One should never assume that Charlotte Linlin's refusal of Kaido's help was born merely from pride; it was rooted in her genuine, overwhelming confidence. At six years old, she possessed the strength to annihilate an entire village of the Giant Race and defeat their Elder, a level of potential that was truly singular across the seas. Even Kaido was not that formidable at six; he only became the strongest warrior in his kingdom by age ten, while Linlin was already capable of destroying a country entirely by herself at that same age. Aboard the Rocks Pirates' ship, she stood firmly among the top five powerhouses.
Throughout her life, there were fewer than ten people she truly feared: Rocks, Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Kaido, Rayleigh, Jia Peng, and Kozuki Oden. Among the Marines, only Garp commanded her respect. She held no regard for the younger generation. The power of Conqueror's Haki acts as a chasm, separating the absolute ceiling-level powerhouses from the top-tier. While the Three Admirals might be considered top-tier, they are simply not on the same level as those who wield advanced Conqueror's Haki. In all these years, only Red-Haired Shanks has emerged as a rising star truly worth noting.
She feared none of the Celestial Dragons' God's Knights. Their abilities might be tricky, but defeating her was an impossibility. She had fought them extensively during the God Valley incident. Even the Gorosei—those ancient geezers—she had beaten severely in the past. Apart from the annoyance of their apparent immortality, she found nothing about them to worry about. Among the few she feared, only Red-Haired Shanks and Garp remained active, and with Garp now an old man, Shanks was the only one who truly presented a challenge.
The strategy was simple: as long as Kaido occupied Red-Haired Shanks, Linlin could execute her plan to claim the soul of the Sun God Nika. At the mere thought, she drooled greedily; she could scarcely imagine how delicious that prize would be. She believed Kaido would never lie to her about such a matter. As a veteran of the Rocks Pirates and one who had lived in Elbaf, the strongest female pirate in the world had long known the legend of Sun God Nika.
Despite her goals, she felt immense pressure. However, it is a mistake to underestimate Charlotte Linlin based on past plot occurrences. Excluding Kaido, she was arguably the most intelligent of the former Four Emperors. Her performance in Wano Country was an anomaly—a byproduct of external narrative constraints. Evidence of her true nature is clear: throughout the New World, her intelligence network remained the most top-notch in existence. From recruiting the Vinsmoke Family to employing Caesar to research the power of the Giant Race, she consistently demonstrated her cunning. She had simply encountered the fated protagonist, forcing her to transform from a natural destroyer into a character who seemed to only rely on basic attacks.
Things were different now. With Kaido's interference, Linlin acted with more calculated intent. After deciding to target the reincarnation of Sun God Nika, she made thorough preparations, abandoning her life of luxury to personally instruct her children. She became truly serious only after she captured the Straw Hat Luffy and realized the shifting tides of the sea placed her crew in genuine danger.
The current Big Mom Pirates were vastly superior to their original iteration. Katakuri, Linlin's most talented son, had made rapid progress under her guidance over the past two years, approaching the Emperor level. While not yet a true Four Emperor, he could easily fight Admirals and the first mates of other Emperors. Furthermore, Kaido had supplied the Big Mom Pirates with a considerable number of Artificial Devil Fruits. Although the Big Mom Pirates were New World hegemons, the crew had previously possessed a very limited number of Devil Fruits—only twelve in total. Now, thanks to Kaido, almost all of her adult children—of which there are 75—had gained abilities, adding a full 63 Devil Fruit users to her ranks.
Commanding this powerful Devil Fruit army, and bolstered by the rare bloodlines of her children, Linlin finally had the confidence to move against the Straw Hat. Yet, this strength stirred wariness toward Kaido. If she could form such an army, how vast was the strength of Kaido's Beasts Pirates? From the arenas alone, she knew he had distributed no fewer than 300 Artificial Devil Fruits, alongside various other technological creations. Despite her wariness, she did not fear betrayal. Their past camaraderie in the Rocks Pirates gave her absolute confidence in their bond.
The excitement she felt was a sensation she hadn't experienced since God Valley. Even when that scoundrel Roger stole the Road Poneglyph from her, he had to resort to stealth. Feeling her bones crackle with anticipation, she turned back to her six children with renewed intensity.
"Get up, all of you! Keep going!"
The six battered individuals on the ground looked on in terror, though Katakuri mustered the courage to face his mother. The discipline was effective; their strength had increased significantly. Just as Linlin prepared to continue, she and Katakuri both sensed something and snapped their gaze toward the horizon. A ball of flame was flying rapidly toward Cake Island. As it drew closer, revealing its true form, everyone fell silent.
"King, you brat," Linlin roared, "why are you here instead of with Kaido? To trespass on my territory like this—do you want to become part of my collection?"
King, hovering above the island, ignored her rage and extended a hand. "I am here on Big Brother Kaido's orders to bring you two gifts from him."
"Gifts?"
Charlotte Linlin stood stunned as King opened his hand, revealing two dazzling, shimmering lights.
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