Chapter 86: Clash at the Banquet: Chaos on Beehive Island

“Eight Extremities Fist – Defend!”

Hearing that familiar voice right behind him, he instantly raised his guard and turned to block Garp’s Iron Fist.

But because he’d reacted so hastily, his body was still shoved backward, sliding across the ground.

After knocking Karl back, Garp rushed to Sengoku’s side and helped him up.

“Sengoku, are you alright?”

Looking at Garp’s worried face, Sengoku shook his head lightly.

“Not dead yet!”

Davis stood up and looked out toward the shore, where four vice admirals were flying this way.

“Looks like we’ve got company.”

“Oh ho, here we go again.”

“No way, there’s more?”

Brown glanced at the clearly excited Smith and could only sigh in resignation, though he knew Smith was pumped because he hadn’t fought a vice admiral yet.

Even if he felt a bit helpless, Brown still drew his sword. Maybe that’s what they call true, unyielding spirit.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Fields turned to the sky, releasing his grip on Upton’s now lifeless body.

“Fight!”

Fields wiped the blood from his hands, grinning with excitement.

Most of his strength was spent, but at least he could keep fighting.

Without glancing back at Upton, he sprinted toward the four vice admirals swooping in.

“Boom!”

Jeremy and Luth, after briefly clashing with Notty and Halil, drifted off near the coastline.

“Thud!”

Just as Sander’s group landed beside Jeremy and Luth, Luth’s voice rang out.

“Sander, what took you so long?”

“Upton and Watt are dead.”

Sander, eyes red, looked toward the battlefield and the bodies of Upton and Watt. He and the other three vice admirals were visibly stricken with grief.

“Sorry, we’re late.”

He knew that in this moment, words were useless.

He whipped his head around and glared at Davis and the others.

“Pirates—prepare to die!”

A new round of battle erupted. The field plunged into chaos, with no clear pairs or opponents this time.

Both sides were fighting with blood in their eyes.

“Garp?”

“You got here fast.”

“Guess this is the perfect time to settle the score from last time.”

Karl clenched his fists, knuckles cracking, eyes blazing with excitement.

He’d planned on finishing off Sengoku, then searching out Garp—but who’d have guessed Garp came looking for him? Maybe today, he’d try to take them both down.

Garp met Sengoku’s gaze.

“Let’s go.”

“Right!”

“Iron Fist – Mountain Shatter!”

“Shockwave!”

Watching their attacks, Karl grinned from ear to ear.

“That’s more like it. If you two don’t go all out, I’ll feel bad about using my full strength.”

“Nothing beats a good fight, fist to fist!”

“Fierce Tiger Ascends the Mountain!”

The three of them exploded into battle, each move fierce and without hesitation.

…

While the brawl raged, on Beehive Island in the New World—

“Catch him! Quick!”

“Hey, kid! Stop running!”

Long Er didn’t stop at all, just glanced back. Seven or eight men chased him furiously.

He faced forward, jaw set, and fixed his eyes on the distant manor as he picked up speed.

“Bang!”

“Eight-Level Fist – Smash!”

Long Yi was in deep trouble too. Though he’d already killed five, seven more pirates still stood in his way. Worse, far behind, someone watched from the darkness.

“We’re under Captain Karl, you know!”

“You guys got a death wish or something?”

Long Yi knocked back a pirate in front of him and growled out his warning.

“Stop whining, kid. Your Captain Karl can’t save you.”

“We want him to feel the pain. Stop fighting—this’ll be over quick.”

From afar, a dark figure waved. Instantly, the group circled Long Yi.

“Hyaa!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Long Yi spotted a pirate swinging a machete at his back.

“Elbow Strike!”

Without hesitating, Long Yi drove his right arm—glowing with the Golden Light Spell—backward with full force.

“Bang!”

“All together, now!”

Long Yi eyed several children hiding just off to the side. He gritted his teeth, threw himself into the fight, and prayed Long Er would bring help soon.

Inside Charlotte Linlin’s manor—

That day, Charlotte Linlin received great news from Krell.

All fifty-six islands of the Sweets Sea had been initially developed.

Survival and simple living wouldn’t be a problem. They’d even found a few new Devil Fruits among the haul.

So Linlin gathered her whole family in the manor for a grand feast, celebrating together.

“Mamamama!”

“Mama!”

“When can we go to Cake Island in the Sweets Sea?”

Charlotte Linlin smiled gently at Perospero and patted her round belly.

“Once your father Karl’s back, we’ll all go to Cake Island together.”

“I’ve already called him; he should return soon.”

She sensed the three newborns in her belly—such powerful life force. As expected of Titan blood. Their strength was out of this world.

She’d never seen babies with such potent life force even before birth, stronger than most adults.

“You’ll soon have a new little brother and sister too.”

“Mamamama!”

But Linlin’s warm face suddenly shifted; she frowned and stood up, eyes locked on the door.

“Hmm?”

“Mama, did something happen?”

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing their mother suddenly get up, Perospero and the others quickly stood too, eyes darting to the doorway.

Switching back to Long Er—

Just as Long Er neared the manor gates, pirates chasing him caught up. One landed a sharp side kick, catching Long Er mid-run, his face still glowing with excitement.

His features twisted in pain as he coughed up blood midair, then crashed right through the manor into the main hall.

“Boom!”

“Pfft!”

A figure slammed into the banquet table, flattening the enormous cake.

“Crash! Crash!”

“Save my brother!”

Before anyone could react, Long Er clambered out of the cake and thrust an arm out, pointing urgently in Long Yi’s direction.

Everyone first glanced at the people by the door, then followed Long Er’s finger.

They all knew who Long Er was, so it was obvious the folks at the entrance were the enemy.

As the doors swung open, the intruders caught sight of Charlotte Linlin, their faces instantly pale. They knew things had just gone south.

“Oh no!”

“Run for it!”

Spotting her ruined banquet—her beautiful cake smashed—Linlin’s eyes went red. She charged straight at the crowd by the door.

“Mamamama!”

“Prometheus!”

“At your service, Mama!”

“Heaven’s Fire!”

Linlin hurled Prometheus right at the intruders.

“No, please, Lady Linlin, have mercy!”

The fleeing pirates could feel scorching heat at their backs.

They begged for mercy while running, but it was useless.

In moments, they were engulfed in flames—reduced to ash on the spot.

With her target gone, Linlin froze for a second, then looked back at Perospero.

Perospero immediately noticed her bloodshot eyes.

He shouted for Katakuri at the top of his lungs.

“It’s bad, Katakuri! Get our siblings out of here!”

“Got it, big bro!”

Linlin’s food madness hadn’t flared up for months, but the cake fiasco made it erupt suddenly, throwing everything into chaos.

Hearing Perospero’s shout, Katakuri grabbed his younger siblings and ran for Karl’s quarters.

“Mamamama! My cake!”

“Give me cake!”

Seeing the destroyed cake again, Linlin drew the Emperor Sword from her hat and began wreaking havoc around her.

Once his siblings were safe, Perospero turned to Compote, bringing up the rear.

“Compote, do we have any backup cake?”

“Big Brother Perospero, there’s… no more cake. Boo hoo… I didn’t expect this at all…”

Compote hadn’t expected this either. With Linlin’s food madness dormant for so long, they hadn’t even prepared a second cake in the kitchen.

“I need time.”

Longbread rushed out of the kitchen, his face serious as he reported to Perospero after catching sight of Linlin’s rampage.

“Then hurry, I’ll buy you as much time as I can.”

Seeing Longbread nod and run off, Perospero had no idea how long he could actually stall her.

“Katakuri!”

“Here, brother!”

Katakuri hurried back after moving their siblings to safety, while Compote led them to Karl’s residence.

Among the children, only Katakuri and Compote were Linlin’s favorites. (By the way: after rigorous training in the Five Elements Fist, Katakuri’s appearance had become downright handsome—he’d lost the huge chin from before!)

They both already possessed Devil Fruits—the Mochi-Mochi Fruit and the Sweet-Sweet Fruit, just like in the original story.

“Lick-Lick – Slick Floor!”

“Mochi-Mochi Tentacle!”

One made the floor slippery enough to send her tumbling, the other used mochi to pin Charlotte Linlin in place.

“Thud!”

Sure enough, Linlin’s rage made her easy to trip, but she wouldn’t stay down for long. She was already struggling to get back up.

“This is bad—really bad.”

Just as Linlin fought to stand, Yali—watching from the forest edge—saw the flames of Heaven’s Fire erupt nearby.

“Retreat!”

He never imagined their “reinforcements” would be Charlotte Linlin herself.

As much as he hated to, he just couldn’t gamble with their lives.

If Linlin was already rushing over, they’d be doomed.

They could all die here.

He ordered his men to grab the bodies and get out fast.

“Huff…”

Watching the pirates flee, Long Yi finally let out a shaky breath and collapsed to the ground.

“Come, I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

He didn’t rest long—a few quick breaths, and Long Yi got right back up to lead the children to their base.

He just couldn’t risk those pirates coming back for revenge.