In the periphery of Water 7, the sky was covered with dark clouds, making the world appear completely dim.
A storm was about to take shape, but it was torn apart by an incredibly huge force in the next moment.
Boom!
Two incredibly powerful Haki clashes erupted in the sky, and the collision of swords caused an explosion that seemed to tear apart the very heavens and earth.
The dark clouds dispersed.
Golden Lion, from a high vantage point, steadily caught Big Mom's full-strength slash.
"Linlin, even though you're angry and you've been fighting me for days and nights, don't you think it should be over by now?!"
"Shiki!"
Big Mom was furious, her newly grown hair surging with the airflow around her, making her look like an angry god.
Obviously, the seemingly admonishing words of Golden Lion only made Big Mom's anger rise even more.
"What are you talking about?!"
"You stole my things, captured my best child, and you want me to calm down?!"
"After all these years, you're still as shameless as you were back then!"
Golden Lion shot back: "Are you any better?!"
"Didn't you give Kaido that brat the Azure Dragon Fruit in secret?!"
"However, now talking about this is meaningless."
"Hey."
"Linlin, let's team up, just like back in God Valley!"
Golden Lion floated away and sat cross-legged in the air while supporting his chin with one hand and looking at Big Mom in the distance indifferently: "The person you captured has already been interrogated. He's still stubborn, but no matter how tough the bone, it can't withstand the mental destruction of drugs."
"The Pluton blueprint is still in Water 7."
"And my people have already received word that a fleet led by the marine admiral will reach Water 7 in four to five days at most."
"With your current strength, you'll have no chance to share in the spoils."
"But we can cooperate!"
"With our combined strength, we will have no rivals in Water 7."
"Even your son, I can return him to you!"
With that, Golden Lion looked at Big Mom, seemingly in a position of absolute control.
Back then, he had been with Big Mom in the Rocks Pirates for a while and naturally understood the latter's temperament.
Now that Big Mom's fleet has been completely destroyed, she is alone and has lost the qualification to compete for the Pluton blueprint.
In addition, with Katakuri in hand, Golden Lion is confident that it is only a matter of time before Big Mom agrees.
Sure enough, as Golden Lion's voice fell, the momentum that surged around Big Mom gradually subsided at this moment.
She waved her hand and summoned the thundercloud Zeus again, who carried her body and sat in front of Shiki.
In the past, all the affairs of the Big Mom Pirates were basically handled by Katakuri and Perospero, and she lived a life of being a hands-off boss.
But now it is not possible.
Katakuri was captured by Golden Lion, and Perospero was useless in the current situation.
The only thing Big Mom can rely on is herself and the sword in her hand.
She knew that Golden Lion was right. At this moment, she had lost her fleet and had no chance to get the Pluton blueprint.
Cooperating with Golden Lion was her only choice.
After a long pause, Big Mom looked up at Shiki, her anger dissipating, and a sneer appeared on her lips: "Do you want to become another Rocks?!"
"You witnessed that guy's end with your own eyes. Don't let yourself end up like him in Water 7."
"The seas have always been full of powerful newcomers, and some of the best among them already have the strength to challenge us."
"My fleet was destroyed by White Knight Gawain, who has risen in recent years. That guy's combat power is not to be underestimated."
Recalling the night of Gawain's surprise attack, aside from her anger, Big Mom's face also showed a hint of deep caution.
Shiki, however, was slightly stunned, his smile growing even more rebellious and twisted: "Jihahahaha!"
"A stray dog, nothing more. Before, I let him slip from my grasp, but next time, I'll show him what a real pirate is like!"
"You've fought him before?!"
"Ah."
Shiki raised his hand and scratched his scalp; the coin-sized scars on his head were particularly noticeable.
"Last time, for some reason, he escaped from me, but this time, he won't be so lucky."
"He's my prey!"
Big Mom refused to give in.
That night, she lost children to Gawain's hands, too many to count on both hands.
Every time she thought of this, she felt as though her heart was bleeding, and the accumulated hatred inside her could only be washed away by Gawain's blood.
"No!"
Shiki extended his hand: "He's our prey!"
"Hmph."
Big Mom's lips curled into a smile as she extended her hand too.
One large, one small.
The two hands met in mid-air.
And so, two emperor-level pirates on the sea formed an alliance in such a playful manner.
In the distance, standing on a floating island, Law, who had been observing the battle between the two, silently clenched his hand.
At this moment, he understood why Shiki had never been wary of him.
How could a giant beast care about the clawing and scratching of an ant?!
The gap was too great, too beyond imagination!
Law's mind flashed with the image of Bepo's reckless figure, and he murmured: "Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo, I will avenge you and send Shiki to hell!"
… … ...
"Ah-choo!"
In Water 7, Bepo, who was helping Chopper treat the injured, suddenly sneezed.
His height had grown to nearly 2.5 meters, and his physique was extremely muscular, with exaggerated chest muscles that almost tore his jacket apart. His entire body was filled with a sense of explosive power.
It's worth mentioning that the physique of people in the One Piece world was truly miraculous.
Even after reaching adulthood, people could undergo drastic changes due to training or modifications.
Bepo was a perfect example. In less than a month of training under Chopper, he had almost undergone a complete transformation.
Yet, even so, when Bepo stood in front of Chopper, he still looked like an underdeveloped dog.
Chopper handed Bepo a prepared potion and carefully instructed him: "This is a special potion I made for the Mink Tribe based on the ideas you provided. Even if you can't see the moon, you'll still be able to transform into the Sulong Form."
"But..."
"The transformation will only last ten minutes, and after the effect wears off, your body will fall into a state of weakness, and you can't take another dose within the same day."
"Chopper-senpai."
Bepo tightly gripped the potion bottle in his hand, his eyes welling up with tears.
After leaving the Mink Tribe's headquarters on Zou, he drifted for a long time and met many people, but apart from Law, this was the first time someone had been so kind to him.
For a moment, Bepo's eyes were filled with gratitude.
Chopper bent down and patted Bepo on the shoulder: "You're someone I acknowledge, destined to be a pioneer… No, a navigator!"
"I'm looking forward to seeing you rip apart the sky with your own fists!"
"That will be an incredible sight."
"Mm!"
Bepo nodded heavily, wiped his eyes, and then joined Chopper in changing the bandages of the injured in the camp.
The two moved quickly, their clothes clinking as they walked, with their large coats swaying in the wind, and the heavyweights on their bodies could be faintly seen.
Clearly, they had never stopped training, and the competitive mindset had become part of their lives.