Alright, let's rewind!
After their conversation, Luffy immediately bolted towards the coast.
Because Water Seven was a collection of man-made islands, unlike natural landmasses, it lacked a traditional coastline, with houses and structures built right to the water's edge. Luffy, recalling Carl's explanation, specifically sought out a less populated area.
Reaching a relatively clear spot, Luffy slammed his fist into the ground, the impact sending massive fissures spider-webbing across the artificial land.
"There's gonna be a huge fight here! Everyone clear out now!" Luffy bellowed.
The nearby residents instantly recognized Luffy, the newly acclaimed Fifth Emperor. Witnessing his raw power, they scrambled away in a flurry of hurried footsteps. Fortunately, the area wasn't densely populated, and it wasn't long before Luffy stood alone on the makeshift coast.
Luffy craned his neck upwards at the rapidly approaching thundercloud, took a deep breath, and roared, "Hey! Mom! I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!"
The sound, "One Four Three!", reverberated with such force that it nearly split the sky itself.
The Yonko, Charlotte Linlin, who was riding the storm clouds, was taken aback by the sudden shout. Spotting Luffy on the coast below, a wide, menacing grin stretched across her face.
"Straw-hat-little-boy—"
"Elbaf Spear! Wei-guo—!"
Big Mom swung her Emperor Sword Napoleon forward with immense force, unleashing a colossal shockwave of sword energy that hurtled towards Luffy with blinding speed, threatening to cleave the very sea in two.
Luffy's expression turned serious, yet a thrill of excitement coursed through him.
He bit down hard on his thumb, rapidly inhaled, and then exhaled a massive burst of air, instantly inflating a pair of gigantic hands.
"Third Gear! Bone Balloon! Gum-Gum... Elephant Guns!"
Boom! Luffy's colossal palm slammed into Big Mom's devastating slash. The space between them erupted violently, sending shockwaves that seemed to vibrate the entire capital of Water Seven.
Conqueror's Haki clashed!
The raw power of their Haki collided and spread outwards, shaking nearby houses to the brink of collapse. Many civilians who hadn't fled far enough were knocked unconscious by the sheer force.
Their very first exchange unleashed such a cataclysmic impact!
Luffy successfully shattered the shockwave of sword energy, but the force of the collision still pushed him several steps back, his expression now extremely grave.
Even from this initial clash, Luffy instantly grasped the immense power of Big Mom, recognizing that she was in no way weaker than Kaido.
As expected of a Yonko! This is what a real fight feels like! Luffy thought, his excitement bubbling beneath his serious exterior. Seeing Big Mom ascend to a high altitude nearby, he glared fiercely, unleashing a potent wave of Conqueror's Haki, aiming to overwhelm her.
"You little brat! You've still got a long way to go!" Big Mom roared, unleashing her own overwhelming Conqueror's Haki. The two titanic forces collided in mid-air with a deafening roar. The void between them crackled with violent purple lightning, and the resulting shockwave continued to expand outwards, causing the already damaged houses to finally crumble. The ground, the sea, and even the clouds above seemed to tear apart under the pressure.
"Incredible! What a terrifying confrontation! This is... a clash of Conqueror's Haki?!" Those who were secretly observing gasped in disbelief, swallowing hard, more terrified than if they had witnessed a mythical beast.
Although Luffy stood on the ground below, he was not at a disadvantage in terms of Haki. On the contrary, his youth and boundless energy fueled an incredibly potent Conqueror's Haki, seemingly meeting Big Mom's head-on. However, only Luffy and Big Mom truly sensed the subtle edge Big Mom held.
Bang! The sea water directly beneath them erupted in a geyser.
The two Yonko retracted their Conqueror's Haki, locked in a tense standoff.
Luffy grinned, folding his arms, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a fierce intensity as he focused his Haki to its maximum.
"I will defeat you, Yonko! I will become King of the Pirates! I'm sure of it!"
"You insolent brat! You thought a little stronger Conqueror's could stand against me? Today, I'll show you what true power is! Prometheus!" Big Mom bellowed, summoning the living sun homie that floated beside her.
"Okay, Mama! Fireball from the sky!" Prometheus, a colossal sphere of incandescent flames suspended in the air like a miniature sun, and like the thundercloud Zeus and the Emperor Sword Napoleon, a special homie born from Big Mom's very soul, obeyed her command, unleashing a barrage of fiery projectiles at Luffy.
Luffy swiftly dodged the initial assault, watching as the fireballs detonated violently upon impact with the ground.
"Whoa?! What is this?!" Luffy exclaimed, startled. He frantically evaded the descending fireballs, his movements becoming increasingly desperate.
Before long, a significant portion of the coast was engulfed in flames. Houses and the ground were transformed into a raging inferno, and even the seawater began to boil.
Luffy found himself struggling to evade. In his mind, rubber was vulnerable to fire, and his opponent's attack clearly exploited this weakness. Furthermore, Luffy couldn't quite comprehend the nature of that giant fireball...
It wasn't that Carl hadn't shared knowledge about the Four Emperors, but Luffy's characteristic lack of attention during such explanations meant he was now paying the price for his absentmindedness.
Fortunately, Luffy had no intention of retreating. He continued to narrowly avoid the fiery explosions, then utilized his Sky Walk to ascend into the air, instantly activating his Second Gear and unleashing a rapid-fire Gum-Gum Jet Machine Gun.
Big Mom simply raised her massive arms to block the incoming barrage.
Luffy's fists slammed into the Yonko's arm, producing a series of clangorous sounds, like metal striking metal.
To Luffy's astonishment, the Armament Haki coating his fists had no discernible effect on Big Mom!
"Damn it! As expected of a Yonko! This is just like fighting Kaido! This time, without Teacher Carl's help, I have to rely on my own strength to defeat Big Mom! Otherwise, I'll be letting down Teacher Carl's training, not to mention everyone's expectations!" Luffy resolved, immediately withdrawing his relentless assault.
He then took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and bit down hard on his left forearm, which was now coated in Armament Haki.
"Fourth Gear..."
While Luffy and Big Mom engaged in their earth-shattering first encounter, Usopp and Nami made their way to Dock One of Galley-La Company with the massive sum of money. However, Foreman Paulie was nowhere to be seen. Other shipwrights informed them that Paulie and Lucci had gone to Mayor Iceburg's office.
"Nami, I don't think this situation is as simple as it seems," Usopp said, his voice laced with caution. "That guy Lucci is a member of CP9. He wants something from Mayor Iceburg, and it's the busiest time of day for shipwright work. For him to suddenly go to the mayor's office with the foreman... something feels wrong."
Nami remained unconcerned. "Maybe Mayor Iceburg just asked the foreman and Lucci to handle something? Besides, if CP9 decides to make a move, doesn't that mean we won't have to pay for the repairs, right?"
Usopp stared at her, speechless.
What is wrong with this woman? This is a serious situation, and she's still thinking about saving a few Berries!
CP9 wasn't just after Mayor Iceburg; they also intended to capture Robin and even steal the Straw Hats' newfound gold.
Since the CP9's targets included both Mayor Iceburg and the Straw Hats, it only made sense for them to cooperate.
As the saying went, the enemy of one's enemy was a friend, and thwarting CP9's plans would be a beneficial outcome for both parties.
At this moment, Usopp's usual timidity was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a determined resolve.
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