The three Marine Admirals?
An Ancient Weapon?
Or perhaps that "national treasure" belonging to the Celestial Dragons—the one Doflamingo had once hinted at so cryptically?
But no matter how uneasy he felt, Katakuri did not dare defy Boros' orders. He could only pray silently in his heart that the command for the Second Division to begin their assault would come as late as possible.
"Holy crap holy crap holy crap! That scared the hell out of me! Good thing we were cautious and didn't follow Lord Esdeath to become cannon fod—cough, I mean to lead the charge. Otherwise we would've been blasted into muggles by now!"
The random crewman left aboard the Dominator patted his chest in lingering terror. Had he been even a little greedy earlier, he'd probably be stone-cold dead already.
Don't mind that he now had a Devil Fruit and the strength of a mid-tier warrior—it all looked impressive enough—but on the battlefield of Mariejois right now, he was just a bigger mob. Any one of those high-level fighters over there could pick him up and mop the floor with him.
"…Mei'er, you stay on the ship when the time comes. The upcoming battle is too dangerous."
Xiao Yan's face had changed slightly after witnessing the explosion at Red Port, but his eyes quickly regained their determination.
His reason for becoming stronger was no longer just his three-year agreement with Nalan Yanran—it was also the enemies who had caused Yao Lao to end up in such a state.
Xiao Yan didn't believe that those people would spare the Xiao Family if they learned of his connection to Yao Lao. Whether for Xun'er or Xiao Mei, he had to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
No matter how dangerous the battle ahead was, he would not choose to retreat now.
"Mm, I understand, Brother Xiao Yan."
Xiao Mei replied obediently. She had always possessed a strong admiration for strength, and she had liked Xiao Yan for a long time.
After learning from the dimensional chat group that Cousin Xiao Yan's "fall" was only temporary, and that he would soar to greatness in the future, Xiao Mei naturally reignited the childhood admiration she once had for him.
This was also the main reason Xiao Mei got along so well with Lu in the chat group—because they all shared the same mindset: clinging to a powerful thigh.
"Little one, you must be careful as well. If you get caught in an explosion of that magnitude, even as your teacher I may not be able to save you…"
Yao Lao's voice echoed inside Xiao Yan's mind at the perfect moment.
Even though Dynamite Rock had long been sealed away by the World Government due to its instability, its destructive power was unquestionable.
Even a Marine Admiral—top-tier powerhouses—would have to avoid an explosion caused by it.
Fortunately, most top-tier fighters possessed equally top-tier Observation Haki, making such crude and violent traps like Dynamite Rock unlikely to threaten them.
"I understand!"
Xiao Yan nodded solemnly.
He simply wanted to seize every chance to grow stronger—it wasn't that he had no awareness of his own limits. If he didn't have enough confidence, he wouldn't recklessly take risks.
At this moment, Boros—still seated on his throne—merely opened his massive single eye slightly when the explosion at Red Harbor erupted.
But once his Observation Haki, which nearly blanketed all of Mary Geoise, detected Esdeath's presence, he no longer paid attention to the situation at Red Port. Instead, he shifted his focus to Tornado and Fubuki not far away.
After confirming that the people Kizaru had asked him to watch over were all fine, Boros returned to his silent stillness.
Unlike Esdeath, who could grow excited whether fighting strong opponents or slaughtering enemies, Boros—as the ruler of the universe—had absolutely no interest in small fry.
Even Sakazuki and Kong at Red Port could hardly stir any enthusiasm in him.
After all, he previously had Kaido and Charlotte Linlin as high-quality punching bags. Fighters of the "top commander" level were no longer enough to satisfy Boros' hunger for battle.
Of course, not everyone could be as indifferent to Red Port's situation as Boros.
Especially Charlotte Linlin, commander of the second fleet—she was already barely holding herself back from rushing into Red Harbor to begin a massacre. Not even the massive explosion moments earlier could make this Yonko retreat.
Ever since joining the Dark Matter Pirates, Charlotte Linlin had lived through the most humiliating days since she became a pirate.
Not only was she beaten senseless by Boros time and time again, she also had to watch helplessly as the "Katakuri" traitor brazenly walked around in front of her every day.
"Soon… very soon… Mama can't wait to see you again, Katakuri!"
Charlotte Linlin split open her massive blood-red jaws, revealing a vicious and grotesque grin. Her bloodshot eyes locked firmly onto the pirate ship where Katakuri stood.
Back on the Overlord, with Boros watching over him and Katakuri remaining cautious, Charlotte Linlin never found an opportunity to strike.
But now, on the battlefield—out of sight of that monster Boros—no matter how vigilant that rebellious son might be, he was destined to die by her hand!
Standing beside her, Perospero was sweating profusely, anxiously licking his candy cane, his eyes darting around as he desperately searched for a chance to warn Katakuri to be extremely wary of their mother.
Yet every time Charlotte Linlin's gaze swept across him, Perospero's secret thoughts evaporated instantly.
Not everyone had Katakuri's courage to defy Charlotte Linlin. The decades of accumulated terror from BIG MOM was something even Perospero, her eldest son, could not bear.
"M-Mama… it's Lord Kaido's call…"
At that moment, Charlotte Oven—the fourth son—approached cautiously, holding a Den Den Mushi in both hands. After suffering the "betrayal" of Katakuri, Charlotte Linlin had begun to grow suspicious of her own children.
Even Snack, who had been the first to stand up and oppose Katakuri back then, could no longer obtain BIG MOM's full trust.
°°°
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