"Kill them!"
Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte Family and user of the Lick Fruit, pointed toward Vivi, Nojiko, and Conis as he shouted. His grotesquely long tongue flickered menacingly, adding an unsettling edge to his command.
Behind Perospero stood numerous officers of the BIG-MOM Pirates.
The BIG-MOM Pirates, led by Linlin, were a formidable crew, their strength bound together by the blood ties of Linlin's children. Most of the officers within the crew were her offspring.
While none of her children had inherited Linlin's monstrous natural physique, their collective strength was undeniable. Despite most of them lacking Admiral-level power—with the exception of Katakuri—many officers were as strong as Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters.
As the saying goes, "Many ants can kill an elephant."
When facing Vivi, whose strength merely brushed the threshold of an Admiral, the combined forces of mid-tier fighters, bolstered by heavyweights like Katakuri, Queen, and Jack, had a high chance of victory through sheer numbers, provided they were willing to pay the price.
This was precisely the tactic the Beasts Pirates and BIG-MOM Pirates intended to employ.
They had no choice but to weaken the Entei Pirates' key combatants before their more powerful cadres arrived. If they failed to do so, the Entei Pirates' full assembly would likely overwhelm the allied forces of the Beasts and BIG-MOM Pirates.
---
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
The Charlotte family boasted an array of Devil Fruit users, creating an overwhelming momentum as they unleashed their attacks.
Vivi's expression grew serious as she stood firm amidst the onslaught.
"Hah!"
Her low cry reverberated as she activated her Sand-Sand Fruit ability at full power.
"Buzz!"
The ground surrounding Vivi collapsed and transformed into rolling waves of sand. Trees decayed rapidly, dissolving into the swirling sands as a fierce sandstorm materialized.
Everything around Vivi disintegrated into dust.
Sand-Sand Fruit awakening.
"Sandstorm!!!"
Vivi raised her chin defiantly, her voice resonating across the battlefield.
The destructive might of her awakened Sand-Sand Fruit, combined with the Armament Haki she had honed on Amazon Lily, erupted in full force.
A devastating sandstorm consumed the battlefield, engulfing everything in its path.
"Be careful! Use Armament Haki to shield yourselves! Don't let your skin touch the sand!"
Katakuri barked urgent warnings to his siblings and crewmates. His sharp gaze scanned the battlefield, taking in the sheer destructive force.
This was the terrifying power of a Logia awakened Devil Fruit user.
In one-on-one battles, Logia users might lack the upper hand against the strongest fighters. However, in large-scale conflicts, Logia users stood at the pinnacle of Devil Fruit power.
When awakened, a Logia user could alter the climate of an area entirely—and in some cases, permanently.
The region around Vivi had now become a permanent sandstorm climate, completely under her control. Within this storm, enemies faced relentless, indiscriminate attacks.
Although Vivi's Armament Haki wasn't sufficient to blanket the entire battlefield, the power of her Sand-Sand Fruit alone was enough to overwhelm everyone except Katakuri and Queen.
Even Jack, one of the Three Calamities, struggled to endure the onslaught.
Katakuri's usually calm expression hardened as he watched his siblings trapped in the storm.
His Observation Haki pierced through the swirling sands, allowing him to gauge their conditions. Though none were in immediate danger, their Haki and physical stamina were draining rapidly.
If this continued, they would eventually succumb to the relentless assault of the Sand-Sand Fruit!
"I didn't expect this..."
Katakuri's thoughts churned as he realized the Sand-Sand Fruit's power was further amplified by Conis's Vocal Fruit ability.
Ordinarily, the Vocal Fruit enhanced physical strength, speed, and spirit—but it was not supposed to augment Devil Fruit abilities.
Yet here they were, facing an impossibly potent combination.
"How could such a broken ability exist in the seas?"
Katakuri's face darkened. "Is this Entei's doing again?"
He recalled the notorious Flame Emperor Incident, where that terrifying man had displayed abilities that exceeded the known limits of Devil Fruits.
"Has the Vocal Fruit also been amplified by Entei's power in a similar way?"
Katakuri shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts. The truth didn't matter right now.
"Hah!"
Katakuri's eyes glinted sharply as he made his decision.
"Boom!!!"
He unleashed his Conqueror's Haki at full force, holding nothing back.
Though his Conqueror's Haki lacked the refinement for entanglement attacks, its wide-scale release could still suppress some of the Sand-Sand Fruit's effects.
It was a desperate attempt to buy time and protect his siblings from the inevitable.
After Katakuri unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, the sandstorm climate created by the Sand-Sand Fruit faltered momentarily.
Though the storm remained fearsome, it gave the Charlotte family members trapped within it a brief window to recover.
The stronger cadres of the Charlotte family erupted with their Devil Fruit abilities and Armament Haki, shielding their weaker siblings as they pushed through the sandstorm and escaped its suffocating grasp.
"Conqueror's Haki... damn it."
Vivi clenched her teeth in frustration as she observed the situation.
Against opponents who lacked Conqueror's Haki, a user of this power held an undeniable advantage—even when their overall strength was equal.
Even if Conqueror's Haki wasn't used for advanced entanglement techniques, its sheer release could suppress Devil Fruit abilities and hinder an opponent's movements.
And the only way to counter Conqueror's Haki was with another Conqueror's Haki.
For Vivi, who had not yet awakened this ability, there was little she could do to resist Katakuri's full-force release of his Conqueror's Haki. As a result, the Charlotte family members who had been trapped in her sandstorm managed to break free, albeit temporarily.
Her current strength was barely at the threshold of Admiral-level combat. If someone like Nami were in her place, those enemies would never have escaped.
It was a testament to the power of Katakuri—Big Mom Pirates' vice-captain and the Charlotte family's most formidable creation.
But then…
Vivi's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Bang!"
As the Charlotte family cadres celebrated their escape, a sharp gunshot echoed across the battlefield.
A flower of blood bloomed on Katakuri's abdomen.
"Brother!!!"
Cries of alarm rang out among the Charlotte family cadres as they watched Katakuri reel from the unexpected attack.
"What a pity," a calm voice remarked, "I was aiming for your heart. Even after expending so much of your stamina and Haki, you still managed to avoid a fatal shot. Truly impressive for someone who's mastered Observation Haki to its peak."
Nojiko spoke regretfully, her sniper rifle still aimed. She glanced briefly at Queen, who had moved to shield Katakuri.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Katakuri knelt on one knee, his breath ragged and his expression grim.
Flame Rose, Nojiko.
Her sniping was nothing short of terrifying, her Observation Haki unnervingly strong.
"Damn it... another combatant we didn't account for."
The cost of flawed intelligence was proving too steep.
Clutching his abdomen, Katakuri's expression darkened.
"Hey, kid, don't tell me you're going down from just this injury."
Queen's voice broke the tension.
The towering figure of Queen, now fully transformed into his Dragon-Dragon Fruit: Ancient Species—Brachiosaurus Form, loomed over Katakuri.
Queen's form radiated vitality. While not as powerful as Mythical Zoan transformations, the Ancient Zoan forms were still far rarer and provided immense durability.
Queen's mechanical enhancements, coupled with his fruit's natural resilience, meant his injuries hardly slowed him down.
"Who do you think I am!?"
Katakuri's eyes twitched as he gritted his teeth, slowly rising to his feet despite the pain.
Though he lacked the regenerative capabilities of a Zoan user, his physical endurance—honed to monstrous levels as the Charlotte family's strongest creation—enabled him to keep fighting despite a severe wound.
"We'll have to work together. Alone, I can't get through that sandstorm."
Katakuri's voice was low, his gaze dark.
"Roar! This sandstorm is infuriating!"
Jack, now in his Mammoth Form bellowed as he swung his massive trunk. His repeated blows created gusts strong enough to resist the Sand-Sand Fruit's effects momentarily.
"Alright then!" Queen growled, rage flickering in his eyes. "Let's take down these little girls!"
After all, he is one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates—a prominent figure with years of reputation on the seas.
Yet now, he was being humiliated by a group of young women!
Reputation matters.
For the powerful on these seas, saving face is of utmost importance.
Even for someone like Queen, known for his Frankenstein-like eccentricities, pride was not something he could ignore.
"This is unacceptable! These girls must be eliminated!"
Queen's roar echoed across the battlefield.
"Jack, use your ability to carve a path through this sandstorm!"
Queen bellowed, his tone sharp.
Though Jack's strength wasn't on par with his own, the mammoth form granted by the Ancient Zoan: Elephant Fruit made him an ideal choice for the task. His thick skin, massive size, and sheer force made him perfectly suited to disrupting the sandstorm climate.
"Understood, Brother Queen!"
Jack's voice was guttural as he began swinging his enormous trunk, stirring the storm with raw power.
"How dare they look down on me?! I am Jack-sama!"
Jack's bloodshot eyes burned with rage, and his roar grew louder.
During the earlier battles, it was Queen and Katakuri from the Big Mom Pirates who received the most attention from the opponents.
As for him— Jack the Drought , one of the Three Calamities—he had been largely ignored.
Underestimated.
This enraged him to no end.
"Just a few little girls, and they think they can disregard me?! I'll show them the power of Jack the Drought!"
With an earsplitting roar, Jack charged forward, his Haki-infused mammoth body tearing through the sandstorm as he targeted Vivi, Nojiko, and Conis.
While Jack's performance in anime may have been ridiculed, that was only because his opponents had vastly outclassed him.
In reality, Jack's strength was formidable.
A mammoth charging at full speed, its body reinforced by Armament Haki, unleashed a force that could shatter even the toughest defenses.
Behind Jack, both Katakuri and Queen followed closely, their eyes set on the trio.
"I'll crush you all into dust!" Jack bellowed as he closed the distance.
Yet Katakuri's instincts flared—something was off.
As a Logia user, Vivi could effortlessly dissolve into sand and escape at will.
And the other two—Nojiko, with her Door-Door Fruit , and Conis—also had the means to evade easily.
Despite her power, Vivi's Haki wasn't developed enough for close-quarters combat. Against two Ancient Zoan users, she would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
Suddenly, Katakuri's eyes glowed crimson—the red light of Advanced Observation Haki , honed to its peak, illuminated the truth.
"Damn it! Jack, fall back!"
"What?! What's wrong?!"
Jack hesitated upon hearing Katakuri's urgent warning.
At the same time, the primal instincts granted by his Ancient Zoan transformation screamed that danger was imminent.
But it was too late.
Before he could react, a graceful figure appeared, swift and deadly.
"Black Flash!"
"Boom!"