Kaido was already in a miserable state, and Charlotte Linlin was no better.
"Great Flame: Flame Emperor!!!" Ace roared as he descended from the sky, a massive fireball as scorching as the sun crashing down with him, aimed straight at Charlotte Linlin.
By this point, Charlotte Linlin was covered in wounds. Despite her monstrous durability, forged through a lifetime of combat, it seemed to mean little under the relentless assault of these four powerhouses.
Her Emperor Sword, Napoleon, had long been shattered into pieces by Hancock's kick, and the rest of her Homies that should have been protecting her had all been destroyed.
Now, with her disheveled hair, charred patches on her body, and madness flickering in her eyes, Charlotte Linlin looked both desperate and unhinged.
She coated her entire body in Armament Haki, attempting to evade the incoming fireball that covered a vast area. However, just as she tried to move, her feet sank into the cracks in the ground.
"Gravity Blade: Imprisonment!!!"
With a calm smile, Fujitora swung his cane sword, a deep purple aura radiating from it. Sweat trickled down his forehead—he was pushing himself to the limit.
A powerful gravitational force crushed down on Charlotte Linlin, momentarily immobilizing her, forcing her massive form to sink toward the ground.
Yet, even in this sorry state, Charlotte Linlin still carried the pride of a Yonko.
Veins bulged across her body, sweat poured down her face, and her eyes burned with unwillingness. She planted one hand firmly on the ground, crushing it beneath her grip, refusing to kneel.
But pride alone couldn't change reality.
Ace's Flame Emperor descended, and the blazing fireball instantly engulfed Charlotte Linlin.
Agonized screams echoed from within the flames. But within the searing inferno, pain transformed into raw desperation—Linlin's sheer willpower allowed her to break free from Fujitora's gravitational suppression, forcing her way out of the massive fireball.
Her hair burned wildly, her massive body blackened, her clothes tattered, and her arms blistered from the intense heat.
The moment Charlotte Linlin broke free, Gion moved.
In an instant, she appeared at Linlin's side and delivered a devastating kick straight to her jaw.
With a sickening crunch, Linlin's chin fractured, her massive frame flung sideways by the force of the strike.
And waiting on the other side—was none other than Hancock.
Hancock maintained her elegant stance, her chin slightly raised, exuding supreme arrogance. Her piercing gaze held nothing but disdain.
Seeing Charlotte Linlin's massive body hurtling toward her, Hancock casually tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, causing her golden Nine Snake earrings to shimmer in the sunlight.
"It's over," Hancock murmured softly.
The next second, an overwhelming aura exploded from her, surging skyward.
"I am the Empress of Amazon Lily, the ruler of the Kuja Tribe…"
Hancock's voice was low but carried an irresistible allure.
Then, with a graceful 360-degree spin, her long, flawless leg whipped around with tremendous force, slamming into Charlotte Linlin's skull.
Another bone-cracking sound rang out. Linlin's massive body, which had been mid-air, was abruptly stopped by Hancock's kick. The impact collapsed her skull, causing blood to gush out.
"Uhhhhh…!!!"
Charlotte Linlin let out an earth-shaking wail of pain.
Yet Hancock remained unfazed, casually flicking her hair back again, tilting her chin upward with a proud expression.
"Even after taking your life, you will undoubtedly forgive me. And why, you ask? Because I am simply too beautiful," she declared arrogantly.
As Hancock's words fell, her unparalleled charm surged forth. Even Charlotte Linlin, who was in excruciating pain, couldn't help but reveal a dazed expression for a brief moment.
Seizing the opportunity, Hancock swiftly brought her hands together, forming a heart shape on her chest.
"Mero Mero Mellow."
Pink energy waves radiated outward, enveloping Charlotte Linlin's enormous body.
In that final moment, clarity returned to Linlin's eyes, but what followed was sheer terror.
"No!!!" she roared in defiance.
After being relentlessly beaten down, Charlotte Linlin's spirit was already exhausted. With despair consuming her and facing the overwhelming charm of the Pirate Empress, she finally succumbed.
The power of the Love-Love Fruit took hold. Linlin's massive body began to petrify, starting from her head and quickly spreading downward.
Even as she turned to stone, she cursed bitterly, unwilling to accept her fate.
"Damn you… Claudius' lapdog."
Hancock narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Make no mistake, Claudius does not grant favor through nepotism. I am a Warlord because I am strong!" she declared proudly.
"Dammit…!" Charlotte Linlin felt her consciousness fading as she let out one final, unwilling cry.
With her petrification complete, Hancock inspected the stone statue with a look of dissatisfaction.
"You're the first person to remain frozen in such a disgraceful expression after being turned to stone. How utterly disgusting," she sneered.
Then, as if repulsed by the sight, she scoffed, raised her foot, and delivered a casual yet powerful kick.
With a single strike, she shattered Charlotte Linlin's petrified head into pieces.
Even if Hancock were to undo her ability, Linlin would not return, her head was completely destroyed. She was dead.
"Ahhh!!! Hancock!!! You smashed her head! Doesn't that mean she's dead for real?" Ace cried out in exaggerated regret.
"So what?" Hancock frowned slightly before a playful smirk spread across her lips. "But Ace, shouldn't you be calling me 'mother'?"
"No way! You're only eight or nine years older than me, don't even start with that!" Ace retorted, exasperated. "If she were still petrified, she'd technically be alive. Now she's dead, which makes her way less valuable. Pops is definitely going to be pissed."
Hancock merely flipped her hair and said confidently, "His Highness Claudius will never be angry with me. And why? Because I am so beautiful. Everything I do will be forgiven."
"Don't worry, Ace," Gion chimed in as she approached. "Claudius already said we don't need to take any prisoners."
Fujitora, now standing nearby, nodded. "Indeed. His Highness made it clear—there was no need to keep her alive. He had no interest in her, dead or alive."
"After all, she already lost to Claudius," Gion added with a slight smirk.
"Really?" Ace scratched his head. Since everyone seemed fine with it, he decided not to care either.
Gion glanced around at the battlefield. "We don't need to worry about Kaido anymore. Let's clean up the rest—the Sweet Commanders, the Calamities, and whoever else is left."
"Perfect! I haven't had enough fun yet!" Ace grinned.
"Go on ahead. My task is complete," Hancock declared. She then glanced down at her tattered cheongsam and frowned. "In this state, I have no face to see His Highness Claudius. I need to freshen up."
With that, Hancock nodded at the others and quickly left.
"Let's go," Fujitora said with a smile.
None of them seemed to care about Charlotte Linlin's death. To them, it was as if just another pirate had fallen—not a Yonko, but an insignificant figure.
And in the grand scheme of things… perhaps that was all she was.
Just another pirate.
(To be continued.)