A short while earlier.
On Daifuku's Cake Ship, a collision with the vessel led by Bellamy caused their crew members to start fighting, and Bellamy himself was fiercely battling with Daifuku.
"Demon Slash!"
After consuming the 'Puff-Puff Fruit', Charlotte Daifuku, who could summon a Smoke Demon through the friction of his belt, used the Demon to launch a slash, cutting through the bow ahead.
Thud!
On the side of the bow, Bellamy's legs turned into springs, bouncing away to dodge the slash, creating smoke rings in mid-air as he used the Moon Step to launch a surprise attack.
"Fierce Fist!"
The spring in his arm compressed with tremendous force, about to punch the summoner Daifuku.
Clang!
Just then, the Smoke Demon disappeared, reappearing from Daifuku's belt to block Bellamy's punch with a blade, before delivering another slash.
Bellamy casually stretched out his other fist to block, the compressed spring clashing with the blade. After a momentary stalemate, it suddenly snapped open, dispersing the Smoke Demon. Bellamy was propelled backwards, skidding across the deck before looking up at Daifuku with a menacing grin, like a Hyena ready to pounce.
His arms were covered with successive knife wounds.
Daifuku, however, was barely injured, though his chest heaved irregularly, his breathing rapid.
The fight had been going on for a while, and neither could best the other.
Bellamy's body techniques were strong, with each punch packed with power due to the compression of the springs, posing a significant threat to Daifuku, who wasn't particularly skilled in body techniques.
But Daifuku himself was well-versed in Haki, especially adept at Observation, and the Demon was his confidence for a bounty of three hundred million.
Unlike Oven, who kept a low profile and served only his mother, Daifuku had reasonable exposure with a fair evaluation by the Navy.
Three hundred million Belly, to a certain extent, represented his strength, considered a 'monster' level in the eyes of most.
Bellamy, with over two hundred million, similarly ranked among those 'fairly' rewarded.
Their bounty difference of tens of millions wasn't significant to them, leaving the outcome undecided for the moment.
Of course, victory was elusive.
Just as they were about to continue attacking, half of a Cake Ship suddenly crashed down from the sky, smashing onto Daifuku's Cake Ship, breaking it in two.
Fortunately, Bellamy was unscathed and immediately used Moon Step to leap high, astonished at the sight afar.
In the distant sea, as a series of Cake Ships were overturned by a graceful silhouette that passed by, they were sent flying towards a distant ship, only to be sliced in two by the slashes from that ship, scattering in all directions.
That's how half of his ship came here.
"Ah..."
Marika performed Moon Step, nimbly and swiftly leaping through low air, dodging attacks from below by descending in front of ships, lifting them up to hurl at her marked targets.
But they were cut again by the slashes from that vessel.
On that ship, Smoothie squeezed some of her subordinates into juice, coiling it around her blade, slashing each strike with ability-infused power, easily cleaving through ships.
As the Wring-Wring Fruit user, she combined her Sword Master Soaring Slash with her power, sending slashes not only far but with terrifyingly strong potency.
Bam!
Another slash was launched from the ship, rapidly approaching Marika, blocked by her hair strands woven into a layered hair wall, dissolving the slash into juice, staining the hair strands.
And at that moment, all Cake Ships in her flight path were cleared, Marika quickly descended to Smoothie's ship's deck.
"Such delicious juice... it's somewhat wasted."
Marika cheerily remarked, "There are many people in this world who haven't tasted this; it's nice to offer them a taste."
"It's you again."
Smoothie pointed her great sword forward coldly, "This time, you won't escape!"
Slash!
Her voice barely faded as she swung her sword fiercely, launching another slash.
Marika's hair strands flew swiftly, forming another hair wall to block the slash, then quickly advancing, her fist wrapped in woven hair, forming armor, fiercely punching forward.
"Hair Wrist."
Boom!!
The punch landed on the great sword, sending tremors through the ship, causing it to shake violently on the sea.
Smoothie blocked with her great sword, flicked upwards to deflect Marika's punch, slicing through several strands of woven hair, then horizontally slashing, unleashing another horizontal slash.
Marika instinctively leaned back, dodging the horizontal cut, hearing loud sounds as
like the Cake Ships she lifted along the way, two Disaster Warships were horizontally slashed, falling into the ocean.
"Seems like a warm-up isn't possible..."
Marika's smile slowly hardened, her squinting eyes widening, and the hair that moved like snakes retracted, turning into flowing locks.
"Have you given up?"
Though Smoothie said so, her body tensed unconsciously.
Something feels amiss...
That woman's aura isn't weakening; it seems to be concentrating.
"My Captain's here for a fight, he hasn't said to give up, so we definitely won't."
Marika's hands naturally dropped, her smile faded as an inexplicable mark appeared between her brows, like a tattoo or a blooming flower, swiftly expanding across her forehead to her arms, then disappearing into her body, as if nothing happened.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind burst out from Marika's body, forcing her hair strands to fly wildly.
But unlike the strands controlled by Life Return earlier, this was a purely internal energy surge, passively causing the strands to vibrate and fly.
In Smoothie's view, if the previous Marika was like a cannonball, then now she's a cannonball explosion, continually sustaining the blast!
Marika stated, "More complete than my state in Country of Cyan, you're suitable as my opponent."
"What is this?"
Smoothie wasn't unfamiliar with various phenomena, frowning, "Stored power then explosively unleashed? Jio-Ken? Is this your trump card?"
"I prefer to call it... Celestial Essence·Lotus."
Integrating Life Return with body techniques improved by Sage through Jio-Ken derived from Lao G, perfectly fused.
As for how it feels..."
Marika raised her arms, gently clenched her fists, "Try it out for yourself."