Chapter 316: Alliance Temptations and the Clash Above Moby Dick

“Gurararara!”

“Charlotte Linlin, don’t sell yourself short. Your strength has been growing way faster than mine.”

Whitebeard—Newgate—let out a sigh as he spoke.

Over the years, his power had mostly plateaued. Unless he found a way to heal his old wounds and become robust again, he had little hope of pushing his strength any higher.

Yet every time he used his Devil Fruit powers, it put an even greater strain on his body. Even if there was a way to treat the symptoms, it could never cure the root cause.

He wasn’t bedridden yet, but he could feel his strength gradually fading—a weakness building inside him that could last for decades, dragging down his stamina and power day by day.

“Mamamamama!”

“Aren’t you even curious how I gained this power?”

“If we were allies, maybe I could help you solve your worries.”

When it came to verbal sparring, Charlotte Linlin was no slouch.

Pulling in other powers for alliances was usually Karl’s job, after all.

But Linlin didn’t mind testing her own persuasive skills.

Whitebeard’s strength was nothing to scoff at. Getting him onboard would be a huge boon to any scheme.

Not to mention, the thousands of pirates under the Whitebeard Pirates banner weren’t weaklings either.

A flicker of emotion crossed Whitebeard’s face.

True enough.

Charlotte Linlin’s power had skyrocketed in recent years. She was long past her prime years of rapid growth, yet her strength kept climbing—an incredible thing to witness.

From what he’d heard, Linlin wasn’t alone. Plenty of Karl’s Pirate Crew members had made similar leaps.

Looked like they’d discovered some way to quickly amass strength—though what it was, and if there were any drawbacks, remained a mystery.

And what did it cost?

“Dad, don’t fall for her tricks.”

“Even if they really have a way to get stronger, they won’t just hand it over to us.”

Marco noticed the change in his father’s expression and called out in worry.

He was afraid Newgate would fall into Charlotte Linlin’s web. They’d come here for another reason—

Mainly, to deepen the feud between Kaido and Charlotte Linlin. Their plan was to touch base and then leave.

Not to strike a deal with anyone here.

If they got tempted and their real goal failed, all they’d get in return was Kaido’s rage. All that effort would come to nothing.

But what Whitebeard actually cared about wasn’t himself. He was thinking of his sons and daughters.

If there was a fast, side-effect-free way to get stronger,

paying a not-so-steep price would be worth it. After all, not all his sons could rise to the heights he wanted for them.

Still, nothing could be settled without a true test of strength.

You can’t trust words alone.

“Quake!”

Whitebeard Newgate launched an attack. Charlotte Linlin wasn’t about to take it head-on.

She’d grown a lot, but the Tremor-Tremor Fruit could wreck you from the inside. Even Linlin didn’t dare take it raw.

“Emperor Sword: Destruction Fang!”

She cloaked the Emperor Sword in the sun homie’s flames, lengthening the blade as fangs jutted out. Darkness swept over it as she layered on Armament Haki, turning the weapon regal and menacing.

She swung the Emperor Sword down at Whitebeard with her right hand.

Sparks erupted and crackled everywhere in the air.

In a flash, the two crossed dozens of blows midair.

Below, Perospero had already closed in—within a hundred meters of the Moby Dick.

He poured out his power, creating a sprawling candy platform that locked both fleets in place.

“The stage is set. Now it’s our turn.”

“We can’t let anyone think the Whitebeard Pirates are pushovers.”

Marco was first off, flying from the ship into battle. Even if this was Marco’s scheme, he couldn’t stop ‘Dad’ from fighting,

which was the last thing his sons wanted.

Because once again, it proved they were still little chicks beneath Whitebeard’s wings—not truly flying on their own yet.

“Strength is everything!”

Jozu, blunt as ever, leapt down and smashed a pit several meters deep in the deck.

Like a bulldozer, he barreled straight for Perospero and the rest.

“Master!”

The two guardians at Katakuri’s side watched the attack close in and jumped to join the fight.

Ever since Katakuri brought them back from the dead, they’d seen few battles—and now was their chance to prove themselves.

Only by giving it their all in this clash could they gain new power.

They knew that Corpse King Long Right’s blood would help them grow stronger.

“No orders. Fight however you want.”

“Make a mess of things.”

With a grin, Katakuri twirled his trident and jumped down from the deck.

Of course, the ship held more than just those two.

Two generals—towering in ancient armor and riding warhorses—sprang from the deck and charged the Whitebeard Pirates at lightning speed.

Joining them were three brothers: Lux-Daifuku, Lux-Cracker, and Lux-Zikt!

Daifuku called out to Xu Chu and Dian Wei, leading the charge right behind Katakuri.

Zikt turned into white clouds, soaring above. Huge wind birds—formed from clouds and coated with Armament Haki—dove from above.

Each powerful gust sent dozens of pirates flying.

Only Cracker stayed true to himself.

With a light clap, he created hundreds of Biscuit Soldiers across the battlefield.

Donning a suit of biscuit armor, he charged the front, buried in the chaos.

Couldn’t get any more cautious than that.

“Chaotic Golden Tuo!”

Seeing Marco approach, Perospero instantly activated Fenghou Talisman.

Suddenly, time inside this tight space slowed to a crawl—only Perospero moved at full speed.

He thrust out a pitch-black right hand, lunging for Marco.

Marco’s jaw dropped. How was Perospero suddenly so fast?

“Gotcha.”

He barely had time to react.

Crack!

A massive hand caught Marco by the neck, smashed him both ways, nearly snuffing out his blue flames, then flung him toward the Whitebeard Pirates.

Escaping the confines of that small space, Marco finally got his body under control. He halted in midair, wings flaring.

Blue flames cloaked him from head to toe, his injuries vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“Looks like that was your ability back there.”

“Is it related to time?”

Marco’s sharp senses picked up the change.

He realized that, while his own movements slowed, everything outside—notably, the crowd—seemed unaffected.

He’d quickly figured it—the weird effect was all Perospero’s doing.