Though the outside world couldn't see what had just transpired, Linlin knew all too well that the punch she delivered didn't nd solidly. The groued beh her, and her massive figure was sent flying into the air.

  From below, Sakazuki emerged, his form climbing out of the molteh. A moment earlier, he had realized he couldn't directly withstand Linlin's furious strike. Instead, he had burhrough the ground, sinking into the magma to evade the blow entirely.

  Now, he retaliated with a burst of molten fury, the grouing with volic force.

  While Charlotte Linlin was still airborne, Borsalino appeared above her in a fsh of golden light. His legs gleamed as he desded with a powerful axe kick.

  "Speed of Light Kick!" Borsalino announced softly, his voice calm but tinged with menace.

  Linlin barely had time to cross her arms to shield her head.

  A moment ter, a tremendous force smmed into her arms, sending a searing wave of pain c through her body. The power behind the kick was staggering. Borsalino's speed transted directly into devastating force, leaving Linlin's arms numb.

  Uo resist the impact, her massive body plummeted like a onball. She crashed into Sakazuki's magma field, the force creating a massive crater as she struck the ground.

  Despite her formidable strength, Linlin was struggling. Fag the bined might of two Marine Admirals roving to be an uphill battle. From the very start, she had been uo gain the upper hand and had been repelled repeatedly.

  It was clear that the Admirals—representing the Wover's highest bat power—were not to be uimated.

  Meanwhile Kuzan had chosen not to coordih Sakazuki. He uood that their abilities tered each other, and without a strong sense of teamwork, their cooperation might hinder more than help.

  Turning his attention to Katakuri, Kuzan decided to focus on him instead. With his ice powers, he believed he could exploit the weaknesses in Katakuri's fluid-like Devil Fruit ability.

  However, while Kuzan's ability restrained Katakuri to some extent, the tter was no novice. Though there in their strength, Katakuri's experiend posure allowed him to hold his own for now. The two gradually moved away from the main battlefield.

  Meanwhile, Borsalino and Sakazuki pressed their advantage against Linlin.

  At a distance, Cudius and the others stood watg the spectacle unfold.

  "As expected, two Admirals w together are more than enough to keep her on the defensive," Cudius remarked, a faint smile pying on his lips.

  "She's holding on thanks to her unusual body structure and incredible endurance, but she's clearly at a disadvantage," Gion added with a nod.

  "Is it time for reinforts?" Crocodile asked, biting down on his cigar with a calm expression.

  As if on cue, a water-infused ssh streaked through the air, slig toward Sakazuki's back.

  "They're here," Dofmingo muttered, an evil grin spreading across his face.

  "Charlotte Smoothie, one of Linlin's Sweet anders," Cudius said with a smirk.

  Ihe ssh had e from Smoothie, whose Devil Fruit powers made her a dangerous adversary.

  Sakazuki, who had been preparing to deliver a blow to Linlin, was forced to react. Pushing off the ground with immense force, his burly form twisted midair with surprising agility, allowing him to avoid the attack. He nded firmly, his feet brag against the scorched earth.

  Linlin seized the opening to unch a terattack.

  "Soul Strike!" she roared, her fist hurtling toward Sakazuki.

  Sakazuki instinctively raised his arms to block, but the moment their eyes met, he felt a strange sensation. His soul seemed to tremble, as if trying to escape his body.

  Thanks to his sheer willpower, he quickly overcame the effect. But even that brief moment of hesitatioed a gap in his defenses.

  Linlin's massive fist smmed into his arms, the force transferring into his chest. Blood spurted from his mouth as his feet left the ground, his body sent flying.

  At the same time, Borsalino aimed a precise kick at the charred wound on Linlin's chest. Golden light erupted as the kick ected, causing Linlin to wail in pain. Blood trickled from the er of her mouth as she was bsted backward by the powerful strike.

  For a moment, both sides had suffered losses.

  Sakazuki crashed to the ground, clutg his chest. His arms throbbed with pain, and he realized two of his ribs were likely broken from Linlin's earlier attack.

  Yet, true to his nature, Sakazuki forced himself back to his feet, enduring the agony.

  Suddenly, another ssh infused with Armament Haki came slig through the air, carving into the spot where Sakazuki had just been.

  "Why is this Marit still here?!" Smoothie yelled angrily, her frustration evident.

  Sakazuki ignored her words entirely. Without hesitation, he unched himself toward Linlin agaiermio press the attack.

  Smoothie, e being disregarded, shouted, "Do you think I'm insignifit?!"

  She swung her massive bde, ready to unleash arike, but before she could, a swirl of yellow sand flew toward her. In an instant, the moisture on her bde evaporated, leaving it bone dry.

  Smoothie's eyes widened in shock.

  She quickly propelled herself backward with an explosive leap, narrowly avoiding a sand bde that stabbed into the ground where she had just stood. The area around it dried and crumbled, the earth turning into lifeless desert.

  "Crocodile!" Smoothie hissed, reizing the culprit without needing to see him. The swirling yellow sand was unmistakable, only the Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile, wielded such power.

  From the sand, Crocodile's figure gradually emerged, a cigar ched between his teeth. His brown-bck coat fred slightly as he stood, his gaze full of disdain.

  "Why are you attag me?!" Smoothie demanded, her bde raised in defense.

  Crocodile chuckled coldly. "What a foolish question. Don't fet who I am. The Admirals are here, and you really thought I'd sit this o?"

  "Is this all part of your spiracy?!" Smoothie asked, her expression turning grim.

  "spiracy? Call it what you want. I don't owe you an expnation," Crocodile said, his voice dripping with mockery. He raised his hand, summoning another swirling bde of sand. "I heard you drain moisture. Let's see if you wring some juice from my sand!"

  Without giviime to respond, Crocodile unleashed his attack.

  "Crest Sand Dunes!"

  Smoothie coated her sword in Armament Haki, cleaving through the sand bde with a swift ssh.

  "Not bad," Crocodile sneered, his figure emerging from the broken sand. He reached out, aiming to grab Smoothie's arm.

  Smoothie reacted instinctively, kig at Crocodile's body. But he had already turned into sand, dodgirike with ease.

  After breaking free, Smoothie ied her arm, noting how dry it had bee. Quickly activating her powers, she restored the moisture, though her expression remaiense.