Stussy's gaze swept over Linlin, then landed on Kurozumi Higurashi beside her, and her venomous words immediately shifted targets.
Well, well, if it isn't Kurozumi Higurashi? What, did your old flame Shiki tire of you and kick you to the curb? Now you've found a new master and set your sights on my Newgate?
Her voice sharpened, finger stabbing at Kurozumi Higurashi.
Dream on! Newgate is mine! A pair like you isn't fit to carry my shoes. One a cast-off rag, the other a pink-haired gorilla with more height than brains—scram!
Kurozumi Higurashi's face flushed pale green, but she dared not retort; Stussy, after all, had been one of the Rocks Pirates' first seven, had Newgate for backing, and her own strength. She tried to explain.
Lady Stussy, you misunderstand—
Shut up! Who said you could speak?
Stussy cut her off, vitriol dripping.
Look at you—one a mutant, the other a sewer rat—yet you covet my man? Ridiculous!
Charlotte Linlin's violet eyes stilled, storm clouds gathering. She loathed such catty squabbles, and Stussy's filth was a swarm of flies testing her patience.
When Stussy's finger swung toward her, sneering pink gorilla and monster—
Buzz!!
A pink Conqueror's Haki erupted from Charlotte Linlin, crushing Stussy Bakin.
Crack! Pebbles turned to dust; pirates behind Stussy dropped like flies.
Stussy felt her heart skip, blood drain, terror on her face as she staggered back.
Conqueror's… You…
Women with such Haki were rare; to her, it spelled danger.
Terrified yet furious, she shrieked.
Charlotte Linlin! This is Newgate turf—touch me and see!
Her abuse grew shrill, envy twisting.
Want to shut me up? Shameless man-stealer!
Care to lose your tongue?
Charlotte Linlin's eyes froze; black lightning danced on her sword.
She had endured enough.
Stop!
A roar shook the air.
Charlotte Linlin tensed, sensing a titanic presence.
From the cabin strode a man—golden mane and crescent beard—
Clad in his Captain's coat and gripping the supreme Meitō Murakumogiri, Edward Newgate strode forward with steady steps, his razor-sharp gaze fixed on Charlotte Linlin—an unapologetic appraisal laced with the thrill of a hunter who's spotted worthy prey.
It was "Whitebeard" himself—Edward Newgate!
"What the hell do you think you're doing to my people?!" Newgate's voice rolled like war drums, absolute and domineering. He'd seen Linlin move against Stussy Bakin, and every paternal instinct in him flared to life.
Before the echo faded,
a titanic surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Whitebeard and crashed toward Charlotte Linlin!
Boom—!
This wasn't the devouring, chaotic pressure of Rocks; it was pure, regal, and righteous—an aura bent on protection.
White haki flared like a physical shock-wave, bearing down on Linlin; the air turned syrupy, pebbles danced across the ground.
Linlin felt a weight she'd never known—far heavier than Rocks' earlier probe.
Voom—!
Almost instinctively, the sovereign power inside her ignited like a long-dormant volcano.
Rumble—!
A pink-violet aura, keen as a blade and tingling with numbing force, exploded outward from her and slammed into the oncoming white tide.
Crack—!!
The two Conqueror's Haki collided like comets; an invisible ring of destruction rippled outward.
Riiip—!
Overhead, the clouds themselves were torn open by the clash, leaving a gaping hollow.
..."Wuhahaha! Feisty brat's at it again—going toe-to-toe with Newgate." Back inside the Colosseum, Rocks gazed at the suddenly clear sky and laughed.
"But Newgate knows his limits; I'll stay out of it this time. Lucky for us, Shiki's already seen what Linlin can do—otherwise that bastard would definitely barge in."
"Captain, are we really letting that woman run wild? She's sparked two fights already..." a nearby pirate underling ventured carefully.
"Hmm?" Rocks shot him a sideways glance. "Got a problem with women?"
Flustered at having his thoughts read, the pirate stammered, "N-no! Just worried Hachinosu Island might be torn apart if this keeps up."
"Torn apart?" Rocks snorted, lifting his head toward the sun and closing his fist as though seizing the blazing sphere. "What's so bad about chaos? Only the wildest age can birth a new ruler—and that ruler will be me!"
Seeing his cue, the underling bowed obsequiously. "Captain, your might is boundless! Forgive my narrow sight! Before your absolute power every upheaval is but a step to the throne—these seas will bow at your feet!"
...Meanwhile, in a tavern somewhere on Hachinosu Island,
a gold-maned, lion-like man who'd been half-drunk a heartbeat earlier snapped fully awake.
"Jihahaha!! Who's mixing it up with Newgate? Let me at 'em!"
It was the crew's unofficial third-in-command—"Golden Lion" Shiki.
After tasting the two Haki signatures, Shiki lapsed back into a lazy drunken sprawl. "Oh, it's just Linlin. Boring—forget it! Drink up!"
"Oh?" Across from him sat a man dressed like a yakuza boss, wide black hat shading a cigar wedged in his teeth. "Sounds like you rate Charlotte Linlin pretty highly, Shiki." The speaker was Maron, one of the original seven of the Rocks Pirates.
Shiki clicked his tongue. "She's decent. Weird body, though—my slashes feel like tickles on her."
"That so?"
At another table behind Shiki, a seven-meter titan in golden plate armor and spectacles looked up without pausing his meal. He too was one of the first seven—Byrnndi World, the smuggler-pirate.
"Wonder if that woman could take one of my sword strokes."
Shiki cackled, ever the troublemaker. "Jihahaha! Go find out! Beat her and you might win a beauty for free—she's quite the looker!"