“You were too impatient. Sister Amphy has the same habit too. Why does everyone in this race switch to speed mode in the middle of a fight…”
The Phoenix’s traits actually made Amphitrite more suited to that style of combat. After all, to a Phoenix, injuries were practically meaningless.
The moment Bullet struck Alber, Nanamo threw Hermes out, using him as a cushion to catch Alber who had been sent flying backward.
“Alber, are you still going to continue?”
Although Alber had not lost the ability to fight yet, reaching this point was already enough.
“Princess Nanamo, are you taking over the fight?”
“If you want to fight to the very end, that’s fine too.”
“No… he’s stronger than me. I still need more tempering. If this continues, this whole area will have to be rebuilt. Princess Nanamo, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
In terms of physical skills and Haki, Bullet was superior. After such a long battle, Alber had already realized this.
Recognizing the reason for defeat was also an important part of becoming stronger.
If he continued fighting, it would cause severe irreversible damage to the surrounding environment. After weighing everything, Alber chose to withdraw early.
“Hey, you, Bullet! We’ll count this round as your win!”
“Hmph, then send out someone stronger! Where’s that Nereus? I want to see just how strong the so-called strongest of the deep sea is!”
Bullet was dissatisfied with this result. Alber was fairly strong and could give him trouble, but in Bullet’s eyes, he was still far from being a true powerhouse.
“You do have some ability, but if you want to meet Dad, you’re still not qualified. There’s still plenty of time. You can rest for a while, or you can choose to end the fight now and take the prize.”
Even though she disliked the hulking brute in front of her, Nanamo still explained the rules to Bullet according to the customs here. After all, on Fishman Island, rules were extremely important.
Even Nereus himself acted within the rules he established.
“I don’t need it! How many more people do I have to beat before Nereus comes out?! I’m not in the mood to play house with weaklings like you!”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Let me confirm one thing first, you don’t need to rest, right?”
“Of course!”
“Very good. Then don’t blame me for bullying you.”
Looking at Bullet’s attitude, Nanamo slowly walked forward while swinging her arms.
The leisurely movement looked more like someone exercising in a plaza, yet Bullet, who had chosen to tank even Alber’s attacks head-on with his body, suddenly tensed up, as if he had seen some terrifying monster.
That was the instinct he had honed through years on the battlefield, an instinct that had saved his life more than once.
“Damn it… what is this feeling…”
The intuition in his heart completely clashed with Nanamo’s harmless appearance, but Bullet quickly understood the source of that feeling.
Nanamo’s arm swings were merely mobilizing Haki. Though she was a single person, the Haki in her left and right hands flowed at entirely different frequencies.
And the moment she threw both fists forward, the two streams of Haki fused back into one.
“Duel General • Conquest of the Sea!”
At the same time, in the New World, ship after ship resembling cakes was passing through the Sea of Juice, heading toward Whole Cake Island at the center.
This was the territory of Charlotte Linlin, known as Big Mom.
These ships had arrived to attend Big Mom’s tea party, an event Charlotte Linlin held at regular intervals.
Ever since the establishment of Totto Land, this had become a fixed procedure.
If invited guests chose to refuse, they would face Big Mom’s retaliation.
On the mountain of cakes piled up in the center of Whole Cake Island, quite a few people had already gathered, trying to cozy up to Charlotte Linlin.
Charlotte Linlin seemed to be in a good mood today. She was leading some guests around her castle, showing off her collection.
“T-This is that painting by South Blue’s great artist Pablo, isn’t it? I never imagined it would actually be in your possession…”
“Mamamama~ Well, it’s just some loot I got in the past. If you like it, I’ll give it to you. Compared to the gift you gave me, this is nothing.”
“R-Really?! I’m deeply honored! Thank you so much!”
“Mamamama~ It’s nothing. We’re friends, after all.”
It appeared to be a harmonious scene of host and guests enjoying themselves, but the atmosphere shifted in an instant. The Underworld merchant who had received permission to retrieve the painting noticed another frame behind it after lifting the artwork.
Embedded inside was a photograph. In the center of the photo was a youthful and beautiful woman who looked almost identical to the Charlotte Linlin before him, only younger, with far fewer sharp features on her face.
Judging from the clothing and appearance, they were undoubtedly the same person.
“Linlin, your elegance hasn’t diminished over the years. You’re still as beautiful as ever.”
He praised Charlotte Linlin insincerely, then noticed that a piece at the bottom of the photograph was missing. Judging by the actions of the others, it was obvious that someone should have been there.
“It seems the photo wasn’t preserved very well. I actually specialize in restoration work. May I ask which minister this was? If there are older photos, I could help restore it.”
Charlotte Linlin had established Totto Land here, and her children served as ministers. The photo was clearly a family portrait.
The missing person had to be one of Charlotte Linlin’s children, and he hoped to build a closer relationship with her through this topic.
However…
【This is bad!】
Katakuri, who had been following along the whole time, immediately sensed trouble upon hearing these words, and in the very next instant, a terrifying aura swept across the entire area.
The surrounding collection were all blown away under the pressure of that aura, and the people standing behind Charlotte Linlin were so frightened that they did not dare move at all.
The Charlotte Linlin who had been warm and cheerful just moments ago now had bloodshot eyes, glaring viciously at the merchant who had asked that question.
“Do not… ask… about my past!!”
The surging Conqueror’s Haki instantly knocked him unconscious. No one else understood why the smiling Charlotte Linlin had suddenly exploded in anger.
“Ah, this should just be a small accident. Don’t mind it. Why don’t we talk about something else happening on the seas instead?
My people just passed through Fishman Island, and they said that Bullet from Roger’s ship was defeated in a single punch by the princess of Fishman Island. Isn’t that hard to believe?”
Someone nearby tried to smooth things over, but the moment the words “Fishman Island” were spoken, Katakuri wanted to stop him.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Still in a state of fury, Charlotte Linlin erupted with an even more terrifying aura. Some people who were too scared even had their souls uncontrollably drift out of their bodies.
【It looks like… whenever strangers visit in the future, I should keep Future Sight active the whole time…】
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