Sakazuki didn't bother responding. Instead, he sent a fist straight at the enemy.
A barrage of magma fists rained down, engulfing both Big Mom and the Singing Ship that had followed behind her.
"Prometheus!"
"Mama!"
The small yellow orb, just beginning to take on its cartoonish form, was instantly ignited by Big Mom's soul power.
"Heavenly Fire!"
Prometheus shot forward, colliding head-on with the incoming magma fists.
"BOOM!!"
A massive explosion erupted, blinding the vision of most onlookers—but not Sakazuki.
"Hellhound!!!"
Like volcanic ash spewing into the sky, a magma-infused iron fist pierced through the smoke and hurtled viciously toward Big Mom.
"Having feasted on an ample supply of energy, Prometheus clung to Napoleon, now transformed into a massive sword.
"BOOM!!!"
Sparks and magma erupted in all directions.
Ignoring the searing flames licking at his skin, which only served to strengthen his magma, Akainu locked eyes with the monstrous woman before him.
"Big Mom, this is not a place for you!"
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Magma brat, you don't get to tell me where I can or can't go! Zeus!"
Gripping Napoleon tightly, Big Mom swung the blade downward once more. Simultaneously, bolts of lightning rained down from the sky.
...
Elsewhere.
Doberman and Onigumo found themselves in dire straits, surrounded by Katakuri, Perospero, and Cracker. The battle was growing increasingly dangerous.
...
"Gion, send Borsalino to Raya Island immediately to assist Sakazuki. Big Mom is in play."
"Understood, Admiral Sengoku!"
...
Whole Cake Island.
Dark storm clouds churned in the sky, thunder rumbled, and rain began to fall.
A massive head, tinged slightly red from alcohol, emerged from the clouds.
Amid the chaos, Amande and Effilée momentarily froze, believing their mother had returned.
But it wasn't Big Mom. It was the strongest beast of the New World.
"Linlin! Come out and face me!"
"Mama isn't on Whole Cake Island! She's in the Golden Lion's waters!"
Amande's voice rang out desperately. Kaido was unpredictable at the best of times, and now, in his drunken state, he was even more dangerous. Even though he and Big Mom had a history, she couldn't afford to take any risks—Whole Cake Island must not fall.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
It was unclear whether Kaido acknowledged her or not. The azure dragon let out a roar before disappearing back into the clouds, staggering off into the distance.
...
Dressrosa.
"Shhh!"
Once a proud armored captain of the royal guard, now wore the humble garb of a commoner, hiding inside a civilian's home.
His gaze softened as he looked at Viola, who was on the verge of tears.
In the corner, a slightly older Scarlet crouched on the ground, burying her head in her knees. Her voice was muffled as she spoke.
"Sir Kyros... my father isn't coming back, is he?"
"King Riku will live on in our hearts forever."
...
For the first time in years, King Riku donned a set of oversized armor and stepped onto the battlefield. He faced the pirate hordes below, his voice unwavering.
"Pirates, I am the king of this nation. My head must be worth quite a sum, wouldn't you say?"
"Let's see... twenty billion belly!"
"Hahaha! That's a nice price tag. Bloodhand Axe Raiven will be taking that bounty! My axe is sharp!"
"Screw you! That's mine!"
"..."
The pirates surged forward, their greedy grins filled with malice.
King Riku sighed, resigned to his fate.
'If this is all I can do for my country, then so be it. Viola, Scarlet—live well!'
His hand reached inside his armor, searching for the fuse to ignite his final stand.
But something was wrong.
His body, once entirely under his control, now felt as lifeless as a statue robbed of its soul.
"SHK!!"
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
Raiven hadn't been bluffing—his axe was fast. He was the first to strike.
The other pirates exchanged glances, all eyeing the severed head. Twenty billion belly was no small sum, and none of them wanted to let it slip through their fingers.
As King Riku's head flew through the air, his gaze happened to fall upon the sky.
A cloud shifted at just the right moment.
There, a group of people watched his demise with eerie amusement.
In the end, pirates weren't the true victors either.
With that final thought, King Riku's consciousness faded into nothingness.
"Fufufufu... what a spectacular show."
Doflamingo was thoroughly pleased—he had personally rid the world of an old fool who clung to his power.
"Enel, Moria, Urouge, Machvise—time for you to take the stage."
...
Below, Kyros' heart clenched in realization.
King Riku had been controlled?
Something else was at play here.
But with Dressrosa now completely surrounded by pirates, how could he escape with both princesses?
"Viola! No!"
Before he or Scarlet could react, Viola broke into a sprint, rushing towards her father's severed head.
"F-Father!"
"Father?"
Raiven turned, his eyes lighting up with greed.
"Did I hear that right? King Riku's daughter? How much do you think she's worth?"
"More than you could ever afford—Divine Punishment!"
A blinding column of lightning descended, engulfing everything in its path.
...
But the chaos below was of no concern to Doflamingo.
With his current strength and influence, Dressrosa was nothing more than a stepping stone.
The real reason he had brought Enel and the others here was for something far greater.
His gaze turned toward the Golden Lion's waters, lost in thought.
"Without Dressrosa and the Prodence Kingdom diverting the Navy's forces, I wonder... will Sengoku be able to take down or at least cripple Big Mom this time? The Charlotte Family would make a fine addition to my collection."
He smirked.
"Come on, Sengoku-san, don't let me down."
...
Meanwhile, Big Mom continued her rampage.
With a Zeus-powered thunder fist, she shattered Borsalino's light bullets. In the same motion, she swung Napoleon, cleaving through Sakazuki's magma attack.
"Besides fire, now there's lightning too? Sakazuki, has this woman even taken any damage?"
Observing the unscathed Big Mom, Kizaru turned to his slightly battered comrade.
"Her body repels magma. Even if she were made of steel, magma should be able to melt it."
"Maa, guess we'll have to wait for Admiral Sengoku to arrive."
Kizaru's gaze flickered toward Onigumo, who was barely holding on with three of his ten swords left against Katakuri, Perospero, and Cracker.
"Hold on a bit longer, Sakazuki—Yata no Kagami."
With a flash of light, Kizaru split into three, appearing behind the three Charlotte siblings in an instant.
His right foot, imbued with photons, struck out.
"BOOM!"
Perospero and Cracker were sent flying, crashing into the shoreline.
Only Katakuri, with his advanced Observation Haki, managed to evade.
"Mama! Sengoku is coming!"
"Dressrosa has fallen—there's no navy reinforcement!"
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