486-490

Chapter 486: Burgess's Frenzy 

"Hahaha, Agardes is right, charge!" 

The bat-man Zagus was equally excited... 

They didn't seem like they were going to war; it was more like caged beasts let loose, eager to feast. 

"Bearing the name of one of the Ten Strongest, hehe, I can't be underestimated!" 

Bargenda, the giant from Skypiea, wielded a thick iron club and swung it with a thunderous force. 

"Devil Fruit users' army, charge!" 

The group of Artificial Zoan Devil Fruit users from the Lightning Pirates, like true wild beasts, pounced on the Big Mom Pirates. 

The strength of the Lightning Pirates exceeded the imagination of many in the Big Mom Pirates. This was nothing like a newly established Yonko crew. This was clearly a powerful force that even a veteran Yonko might not possess. 

"Wee-hahaha, this is exhilarating, absolutely exhilarating!" 

Burgess was covered in blood but laughing hysterically. 

In front of him... 

Smoothie was incredibly massive, looking terrifyingly imposing. 

However... she was now panting heavily, appearing completely exhausted. 

"This guy..." Smoothie glanced at the nearly ruined land around them, her expression growing even more solemn. 

Burgess's ferocity was somewhat beyond her imagination. This guy... was like a tireless, rabid beast, relentlessly attacking her. If she couldn't absorb water to boost her strength, she really might not have been able to hold on. 

"Again!" Burgess laughed wildly, charging at Smoothie like a madman. 

"Do you really think I'm easy to bully?!" Smoothie roared, swinging her massive sword wildly, unleashing several terrifying sword slashes that tore through the ground and shattered the air, forcing their way towards Burgess. They were incredibly sharp, capable of cutting a hair. 

But Burgess deftly dodged them all, charging right in front of Smoothie and unleashing a shaking punch. 

"Get... lost!!!" 

But Smoothie was even faster... She stepped forward, swung her sword with a ferocious blow that made the air explode, sending Burgess flying backward. He crashed through several air rings before slamming heavily into a cliff face, blasting open a huge crater and causing the cliff to crumble. 

"Die!" Smoothie instantly appeared before Burgess, her sword chillingly poised to finish him. 

"Not a chance, wee-hahaha!" However, Burgess kicked off the cliff wall, bursting forth with power. His fist, covered in Armament Haki, delivered a powerful blow directly onto the sword's edge. 

Bang! 

The ground beneath them cracked and caved in. Shattered rocks, carried by the strong winds, blew away nearby subordinates, as if the very earth was being ripped apart—it was terrifyingly powerful. 

Boom! 

Boom! 

Boom!!! 

The ground beneath Smoothie's feet continuously cracked and caved in. She couldn't help but grit her teeth; Burgess's strength was too terrifying. She was starting to buckle under the pressure. 

"What's wrong? Can't handle it anymore, my Sweet Commander Smoothie, ma'am!" Burgess grinned, seeing this scene. His fists were already bleeding from Smoothie's sharp sword, but he seemed not to feel any pain, his strength continuously increasing. 

Boom! 

Burgess knocked Smoothie back. He stomped the ground fiercely, then shot forward like a cannonball, the air tearing with a howling sound. In an instant, he was in front of Smoothie. He used his heavy, sharp horns to ram her chest and abdomen. 

"Uwaah!" Burgess's sudden horn attack was completely unexpected. She spat out a large mouthful of blood and was sent directly flying towards the sea. 

"Sister Smoothie!!" Seeing this... 

Chapter 487: Nowus vs. Katakuri 

"Whoosh!" 

In the end, it was Katakuri's agility that won out. While fending off Nowus, he shot out a blob of mochi to catch Smoothie. 

"Katakuri, that won't do! Getting distracted while fighting me!" Nowus's cold voice echoed in Katakuri's ear. As Katakuri looked, a clawed foot rapidly grew larger in his vision. 

"Sky-Splitting Thunder Claw!" 

A kick wrapped in advanced Busoshoku Haki struck Katakuri square in the chest with mountain-splitting force. It made Katakuri cough up a mouthful of blood and sent him reeling a great distance. 

"Peerless Donut: Power Mochi!" 

But just as Nowus pursued, Katakuri swung his arm, and a dark, hardened fist blocked Nowus's attack. Katakuri's chest, where his clothes had exploded, bore a large bird claw mark, deeply embedded in his flesh. 

"Are you alright?!" Katakuri stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Smoothie, asking. 

"I'm fine!" Smoothie had taken a heavy blow from Burgess, yet she showed no significant injuries. However, her body had shrunk a bit. As a Wring-Wring Fruit user, she could release the damage she sustained by expelling water. 

"Tch, did she cushion it with her ability?" Seeing this, Burgess felt it was a great pity. His sure-kill strike hadn't worked, and he wouldn't get such a good opportunity again. 

"Don't underestimate him. Give it your all." Katakuri instructed before charging at Nowus once more. 

"Boom!" 

Katakuri's strength was considerable, and so was Nowus's. 

"Power Mochi!" "Nine-Headed Mochi!" "Ability Awakening: Falling Rain Mochi!" "Clapping Mochi." 

Katakuri unleashed a barrage of dense and fierce attacks, like a downpour. Each strike... made most of the onlookers' hearts pound. It was incredibly intense, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing. 

"Hahahaha, this is exhilarating! Besides the Captain, it's been a long time since I felt this good!" Nowus bathed in lightning, transforming into a massive thunderbird. 

With every flap of his wings, immense power erupted. Amidst the roaring wind and thunder, furious lightning bolts struck, electric snakes darted, and brilliant flashes of lightning illuminated the sky... The destructive power seemed capable of shattering the entire island... 

All of Katakuri's techniques struck him. He took them all head-on, yet showed no signs of damage. As he flapped his wings, a power that even made Katakuri's face change became evident. 

"Boom!" 

A wing strike crashed against a trident. 

"Bang!" 

A thunder claw collided with a whip kick. 

"Rumble!" 

The thunderbird slammed into the Nine-Headed Mochi, and a corner of the island directly crumbled, blasting both of them backward. The massive thunderbird rolled across the ground, lightning striking everywhere it passed. But it immediately flapped its wings, stirring up a storm of wind and thunder, and charged at Katakuri again like a bolt of lightning. 

"Thunder Moves Nine Heavens!" 

A furious lightning bolt, as thick as a bucket, struck down, precise and terrifying. Katakuri's expression changed, and he unleashed his Nine-Headed Mochi to counter the wild lightning. 

"Wind-Thunder Feather Slash!" 

But Nowus suddenly transformed into his thunderbird-human hybrid form, his massive wings behind him now like two great blades, tearing through space. 

"Cutting Mochi!" 

Katakuri swung his arm, transforming it into mochi, which rapidly expanded like a spiked club. Then, it spun at high speed, covered in Busoshoku Haki, like a meteor hammer, and slammed heavily into Nowus's slashing attack. 

"Boom." 

Like an explosion of light, two figures were sent flying backward. Katakuri's upper body clothes were completely shredded. As for Nowus, he was panting heavily, a wide smile on his face. 

Chapter 488: The Might of World-Splitting 

"To defeat you, it'll probably take days and nights." This was an admission of Katakuri's strength. 

"You're truly strong. Besides that guy Kaido, you're the first person who's made me go all out like this." Katakuri clutched the claw mark on his chest, his eyes dark, panting heavily. 

"Fierce Tiger!" 

Just then, Big Mom's terrifying roar suddenly echoed. A heaven-shaking slash was seen being deflected, crashing into the distant sea. Immediately, like thunder piercing the ocean, it unleashed colossal waves, so immense they capsized nearby pirates on Night Island, even from a considerable distance. 

"It's not over yet, Lightning Killer!!" 

Big Mom was seen treading on the fiery cloud, Prometheus, her sword wreathed in dazzling lightning, descending like a deity. 

"Emperor Sword: Hakai!" 

A colossal sword shadow, seemingly encompassing all of Night Island, descended, capable of severing all things. If not stopped, the entire Night Island would be annihilated. 

"I won't let you succeed." Yoru's voice rang out... His sword, too, suddenly grew enormous. Like a divine blade, it streaked across the sky, stirring up a violent storm, and powerfully collided with Big Mom's heaven-shattering downward strike. 

Boom! 

The entire Night Island seemed to suffer a dimensional collapse... The whole island fractured into countless cracks with a loud bang. A section of the cliff dramatically crumbled. The surrounding sea was pushed back by an unseen force, churning into unimaginably terrifying waves. 

"This is a Yonko's battle." 

"It's truly a terrifying, earth-shattering sight." Many people exclaimed in awe. 

"It's my turn now, Big Mom." Hearing this, Big Mom roared, "I absolutely won't let you attack! Take this!" 

"Divine Weapon...!" 

"If I let you use that move, my main base will be sunk." 

"Flash Annihilation!" Yoru seemed to turn into light, brushing past Big Mom. 

Whoosh. 

The thundercloud beneath Big Mom was torn apart. Her own shoulder ripped open with a sizzling sound, blood splattering, a deep gash extending across Big Mom's entire chest, all the way to her shoulder. It looked as if Big Mom was about to be sliced in half. It was an unimaginably terrifying sight. 

"How is this possible? Mama actually got hurt!" 

"It can't be real! He actually cut through Mama's defense head-on!" Seeing this... the Charlotte family, who knew how strong Big Mom's defense was, were stunned. Big Mom was known as the 'Iron Balloon'. Her defense was famously terrifying. Even a Marine Admiral might not be able to break through her defense. But Yoru actually did it? It was too terrifying. 

"Hah~" 

"Hah." 

"As expected of the 'Iron Balloon,' you're really tough. I thought I could at least take off an arm, but it seems this is all I could do." Yoru landed, panting continuously, looking like that last attack had drained him significantly. 

"You... bastard, you... hurt me...!!" Big Mom's eyes were bloodshot, radiating killing intent. Grabbing her large sword, she was about to launch another attack. 

"Do you think there's still a need to continue, Big Mom? Look at the situation around you. Your Charlotte Family doesn't have the advantage." Yoru stood with his sword, casually picking his ear, taking his time. 

Hearing this, Big Mom couldn't help but look around. And just as Yoru said, the Big Mom Pirates didn't have much of an advantage. 

Chapter 489: Talking Business 

Even the Three Sweet Commanders were in a tough spot. Smoothie, needless to say, looked utterly disheveled. Katakuri was equally unable to get the better of Nowos. 

The worst off, of course, was Perospero. 

"You really can't take a hit, can you? Well, you're not a Sweet Commander after all." Luli clapped her hands, looking at the heavily wounded Perospero lying at her feet, his face filled with unwillingness. She sounded a little disappointed. 

Hearing her words, Perospero's face contorted. As the eldest son, not being one of the Three Sweet Commanders was indeed a bit shameful. But to have it actually said out loud was even more humiliating. What an indignity! 

Looking further out... Oven, Daifuku, and Opera were facing formidable opponents. The stubborn Ulti, and the berserk Page One and Sasaki, were putting immense pressure on them. Of course, they hadn't been defeated, but the situation wasn't looking good. 

Even further away, Caribou had directly captured many of the Charlotte family's daughters. The harvest was considerable. The Ten Strongest and the Artificial Devil Fruit army were running rampant like wild horses. Big Mom's sons actually couldn't stop them. 

At the lower levels, there was back-and-forth fighting, but if the battle continued, the Lightning Pirates clearly had the upper hand. 

"Lightning Killer, you... bastard..." Big Mom's voice was grim, her tone incredibly cold. If it weren't for Cracker's absence, which left her high-tier combat strength short by one, how could she have fallen into such a predicament? Her Big Mom Pirates had been operating for years; how could they lose to a newcomer? 

"Of course, if you want to keep fighting, I'll gladly oblige, even if it means risking my life. However, if we continue, I'll have to unleash my ultimate moves." Yoru said with a grin, threatening Charlotte Linlin. "At that point, you'll lose several high-tier combatants, so don't you dare feel bad." 

"Of course, if you want the Marines to profit from our fight, then by all means, continue. I'm sure they'd love to see us fight to the death." Yoru was completely brazen, causing even Big Mom to gnash her teeth in fury. When had she ever been threatened? Never. As the Queen of Souls, who would dare treat her like this? It was unheard of. 

But today... she was being threatened. And she had no choice but to accept it. Despite her immense anger, Yoru was right: unless she wanted the Marines to gain an advantage, she had to stop. 

Yoru had stopped for two reasons. First, if he kept fighting, he might not outlast Big Mom. Even though he made Big Mom look so bad, it came at a cost to his stamina. He didn't have much stamina and couldn't out-endure Big Mom. 

Second... the reason for fighting Big Mom was to earn enhancement points. And now... he had already obtained the enhancement points. There was no need to continue the fight; it was time to stop. 

"What do you want in exchange for releasing Cracker?" Big Mom put away her weapon, her expression still unfriendly. 

"It's simple. I need to share your intelligence." 

"No, perhaps my wording wasn't precise. To be accurate, I want to invest in your intelligence empire. I'm not greedy; you'll have six-tenths control, and I only need four-tenths access to the information." 

Hearing this, Big Mom scoffed coldly, "Seven-tenths. No more. Don't think I'm easy to bully." 

"Mama~" 

"If you can't accept that, we can always keep fighting. I'm not afraid of a fight." 

--- 

Chapter 490: Ceasefire 

As expected of a Yonko... their words carry a different weight. 

"Alright, thirty percent it is." 

"However, if you intentionally give me false or outdated information, don't blame me for ruining your reputation as the Queen of Information." Yoru narrowed his eyes, laying down his own bottom line and warning. 

"Mama~" 

"This old hag won't do anything to trash her own brand." 

"A partnership is a partnership. I won't hesitate when there's an opportunity to expand influence and earn more money." Just moments ago, her face was ice-cold, but with the alliance formed and profit in sight, Big Mom instantly broke into a smile. It made Yoru sigh with wonder... that change of expression was truly swift. 

The Marines' Perspective 

"Tch, they actually called a ceasefire. The Yonko are indeed not fools!" On the distant sea, a Marine Vice Admiral said with annoyance upon witnessing the scene. 

"Those are Sea Emperors; every single one of them is a shrewd individual. How could they fight to the death?" Admiral Fujitora spoke. "To overthrow them won't happen overnight!" 

"The Lightning Killer, that man is very dangerous!" 

"I have a premonition that he will become the Navy's third major headache after the great pirate Rocks and the Pirate King Roger!" The surrounding Vice Admirals nodded in agreement. Of course. Yoru was the man who held the route to the Final Island. So, was he going to become a major headache or not?! 

Aftermath of the Battle 

"What a shame, the battle's over!" Nowus pushed Katakuri back, the lightning slowly dissipating from his body, revealing numerous injuries. 

"Continuing to fight would only result in a mutual defeat anyway!" Katakuri wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, his body marked with scorch wounds from the lightning. 

"That was truly dangerous; I almost got killed by you!" Burgess panted, his face somewhat pale. Smoothie's Wring-Wring Fruit sent out sword waves that had the effect of draining stamina. This put a huge strain on his Busoshoku Haki! And it also tied his hands! So, he was at a bit of a disadvantage! Coupled with Smoothie's terrifying swordsmanship, if he hadn't had high HP and fast recovery as a Zoan type, he really would have been finished. 

"Hmph, stop with the nonsense!" Smoothie wiped blood from her mouth, still panting heavily. "You're a dangerous one too!" Burgess's punches... possessed terrifying shock power, capable of attacking from a distance, dislocating her internal organs. Her injuries were not light. 

Elsewhere: 

"Tch, it's actually over. What a letdown!" Ultei complained, covered in several burn marks, while her opponent, Oven, clutched his head, looking pained. "You damn iron-headed woman!" 

"You're lucky, Opera. Given more time, you'd already be dead!" 

"Next time, you won't be so fortunate!" Fūzū Fū said arrogantly, arms crossed, which made the severely wounded Opera's face look extremely grim. 

"I can't believe it ended like this; it's so pointless!" The other members of the Lightning Pirates just wanted to say that it ended before they even got enough action, feeling somewhat anticlimactic. 

"No choice. This war wasn't meant to be fought to a decisive end from the beginning!" Cold Blade Agardes, one of the Ten Captains, helplessly spread his hands. Joining a Yonko pirate crew... it had its benefits! But sometimes, the battles weren't as satisfying as they used to be! 

The two great pirate crews, under the orders of their respective bosses, ceased hostilities! Both had sustained damage, but none of it was too severe! It was more like an intense sparring match! 

"Heheheh, quite pathetic, Cracker!" When Cracker was released by Caribou, Caribou looked at the Sweet Commander, who was bound hand and foot with Seastone, and couldn't help but mock him.