*Chapter 136: The Battle of the Sea's Pinnacle*

Two titans stood on the island, their eyes locked in a fierce stare! The pirates on the sea were anxiously watching. They desperately hoped for the battle to erupt immediately. After all, they came here to witness how powerful the strongest on the seas could be, not to watch two people stand around, glaring at each other and exchanging trash talk.

However, they were too far away to hear the conversation between the two. All they could see from a distance were their lips moving constantly. Suddenly, Charlotte Linlin's expression changed drastically, her eyes turning blood red in an instant. A dark red aura exploded around her, and she stepped forward, crushing the ground beneath her!

In her hand, she raised her massive sword. The sun-like object behind her head, which looked like a child's toy, flew over instantly, setting the sword ablaze. With the fury of thunder, she swung it down toward Raijin Uchiha with lightning speed.

"Boom!"

The fan behind Raijin was also unleashed, and without hesitation, it clashed head-on with her attack.

"Boom!"

Everyone watched the scene before them in shock. The sky and earth seemed to change color, plunging the whole world back into darkness. The spectators from afar could feel the terror of this battle in the most direct way possible.

Even some pirates who had roamed the seas for years were left slack-jawed.

"The fan and the sword didn't even touch each other!"

"Are they clashing using Conqueror's Haki? No, Uchiha Raijin is only using Armament Haki. What dense Haki he has!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is this what a top-tier sea battle looks like? Is this even humanly possible?"

"These two... could they already be among the absolute best on the seas?"

No one could remain unmoved by such a shocking scene. The residual waves released from their confrontation were already enough to make it hard for them to withstand. No one had anticipated that the battle would turn out like this—a terrifying level of combat indeed.

These ordinary pirates were already sweating profusely, and some even wanted to flee immediately. Meanwhile, the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the hidden forces of the Navy were also under immense pressure.

From a distance, Aokiji and Akainu both had grim expressions on their faces. Akainu initially thought that these mere pirates could be wiped out once the battle was over. He didn't even regard Charlotte Linlin as a threat, planning to make a grand appearance after the battle ended.

But after witnessing the power of these beings firsthand, Akainu now felt unsure if he could defeat them. And if Charlotte Linlin possessed such strength, what about Kaido and Whitebeard? How powerful could those two be? They were likely not weaker than Charlotte Linlin.

If they were to face them head-on, the outcome would undoubtedly be a crushing defeat.

"This Uchiha Raijin is truly terrifying..."

Kuzan squinted at the slim figure holding a fan, confronting Charlotte Linlin. Although this guy possessed Conqueror's Haki, he probably hadn't mastered the advanced application of it. From beginning to end, he had only used Armament Haki to clash with Charlotte Linlin, and that was what Kuzan found the most terrifying.

The level of mastery between advanced Conqueror's Haki and advanced Armament Haki was vastly different in terms of power. Yet, this guy seemed to handle it with ease.

Mihawk, staring intently at the distant battle between the two, unconsciously placed one hand on his black sword. His aura continued to build up, and it seemed as though a powerful sword attack could be unleashed at any moment.

The people around him instinctively backed away; they did not dare to stay near Mihawk for too long. Even lingering for one more second felt like having countless sharp spikes pricking their skin. No one had imagined that just the release of Mihawk's swordsman aura would be this extraordinary.

They had always said Mihawk was the world's greatest swordsman, and now it seemed there wasn't a hint of exaggeration in that claim.

"Slap!"

A large hand pressed down on Mihawk's shoulder, instantly halting his aura. He turned around with a sharp gaze to see a white-haired man with a dead-fish-eye expression and a mask standing behind him.

"You'd better not get involved in this battle. Uchiha Raijin doesn't want you to interfere," the masked man said.

"This fight isn't yours. If you force your way in, this guy won't spare you. You might end up facing both of these strong opponents. Then, the battle will turn against you."

"Think carefully—don’t do anything foolish. If you really want to face such powerful beings, then try climbing higher. If being the world's greatest swordsman isn't enough, how about becoming the world's strongest man?"

Kakashi spoke earnestly to Mihawk. This battle had been set in motion from the start. It was a declaration of war to the world by Raijin, a battle to make a name for himself. After this fight, Dressrosa would become a formidable force that could not be ignored on the seas.

Even though Kakashi and Mihawk were good friends, he couldn't let Mihawk mess around at this moment. If Mihawk interfered now, he wouldn't just anger Charlotte Linlin but also provoke Uchiha Raijin, who was even more trouble than anyone else!

Mihawk slowly released his grip, his expression softening slightly. He nearly forgot where he was—on one of Uchiha Raijin's ships. It was clearly inappropriate to make a move in this situation. Furthermore, this wasn't his battle. If he forcefully intervened, he might really end up getting a beatdown, just as Kakashi said.

Feeling somewhat conflicted, Mihawk thought to himself: as the world's greatest swordsman, it seemed he didn't carry enough weight.

"Your king is strong. If there's a chance for a challenge next time, I want to fight him," Mihawk finally said. "As for now, I have never stopped my pursuit of strength. From the beginning to the end, I have always been striving for the top. This is just the first step; there is still a long way to go. One day, I will challenge the world's strongest man."

Mihawk spoke slowly. He sought to challenge the strongest, not act recklessly. He was just caught up in the heat of the moment. Kakashi’s reminder had brought him back to his senses, and now he wouldn't do anything foolish.

"Want to challenge? Well, soon enough, you'll have a chance!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you better seize it!"

Kakashi's eyes suddenly lit up; he didn't expect this guy to be genuinely interested.

Since he's so interested, why not have him help Dressrosa fight against Whitebeard?

After all, they are both Shichibukai, and even if they help Dressrosa, the Navy probably won't say much about it.

Previously, Dressrosa could barely gather a few strong fighters; at the very least, they need someone to intercept the underlings.

You can't just have a bunch of underlings go straight for their boss and provoke them.

After arriving in the world of pirates, Kakashi has already gained quite a bit of knowledge about this kind of thing.

At least it's king against king, general against general!

If they brought in both Garp and Zephyr, it would be a bit unfair.

Luckily, isn't Mihawk here? Doesn't he owe them a favor?

"Hmm? I'm very interested in this sort of thing; tell me more."

A look of curiosity immediately appeared on Mihawk's face.

Could it be that these guys are targeting the strongest man in this world?

Are they planning to stir up trouble again?

Are they going to create chaos on the seas?

A terrifying force is rampaging unchecked.

Both of them have already experienced the baptism of a powerful storm.

Now, they could see fragments of rock flying around, scattering in all directions.

"You, you rascal..."

Charlotte Linlin's face showed a hint of surprise; she didn't expect this guy's Haki to be so strong.

And it seemed like this guy's Haki was almost inexhaustible—simply outrageous.

No matter how much pressure she exerted, it seemed like this kid could withstand it all.

"What’s wrong? Are you backing out at a time like this?"

Raijin's lips curled into a smile as he was sent flying backward.

He flipped twice in the air and landed steadily on the ground.

On the surface, the two seemed evenly matched, but in reality, Raijin's Haki was at a disadvantage.

The Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki are completely different things; they can't be compared.

Some strong fighters have refined their Armament Haki to an incredible level and can stand toe-to-toe with such monsters.

But that's not Raijin!

Raijin has only been exposed to Haki for just over two months.

No matter how gifted he is, it can't be this outrageous.

After all, he isn't Luffy, who could awaken Conqueror's Haki just by lying on his back and doing sit-ups and taking a few hits.

His cheats aren't that overpowered yet!

"Stop being cocky, kid. What do you think you are?"

"When I was making waves on the sea, you were probably still in diapers."

Charlotte Linlin's face suddenly darkened with anger as she ran forward, stepping on the shattered stones.

She swung her broad sword repeatedly at Raijin.

"Bang!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

A series of intense collisions ensued.

With each clash, gusts of wind whipped up around them.

Waves of air spread out in all directions!

The ground was shattering inch by inch!

There was no safe place to stand.

In the smoke, Charlotte Linlin and Raijin continued to hack at each other.

Sparks flew, and even shockwaves erupted.

Uchiha Raijin grew more excited with each fight, possessing the Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan.

He could predict Charlotte Linlin's moves just before she made them.

It's almost on par with the future-seeing capabilities of Observation Haki; that's the power of the Uchiha's Sharingan.

The Mangekyou Sharingan has already reached the peak of observation; it's just shy of having X-ray vision.

But X-ray vision is a Rinnegan ability that Uchiha Raijin can't get just yet.

"Damn kid!"

Charlotte Linlin's eyes were filled with malice, her sword swinging fiercely.

But the kid in front of her seemed to be dancing, dodging each attack by just a hair.

This guy had completely figured out her next move.

No matter how she swung her sword, it felt like she was just wasting her energy.

"Prometheus!"

"Yes, Mama!"

The flame that was intertwined with Charlotte Linlin's hair formed a terrifying smile.

It suddenly flew out from behind her head and puffed up its cheeks.

In the next moment!

A blazing firestorm descended from above.

"Boom!"

The island turned into a sea of flames.

And it wasn't over yet—the fire continued to engulf Uchiha Raijin.

"Hmph! Playing with fire against the Uchiha?"

Raijin's lips curled into a smile; don't they know that fire jutsu is the Uchiha's specialty?

Raijin's hands rapidly formed seals, and chakra gathered in his mouth.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

In an instant, the area in front was filled with crimson flames.

It even pushed Prometheus's flames back.

Prometheus's mouth was suddenly filled with flames, and it was sent flying back.

"These flames are nothing special!"

Raijin smirked, sneering.

He knew that Prometheus was made from Charlotte Linlin's soul.

It could consume flames!

But Raijin had to make a point.

Using fire against an Uchiha is the most foolish thing to do.

"Hah!"

Suddenly, there was a shout from behind.

A massive shadow covered Raijin's figure.

There was a huge silhouette with a dark cloud above it.

A giant hand reached into the dark cloud!

In an instant!

Thunder crackled everywhere!

Lightning flashed.

"Thunderbolt!"

A furious roar.

A terrifying giant hand, engulfed in lightning, suddenly struck down from above.

This attack was not something ordinary people could handle.

"Susanoo!"

Raijin's Mangekyou spun in his eyes, and dark blue chakra surged around him.

In an instant!

A massive skeleton formed, and flesh began weaving around it.

Before the giant hand could land, Susanoo was fully armed.

"Boom!"

The ground trembled.

The area within a hundred meters collapsed.

Only Charlotte Linlin stood in place.

Her crimson eyes were fixed on the ground.

As the smoke cleared a little, a massive blue monster could be seen in a deep pit, holding off Charlotte Linlin's hand with one of its own.

The clash of their immense power was too much for the island to bear.

"Crack!"

Raijin lay calmly within Susanoo.

He noticed faint cracks forming on Susanoo's arm.

This old lady’s strength is still formidable!

Even at this stage, Susanoo’s strength alone is hard to compete with.

Remember, in the Shinobi world, Susanoo is a weapon that can face thousands alone.

But on the seas, where physical strength is so dominant, it seems somewhat lacking.

"Kid, your strength isn't enough!"

Charlotte Linlin's face was filled with ferocity, her eyes blood-red.

She gathered all her strength in her arm and slammed it down towards Raijin.

"Crack! Crack!"

The chakra-formed bones shattered inch by inch.

The giant hand came crashing down on Raijin.

But as long as Raijin could delay for just a moment, that would be enough.

The Susanoo formed in such a short time; he knew it couldn’t stop this old lady.

Damn it, there’s a guild event at ten today and it ends at eleven. It’s already delayed me enough; this game is truly infuriating.

(End of chapter)

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