Smoke filled the air above the ruins. The spikes that had erupted from the ground stood like a forest of thorns.
Within that forest, blossoms of blood bloomed, vivid and brutal.
Amidst the sharp, straight spikes, a body or two hung impaled.
The sharp earthen spikes had shot up from the ground, piercing through them. As the spikes continued to grow upwards, becoming thicker, the bodies were gradually torn apart.
The entire ruin… was a scene from hell.
At the same time, the battle between Morass, the Straw Hats, and the Big Mom Pirates had fully erupted.
It wasn't just this area. All across the grounds, explosions roared, smoke filled the air, and the flames of war raged. The sounds of battle cries and screams of agony were deafening.
Swords flashed, bullets flew, blood sprayed, cannons roared, and a hundred different abilities were unleashed in a dazzling, explosive display.
The main powerhouses on each side had found their opponents.
Vice was fighting Daifuku.
Crocodile was temporarily engaged with Oven.
Claire was facing off against Big Mom's eldest son, the Candy Minister, Perospero.
The others had split up. Some were tying up the other powerful members of the Charlotte Family, while the rest were focused on Big Mom.
Yes, Wilder had already made it clear to them beforehand. Once the battle started, there were two possible plans.
The first was for Wilder to fight and hold off Big Mom, while the others did their best to deal with the rest.
The second was for Wilder to eliminate one of Big Mom's strongest wings as quickly as possible, while the others temporarily held her off.
At this point, even the thick-headed Straw Hat Luffy, having gotten a taste of Big Mom's power, no longer refused help in his fight against her.
Luffy, Gecko Moria, Ivankov, Brook, and Pedro had become the main force tasked with holding Big Mom at bay.
Yes, just holding her off.
Wilder couldn't control Luffy, but he had already discussed it with the others. Their top priority was to stay alive, because they would be needed for the battles to come.
Meanwhile, the other officers of the Big Mom Pirates were now engaged with the high-ranking officers of Morass.
This time, Wilder had gone all out, holding nothing back. He had left only twenty percent of his forces to guard his headquarters.
Therefore, this time, he would not allow failure.
On the ruins, Katakuri and Smoothie's faces were as dark as they could possibly be. The soldiers who had been killed by the spikes were just the lowest-ranking grunts, but they were still a part of the Charlotte Family's strength.
And now, all the soldiers in this area had been slaughtered in a matter of moments, not a single one left.
A towering killing intent and fury erupted from both Katakuri and Smoothie.
"Wilder!"
Swish!
The two of them vanished simultaneously.
At that moment, Wilder had already emerged from the ground. Seeing Katakuri charging at him, a triumphant and arrogant smile spread across his face.
The smile instantly set Katakuri off. The rage in his heart burned even hotter.
BAM!
A thick spike that was blocking his path was shattered by a single blow from Katakuri. In an instant, Wilder felt a gust of wind, and Katakuri was right in front of him.
This guy… he's so fast!
Wilder was inwardly amazed, but he didn't retreat. He flashed away, dodging Katakuri's heavy punch, and then instantly appeared behind him, his own fist striking downwards.
BAM!
A dark shadow shot in from the side. Before Wilder could react, his body was sent flying again. In mid-air, he dissolved into a swamp, scattering to the ground.
"Cough!" Wilder, having re-formed, wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked up at Smoothie, his gaze turning icy cold.
Their coordination was indeed troublesome, but that was all it was. If it was just a matter of stalling for time, this level of attack was not enough to trouble the current him.
And although it looked like he had been injured just now, in reality, it was just a small cut on his lip.
"But… this can't go on…" Wilder stared at Katakuri and Smoothie, his expression dark.
No one likes to be a punching bag, and Wilder was no exception. While holding them off, he had to find a way to counterattack.
Close combat was ineffective against their teamwork, so he had to use his abilities.
Wilder didn't want to waste too much stamina in this fight, so from the beginning, he had avoided using his more draining moves. And he would continue to do so.
Seeing Katakuri and Smoothie vanish again and charge at him, Wilder decided he was done with passive defense.
His eyes narrowed, his vision and mind becoming more focused, tracking their movements.
Here they come!
Right there!
Wilder's eyes snapped open. A burst of air exploded from under his feet, and his body vanished. The next moment, he appeared behind Smoothie.
Vmmm!
Armament Haki instantly coated his entire arm, then reconverged into a thick layer, concentrating on his wrist and hand.
His five fingers formed a claw.
He struck at the spot over Smoothie's heart.
Heh…
A cold, bloodthirsty light shone in Wilder's eyes, and his lips curled into an excited grin.
This is my chance!
But at the same time, he didn't forget to guard against the other one. His Observation Haki was constantly spread out around him.
He was incredibly fast. Smoothie, in the middle of her charge, felt a gust of wind behind her, and her expression changed.
How is that possible?!
She couldn't believe his speed, and at the same time, she felt a fatal danger approaching.
In an instant, Wilder's black, claw-like fingers were about to land on her back and pierce her heart.
BOOM!
Just then, a long fist, a mixture of black and white, shot in from the side. Wilder's Observation Haki instantly sensed the situation, and his eyes shifted slightly in that direction.
He could only sigh. At the last possible moment, his body elementalized.
BAM!
A mass of swamp was sent flying, crashing through a wall.
Katakuri appeared beside Smoothie, but he didn't stop. He pushed off the ground and continued his attack on the mass of swamp.
A large amount of sticky mochi was released from his hand, and then, sharp white spikes shot out from the mochi, raining down on the spot where the swamp had landed.
The mochi spikes were even coated in Armament Haki. They hit the ruins like cannonballs, sending up clouds of dust and debris.
"Hmph!" Katakuri's expression was cold, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he stared at the ruins. The barrage of spikes had just ended.
This was his unique talent—to see something once and learn it. He didn't believe that Wilder could come out of this attack unscathed.
He had timed it perfectly, to follow up the moment he was sent flying and had just landed. This way, Wilder would have no chance to escape the ruins, because his attack would arrive the moment his body hit the ground.
At a time like this, how could Wilder possibly defend himself?
The thought had just crossed his mind when Katakuri's expression changed. That guy… how is that possible?!
His eyes trembled, and then his body shot away from where he was standing.
SHLICK!
In the next instant, the spot where he had been standing was pierced by a sharp spike coated in Armament Haki.
Katakuri, now in a different spot, looked back with a lingering fear, his scalp tingling.
If he had been a step slower…
Katakuri's face was grim. If he had been a step slower, he would have…
He didn't even dare to imagine it.
BOOM!
At that moment, a pinkish-purple light exploded. Katakuri was startled and looked over. He saw Smoothie, who was a short distance to his left, bringing her sword down.
A terrifying sword wave, like a dragon, plowed through the ground. It was incredibly fast and sharp, instantly cutting through the massive stones of the ruins. Wherever it passed, even the dust seemed to become sharp with its energy, forming a low, sharp triangle that shot forward with the sword wave, straight for the spot where the swamp had landed.
BAM!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK…
In an instant, like a massive explosion, the violent sword wave shattered the stones in that area into pieces.
At the same time, a terrifying withering effect spread out, visible to the naked eye.
In less than a breath, the stones in that area had shriveled, and some had even turned to dust.
The power of a single sword strike had created such a terrifying phenomenon.
"Heh… he's finished," Smoothie said, sheathing her longsword. She walked over to Katakuri. Her Observation Haki could no longer sense any sign of life there, so she couldn't help but sneer.
Katakuri, out of caution and prudence, did not relax. His gaze was still fixed on the ruins. He reminded her, "Don't let your guard down. That guy is not simple."
Many people had noticed the battle in this area. Now, the two forces were clashing, general against general, and soldier against soldier.
The soldiers under Big Mom's command had been watching the battle here. Seeing this, they all erupted in excited cheers.
"Hahaha! Wilder is finished! The final victor of this battle can only be the Big Mom Pirates!"
"That's right! Although Wilder is strong, with Lord Katakuri and Lady Smoothie teaming up, even he is doomed!"
"They're Sweet Commanders, after all!"
"He's finished! Hahaha!"
The cheers of the soldiers also drew the attention of others. Claire, who was facing off against the Candy Minister, couldn't help but look toward the ruins with a worried expression. "Boss…"
The Candy Minister, Perospero, holding his candy cane, glanced in that direction, then licked his cane with a wide smile. He looked at Claire and said in a mockingly sweet voice, "At a time like this, instead of worrying about others, shouldn't you be more worried about whether you can survive this war that you have no chance of winning?"
His expression turned dark, but his smile grew wider and more grotesque. He continued to lick his cane, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Lucifer Wilder is finished. With Katakuri and Smoothie there, do you think he has any chance of survival?"
"Hmph!" Claire looked back at him, her eyes cold. "You don't need to worry about that. As you said, instead of worrying about others, you should be more worried about yourself."
With that, she lifted her leg and swept it horizontally. A black blade of wind shot from her calf.
A flicker of fear crossed Perospero's face. Seeing the approaching attack, a cold sweat broke out on his brow. He quickly waved his cane in front of him, and a large amount of candy syrup instantly solidified into a thick wall. At the same time, he dodged backward.
SHLICK!
The Tempest Kick blade struck the candy wall, and with a series of cracks, the wall was cut in half. Of course, by then, the blade had lost its power and dissipated after traveling a short distance.
Seeing this, Perospero wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. From the beginning of the fight, he had known just how terrifying this woman was.
Although he was Big Mom's eldest son, his strength was not on par with some of his other siblings. Not to mention the Sweet Commanders, even Daifuku and Oven were stronger than him. He was well aware of this.
So, from the beginning of the fight, his strategy had been to hold this woman off, never to actively attack.
He had experienced her combat power firsthand, so he was determined to tie her down. Otherwise, the others would be in trouble.
Claire, however, was not in a good state of mind. She was worried about the situation with her boss. Although deep down she had great faith in his strength, his opponents were Sweet Commanders, and two of them at that. How could she not be worried?
Having fought Smoothie herself, Claire knew just how terrifying a Sweet Commander was. She had been in a sorry state when facing her. And to think that her boss had to face not only Smoothie, but also a Sweet Commander who was said to be even stronger than her—just the thought of it sent a chill down her spine.
I hope the boss is alright!
She channeled her worry into violence, unleashing it all on the Candy Minister. For a moment, Perospero was in a miserable state.
Claire, on the other hand, while fighting, was still able to spare some of her attention to glance at the situation in the ruins.
There, Smoothie stood on a shattered stone slab, side by side with Katakuri, her cold eyes fixed on the smoke-filled area of rubble ahead.
Seeing that there was still no movement after so long, the sneer on Smoothie's face grew wider. She turned to Katakuri. "It seems you were worrying for nothing, Katakuri. His life force is completely gone."
Hearing this, Katakuri's gaze remained fixed on the spot, but he too began to have his doubts. He let out a breath. Could it be that he's really…?
His Observation Haki wouldn't lie to him. It had inherited a part of Big Mom's, giving it a sort of x-ray vision. In his perception, he could clearly see a figure lying motionless in the ruins, a large stone on top of him, with no signs of life.
At this thought, Katakuri couldn't help but lower his guard slightly.
The soldiers in the distance, seeing that there was still no reaction from Wilder after so long, finally relaxed and began to laugh excitedly.
"Hahaha! I knew it! That guy is dead! I told you, with Lord Katakuri and Lady Smoothie teaming up, he had no chance of survival!"
"Heh heh, I thought he would last a little longer. I didn't expect him to fall so quickly."
"I see now, his strength is not as great as the rumors say."
"Should I say, Lord Katakuri and Lady Smoothie are just too strong? But a guy who is defeated so quickly is really nothing special. It seems the rumors are not always true…"
"Hahaha!"
The soldiers laughed excitedly, their words filled with contempt.
BOOM! But in the next moment, their laughter died in their throats, their expressions freezing.
They all stiffly looked up, and in an instant, their scalps tingled, their pupils trembling.