Crotto exchanged blows with Linlin, landing several clean hits—even blasting her back over a hundred meters.
And yet…
They did absolutely nothing to her.
A total freak!
Then Linlin smacked him down with one palm. The instant her hand connected, it felt like his entire skeleton disassembled—blood gushed from his mouth.
'Screw this mud wrestling!'
"It's too late… I can't run even if I wanted to. Call Tom and tell him not to come save me… He'll just die too." Crotto's face was painted with despair as he pulled out his Den Den Mushi to call off the rescue.
But suddenly—
Darkness blanketed the land.
Cries of shock rang in his ears.
"A warship is flying!?"
"Am I seeing things!? That's actually a Marine warship! How is it flying!?"
"We're saved! We're saved!!!"
"Reinforcements! Everyone hold on!!"
"·····"
Vice Admiral Crotto's expression lit up with joy. He looked up excitedly and immediately recognized the Marine warship.
"I don't know how the ship is flying… but…"
"We're finally saved. I'm not dying today."
Streusen looked up and was instantly dumbfounded. "It's actually flying—what kind of joke is this!?"
But in the next second, his expression twisted in shock. "No good—the Marine reinforcements arrived too fast!"
"Heehee—A flying warship? That's so interesting!" Linlin's eyes sparkled as she stared up, utterly fascinated.
In the sky—
The warship was buffeted by fierce winds.
Klein's justice cloak flapped violently as he stood at the bow with both arms outstretched. "The situation below is critical. I'll go ahead!"
Leap of Faith!
He leapt forward, plunging straight down from the sky at full speed.
Everyone aboard the warship instantly panicked.
"Nooooo—!" Os shrieked, pale as a sheet, drenched in cold sweat. "What do we do, what do we do? If the warship falls, we'll be pancake meat!"
Shakky's pretty face tensed, her lashes trembling. "He knows Moonwalk, but there are other people aboard. From this height…"
"If the warship drops, it'll shatter into pieces. Doesn't Klein care about our lives at all?"
Clenching the cigarette in her mouth, she began thinking of how to break the deadlock.
BOOM—
A bolt of lightning fell, transforming into a massive sword of light that pierced from the heavens to the earth.
Just as hope began to rise on Crotto's face, it was bathed in the glow of lightning.
"Fistbone: Impact!"
Suddenly, a brilliant starlike light erupted—radiating endless brilliance.
That dazzling light concentrated on Klein's fist, looking like a divine weapon descending from above, and smashed directly into the descending bolt.
RUMBLE—
The Haki-coated fist burst with terrifying force, obliterating the lightning in a crushing blow.
The beam-like lightning fragmented into countless arcs dancing across the sky, flickering before vanishing.
BANG—
Klein landed with both feet on the ground, the earth beneath him spiderwebbing with cracks.
Divine descent!
His justice cloak fluttered in the wind. "You want Crotto dead? Did you ask me for permission?"
"You're… you're Klein!!" Even though it was just a back view, Crotto immediately recognized the voice—this was the jerk who haggled with him over the Den Den Mushi.
He recalled the newspaper photo he'd seen some time ago, and broke into joyous laughter: "Bastard, one second later and I would've died!!"
'Do you have any idea how scared I was just now?'
His back was soaked in cold sweat—his whole body drenched!
"You promised one hundred million—don't even think about shorting a single beli." Klein's eyes fell on Linlin.
She was really tall—and seriously stacked!
Everything about her was big!
Only eight years old?! Still human, right? No growth hormone could make someone this tall or this huge at that age.
[Name: Charlotte Linlin | Faction: Pirates | Age: 8 | Talents: Monstrous Strength, Monstrous Voice, Iron Balloon | King's Aptitude… | Ability: Paramecia – Soul-Soul Fruit]
"Klein?" Streusen's eyes lit up and he grinned wide. "Kukukuku, Linlin, catch him. He's the most gifted Marine genius in history. His bloodline must be superb. Once you grow up and marry him, you'll have some seriously powerful children!"
"…Heh." Klein let out a cold laugh. "What a generous guy—you're just giving me a wife?"
"Then I won't be shy—I'll accept her as my wife."
"And don't worry about our wedding plans. I'll be sure to send you off nice and quick."
He shouted toward Linlin: "Hey—Linlin! You heard him, right!?"
"Streusen wants you to be my wife. Are you in!?"
Linlin stared at Klein with wide, innocent eyes, inspecting him seriously. He did look kinda handsome. "You're so small."
"…???"
Three black lines appeared on Klein's forehead. He grit his teeth and forced the words out: "Small where?"
Linlin crouched, inspecting him like a human examining an ant on the ground, and poked him with a finger. "Just small. Even squatting down, I'm still taller than you."
"…." Klein was speechless. Compared to Linlin, okay, maybe he was kinda small.
But no big deal—he flashed a confident grin. "Of course I'll find a way to be just as big and tall as you!"
With the Gomu Gomu no Mi's Nika form and giantification… that's no problem.
Once the game system is unlocked, going full-on giant will be a breeze!
A man with pride like his—of course he'll make it happen!
"Really?" Linlin's big innocent eyes sparkled. "If that's true, then Linlin can marry you. But…"
"But you have to give me lots of yummy food. Linlin wants to eat cake! And…"
"No problem," Klein agreed instantly.
Behind him, Vice Admiral Crotto turned pale and shouted, "Hey—Klein! She's a pirate with a 200 million bounty! You're a Marine! Don't forget who you are!!"
You two are getting married!?
What kind of nonsense—!?
Suddenly, frantic cries echoed from the sky.
"Ahhh—"
"Help!!!"
"We're gonna die—!"
"·····"
Klein grabbed Crotto with one hand. "Out here, your identity's what you make it."
"You're just a defeated tagalong. You're in the way."
Shoom!
Shave—
Klein vanished from sight, launching into the sky like a firework. With his other hand, he caught the warship.
Thanks to his "Giant's Strength" and the other two talents tied to his physique—
He easily steadied the massive warship and slowly brought it down. His feet sank deep into the ground as cracks radiated outward.
On the warship—
The Marines erupted with cheers: "We're saved!"
Os's knees buckled. Even though Klein taught him Moonwalk, his talent was nowhere near that of Gloriosa or Shakky.
He still hadn't mastered it.
"Waaah—scared me to death." Os's legs shook. He was terrified the warship would crash and kill him.
Gloriosa's beautiful eyes held a faint smile. "Guess Klein does have a conscience."
"Heh… That whole ship's his property. Of course he'd care," Shakky exhaled a puff of smoke. Marines on deck went wild.
"Whoa—Miss Shakky is so beautiful, even her smoking makes my heart stop!"
"She's too gorgeous! Serving under Lord Klein, sailing with Miss Shakky—it's a dream come true!"
"······"
Even Roger and Jabba couldn't resist Shakky's charm. Only Rayleigh held firm in the entire Roger Pirates.
As for these Marines? Forget it.
Klein gently set the ship down and called up to the deck, "Tom! Take Vice Admiral Crotto and leave. I'll handle things here."
After all—
What happens next… isn't something Crotto should witness.
If Linlin hadn't become a pirate yet, if she weren't wanted, things would've been a lot easier.
"O-Okay!" Tom rushed over, scooped up Vice Admiral Crotto, and started evacuating with the remaining troops.
In Tom's arms, Crotto anxiously warned, "Hey—Klein! No matter what, thank you for saving me… but I gotta warn you, Linlin's skin is tougher than steel!"
"She's a monster!"
"Be careful!"
Klein waved him off, calm and composed. "I know."
He knew far more about Linlin than Crotto ever could.
Would he have taken this mission if he didn't have the strength to pull it off?
In the distance—
Klein's heroic image, lifting the massive warship with one hand, was seared into Streusen's mind. He couldn't help but exclaim, "That strength… not inferior to the giants at all!"
His eyes lit up, blazing with excitement. He shouted to Linlin, "Linlin! Defeat him! Capture him! Make strong babies with him!!!"
(T/N: Unleash the FBI GIFs!)
"Kukukuku——"