze.
*Rumble rumble rumble...*
Having flown an unknown distance, she began to crash downward diagonally. In an instant, rows of houses and buildings were crushed by Charlotte Linlin, carving a path right through the heart of the town.
"Mama?! You bastard, I'll strike you dead!!!"
Charlotte Linlin had been sent flying, but the thundercloud Zeus remained behind.
After a brief moment of daze, Zeus panicked as soon as it realized Mama was gone.
Its body expanded rapidly, turning into a massive thundercloud surging with wild lightning, and it angrily hurled bolts of thunder at Zane.
Well... using lightning to strike lightning.
He stepped on lightning to stay suspended in the air.
Having sent Charlotte Linlin flying, his right fist opened into a palm.
The bolts of thunder Zeus cast were like swallows returning to their nest, gathering docilely in Zane's palm.
"How can this be?!"
The angry thundercloud Zeus went blank as it watched its own lightning being easily controlled by the opponent.
But that was only the beginning.
Zane gazed coldly at the expanded Zeus.
"You're not bad. From now on, you'll be responsible for protecting Pudding!"
With a flick of his finger, Zeus shrank back down completely against its will, turning into a miniature thundercloud ball that landed in Zane's hand.
"What did you do to me... oh, that feels so good!"
Its terror lasted only a short while. Soon, as Zane rubbed the thundercloud ball like one might pet a cat, Zeus became like a feline having its fur smoothed, rolling around contentedly in Zane's hand.
Pudding's strength was too low.
Until she trained up, it would be much safer to have this little creature protecting her.
He injected his own lightning into Zeus's body.
Relying on his absolute control over lightning.
Zane easily molded the creature into his own form.
*Rumble!!!*
In the distance, the buried ruins were blown apart and melted by flames bursting from within.
"That hurts! Damn you, three-eyed bastard! How dare you hit me in the face! I'm going to slaughter him!!"
With her face slightly caved in and her hair disheveled, Charlotte Linlin leaped out of the crater she had created.
Her expression was exceptionally terrifying and hideous.
Napoleon, the bicorne hat she had been wearing, extended into a massive blade, which she gripped with both hands.
Spear of Elbaf: Ikoku Sovereignty!!
Her bloodshot eyes locked onto the direction she had come from. As she swung the giant sword with all her might, a massive, spinning shockwave-like slash tore through the sky above the town.
He tossed the tamed Zeus into the Door-Door Space.
Zane immediately looked toward the massive shockwave blasting toward him from the distance.
Lightning Manifestation: Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive!
Pulling out hair all the time would lead to baldness.
Taking precautions, Zane changed the source of his weapon.
Lightning bloomed, evolving into a solid three-pointed double-edged glaive.
Then, under his emitted Haki-Nen, the energy-based glaive was easily infused.
*Boom!!!*
He swung the blade.
The massive slash was like hitting an immovable iron wall, stopped dead in its tracks by Zane's glaive.
*Clang...*
Lightning merged into the slash.
A brilliant thunderous shockwave erupted.
The halted massive slash surged forward again.
But it had already been split in two, passing by Zane on both sides, tearing long fissures through the vast stretches of buildings and streets behind him.
"Zane!!!"
Following closely behind the massive slash.
Riding Prometheus, Charlotte Linlin flew over with a hideous face, swinging the giant sword Napoleon once more to strike viciously at Zane.