Between Two Worlds: Nen and Haki

Frowning at the sound of his name, Zane treaded on lightning and swung his three-pointed double-edged glaive in a powerful horizontal slash, meeting her head-on.

BOOM!!!!

Haki Infusion!

Even before their weapons made physical contact, a breathtaking clash of power erupted.

Black lightning snaked in every direction.

Shockwaves rolled out, subjecting the nearby streets and buildings to horrific destruction. Fissures spiderwebbed across the ground, and structures crumbled into piles of debris.

Dark clouds churned in the sky.

A massive rift, torn open by the clash of Haki, split the heavens in two.

"The sky... it split?"

"Who on earth is fighting Mama? How could they cause such a terrifying sight?"

"Whitebeard? Kaido? Or maybe Red-Hair?"

"

Elite members of the Big Mom Pirates, converging on Cacao Island from various ships, stared up at the fractured sky in utter shock.

To them, this sight was all too familiar.

The Sky Splitting phenomenon.

It was the definitive proof of an Emperor.

On Cacao Island.

A storm of impact swept over the area.

Yet neither Zane nor Charlotte Linlin yielded an inch.

The three-pointed double-edged glaive and the giant sword Napoleon remained locked in a stalemate, clashing across the gap between them.

Zane remained composed.

Charlotte Linlin was a storm of shock and fury.

Beyond Haki-Nen and Haki, the two were clashing with raw, physical might.

Charlotte Linlin had been known for her freakish strength since she was a child.

But in this moment, her monstrous power failed to provide an advantage.

"I'll burn you to cinders!"

Sensing that Mama was unable to overpower her foe, Prometheus—carrying her aloft—roared and spat a pillar of searing fire at Zane.

Zane's eyes flickered.

He watched the incoming flames with a gaze as cold as ice.

CRACKLE!!!

Lightning surged wildly. The explosive bolts instantly shattered the incoming fire pillar into sparks.

At the same time, thunder wreathed Zane's body, stimulating his cells and granting him a significant boost to his physical strength.

BOOM!!!

The stalemate shattered.

The three-pointed double-edged glaive erupted with newfound force, blowing back Napoleon and slashing violently across Charlotte Linlin's chest.

The impact raged.

The crushing pressure caused Prometheus to explode, unable to endure the force.

Losing her footing and reeling from the slash, Charlotte Linlin plummeted toward the earth. She slammed into the ground with a thunderous roar, carving out a deep, jagged crater.

Zane dove after her.

He spun the three-pointed double-edged glaive into a reverse grip.

With the point aimed downward, he lunged at Charlotte Linlin, who was pinned at the bottom of the pit.

She reached up and grabbed it.

Despite her battered appearance, Charlotte Linlin seemed to have taken very little real damage; her reflexes were still razor-sharp.

As the blade came down, she caught it firmly in her left hand.

The lightning and Haki-Nen failed to leave even a scratch on her palm.

However, the weight of Zane's diving momentum forced the tip through her grip, pinning her hand against her own chest.

"That hurts!!"

The defense of her Iron Balloon body was proven once more.

Neither the previous slash nor this downward strike had been able to breach her monstrous hide.

But the pain was very real.

A grimace of pain twisted Linlin's features. Driven by that agony, she swung Napoleon with her right hand, aiming a savage blow at the man above her.

Zane didn't retreat; he counterattacked.

The three-pointed double-edged glaive dispersed into a chaotic flurry of lightning.

He lunged in close, evading her swing and unleashing a barrage of punches.

Spinning: Steel: Aggressive as Fire.

His steel-hardened arms rotated at high velocity.

Lightning and flames intertwined.

In a heartbeat.

A wall of fist afterimages slammed into Charlotte Linlin like a torrential downpour.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The earth groaned and trembled.

The crater shattered further under the violent onslaught, expanding and sinking deeper into the bedrock.

CRACK!!!

Fissures radiated outward from the edge of the pit. Streets split apart and buildings toppled wherever they spread, making it look as though Cacao Island itself was being torn to pieces.

"You brat! How dare you hit me like this!!!"

From within the massive, shattered crater, the battered Charlotte Linlin let out a blood-curdling roar.

Waves of Conqueror's Haki and sheer sound blasted outward, distorting the air and causing the ground to shake even more violently.

Taking Zane's punches head-on, she swung her left hand with terrifying force, swatting at him like an insect.

Right leg side kick.

Zane reacted with blinding speed, intercepting the massive palm with a sharp side kick.

A surge of power traveled up his leg, but his expression remained impassive. He slightly bent his knee to absorb and redirect the brunt of the impact, holding her monstrous strength at bay.

BOOM!!!

The attack was blocked.

But Zane's offensive rhythm was broken.

Charlotte Linlin didn't waste the opening. Kicking up a massive cloud of dust, she vaulted upward from the bottom of the pit.

Zane's reflexes were instant. Using her body as a springboard, he pushed off with his left foot and drifted gracefully away from the edge of the crater.

CLANG!

A colossal flying slash tore through the pit, sweeping toward Zane just as he landed.

Lightning Kick!!

Spinning whip kick.

Cloaked in brilliant lightning, Zane delivered a stylish spinning whip kick, shattering the incoming sword beam instantly.

Stolen Fire!

A pillar of intense heat rained from above, swallowing Zane's position. The ground cracked and liquefied into pools of molten lava.

"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Beautiful work, Prometheus!"

Leaping clear of the crater, Charlotte Linlin laughed heartily at the sight of the raging inferno.

"Of course, Mama! I'm not a coward like Zeus—who knows where that brat is hiding!" Prometheus bragged from the sky, still venting flames.

"What? Zeus is hiding? No wonder I haven't seen him. That worthless, cowardly brat!" Big Mom roared in fury.

Prometheus quickly fanned the flames: "That's right, Mama. A coward like Zeus has no right to fight by our side. We should find a new partner."

"Mama, I agree. We really should replace him. He always messes up the coordination during battle," Napoleon chimed in.

As the three Great Homies.

They were partners, but also competitors.

Especially Zeus and Prometheus.

The two were frequently at each other's throats.

"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Very well. Once we're done here, I'll just make a new Homie to take his place." Without a single thought for Zeus's past service, Charlotte Linlin ruthlessly agreed to their suggestion.

Whish!

BOOM!!!

A beam of concentrated lightning shot out from the heart of the raging fire, striking Charlotte Linlin square in the face.

Caught in a massive electrical explosion, Charlotte Linlin let out a pained shriek as she was blown off her feet, tumbling right back into the massive crater.

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