Chapter 221: Ambush on the Ice: Charlotte Linlin’s Stand

They didn’t have to wait long—across the water, three massive ships quickly appeared.

“Charlotte Linlin, never thought you’d venture into the first half of the New World all by yourself.”

“Getting cornered by Sengoku and Garp must’ve hurt, huh?”

John stood at the prow, arms crossed, his voice cocky as ever.

He might not be the strongest, but his network was solid—he had eyes and ears on every island in the New World.

So the moment Charlotte Linlin was beset by Garp and Sengoku, word reached him. He sped things up, passing the news to Silver Axe and Wang Zhi, and the two, finally making up their minds, joined in the hunt for Charlotte Linlin.

But his spies on the island got caught up in the fierce fighting and died, so he had no idea Ledfield had entered the fray.

Had he known Ledfield was involved, there’s no way he’d have dared set foot here.

“When Karl broke my arm, he probably didn’t imagine this day would come. Call it payback.”

John raised his gilded hook arm at the prow, a savage grin on his face. “Hahaha!”

“Borsalino!”

At the sound of Charlotte Linlin’s call, Borsalino didn’t hesitate. He leapt high into the air, forming a flower-like gesture with his hands as countless points of light flashed behind him.

“Yasakani no Magatama!”

Beams of light rained down toward the three ships, the sky erupting in dazzling brilliance.

“Heh, didn’t think you’d fire first.”

“Boys, fire back!”

John gave his blade a sweeping arc with his left hand, signaling the attack.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

All three ships unleashed a barrage of cannonballs straight at Charlotte Linlin’s side, the ships charging forward at full speed.

“Candy Wall!” Perospero stood at the prow, his swirling lollipop forming an enormous candy barrier that blocked the incoming shells one after another.

Once the two sides were less than five hundred meters apart, Kuzan vaulted overboard. The moment his hands touched the sea, he called out in a low voice, “Ice Age!”

Crack! Crack!

In an instant, the sea froze into a vast continent of ice, pirates on both ships leaping overboard at the sight.

“Charlotte Linlin, today’s the day you die! Get her!” John raised his longsword in his left hand, shouting as he led the charge of pirates right at her.

Wang Zhi and Silver Axe said nothing, but moved with clear intent at John’s sides—their target was just as obvious.

“Ma ma ma ma!”

Charlotte Linlin scoffed at John’s threats. “John, you talk big, but you’re the one staying here today.”

She vaulted from the ship, drawing the Emperor’s Blade from her hat with her right hand as Prometheus wrapped the blade in flames.

In that moment, she became a goddess of fire, charging straight toward John’s ranks with thunderous steps.

Trailing her were the fishmen, Perospero, Borsalino, Ledfield, and the others.

“Meteor Volcano!”

After getting cornered by the Navy earlier, Sakazuki still hadn’t vented his frustrations. If these pirates wanted a fight, then he’d unleash it all right here.

Great waves of magma hurled into the air, crashing down behind John’s group. His pirates weren’t weaklings—they dodged the falling magma with practiced ease.

But the rain of magma lit up the night even more.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the blink of an eye, blades met; Charlotte Linlin swung her blade down, overwhelming John.

John stumbled back, glancing at Wang Zhi and Silver Axe who still hung back, and yelled,

“What are you two waiting for?”

A tinge of anxiety crept into his voice.

If he could handle Charlotte Linlin alone, he never would’ve called for backup. But since he couldn’t, why were his allies dragging their feet now?

He fought alongside a red-haired kid—wait, red-haired kid? His mind went suddenly blank, like he’d been struck by lightning.

Charlotte Linlin would never waste an opening that good. “Blazing Light Sword!”

A searing blade of energy tore straight at John.

John’s reaction came too late—he barely managed to parry with his left-handed longsword, but against Charlotte Linlin’s well-timed attacks, defense was futile.

Crash! Crack! Smash!

He rolled backward again and again before finally slamming into a thick pillar of ice, bringing him to a stop.

He straightened right away, gripping his sword as he gasped, “You brought Ledfield too?”

Disbelief filled his voice; he never expected Ledfield to be here too. Did that mean his information was wrong?

Was there a traitor on his side?

“Damn it!”

Charlotte Linlin pressed her assault, not giving him a moment to breathe. “Ma ma ma ma!”

“No matter how you slice it, this was your choice, wasn’t it, John?”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

John barely fended off Charlotte Linlin’s furious attacks, but he knew he was doomed if this kept up.

There was no way he could take on Charlotte Linlin alone.

His eyes darted around, hunting for any opening to escape.

But everywhere he looked, the battlefield was crawling with three Logia-type Devil Fruit users, tearing through his men—his forces were getting wiped out.

“Charlotte Linlin, I give up. Let me go and I’ll leave right now.” he pleaded, waving his left-handed longsword in resignation.

He desperately wanted to survive, but bitterness flickered in his eyes. Even if she spared him today, it was clear he’d seize another chance in the future, like a starving wolf lying in wait.

“Ma ma ma ma!”

“John, spare me the talk. Leave your life here.” Charlotte Linlin’s swings came faster, eager to finish him off.

Seeing that begging got him nowhere, John grit his teeth and went all-out. “If I’m going to die, I’m taking something from you, too!”

With nothing left to lose, he funneled all his strength into a ruthless counterattack, blow after blow colliding fiercely with Charlotte Linlin’s strikes.

Unyielding, stubborn as a cockroach, he refused to fall.

That part of the battlefield grew tense, but elsewhere things were completely different—Ledfield squared off against Wang Zhi and Silver Axe like a grown-up playing with two toddlers.

It might sound harsh, but it couldn’t be more accurate; the two of them together still weren’t half as strong as Ledfield. He’d come over specifically so Charlotte Linlin could deal with John without interruption.

Suddenly, Silver Axe shouted, “Wang Zhi!”

Wang Zhi turned to look at him. “Yeah!”

The two exchanged a nod. At this point, the battle was out of their hands—nobody expected Ledfield to show up with Charlotte Linlin’s crew.

Whether the intel was bad or something else went wrong, their only choice now was to run for their lives.