Chapter 239

Above Cake Island, lightning split the sky like a cage, trapping everything beneath it. From the depths of the thick, dark clouds, thunder rumbled continuously, punctuated by occasional explosions.

Fiery clouds bared their fangs, and standing atop them was Big Mom, her Emperor Sword merged with Zeus, radiating terrifying Conqueror's Haki from her entire body.

Winds howled, and thunder and fire swirled around her as her pink pirate cloak flapped wildly. The hellish scene surrounding her pushed the atmosphere to its limit—this was Charlotte Linlin, the Yonko at full power!

Opposite her, Zyhark stood tall, gripping his twin magma blades, surrounded by crackling blue electricity. Enhanced by his Raijin Armor, he appeared even taller than Big Mom herself.

"Mamamama! Wonderful, truly wonderful! You even have the ability to absorb power," Big Mom exclaimed, her eyes wide with greed as she stared at Zyhark.

As one of the strongest beings in the world, Big Mom's powerful Observation Haki had allowed her to sense the anomaly in Zyhark. The ability to siphon energy was a trait that piqued her intense interest.

A body far stronger than that of a normal human, the power of magma, the ability to absorb strength...

After years of collecting various races across the world, she had never encountered such a perfect specimen as Zyhark!

"Listen, Zyhark, one way or another, Mama will claim you!" Big Mom declared, her free hand reaching toward him as if to grasp him.

Facing her burning gaze, Zyhark took a deep breath and replied calmly, "Sorry, Big Mom, you're a good person."

Following the customs of his homeland, he issued her a good-person card.

"Hmm? That's the first time an enemy has called me that. But if that's what you like, then call me whatever you want," Big Mom said, dismissing the triviality.

"I think you've misunderstood," Zyhark said. "What I mean is…"

"Keep dreaming!" he roared, pouring all the absorbed Haki into his swords, Three-Sword and Yuki Onna, which he crossed in front of him, eyes brimming with battle intent.

Hearing this, Big Mom's grin faded, and her expression darkened. "So, you'd rather taste defeat first, is that it?"

As soon as the words left her lips, strange patterns rippled through her eyes, and her already massive body grew even larger.

This was the power of the Soru Soru no Mi. Any trace of fear in Zyhark would allow her to steal his soul.

"You're the one who will experience defeat," Zyhark said, completely unshaken by the fearsome power that could make ordinary pirates wet themselves.

Naturally, such intimidation had no effect on him.

Seeing that her ability had failed to work, Big Mom's momentary shock turned to fury. She slowly raised her Zeus-infused Emperor Sword.

Crackle!

Dark red lightning exploded forth as an overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki enveloped the blade.

"Elbaf's Spear: Ikoku!"

A purple shockwave pierced the sky, the surrounding lightning and thunder paling in comparison to the sheer force of her attack. It was far stronger than any of the blows she had unleashed earlier on Cake Island!

Zyhark took a deep breath, channeling his lightning, magma, and Haki into his twin blades. Though he could evade the strike with his superior speed, he wanted to see if he could withstand a full-powered attack from a Yonko.

That thought had barely crossed his mind when the purple shockwave appeared before him.

Without a word, Zyhark raised Three-Sword and Yuki Onna and unleashed a simple, yet powerful, strike to meet it head-on.

Boom!!!

The two forces collided, and the impact was immediate. Zyhark felt as though he had smashed into a mountain moving at supersonic speed.

The Raijin Armor covering his body shattered, breaking into countless fragments and dissipating into the air.

The immense force passed through the armor and struck his body directly.

Barely holding on for a few seconds, blood trickled from Zyhark's mouth as Big Mom's attack sent him flying several kilometers, crashing onto Butter Island, the nearest island to Cake Island.

The blow created a massive crater filled with cracks, and the surrounding buildings collapsed as dust and debris shot into the sky.

The sudden catastrophe sent the local civilians fleeing in terror, fearing they might lose their lives in the chaos.

Cough, cough.

In the center of the smoke-filled crater, Zyhark coughed up blood painfully.

"Even after absorbing part of Big Mom's power, facing a full-on strike from a Yonko head-on is still too much…" he mused. Yet, he wasn't discouraged. After all, raw strength had never been his strong suit.

His overwhelming speed and his ability to grow stronger as the fight progressed were the keys to victory.

Moreover, he hadn't even utilized top-tier techniques like the Conqueror's Haki coating, so there was no need to worry.

"Well then, now that I've gathered enough information, it's time to take down that monstrous old hag!"

A flash of red light flickered in Zyhark's eyes.

Suddenly, a beam of energy, a combination of lightning and fire, pierced through the clouds, hurtling toward him with terrifying force.

It was Big Mom's attack, combining the powers of all three Homies!

As Zyhark prepared to dodge the incoming strike by transforming into lightning, he hesitated, sensing something through his Observation Haki.

Echoes of terrified cries and wails filled his mind.

Not far from him, a family huddled together in the ruins of a building. The parents clutched their small child, eyes squeezed shut, their faces pale with despair.

Zyhark didn't consider himself a foolish savior, and he had accepted that civilians might get caught in the crossfire before the battle began.

This was all-out war, where a single mistake could mean total defeat.

But as the scene played out so clearly in his mind, he found it impossible to turn a blind eye.

Sometimes having strong Observation Haki wasn't a blessing…

Sighing softly, Zyhark's gaze turned steely. Lightning crackled at his fingertips.

"Three billion volts: Super Electromagnetic Cannon!"

Whoosh!

A beam of concentrated electricity shot skyward, clashing with Big Mom's Maser Cannon midair.

The two destructive forces collided, but Zyhark's attack was clearly at a disadvantage, slowly being pushed back.

The overwhelming electrical storm loomed over Butter Island, casting a shadow over everything.

The fleeing civilians froze in place, hopelessness written on their faces. How could they escape? Where could they run? There was no way out.

The power of the attack crushed their spirits entirely.

"I can't overpower it, but when it comes to controlling lightning, I won't lose!" Zyhark shouted, resisting the immense pressure as he altered the trajectory of his Super Electromagnetic Cannon.

Through his precise control, the point of collision gradually shifted ever so slightly.

Finally, the Maser Cannon veered off course, skimming past Butter Island and exploding harmlessly into the ocean beyond.

Boom!!!

A massive explosion sent a towering pillar of water skyward, which quickly fell back down as a temporary downpour over Butter Island.

"Mamamama! Not bad, not bad at all! You even figured out a way to redirect the Maser Cannon," Big Mom laughed as she descended from the sky, crashing into the ground before Zyhark.

As one of the strongest pirates in the world, Big Mom didn't realize Zyhark had redirected the attack to protect civilians. She believed he had simply wanted to show off his abilities.

A member of the Shichibukai, in cooperation with the World Government, caring about innocent civilians? What a joke!

"Since you're so capable, let Mama show you something special."

Big Mom's eyes turned sharp, her grin wicked.

"Draining power to replenish your energy, that's not something only you can do!"

Her massive hand shot out, aiming straight for the couple protecting their child!

(End of Chapter)

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