Chapter 98: Waist Cut, Soul Pressure
Charlotte Linlin understood clearly that the man standing before her, Kazuma Yumesaki, was by no means an ordinary individual. The mere fact that he had the power to make someone as prideful as Kaido submit was proof enough of how terrifying he truly was.
However, that didn't stop her from laughing at her former rival.
"Mamamama... I never thought that after all these years, Kaido, you would have regressed this much."
She looked at the towering man with a mocking grin. "To think you'd actually acknowledge a brat as your boss."
"You're truly a disgrace to our reputation as Yonko, Kaido."
Faced with Charlotte Linlin's ridicule, Kaido didn't flare up in anger. "There was no other choice. I lost to him. Since I lost, I have to acknowledge it. Linlin, I'm advising you—it's best to follow in my footsteps. Don't resist."
His expression turned grim. "If you do, the Big Mom Pirates will cease to exist after today."
"But I stand by what I said; I will guarantee your life, Linlin. Consider it as me repaying the favor from the old days."
Cracker, Smoothie, Katakuri, and the others heard those words, and their expressions grew unexpectedly solemn.
A Yonko doesn't speak nonsense or boast idly. Since Kaido dared to speak such words, it was proof that the opposing side was indeed overwhelmingly strong. Perhaps the Big Mom Pirates truly were, as the enemy claimed, facing their most dangerous moment.
"Kaido, are you threatening me?"
Charlotte Linlin was incensed. A terrifying pressure swept outward, weighing down on many of the Big Mom Pirates' crew members until they could barely breathe.
Yet on Yumesaki's side, hardly anyone paid any mind to Linlin's minor display of pressure.
"I'm only trying to save you, Linlin."
Kaido spoke with a faint, knowing smirk. "If you don't surrender now, there won't be another chance in a moment."
Charlotte Linlin fell silent. She could see that Kaido wasn't bluffing. This group might actually possess the capability to destroy her entire pirate fleet.
But after all, she was a Yonko; it was impossible for her to simply surrender because of a few sentences from Kaido.
If word of this spread, how could she ever maintain her presence on the high seas?
"If you want me to surrender, fine."
Charlotte Linlin suddenly erupted into a loud, boisterous "Mamamama" laugh, the sword Napoleon in her hand pointing directly at Yumesaki. "Come and fight me, brat. Defeat me, and the Big Mom Pirates will be yours to do with as you please."
Hashirama stepped forward first and said, "My Lord, please let me handle this battle."
Shimotsuki Ryuma added, "This old man is also willing to fight in your stead, Lord."
Issho spoke with a serious tone, "The Lord possesses a most precious body. Please, let me deal with this matter."
Yumesaki looked at the scene and shook his head. "Since the opponent has challenged me personally, I shall accept the challenge myself."
Hearing this, Hashirama, Ryuma, and Issho backed away, albeit with a hint of reluctance. However, they had already resolved that the moment Yumesaki faced any real danger, they would act decisively.
Yumesaki stepped forward and addressed Charlotte Linlin. "I personally don't much care for fighting and killing. Let's do this: I will unleash three moves. If you can withstand them, then I shall be considered the loser."
The offensive skills he had mastered were few. The Spell That Slashes Almost Anything was one of them, mind control magic was another, and the rest could be left to the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.
Coincidentally, after he had purified the Hollow-Hollow Fruit, he had indeed created a technique that could be used for attack.
However, Charlotte Linlin seemed to have misunderstood something. Blue veins pulsed on her forehead, and she laughed loudly while gritting her teeth. "Mamamama... Three moves. I've truly been underestimated."
"Brat, give me your best shot!"
Kazuma Yumesaki nodded, then simply snapped his fingers. The Cutting Magic was activated.
An invisible slash erupted in an instant.
At that exact moment, Charlotte Linlin's Observation Haki let out a mad, frantic warning. She subconsciously swung the sword Napoleon in her hand, intending to parry the strike.
But right then, Katakuri's face changed drastically as he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Mama! Quickly, get out of the way!"
Unfortunately... it was too late.
In the next second, the sword Napoleon in Charlotte Linlin's hand was sliced into two pieces in an instant.
Along with Napoleon being severed, Charlotte Linlin's body was also cut.
"Huh...?" As Charlotte Linlin realized she had nearly been severed at the waist, she could hardly believe the scene unfolding before her eyes.
She was the Yonko, Charlotte Linlin.
She was the figure who, at the age of five, could crush the ribs of a Giant. She possessed a defense like tempered steel that even a hail of bullets couldn't leave a single scratch upon.
Why was she being cut at the waist?
Where was her defense? Where was that steel-balloon physique of hers? Why did it feel as though she were made of nothing but paper?
To be honest, this sight was not only unthinkable to Charlotte Linlin, even Kaido hadn't expected it.
He knew all too well just how terrifying Charlotte Linlin's defensive power was. After all, they were once crewmates on the same ship; how could he not know the strength of her iron skin?
One could even say that Linlin's defense was superior to his own.
And yet, she was cut at the waist by Yumesaki with such effortless ease.
It made Kaido's heart pound against his ribs. Previously, when he had been defeated by Yumesaki's subordinates and submitted, he had been curious about just how strong Yumesaki actually was.
Now, he finally saw it. Yumesaki's power was far greater than he had ever imagined.
To cut through Charlotte Linlin's waist in a single move—just what kind of abnormal strength was required to pull that off?
Truthfully, regarding the waist cut on Charlotte Linlin, Kazuma Yumesaki felt surprised, yet at the same time, not entirely shocked.
The magic that could slash almost anything originated from the world of Frieren.
As mentioned before, the concept of magic in that world relied heavily on visualization and will. Thus, the effect of the magic followed the user's mental image.
In Yumesaki's view, no matter how strong Charlotte Linlin's physical defense was, she was still a carbon-based lifeform made of flesh and blood.
As long as it was a body of flesh and blood, it could be cut.
Besides, even if Charlotte Linlin's body truly was like steel, so what?
Was steel impossible to cut?
Think about Water Jet Cutting.
That tool could slice through steel in a heartbeat, proving that steel was indeed cuttable.
In fact, let alone steel, there were even ways to cut diamonds.
Therefore, when Yumesaki unleashed that invisible slash, as long as the object in front of him wasn't something like a neutron star, there was no such thing as "uncuttable."
This was also the reason why Yumesaki had requested this specific magic from Serie.
It was because this magic perfectly complemented a modern person with vast scientific knowledge, allowing it to unleash power beyond imagination.
Slicing through Charlotte Linlin's waist and her weapon was child's play.
Of course, Charlotte Linlin was not a figure to be taken lightly. As one of the Yonko, she possessed not only immense combat power but a vitality that was equally massive.
Despite having her waist cut by Yumesaki, she didn't die.
On the contrary, she used the power of the Hollow-Hollow Fruit to make her bones and internal organs become active, granting them a sort of self-awareness as they began to frantically repair her body.
Regrettably, the wound was too severe. Within a short time, she had absolutely no way to repair her body to a state of total recovery.
"Tsunade, help her."
Yumesaki didn't want Charlotte Linlin to die here. After all, she was a Yonko-level combatant; it would be a shame to let her perish.
Tsunade heard the order and immediately ran forward, beginning to apply medical treatment to Charlotte Linlin.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Charlotte Cracker saw the scene and subconsciously stepped forward, but he was stopped by Katakuri.
"She's saving Mama. Don't act recklessly."
Out of trust for Katakuri, Cracker held himself back.
Not long after, with Tsunade's assistance, Charlotte Linlin finally managed to reattach her severed body and recovered from the brink of death.
"Do you still wish to fight?" Yumesaki asked, looking down at Charlotte Linlin, whose face had turned incredibly pale.
"I... admit defeat."
Although Charlotte Linlin had escaped death, because of the massive blood loss earlier, her body was extremely weak. She had absolutely no ability to fight a second round.
Furthermore, she no longer believed she could win against Yumesaki.
The opponent had sliced her in half with just one move. A second move might very well cut her into eight pieces.
If that truly happened, she would undoubtedly die.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Charlotte Linlin decided to surrender.
After all, Kaido himself had already surrendered; her surrendering now wouldn't be considered shameful.
Moreover, the power of the man before her was indeed nonsensically strong, even more terrifying than her former captain, Rocks. At the very least, Rocks had no way to slice her weapon and her body in two with a single strike.
If the fight continued, it would be no different from throwing her life away. The gap was too wide; she couldn't even muster a shred of fighting spirit.
"Very good." Yumesaki nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward Cracker, Smoothie, Katakuri, and the others.
"How about you? Do you wish to fight, or surrender?"
Katakuri spoke without hesitation, "We surrender."
Since Mama had already admitted defeat, they naturally wouldn't go against their mother's decision.
Besides, they didn't think they could win against Yumesaki's group either.
The opposition was simply too powerful.
Regarding Mama and Katakuri's decision, the other members also voiced no objections. With that, the Big Mom Pirates officially joined Yumesaki's faction.
"If that is the case, then I shall give my first order in my capacity as your leader."
"Starting today, Totto Land is no longer allowed to collect protection fees—especially you, Charlotte Linlin."
"I heard you enjoy taking the lifespans of the inhabitants of Totto Land?"
"I didn't care before, but now that I've arrived, such things must naturally be forbidden."
"Normal trade taxes may still be collected, but aside from trade taxes, no burdensome surtaxes of any kind are permitted to exist."
"Anyone who dares to violate this order, I will pull their soul from their body and torture them mercilessly."
As soon as those words were spoken, a shadowy figure of a Shinigami manifested behind Yumesaki.
The moment the image of the Shinigami appeared, an invisible and terrifying pressure descended abruptly.
This power was not Conqueror's Haki, but it was far more horrifying than Conqueror's Haki could ever be.
Conqueror's Haki suppresses a person's consciousness.
But this invisible pressure suppressed a person's soul.
Upon seeing that Shinigami, everyone's limbs went stiff, their bodies felt cold, and even their souls felt frozen to the core of their hearts. Their bodies felt as though they no longer belonged to them; they could only stand rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle.
This was the technique developed by Yumesaki using the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.
Soul Pressure.
In short... Reiatsu!!!
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