The roar of the collision echoed far and wide, audible across nearly every battlefield. In an instant, the other combatants couldn't help but pause, staring in horror at the scene.
In mid-air, the heavy, viscous swamp descended, blanketing the sky, only to be pushed back in a distorted wave. Big Mom's strange, spring-shaped attack slammed into the swamp, the two forces continuously canceling each other out. But everyone could see that the swamp was a spent force, rapidly disintegrating.
Big Mom stood below, coldly watching Wilder in the sky, who seemed to be struggling with all his might to resist the spiraling shockwave. A cold smile slowly spread across her face.
Wilder was indeed strong; at the very least, he had exceeded her expectations in today's battle. Big Mom's thoughts couldn't help but drift back to their last... encounter, if you could call it that. For this little brat to have grown this strong in such a short time was what surprised her the most. And because of that, a resolute killing intent rose in her heart.
Of course, regardless of that reason, the outcome had been sealed the moment Wilder and his crew set foot on Cake Island.
No one... could run wild in her territory and leave alive!
That was something she would never allow. She had that much confidence.
Wilder's growth might have been unexpected, but it wasn't enough to make her doubt the final outcome of the battle. It wasn't just him; even when fighting Kaido, another of the Four Emperors, she wouldn't feel such a flicker of doubt. All of this was due to her own immense power. Only with such strength could one have the confidence to fear nothing.
Naturally, in her eyes, Wilder was still far inferior to Kaido.
The shockwaves from the collision continued to spread, and the power of Big Mom's attack and Wilder's swamp continued to cancel each other out. However, the result was quickly apparent.
As everyone expected, the swamp completely disintegrated.
Big Mom stood her ground, an evil smile on her face. Her Elbaf Spear: Ikoku Sovereignty, after breaking through the last of the cohesive swamp, continued on with considerable destructive power, shooting straight for Wilder in mid-air.
Everyone's eyes widened slightly, their gazes fixed on the scene.
"Watch out, boss..."
The members of Morass's crew clenched their fists nervously, their eyes glued to the sky.
However, Wilder seemed not to have reacted, remaining in the same spot.
"Get out of the way, boss!" Seeing this, the members of Morass's crew couldn't help but shout in panic.
Even from this distance, they could feel the terrifying destructive power contained within that attack. The martial art of the giants, Ikoku Sovereignty, when used by Big Mom, was unimaginably powerful, far beyond what any giant could achieve. Although there was no exact measure, her version was at least as powerful as ten giants striking together.
After being partially canceled out by the swamp, its power had been greatly reduced, but it was still not to be underestimated. It was still more than enough to inflict horrific damage on anyone.
"Big Mom is terrifying," the people of Morass said, their anxiety mixed with a renewed, visceral understanding of her power.
Yet, in the face of such a terrifying attack, Wilder, in the eyes of the onlookers, seemed to be in a daze, hovering in place without moving.
In the blink of an eye, the attack had arrived. The terrifying, circular, spring-shaped attack let out a deafening roar as it passed straight through Wilder's entire body.
"Boss!" Seeing this, Vice and the others stared in disbelief, their eyes wide with horror.
How could this be?
How could the boss not be able to dodge an attack of that speed...
Vice and the others muttered, a nervous sweat breaking out on their faces as they stared at the sky. Although the attack had been fast, it was only fast relative to others. They knew that for Wilder, that kind of speed was nothing. But they had all clearly seen the attack hit him.
If it was just a mistake, one person might be wrong, but it was impossible for everyone to be wrong. And besides, the dazzling shockwave in the sky was the result of the attack hitting an object. If he had dodged, the scene would have been different.
The hearts of Vice and the others sank to the bottom of their stomachs as they stared intently at the sky.
At this moment, everyone else was also staring, waiting for the blinding shockwave to dissipate and reveal the outcome. Big Mom's side was eager to see Wilder's mangled body fall from the sky. Morass's side was simply tense and worried, wanting to see the result to calm their nerves.
Wilder's life represented all of them. This wasn't selfishness or anything else; it was a simple fact that if Wilder died, they would have no chance of survival. The key to this battle had never shifted. At least, for the people of Morass, Wilder had always been the single most crucial figure in this war.
He was their leader.
So, if something happened to him here, they would be like a body without a head, completely helpless. Therefore, they could not allow such a thing to happen. But now, the outcome was out of their hands. All they could do was wait.
Just as everyone was on edge, the light from the impact finally faded.
The next moment, everyone's eyes widened.
Joy and excitement appeared on the faces of Vice and the others, while the faces of Big Mom's crew, including Big Mom herself, darkened.
In mid-air, an imposing figure still stood, as unmovable as a mountain. It was as if he were standing on an invisible platform, his body seemingly floating, yet perfectly stable in the air. Only upon close inspection could one see the subtle detail of his toes occasionally tapping the air.
The owner of this imposing figure had a calm and indifferent face. On that face, a pair of eyes, sharp as blades and as cold and calm as a frozen pond, looked down on the figure below.
The only thing moving on him was the great cape on his back, which billowed and rustled in the wind. Everything else was like a frozen iceberg, solid and indifferent.
A ripple suddenly spread across the surface of his body, and in the blink of an eye, it was calm again.
This scene was noticed by Big Mom, who had been staring at him intently. She couldn't help but narrow her finely wrinkled eyes.
Then, with a look of understanding, she spoke. "I see. So that's why you didn't have to dodge and your body is completely unharmed. The ripple? Is that another application of your ability? Similar to that strange swamp wall you used before?"
At the end of her sentence, Big Mom let out a dissatisfied sneer, her eyes turning blood-red as she glared at Wilder in the sky, her voice sharp and piercing. "I really misjudged you!"
"But do you think you can survive just because of that? I won't let anyone who dares to bare their fangs at me leave here alive!"
BOOM!
As Big Mom's furious roar echoed, she attacked without any warning.
"Thunder Lance, Fire Cannon!"
Big Mom extended her massive arm, and with a whoosh, lightning and fire erupted from it. Of course, this wasn't to say that she possessed the abilities of lightning and fire. It was just that her movements were so fast that the lightning and fire, which were originally bestowed upon her by Thundercloud Zeus and Sun Prometheus, now looked as if they were growing out of her own body.
CRACKLE!
WHOOSH!
From the moment the lightning and fire appeared to the moment they completely enveloped her entire arm, it all happened in the blink of an eye.
Big Mom threw her punch.
BOOM!
With a deafening roar, the fire and lightning shot from her hand, forming an irregular, terrifying lightning spear and a torrent of fire, which intertwined and shot forward with ferocious speed.
Big Mom's sudden attack re-ignited the battle, which had just barely calmed down.
Everyone was caught off guard by her sudden move, but they quickly turned their nervous gazes to the sky.
The attack of lightning and fire quickly reached Wilder. The onlookers couldn't help but tense up.
Just then, Wilder calmly raised his hand. Bubbles of swamp appeared on the surface of his body and burst. Then, a large amount of swamp erupted, forming a wall of non-Newtonian fluid swamp in front of him.
Armament Haki coated it.
BOOM!
The lightning and fire slammed heavily into the swamp wall. One side of the wall was held in place by Wilder's single hand, while the other bore the brunt of the impact.
A dumbfounding scene occurred. The swamp wall only rippled slightly, then remained suspended in mid-air, as unmovable as a mountain, incredibly stable.
"How is that possible?!" Cries of shock erupted.
"That's Mama's attack!"
The fire and lightning shot out from all sides. The crackle of the current and the sound of the flames searing the swamp wall followed, accompanied by wisps of rising steam. Big Mom's face also darkened.
"Very good! It seems I've underestimated you, Wilder!" Big Mom's cold voice rang out, tinged with the sound of gritted teeth.
Clearly, she was very surprised that Wilder had been able to block her attack so easily. But because of that, she was also very angry.
The next moment, the aura around Big Mom exploded. Her expression became ferocious and terrifying. She drew her greatsword with her other hand and brought it down with a mighty slash.
"Mamamama! Let's see if you can continue to block this!"
CRACK!
The giant blade cut through the fire and lightning, and with a heavy and swift blow, it struck the wall. With a crack, a fissure ran through the entire wall.
Heh...!
Big Mom looked down, a cold smile on her face. Then, she suddenly leaped, her body shooting up. Her massive frame actually passed over Wilder's head. She raised her giant arm, coated it in Armament Haki, and brought her fist down on Wilder's head.
BANG!
The wall finally shattered. The massive fist continued its descent towards Wilder.
SWISH!
Wilder's expression was calm. His body suddenly vanished from mid-air.
"Hmm?"
Big Mom's eyes snapped open. She turned and threw a punch.
BANG!
A large hole was blasted in the swamp. Big Mom's arm passed through it.
GURGLE!
The scattered swamp quickly gathered, forming a human shape. Wilder's figure reappeared.
"Tch! What a filthy rat!" Big Mom's eyes were bloodshot. She began to walk towards Wilder with heavy steps. With each step, the aura around her grew colder.
Wilder watched her quietly.
"This fight should end," Big Mom said, stopping in front of Wilder. She looked up, a sinister and strange smile on her face.
Hiss...!
A strange, invisible power began to emanate from Big Mom's body, like wisps of smoke.
This is...
Wilder's expression changed slightly.
A cold feeling enveloped his heart.
"Mama... could it be..." At this moment, the others also noticed that something was wrong. The pupils of Big Mom's children all shrank.
"The power of souls?" Feeling the invisible pulling force from all around him, Wilder's expression grew slightly more serious. His body tensed, his Armament Haki ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.
Finally, Big Mom stopped in front of Wilder. Her terrifying body stood tall, exuding an intense pressure as she looked down on him.
Wilder looked up, his grave gaze meeting Big Mom's blood-red eyes.
At this moment, he felt the pulling force from all around him growing stronger and stronger. Just then, Wilder saw Big Mom reach out her hand, slowly reaching for him. The entire process seemed incredibly slow, yet Wilder found that his body couldn't move. He could only watch as Big Mom's large hand drew closer and closer.
Despite this, Wilder's expression remained calm.
Big Mom's ability was indeed troublesome for those with a weak will. But for him, it was merely a layer of pressure. It was far from enough to make him feel fear.
BANG!
Wilder's eyes snapped open, and his Conqueror's Haki poured out.
In an instant, the cold space that seemed to freeze everything shattered.
"Die!" Big Mom let out a shrill, furious roar and slammed her fist down.
Without a doubt, Wilder's actions were a provocation, and had thoroughly enraged her.
This punch was incredibly powerful and fast. Wilder had just broken free from the state of paralysis and had not expected Big Mom's counterattack to be so swift. For a moment, he couldn't dodge and could only subconsciously raise his arms to block in front of him.
BANG!
Wilder was sent flying backwards. His body slammed into the ground, then bounced high into the air. After crashing through several large craters, Wilder adjusted his body in mid-air, his right hand formed into a claw, and he dug it into the ground, sliding for a long distance and carving out a deep trench before finally coming to a stop.
Hiss!
A wisp of green smoke rose from the stones. Wilder slowly stood up. The clothes on his arms were now tattered, revealing the solid muscles beneath, which were wrapped in Armament Haki. Even so, there were still some minor cuts on them, a testament to the power of the previous attack.
After all, Wilder's physical strength was now on a completely different level. For this attack to still be able to injure his Haki-clad arms showed just how destructive it was.