Compared to that time, I have become so much stronger

While the Jackson-Pirates won their battles one after another, the most important one was still being fought by Kuina. With her sword tightly gripped, she faced the giant monster that was known as Big Mom on her own.

Time seemed to freeze when they locked gazes, releasing their conqueror's haki like a massive storm that swept through the area.

It was a nearly irresistible force, which both women put to great use during this battle. Kuina moved first. She slashed downwards in a simple manner, but still unleashed a ground splitting flying sword slash.

If Jackson was present, he would have noticed how similar this slash attack looked to the one Mihawk showed in the anime when attacking Whitebeard.

It cut apart the very floor they were standing on, though Big Mom didn't move from her spot. A chilling frown settled on her face as she deflected Kuina's move.

"What's with this simple attack? Brat, are you taking this fight seriously? If you want to fight a yonko, at least show this level of power. Ikoku!"

Big Mom answered in kind. Hear attack released a gigantic sword blast, which pierced and tore everything in it's path, except for Kuina. She vanished from her spot, appearing tens of metres above their battle field.

Her sword, ready once more, this time coated in her conqueror's haki, while red and black lightning danced around it's blade.

Her eyes were lit ablaze in a scarlet colour, while a soaring battle intent and excitement flooded Kuina's body. Without losing a single second, She released a massive Getsuga Tenshou, that made it's way towards Big Mom like a falling star.

A slash attack of such a magnitude and force made even a yonko's neck hair stand up and Linlin was no exception to that, seeing how the incoming slash coloured the whole chateau in a crimson light.

She evaded it and that slash cut of a huge portion of her beloved castle right in front of her eyes.

!

"You! How dare you damage my castle!"

It was infuriating but even she had to admit that Kuina was powerful beyond her expectations.

'It was the correct call, to separate them from that brat Jackson, before fighting. Still, I might need to hurry up and get serious. It won't do me any good to drag this out.'

Meanwhile, Kuina had already prepared her next move, clearly rearing to fight more. Leg muscles tensed, body positioned, and sword readied, she used soru and geppe together, instantly vanishing in mid air.

All that was left visible was a dark crimson trail, which marked her zig zag path before rushing at her opponent.

"One sword style: Fading moon!"

"Brat, don't get too cocky!"

Big mom coated Napoleon with her own conqueror's haki and swung it with both hands. Her blade collided with Kuina's high speed lounge pierce attack, but in despite of the aftermath that was caused, their blade weren't even touching.

A destructive shockwave spread out, an explosion sound deafened those who were too close and dark lightning shot up into the split sky.

Devastation, resembling more a natural disaster than two women clashing, laid bare for everyone to witness. Still, in the end it was Kuina, who got catapulted away by Big Mom's superior strength and just when she was about to hit the ground-

"Heavenly Thunder!"

Zeus, one of Big Mom's homies, shot a bright column of golden lightning from above. It hit, paralyzing her for a moment, all she could do is using haki to defend and grit her teeth through the pain of getting her skin charred black.

"Mamama! Serves you right for challenging a yonko!"

Big Mom gloated upon seeing Kuina suffer from her attack, which only riled up the young swords woman.

"Who- who cares for a mere yonko? Black Getsuga Tenshou!"

Her answer came in form of a counter attack, breaking free from Zeus' lightning and heading straight for Big Mom. It landed on her torso, blasting her away and leaving a bloody cut for everyone to see.

!

"Mama!" x3

Prometheus, Zeus and Napoleon called out in surprise from seeing their mother actually get wounded, but Kuina wasn't done just yet.

Like a ferocious beast, who tasted blood she went after Big Mom but the later quickly got up.

"Mere yonko? A brat like you dares to belittle someone like me? Do you even know the weight behind that title?"

Both women clashed again. Then again and again and again. As if she transformed into a persistent dog, Kuina wouldn't leave Big Mom no matter how she tried to get rid of her.

It made Big Mom feel like there was something wrong. She saw for herself how strong Kuina was but if she focused, there was no way for a young newcomer like that to beat her in a 1 on 1.

'I'm sure she knows that she can't beat me in a frontal clash, so why is this brat rushing at me like this? Instead of stalling for time, it's almost as if she-'

Big Mom's eyes widened as she came to a sudden realization. She kept blocking and parring Kuina's wild dashes and slash attacks before following and attacking back. Each swing of hers was like a crashing mountain, but if Kuina distanced herself too much from Big Mom, then either Zeus or Prometheus would attack with wide range attacks.

She was clearly at a disadvantage but still kept attacking fiercely. Too fiercely for someone who only needs to wait for her crew members.

"Mamama! You are trying to finish this fight quickly, aren't you? Brat, do I look easy to you?"

Kuina couldn't stop her mouth from forming a wide grin.

"If you were, I wouldn't have bothered."

She quickened her pace, trying to run faster but Big Mom still caught up. She focused more strength on her grip and stances to hid harder but Big Mom still hit harder. She brought out every bit of haki in her, but Big Mom answered in kind, almost overwhelming Kuina.

"It is exactly because you are one of the world's strongest pirates!"

The young swords woman turned into blurs, adapting a run and hit technique aiming for Big Mom's joints and open wounds, but was stopped by Zeus and Prometheus.

"Tenjin!"

"Heavenly Bonbon!"

House sized fire balls forced her to retreat from Big Mom before lightning bolts branched out and filled the sky, striking precisely only Kuina.

The shock run through her whole body and would have paralyzed her again, if she didn't use conqueror's haki to coat herself in time. Nonetheless it did damage her, as smoke rose from her mouth and nostrils with every breath.

Still, she did not falter. Wado Ichimonji's blade was raised and pointed at Big Mom, declaring that it's wielder would not back down.

"Big Mom. To tell you the truth you are not my end goal. Our fight is only a confirmation to me. A confirmation that I chose the right path, which will lead me to my true goal."

Their battle continued. Damage had long since started to accumulate in both fighters, every time they clashed but Big Mom took it a lot better than Kuina yet her battle intent soared stronger with every new wound. No matter how much she buckled or bend, she refused to break.

!

"Ikoku!"

"Black Getsuga Tenshou!"

Another clash of inhuman proportion caused destruction and disaster to rain on their surroundings. For some reason Kuina remembered and compared herself to Kuina from 8 years ago. When she first met Jackson and Sabo. Back then she ran away in tears after loosing a battle against Sabo, believing that she could never reach their level.

'Yeah... I chose the right path. Compared to that time, I have become so much stronger...'

Her Getsuga Tenshou ultimately lost against Big Mom's blast attack, but it bought her enough time to dodge before launching another lounge pierce attack. This time, Big Mom didn't react in time and suffered a wound to her solar plexus.

"Enough!!!"

She was enraged. How long has it been since someone managed to wound her? But this young swords woman, who wasn't even 20 years old, did so multiple times in less than half a day. It made Big Mom think.

'In regard to overall battle power she might be even above those admiral brats. Her swordsmanship is incredible and she knows how to utilize conqueror's haki. I underestimated them and only though of Jackson as a potential threat. Are their other members also such monsters?'

An uneasy feeling arose in her heart thinking about that possibility. She still couldn't see herself loosing to them but instead worried about how much damage they caused to her crew members.

"Zeus! Prometheus! To me! We will fuse!"

"Aye Mama!" x2

Both homies quickly rushed back to their mother. Prometheus engulfed Big Mom in a bright fire and turned her pink hair into wild flames, while Zeus changed into his dark attack mode and served as a flying mount that shoots giant lightning bolts. Lastly, even Napoleon was set ablaze.

"Playtime is now over, kid!"

Big Mom revealed one of her trump cards and fused with her 3 homies. She seemed even bigger than before, as she rode on Zeus and charged towards Kuina at a ridiculous speed.

Holding the blazing Napoleon high up, with dark lightning dancing around his blade, seemed like a meteor, which was about to fall.

Kuina didn't have much time to think, so she quickly decided to reveal one of her own trump cards in return. The veins in her arms widened, popped and became clearly visible as her biceps started to grow.

'Gorilla Arm!'

It was a technique that Jackson let her recreate on her own, after describing what he saw Zorro pull off in the anime. Unlike his muscle from, this wouldn't decrease speed and agility but it also didn't increase resilience. In addition, the amount of strength one gained couldn't compared to what his muscle form would grant.

With all her might, Kuina swung her sword upwards meeting Big Mom's attack head on. Unlike all previous clashes, this one caused an explosion sound to reverberate throughout the island. Black and red lightning spread and branched out like a net covering the heavens which split and parted as if to make way for the conqueror's.

"Mamama! Die!"

Kuina groaned in pain, caused by Big Mom's downwards slash. Compared to now, she seemed to have been incomplete compared to now, which didn't help Kuina's situation at all. If this continued, she would have had no choice, but to bite the bullet and let Big Mom strike her, in order to reposition herself.

But luckily, helped arrived just in time.

"Kroom! Anaesthesia."

Both women sensed a presence appear above them before a giant sword pierced Big Mom's throat. It was Law's awakened ability that allowed him to pierce any target without directly injuring them. Though that was only the first step.

"Shock Wille!"

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Big Mom suddenly screamed, even falling off from Zeus but this still wasn't the end. While she was flailing in pain, Kuina caught a bright glint in the far distance before golden laser rays exploded in Big Mom's face.

Both Augur and Law arrived, using the Gates, which Augur created with his devil fruit power.

"Seems like we made it in time."