One Piece: Conquering Wanokuni at Start

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The moment Alex's words fell, a chilling silence blanketed the hall. Countless eyes flicked back and forth between him and Charlotte Linlin. The guests exchanged uneasy glances, as if the temperature had dropped, each aware of the tension thickening in the room.

"He... really rejected Mama…" Katakuri muttered under his breath. The members of the Charlotte Family glanced at each other knowingly, quietly gripping their weapons and subtly moving to shield the guests from the impending conflict, the lively atmosphere of the tea party now turning ominous.

"You dare reject my good intensions? Do you really think that with the Float-Float Fruit, you're capable of challenging me?!" Charlotte Linlin's eyes narrowed as her monstrous aura began to press outward, her raw power radiating with terrifying intensity.

"'Good intentions'? Don't make me laugh, Charlotte Linlin," Alex replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. "If you thought you could turn your ambitions toward Wanokuni without resistance, you must have anticipated something like this."

Hum!*

In the next instant, a surge of Conqueror's Haki exploded from Alex, clashing violently against Linlin's own Haki, filling the hall with a powerful storm of energy. The clashing wills created a vortex of fierce air currents, sending tableware, chairs, and even some guests flying as the entire hall became the eye of a tempest.

"Conqueror's Haki clash!" gasped several onlookers, their voices barely audible over the roaring energies.

Stunned by the sheer force of Alex's Conqueror's Haki, Linlin's smile twisted into something more sinister. She raised her hands, and in response, Prometheus and Zeus materialized beside her, their soul-infused forms crackling with power.

"Thunder! Fire from the sky!" she bellowed.

With her command, Zeus transformed into a purple-black thundercloud, and bolts of lightning gathered into a massive thunder pillar. Meanwhile, Prometheus conjured a blazing column of fire, both attacks hurtling straight toward Alex with destructive intent.

"Mama, this is the hall!" Perospero shouted, attempting to rein in her wrath.

But Linlin, now fully enraged, ignored her son's warning. 

Unfazed, Alex drew his blade, the crimson-sheened Akazakura, and as the attacks closed in, two blinding sword slashes cut through the air. Before anyone could track his movements, the fierce columns of fire and lightning had been sliced into four segments, erupting into harmless sparks and embers that dissipated into the air.

The Underground Emperors looked on, wide-eyed with shock. Not only had Alex effortlessly cut through Linlin's attack, but his swordsmanship was extraordinary, almost supernatural.

"Impressive—swordsmanship and the Float-Float Fruit… you really are just like that old Golden Lion!" Linlin sneered, unfazed by her failed assault. She let out a menacing laugh. "But I wasn't afraid of him at his peak, and I won't hesitate to capture you. Once I do, I'll bring Wanokuni under my control and uncover every last one of your secrets. Napoleon!"

Casting aside any remaining pretenses, Linlin raised her right hand, and the hat on her head transformed into a massive, living sword, leaping into her grasp.

Now wreathed in a terrifying cloak of fire, Charlotte Linlin held her flaming, soul-infused Emperor's Sword, Napoleon, aloft. She was like a demon cloaked in blazing fury, her larger-than-life figure filling the hall with the dreadful intensity of a vengeful storm, and she showed no concern for the guests' horrified reactions.

"Mama's serious!" Perospero gasped, retreating quickly. Other members of the Charlotte Family followed suit, aware that when their mother entered this state, the ensuing destruction was beyond their ability to withstand. 

Seeing this, Alex raised his hand to control his surroundings with the Float-Float Fruit—only to realize with surprise that Whole Cake Island itself had begun floating without his intervention.

Noticing his reaction, Charlotte Linlin sneered, her grin dripping with malice. "Did you think I wouldn't prepare for this, Alex? I've known Shiki's powers far longer than you've had that fruit. Before you even set foot on my island, I blessed Cake Island with a piece of my own soul!"

Alex's eyes narrowed. Linlin's Soul-Soul Fruit had granted her dominion over the island itself, nullifying his control through her empowered soul connection. He hadn't anticipated that her power could counter his own like this.

"Coming here alone and rejecting my offer?" Linlin's voice rang out with a twisted, gleeful edge. "In that case, I'll make sure you never leave!"

With a fierce cry, Linlin infused her massive blade, Napoleon, with Prometheus's flames, causing it to glow blindingly bright like the sun itself.

"Emperor Blade!" She raised the blazing weapon high and swung it down with a terrifying speed, aiming straight for Alex.

Before the sword's edge even reached him, the intense heat alone was overwhelming, distorting the air and sending blistering waves across the hall. 

Alex's eyes glowed red as he prepared to counter, gripping his blade, Akazakura, tightly. His Conqueror's Haki surged outward, intertwining with Armament Haki, coating Akazakura in a dark, ominous red aura. With a powerful leap, he swung upwards, channeling all his strength into a sharp, relentless sword strike.

The two attacks didn't physically meet; instead, they clashed through sheer force and aura, each force pressing against the other in a devastating standoff. The ground around them cracked and split, massive fissures stretching out across the hall. The impact waves radiated outward, shaking even the distant sea, where turbulent waves began to rise at the port. Cake Castle itself trembled violently from the shockwave.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The repeated thunderous impacts felt as if they were shaking the entire island to its core. Where Alex and Linlin stood, the ground had collapsed into massive craters, yet neither gave an inch, each struggling to overpower the other.

"You brat, Alex!" Linlin snarled, frustrated by his resilience. Summoning her strength, she forced Napoleon through the Conqueror's Haki clash with a brutal push, creating a massive fan-shaped crack in the ground beneath her as debris exploded outward. The force of the attack blasted Charlotte Linlin backward, sending her hurtling until she collided with the wall of the Cake Castle itself, leaving it shuddering from the impact.

"How... how is this possible? Mama… was knocked back!" Perospero's voice trembled with disbelief, his eyes wide.

The Charlotte children stared, stunned by the sight of their mother—a monster known for her unstoppable might—momentarily overpowered.

Even the Underworld Emperors, watching from a safe distance, struggled to believe their eyes. Linlin, who had been a born destroyer, had been forced back by a single man.