Cake Island Wharf was alive with restless tension.
A group of homies and soldiers stood in formation, their eyes fixed on the horizon. The scent of syrup and sea breeze mingled in the air as the waves lapped against the candy-colored docks.
At the front stood a tall, statuesque woman—beautiful and imposing. Her eyes were a cool shade of blue, her right one hidden beneath a lock of silver hair that shimmered in the sunlight. A yellow scarf fluttered around her neck, the ends brushing against the glossy pink stripes of her bodysuit. Long, toned legs led down to rose-patterned boots, and the rose tattoo on her right thigh glimmered faintly. A spiraled scabbard rested against her back, housing a massive blade that looked far too elegant for its destructive potential.
This was Charlotte Smoothie, one of the three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. A Dehydration Human who wielded the power of the Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit, she was infamous across the seas and carried a bounty of 932,000,000 Berries.
"He's here," Smoothie said quietly, her calm voice cutting through the chatter.
At once, a cream-and-chocolate ship appeared in the distance, its confectionary hull glinting under the sun. The air shifted with excitement and nervous energy.
"Quickly! Prepare the welcoming ceremony! Mama's esteemed guest approaches!" cried the baton-wielding conductor as it hovered about, its ribbon trembling.
Floating instruments and baskets of candy-colored flowers spun into place.
"Don't worry, Conductor! We're ready!" the homies sang together, cheerful yet anxious.
Smoothie's gaze didn't waver.
"Before we welcome him," she said coolly, "I'll verify whether he deserves Mama's hospitality."
The air froze. Gasps rippled through the crowd as she drew her long, spiral-sheathed sword.
"Commander Smoothie! What are you doing?! That ship carries Mama's guest!"
"Please, stop! If you ruin Mama's plan—"
"Don't panic," Smoothie interrupted, her voice calm but cold. "This is Mama's command. She wants me to test his strength."
With that, she plunged her blade into a nearby subordinate.
"Ah—!"
The soldier shrieked, body trembling before turning into a dry, lifeless husk. Smoothie's towering frame grew taller, her muscles tightening with renewed strength as she absorbed the moisture.
"Mama said he has the power of a Four Emperors-level fighter," she said, her tone sharp as steel. "Then he deserves a greeting that matches."
Smoothie's figure swelled to nearly six meters as she drained five more terrified underlings. Her shadow loomed long across the wharf.
"Enough," she ordered. "Drag them away and rehydrate them."
Gripping her sword with both hands, she raised it high. "If he truly has that level of strength, this attack will prove it."
---
On the cream-and-chocolate ship, Shirogai leaned lazily against the railing, watching the distant figure of Smoothie draw her weapon.
"So that's Big Mom's Sweet Commander, huh?" he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. His black hair fluttered in the wind as his eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.
"Smoothie… what is she doing?" asked Minister of Beans, Daifuku, frowning as he sensed her intent. "Is she seriously attacking us?"
"She is," Shirogai said casually, still smiling. "And it's quite a beautiful slash."
A brilliant violet light erupted from Smoothie's sword.
"Milkshake Squeeze Slash!"
The air howled as a massive arc of condensed energy carved through the sea, racing toward the ship with terrifying force.
The homies aboard the cream ship screamed in horror.
"Help! She's gonna split us in two!"
Daifuku clenched his fists. "Is this guy really not going to do anything?!"
Shirogai simply raised a hand, his expression calm. "Relax. Such a beautiful slash shouldn't go to waste."
He flicked his finger. A transparent shockwave burst forth—a sharp current of compressed wind.
The two slashes collided midair.
Boom!
The explosion sent waves rippling across the sea, scattering light like shattered glass. Smoothie's attack disintegrated into a fine mist, dissolving harmlessly before it could touch the ship.
Daifuku stared in disbelief.
"With just a flick of his finger… he neutralized that slash?"
Even among the Sweet Commanders, Smoothie's power was monstrous. To disperse it so effortlessly—this wasn't normal.
"Heh. That lady's a little too playful," Shirogai said lightly, settling back in his chair. "Are all of Linlin's subordinates this dramatic?"
---
On the wharf, Smoothie's eyes narrowed. The surface of the sea rippled where her attack had been obliterated. She lowered her blade, lips curving in a faint smile.
"So he really blocked it."
Mama hadn't exaggerated. But… for someone so young to command that kind of power?
Smoothie's thoughts drifted. She had seen Mama's terrifying might firsthand—the iron-hard skin said to rival Kaido's, the divine strength that crushed ships with bare hands, the Haoshoku Haki that shattered wills, and the Soul-Soul Fruit that ruled over life itself. Smoothie knew what it meant to be a monster.
And yet, the man on that ship—he gave her that same feeling.
Clang.
A faint sound broke her focus. The top of her white cap slid from her head, cut perfectly in two. Her silver hair spilled free, shining under the sun.
"What…?"
She touched her hair. Her eyes widened. Her Observation Haki hadn't even sensed it.
She bent slightly, scanning the ground. There was no trace of the attack—only precision beyond comprehension.
Smoothie exhaled softly, her earlier composure returning.
"That level of control… He cut my hat without even grazing me."
Her lips curved into a rare, elegant smile.
"Conductor, start the music. Welcome Mama's esteemed guest."
"Heh…" she murmured, glancing at the distant ship where Shirogai smiled back at her.
"This man… truly possesses the might of an Emperors-level warrior."
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Thanks for the Power stones...but it's still not enough for a bonus chapter
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