Charlotte Linlin's punch was brutally powerful. Ortoren was sent flying over ten meters before crashing hard into the ground, shattering it again on impact. The force bounced his massive body back into the air, sending him tumbling another ten meters until he finally smashed into a tree thick enough for two people to wrap their arms around—only then did he come to a stop.
Even with the boost from Sulong, the frenzied Ortoren looked stunned. His body lay stiff on the ground, ears ringing into silence while his head buzzed with chaotic noise.
Yet the crimson glow in his eyes didn't fade. After a brief daze, he roared again and started struggling to his feet!
But Charlotte Linlin, seeing no signs of him regaining his senses, didn't give him a chance. With a swift and agile kick off the ground, she closed the distance in a flash.
Just as Ortoren stood up, he found that same iron fist—still coated in dense Haki—swinging toward him once more!
This time, though, the angle was different. She wasn't aiming to knock him away.
Sure enough, her punch crashed into his already bloodied nose again. But instead of being sent flying, Ortoren was smashed straight down into the earth!
The back of his head slammed into the ground, his so-called "Indestructible Body" cracking the earth beneath him. A mouthful of dark blood spurted from his lips.
Apparently unsatisfied—or perhaps knowing one blow wouldn't break his madness or awaken his reason—Charlotte Linlin didn't stop.
Her fists, each the size of a sandbag, came raining down like a storm.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chest, shoulders, arms, head—blow after blow, Ortoren was pinned to the ground as Charlotte Linlin landed punch after punch, at least thirty or forty in the blink of an eye. The same body that could shatter the earth without a scratch looked useless under her iron fists.
After dozens of hits, seven or eight of Ortoren's ribs were cracked, and even his solid muscles were starting to cave in under the pressure!
Sensing the danger of death, Ortoren's primal instincts surged again. Ignoring the searing pain, he twisted at the waist, lifted both legs, and kicked Charlotte Linlin square in the knees!
The blow gave him just enough force to slide three or four meters across the ground. He didn't stop to process the pain—or perhaps in his frenzy, he couldn't even feel it.
With surprising speed, he sprang back to his feet. Despite the aches and broken bones, he roared again and charged at Charlotte Linlin, horns first in a wild, beast-like rush!
Charlotte Linlin bared her teeth in a wicked grin.
"Not bad, kid. Still got plenty of fight in you!"
...
Meanwhile, not far away in another part of the forest, Roger and his crew had naturally picked up on the unusual ruckus nearby.
"What's going on?" Shanks asked, puzzled.
Roger frowned slightly. "Sounds like someone's fighting."
"Think someone came to Whole Cake Island to mess with Charlotte Linlin?" Gaban muttered curiously.
"Doubt it. When that woman fights, it's fire and lightning everywhere. She's terrifying..." Rayleigh adjusted the glasses on his nose.
Roger thought for a moment, then said, "Whatever it is, it's not our problem. If someone's keeping Linlin distracted, that's a win for us. Let's move."
With no intention of getting involved, the group resumed their advance toward Whole Cake Island.
But before they'd gone far, a heavy, dull sound rumbled from the direction of the battle. The experienced crew instantly recognized it—it was the thud of a fist slamming hard into flesh.
Right after that, Rayleigh saw a line of trees in the distance being knocked down one after another, as if something was plowing through the forest—and it was heading straight toward them!
"Damn it, it's coming right at us! Move!" Rayleigh shouted in a low voice.
"Too late," Roger muttered, eyes narrowing with a grim look.
Sure enough, the moment he finished speaking, Charlotte Linlin's furious voice rang out from the distance.
"Who's there?!"
Unlike Roger's group, who didn't dare to release their Observation Haki recklessly, Charlotte Linlin, fighting on her home turf, had no such restraints. After blasting Ortoren hundreds of meters away with a heavy punch, she naturally used her Observation Haki to assess the situation.
Not only did she detect Ortoren, but she also sensed a suspicious group sneaking around deep in the jungle—clearly up to no good.
Against Ortoren, she hadn't used her full strength, relying only on Haki, her immense natural power, and combat experience to completely suppress him. After all, her goal was to beat the madness out of him, not kill him.
But when it came to these hidden intruders, Charlotte Linlin had no intention of holding back. She ripped the pirate captain's hat off her head and activated her ability—the hat instantly transformed into a longsword. It was none other than Napoleon, one of her three Homies.
"Mama?" Napoleon muttered in confusion.
Charlotte Linlin didn't respond. A glint of menace flashed in her eyes as she raised her hand and unleashed a powerful slash aimed straight at the group several hundred meters away!
The slash was blisteringly fast, cutting through the forest in an instant.
...
On the other side, Roger was the first to sense the threat. Without hesitation, he drew his sword "Ace" from his waist and sent out a slash of his own.
"Kamusari!" Roger growled.
The two attacks collided in midair, sending trees, dirt, and rocks flying in all directions. Roger's Kamusari clashed with Charlotte Linlin's strike—and overwhelmed it.
That's right. Even though she hadn't held back, Charlotte Linlin hadn't gone all-out either. Compared to Roger's Kamusari, her strike lacked the sheer force.
But it was enough for her to recognize the attacker.
"Roger!!!" she bellowed in rage.
The next moment, Kamusari barreled toward her. Though its momentum had been reduced by the earlier clash, Charlotte Linlin didn't retreat. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and with Haki wrapping around her hands, she reached out and caught the incoming slash with a single, massive hand—crushing it into fragments with brute strength!
"It's Linlin! We've been spotted—run for it!" Roger shouted.
The group, no longer bothering to stay hidden, bolted toward Whole Cake Island. With the stealth plan ruined, there was no choice left—they'd go in by force!
Rayleigh led the charge, pushing through dense brush as he climbed a small hill. But the moment he landed on the other side, he was met with a brutal sight—a burly man, covered in blood, heavily injured, eyes burning red, rising to his feet while picking up a massive war hammer that had also been knocked aside.
No doubt about it—it was Ortoren.
Under normal circumstances, Ortoren would've recognized Rayleigh instantly. But now, deep in his Sulong-induced frenzy and still furious from Charlotte Linlin's beatdown, he wasn't thinking straight.
So the moment he saw someone suddenly appear before him, Ortoren didn't hesitate—he swung his hammer without a second thought!
Rayleigh was caught off guard. The situation had changed so fast he hadn't even had time to activate his Observation Haki. The sudden encounter nearly got him.
But only nearly. As a top-tier fighter, Rayleigh's reflexes kicked in. Just as Ortoren's hammer came swinging down, Rayleigh coated his hand in Haki to intercept it.
Yet the instant his palm met the hammer, Rayleigh's expression changed.
What the hell—how is it this heavy? This strong?!
That was the mistake. Because Ortoren looked badly injured, Rayleigh hadn't taken him seriously and only responded on instinct—without going all out.
The result?
With a heavy thud, Rayleigh—who'd just landed at the foot of the hill—was sent flying back up it by a single blow from Ortoren's hammer!
"There's another monster?!" Gaban exclaimed in shock as he saw Rayleigh get knocked through the air.