NOVEL NEXT Chapter 82: Big Mom Approaches
As the warship continued sailing, Jon's sense of unease grew stronger.
It felt as if a great danger was approaching, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was—which frustrated him immensely.
"I can't just sit here and do nothing!"
Jon crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and fully activated his Observation Haki.
Thanks to his innate talent, Jon's Haki had always been exceptional. Even as a child, he could sense everything on a small island.
Now, if he focused seriously, he could extend his Haki across a range of over ten kilometers.
While he couldn't immediately detect every single lifeform within that radius, given enough time, he could scan everything one by one.
If he pushed himself to the limit, his range could expand even further.
Jon considered himself one of the best when it came to sensory range.
In the anime, Fujitora had a remarkable Observation Haki, able to sense meteors from outer space and, when paired with his Devil Fruit ability, even pull them down.
Jon believed that his own Haki was just as powerful. If combined with his abilities, he could locate specific plants over a hundred kilometers away—and this range would only increase as he grew stronger.
His Haki spread out like a radar, expanding from his position, scanning the ocean around them.
Moments later, Jon's expression changed drastically. His eyes snapped open.
"Not good!"
"Gaji! Gion!"
Jon quickly stood up and shouted for the others.
Hearing Jon's urgent tone, Gaji and the others were startled and rushed over.
"Jon, what's wrong?"
Seeing Jon's serious expression, the rest of the crew felt uneasy.
Jon's voice was grim.
"We have a big problem."
Pemberton asked anxiously, "What kind of problem?"
"BIG MOM Pirates."
"What?! The BIG MOM Pirates? What do you mean?"
Jon took a deep breath.
"I just used my Observation Haki to scan the area. Not far from us, there are several extremely powerful presences. One of them is the same person I fought before from the BIG MOM Pirates."
"But what really worries me… is that one of those presences is so overwhelming that it makes my heart race. If my guess is correct… that person is BIG MOM herself—Charlotte Linlin."
"BIG MOM?! Jon, are you sure?"
The group was stunned.
Having spent a long time in the New World, they were familiar with the monsters that ruled these seas.
Charlotte Linlin—BIG MOM—was one of the strongest female pirates in history.
Not only that, but she was one of the most feared, a true monster among pirates.
Even legendary Marines like Sengoku had trouble dealing with her.
None of them had ever faced someone of that level.
Jon nodded. "I'm sure."
White suddenly asked, "Commander Jon, how far are they from us?"
Jon quickly estimated and answered, "Around ten nautical miles."
White frowned. "Ten nautical miles isn't too close. At our warship's speed, we might be able to outrun them."
"Bring out the sea chart!"
Jon turned to Pemberton, who quickly unfolded a navigation map of the New World.
However, like most New World maps, it was incomplete—many locations were unmarked or outdated.
Unlike land, the ocean was ever-changing.
Natural disasters constantly reshaped islands, and even the most powerful factions like the Navy Headquarters couldn't update maps fast enough.
The crew gathered around the map, studying it carefully.
"Based on my Haki, the BIG MOM Pirates are positioned here, right where we just passed." Jon traced his finger on the map.
"That means we can't turn back—we have to move forward."
"The nearest island is over a hundred nautical miles away. Even at full speed, we'd need several hours to reach it. And that's assuming everything goes smoothly—if we run into trouble, it'll take even longer."
Gaji suddenly asked, "Jon, how do you know for sure that the BIG MOM Pirates are chasing us? What if they're just passing through? Our course change was decided last-minute—how could they possibly have tracked us so accurately?"
His reasoning made sense, but Jon still shook his head.
"We can't take any chances. We have to assume the worst and stay on high alert."
Gaji shrugged. "You're the commander, so I'll follow your call."
Jon nodded.
"We're not strong enough to face the BIG MOM Pirates head-on. So our only option is to avoid them at all costs."
He didn't elaborate further.
The plan was simple—run as fast as possible.
Even the BIG MOM Pirates would have trouble catching them if they could outrun them first.
Jon's plan made sense—in theory.
But sometimes… running doesn't mean escaping.
The warship sailed at full speed, moving as fast as possible.
However, their opponent wasn't ordinary.
As the ship rushed forward, Jon remained on edge, frequently using his Haki to scan the area.
Then, suddenly—
Jon's expression darkened.
"…Shit."
"Jon, what is it now?"
Gion, who had been standing beside him, immediately noticed his reaction.
Jon let out a bitter laugh.
"We all underestimated BIG MOM. She isn't just any monster. I don't think we can escape her so easily."
Gion frowned. "What do you mean?"
Jon's face was grim.
"Charlotte Linlin… is chasing us directly."
"But she's not on a ship…"
"She's flying."
"…What?!"
Gion was genuinely shocked.
Jon's expression remained serious.
Unlike the others, he knew more about BIG MOM.
She was the Soul-Soul Fruit user—her strongest Homies, Prometheus (the sun) and Zeus (the thundercloud), were immensely powerful.
And one of them—Zeus—allowed her to fly.
Jon could clearly sense that Charlotte Linlin had separated from her ship and was heading straight for them.
It was obvious—she was flying on Zeus.
In the open sea, as long as she had their location, and there were no weather obstacles, she could fly faster than any ship could sail.
That was why Jon's face was so serious.
If BIG MOM caught up to them, she could easily destroy the warship.
And if that happened—none of them would survive.
"…Damn it. We can't just sit here and wait to die. We have to come up with something—fast."
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