The two tsunamis collided, instantly turning the sea into a chaotic mess.
Diarmuid's eyes widened for a moment in surprise. What a wild technique Charlotte Linlin has! But his awe lasted only a second.
The tsunami hadn't destroyed her ship, so Diarmuid changed his move, pointing his sword at the Queen Mama Chanter. The gravity energy within his body surged rapidly, and then Diarmuid pressed his sword down.
"Hell's Journey: Ocean Devourer!" Diarmuid growled.
The tsunami had just dissipated and Charlotte Linlin's ship had returned to the sea's surface, but before she could even gloat, she suddenly felt her body grow incredibly heavy.
It wasn't just her, Katakuri and Perospero's faces also changed. Katakuri was fine, but Perospero almost collapsed to his knees. As for the rest of the crew, they couldn't resist the pressure at all. They were all immediately crushed onto the deck, spitting blood, unable to move no matter how hard they struggled.
"So this is that gravity power?" Charlotte Linlin asked, a vicious glint in her eyes.
She raised her arm and swept out a punch. The punch hit nothing, yet the invisible gravity that was holding her down was completely wiped away. However, the deck beneath her feet began to crack, and the entire ship started to sink, already halfway submerged in the sea.
Diarmuid was astonished. He had unleashed this attack intending to destroy Charlotte Linlin's flagship instantly. But the very gravity that could crush a Marine warship hadn't been able to completely sink the Queen Mama Chanter on the first try. He then saw the ship beginning to break apart and felt a slight sense of relief.
'Maybe I can defeat her without a direct confrontation!'
But at that moment, the soul-infused tsunami she had created earlier reformed, stubbornly holding up the ship against the gravitational pressure and filling in the collapsing sea.
At the same time, Charlotte Linlin let out a roar. She reached out, clenched her fist, and a massive amount of ghostly green light flowed from her hand into the ship. The Queen Mama Chanter, which had been on the verge of collapsing, looked as if it had been repaired, holding firm against Diarmuid's gravity!
Charlotte Linlin was a madwoman. Seeing that Katakuri and Perospero were both suppressed by the immense gravity, she ignored her sons.
With another wave of her hand, the thundercloud Zeus floated in front of her. She stomped her large, muscular foot onto Zeus, grabbed the Emperor Sword, and flew off the deck with a savage grin, rushing toward the Marine warship.
Diarmuid was amazed that Charlotte Linlin's ability could withstand his gravity. As he watched her charge, he was filled with emotion.
This was truly a different world from the one twenty years in the future. Back then, the Four Seas were stable, and the New World was quiet. Neither the Marines nor the Yonko would fight so recklessly on the open sea. Both sides maintained a tacit understanding, maneuvering and scheming according to their own rules.
A full-blown war only happened when one side could no longer contain themselves, or when a decisive blow was possible, like at the Summit War.
But now, the New World was pure chaos. When the two sides fought, they didn't hold back at all. Two days ago, when they ran into a pirate from the Whitebeard Pirates, Diarmuid's group had destroyed their ship without a word. Today, upon meeting a figure as great as Charlotte Linlin, both sides had already started fighting without a single exchange.
While thinking about the chaos of the New World, Diarmuid also marveled at Charlotte Linlin's ferocity. She was indeed worthy of being the champion among female pirates in the future, incredibly powerful and courageous.
This was how it should be. Only someone like her deserved to become a Yonko. On this sea, one must be brave and fearless. Hesitation would lead to an early demise.
"The sea has always favored the brave!" Diarmuid roared with laughter. He coated his Nagasone Kotetsu in Haki, turning it into a black blade. The gravity on his body suddenly vanished, and with a single Soru, he disappeared from the warship in a state of weightlessness.
By the time the Rear Admiral reacted, Vice Admiral Diarmuid had already fearlessly charged toward the ruthless Charlotte Linlin.
"Vice Admiral?!" The Rear Admiral cried out in surprise, then quickly shouted, "Fire! Provide cover! Sink that pirate ship!"
"Di…" Charlotte Linlin was excited to see Diarmuid charging at her and wanted to shout his name. But she couldn't remember it, only that it started with "Di."
"Gravity Blade: Ferocious Tiger!!!" Diarmuid didn't care. The moment they were about to clash, he unleashed a powerful slash. A ferocious tiger made of pure gravity surged from his blade.
Charlotte Linlin stopped shouting. She couldn't remember his name right away, so she decided to test his strength first. If he was defeated with one strike, she wouldn't need to ask his name. A person like that wasn't worth remembering. But if he impressed her, she could always ask later!
"Cognac: Mama-Mash!" Without hesitation, Charlotte Linlin swung her sword, its blade instantly engulfed in flames.
Based on their size, Diarmuid was much smaller than Charlotte Linlin. In terms of power, the moment their two blades clashed, Diarmuid felt an extreme amount of pressure. Charlotte Linlin's strength was incredible, the strongest he had ever encountered.
He wondered if Garp, at full power, could match her brute force. He figured he probably could.
Diarmuid's own physical strength was no joke. Unlike others, every time he grew stronger, his physical strength would also increase significantly. It was a kind of special talent. Though he couldn't compare to a monster with innate power like Charlotte Linlin, he could still hold his own.
With the boost from his gravity, he managed to block her sword strike.
The clash of their Armament Haki created a shockwave that once again churned the already turbulent sea.
"Di… tell me your name!" Charlotte Linlin demanded when she saw Diarmuid block her attack.
"You old hag, remember this! I am the Marine Headquarters Admiral Candidate, Rodriguez Diarmuid!!" Diarmuid roared.
At the same time, he released his gravity. On the other side, Charlotte Linlin seemed to have already anticipated it, stomping her foot down on an empty spot. Her fist, glowing with fire, smashed into the invisible gravity and shattered it.
"Heavenly Fire!!!"
A flash of light appeared in Charlotte Linlin's eyes, and the grin on her face became even more savage. The next second, a powerful aura erupted from her body. It was Conqueror's Haki!
Diarmuid was surprised that Charlotte Linlin had used Conqueror's Haki so quickly. Was she this wild and explosive when she was young? There was no time to think. The powerful aura within Diarmuid also surged.
"Don't think you're the only one with Conqueror's Haki!" Diarmuid cursed.
As his words fell, an equally powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body.
The collision of their Conqueror's Haki overwhelmed the clash of their Armament Haki. The space around them subtly shattered, and black lightning flashed through the air. The already rough sea was completely pushed down by their immense aura, a terrifying sight.
In the sky, the clear weather suddenly changed. Two storm clouds, one on each side, crashed together, with sparks of lightning hidden within the clouds.
On the Queen Mama Chanter, Katakuri was stunned. It had only been two or three years since he last saw Diarmuid, but he was now able to fight his mother evenly.
'What kind of miracle pill did this guy take? How could his growth be so monstrous?' Katakuri had thought he'd grown a lot in that time, especially with his Observation Haki, which could now occasionally see into the future. He had planned to use it as a surprise gift for Diarmuid, but instead, he was the one who was completely shocked.
Since Diarmuid was fully engaged with Charlotte Linlin, the gravitational pressure on the Queen Mama Chanter had long since disappeared. Watching the two giants clash, Perospero asked Katakuri in surprise, "Katakuri, did you say that two or three years ago, that Diarmuid only barely won when you two fought at full power?"
Katakuri heard the question but ignored his older brother. How can you ask something like that? Aren't you trying to embarrass me? To avoid the awkwardness and to quickly take out Diarmuid, Katakuri ignored Perospero.
He stepped onto the railing and, with a powerful surge, created a trident from his arm. He coated it with Armament Haki, wound up, and threw the trident directly at Diarmuid.
Diarmuid was already at a disadvantage in raw strength against Charlotte Linlin. He was only able to hold his own through sheer momentum. He would definitely lose in a prolonged fight. And now, Katakuri had thrown his trident at him.
Diarmuid cursed him inwardly. 'I thought you, Katakuri, was a man of honor! Why would you use a cheap trick like this?' But then he remembered that this was a war between pirates and the Marines, and any tactic was fair game.
Without a second to spare, Diarmuid clenched his jaw. The veins on his arm bulged. With a roar, he parried Charlotte Linlin's Emperor Sword. At the same time, his aura wavered, and the clash between their auras was forcibly interrupted.
Without a moment's pause, he parried the Emperor Sword and then swung his own blade to the side, slicing Katakuri's trident in half!
Charlotte Linlin seized the opportunity, throwing a punch that sent Diarmuid flying backward.
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