"..."
Staring at the newly refreshed side quest on his system panel, Nao was momentarily stunned.
Two seconds passed.
Then his brow furrowed—and without hesitation, he shut the notification off.
People can have their own kinks, sure.
But if you can actually catch feelings for Big Mom… you probably need to get your head checked.
Sure, the rewards for this quest were tempting—extremely tempting.
But once it mentioned "walking into the hall of marriage together," the answer became an unwavering no.
Some things are about principle. And bottom lines.
Back when he'd first received the system, desperate for early points, he'd still refused Shia's confession outright.
So now? There was no way he'd entertain the idea—no matter how many zeroes were in that reward.
Marriage is sacred.
The only ones who had even a shot at walking into that hall with Natsuya Nao were Gion, Shia, and Belle-mère.
Big Mom? Not. A. Chance.
"Phew…"
He exhaled slowly and fixed a cold stare on Big Mom in front of him, his right hand slowly drawing the blade from its sheath.
"Ehh? What are you doing, little Nao?"
Big Mom, who had just been admiring his face like it was a cake fresh out of the oven, blinked in surprise.
"You're not seriously thinking of fighting me now, are you? I came here in person, you know. It'd be pretty reckless to challenge me at this point… there's no suspense in the outcome."
Harsh words.
But also… completely true.
Even at full power, Nao stood zero chance against Big Mom one-on-one.
There was no trick, no technique, no stat boost that could bridge the absolute gap between them.
And that was assuming he hadn't just gone through a day-and-night marathon fight against Katakuri.
Plus, the Charlotte Family executives were standing by, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
But still.
Natsuya Nao had never been a coward.
He had never surrendered before the first blow.
"Enough talk!"
He finally drew both swords—his gaze sharp, fearless. Like a beast unleashed, he lunged forward with twin blades crossing in a powerful slash!
Twin Sword Style – Horizontal Slash!
"Tch… didn't I just say not to do something so foolish?"
Big Mom grumbled, drawing her long, narrow Napoleon. She simply held it horizontally across her chest, effortlessly blocking Nao's twin swords.
Is the power difference really this vast?
Nao gritted his teeth, forcing more strength into his arms, trying to push through.
But her sword didn't budge. Not an inch.
It was like trying to cleave through a mountain.
Unshakable. Immovable.
"Mamamamamama~ If it were anyone else, I'd probably be mad by now…"
Big Mom stared at Nao from across the clash, smiling with amused interest.
"But with you? I just find your stubbornness… kinda cute."
She pouted, annoyed.
"My useless children have already wasted enough time. I really don't want to keep dragging this out."
She shifted her stance—then BOOM!
With a twist of her body, she knocked both swords aside and drove a massive punch straight into Nao's chest!
"So how about you knock it off already?!"
THUD!
The impact sent Nao flying like a cannonball, soaring hundreds of meters before crashing into the sea with a splash.
Whoosh!
In the very next instant, Nao's figure burst out of the sea again. But as he used Moonwalk (Geppo) to rise into the air, he saw that the sky was already covered in dense thunderclouds, with loud rumbling sounds.
Big Mom hovered atop Zeus, looking down on him like a god.
"I admire your courage, little Nao… but this isn't playtime."
Her tone darkened.
"You have two choices. Surrender, come back with me to Whole Cake Island and marry me—or…"
Nao's pupils narrowed.
"Or I'll make your entire crew… join you in the afterlife!"
A terrifying grin stretched across her face as she raised her arm toward the sky.
In response, the clouds above surged—and a massive bolt of ghost-blue lightning crashed down onto the Marine warship several kilometers away!
BOOOOOOM!!
It happened too fast for anyone to react.
Screams echoed as dozens of Marines were struck—bodies flung, scorched, injured.
"STOP!!"
Nao's face darkened.
A second bolt was already forming overhead when he slashed upward, scattering the clouds in a burst of cutting wind.
He turned back to Big Mom, his gaze ice cold.
I miscalculated.
He had been willing to fight Big Mom to the bitter end—even if it meant using his Amphibious Breathing ability to slip into the sea and escape.
But the others… the hundreds of Marines aboard the ship, Shia, and the diplomatic delegation—they had nowhere to run.
They would only become sacrificial victims to Big Mom's rage.
This…
He absolutely could not stand by and let it happen.
"Mamamamama~ Come around, have we?"
Big Mom lowered her hand, smiling sweetly.
"See? The choice is yours, darling…"
Nao lowered his eyes slightly. Then exhaled.
"…Fine. I'll surrender. I'll go with you to Whole Cake Island."
When he looked up again, his face was completely expressionless.
"But only on one condition."
He pointed toward the distant warship.
"You came for me, didn't you? Then just take me. Those Marines and this whole incident have nothing to do with them. Let them go."
"…"
Big Mom squinted.
Before she could speak, Nao added coldly:
"Otherwise, I'll keep fighting—even if I can't win. Akainu's on his way here. You know that, don't you?"
"Akainu?" Big Mom sneered. "You really think adding that little brat tips the scales?"
She hated being threatened.
But… with Nao, it felt different.
The way he stood tall for his subordinates, ready to burn everything down if pushed—
…it was kind of cute, honestly. Hard to get mad at.
After a moment's silence—
"Fine. I accept."
She said casually, "As long as you follow orders and marry me, I'll let them all go. A few small fries aren't worth anything to me."
Nao barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief—
Before Big Mom smirked again.
"But you, little man, are strong.
So to avoid any trouble… I'll need to take some precautions."
"…Such as?"
She raised her arm, and with a swipe, summoned an invisible pull of soul force toward Nao.
"Mamamamama~ I'll just extract forty years of your lifespan. Don't worry—I'll return it after the wedding!"
Nao could feel the incoming spiritual pull aiming straight at his soul—
But his expression didn't change in the slightest.
He simply stared her down.
And then—
Big Mom's grin faltered.
"This… how is this possible?"
She stared in disbelief.
The moment her soul-extraction force touched Nao… it shattered.
As if it had slammed into a mountain.
Completely obliterated.
That… had never happened before.
Even top-tier opponents had only managed to resist her soul-stealing—not destroy it.
Nao, still stone-faced, wasn't surprised in the least.
Brain Seal Technique.
A innate skill he'd had since his time at Marine Elite camp—
It functioned on a rules-based level, blocking all spiritual and mental interference outright.
Even Big Mom, with all her terrifying power, couldn't touch his soul.
"…Forget it."
Big Mom raised her hand again—but for some reason, hesitated. Then let it drop.
She turned to the cake ship in the distance.
"Zeus, go bring Custard here."
"Yes, Mama~"
Zeus underfoot responded cheerfully, separating a small cloud that darted towards the cake ship. In just a few minutes, it returned with a delicate-looking girl with short, purple, ear-length hair.
"Mama…"
The purple-haired girl bowed, somewhat nervously saying, "You called for me?"
Her name was Charlotte Custard—Big Mom's sixth daughter.
Age 22. A Paramecia-type Injection-Injection Fruit user.
"I remember two months ago, you got your hands on a poison called Sweet Smoke Blue."
Big Mom glanced at her.
"You're still carrying it, right? Go. Inject it into your future father-in-law's internal organs. And make it a heavy dose. Got it?"
"…Yes, Mama."
The purple-haired girl nodded and, stepping on a cloud, came to Nao's side.
Her cheeks were flushed. Under his cold gaze, she nervously extended a finger and pressed it against Nao's bare chest.
The cool fingertip touched his skin. Nao instinctively stirred slightly, and the purple-haired girl immediately trembled like a startled bunny, shrinking back.
"Don't resist~" Big Mom called cheerfully from above.
Nao hadn't planned to.
He simply watched as Custard leaned back in, and gently slid her fingertip into his chest—injecting a thick, chilled fluid.
Nao closed his eyes and activated Observation Haki inward.
He could feel it—the dark green toxin spreading through his organs.
"This poison isn't usually fatal, but if it's not extracted, you'll need to inject another antidote every month, and that antidote is only available from me," the girl's faint voice reached his ear. "So, for your own life's sake, don't think of anything else. Just obediently marry Mama as she ordered, and everything will naturally be fine after the wedding…"
"I'm done, Mama…"
She withdrew her finger and returned to Big Mom's side, unable to meet Nao's eyes.
"Good girl. You can go."
Big Mom dismissed her with a wave—then turned back to Nao, eyes glittering like a hunter admiring her captured prey.
"Can you fulfill your promise now?"
Nao's face was expressionless.
"So eager, are we?
"Big Mom chuckled and waved her hand.
"Katakuri, let the Marines go."
"Yes, Mama."
Katakuri gave Nao a long, deep look, then departed.
The cake ship and the Queen Mama Chanter opened a path, letting the Marine warship turn and sail away.
Onboard, tension hung thick.
Many Marines were unwilling to leave Nao behind. They wanted to fight to the end.
But the captain silenced them with a roar:
"You think Rear Admiral Nao gave in for himself? Don't waste his sacrifice, you idiots!"
Even so, they left with heavy hearts.
Shia was already in tears, refusing to leave. In the end, the female housekeeper sighed, knocked her unconscious from behind, and carried her into the ship's cabin.
Nao watched the Marine warship depart, his gaze flickering, lost in thought.
Only when it vanished beyond the horizon did he turn his head and say indifferently to Big Mom, "We can go now. Please arrange a quiet room for me on the ship."
"A room?"
Big Mom looked at him strangely, then shook her finger with a broad smile. "Oh no, since we're taking precautions, we have to see them through…"
What does that mean?
Nao frowned slightly. Before he could speak, he saw a clone of Zeus bringing another Charlotte child over.
This one looked more familiar. He had white clown make-up, long, slender legs, but a round belly, somewhat similar to Baron Tamago…
Charlotte Mont-d'Or. Paramecia-type Book-Book Fruit user.
Nao remembered him well from the Whole Cake Island arc—able to fly on books and trap people inside them.
A fun ability.
"You know what to do, Mont-d'Or," Big Mom said.
"Yes, Mama."
Unlike the nervous Custard, Mont-d'Or was calm and composed.
He turned to Nao and clapped his hands with a smile.
"Then step right in, future father-in-law."
FWOOSH—
A massive book appeared under Nao's feet, flipping pages until stopping on a glowing one.
Nao glanced at Big Mom, said nothing, and stepped in.
His body was instantly swallowed into the page.
Mont-d'Or clapped the book shut and it vanished.
"There. Now there's absolutely no way for him to escape."
He bowed to Big Mom.
"He's not a Devil Fruit user. He'd need brute force to break out—and any commotion will alert me immediately. Escape is impossible."
"Mamamamamama! Well done, Mont-d'Or!"
Big Mom laughed heartily.
"Let's head home to Whole Cake Island—and make sure to send out the wedding invitations! I cannot wait for the big day!"
"I'm excited too, Mama! Weddings are wonderful… I hope you finally find true love!"
Mont-d'Or laughed with her.
Neither of them realized—
That by letting the Marines go, and sealing Nao inside the book…
They had just removed his final restraints.
Now, with nothing holding him back—
Nao was truly free.
(Author's Note: For the readers who thought the protagonist would marry Big Mom, you're really overthinking it, haha.
From the beginning until now, have I ever written any frustrating plot points? Even the protagonist being sent to a military court was turned into a thrilling moment. Mistakes a beginner writer would make are impossible for me. Please trust an experienced author's control over the plot.