"What a wonderful taste… what a magnificent texture. This is food no one could ever forget~"
Boom!
Clang!
The grand banquet hall inside Cake Castle was in utter chaos.
"This is an unparalleled delicacy! I've only ever encountered it in my dreams~"
Members of the BIG MOM Pirates looked on with uneasy expressions as Big Mom—who had just devoured the syrup-soaked cream bread—began to sing with frenzied delight.
"Sweet cream~ Delicious soul~ Boundless love~"
Laughing madly, Charlotte Linlin—the mighty Big Mom herself—overturned the massive dining table and skipped gleefully across the marble floor. The entire Cake Castle, taller than the rest of Whole Cake Island, trembled from her joy-filled stomps.
Minister of Beans, Daifuku, stared at Shirogai Yamikuro, who sat gracefully in the main guest's chair, smiling calmly. His voice was low and wary.
"Just a single loaf of bread… and Mama entered her Queen Mama Chanter state."
"Oh my god! Mama just swallowed that bread and went completely ecstatic?"
The eldest son, Charlotte Perospero, Candy Minister, had already backed far away, unwilling to get caught in Mama's frenzy. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"I've never seen Mama look so entranced by food! Just how delicious is that bread?"
"It seems that bread isn't as simple as it looks…"
The head chef, Streusen, clenched his fists in frustration, watching the Emperor of the Sea roll and laugh like a child.
"I've never made Linlin show such a pure expression of joy since she was young…"
"You're missing the point."
The Flour Minister, Katakuri, one of the Sweet Commanders, spoke in a deep tone as his sharp gaze locked on Shirogai.
"This man… has copied Mama's power. That makes him extremely dangerous."
Half the combat power of the BIG MOM Pirates relied on Mama's Soul-Soul Fruit. Low-level Homies patrolled the islands, watching everything. Powerful Homies defended the borders. And the greatest of them all—Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon—were Mama's own creations, forged from her very soul.
Katakuri's mind raced. If Shirogai can manipulate or dispel those souls… Totto Land will crumble. We can't allow him the chance to strike!
A dark light glinted in Katakuri's eyes as his aura began to rise. The Conqueror's Haki condensed within him, ready to burst forth at any second. He knew Mama's intent—to recruit Shirogai—but Katakuri could not trust an outsider, especially one whose power rivaled the Four Emperors.
A man that strong doesn't join anyone without a motive. Allowing such a monster into their ranks would endanger all of his siblings.
"Plunderer Shirogai, you're too dangerous!"
A flash of crimson filled Katakuri's right eye—his top-tier Observation Haki glimpsing the future.
"I'll eliminate you right here!"
Before he could move, a slender hand pressed gently against his arm.
"Don't be hasty, big brother Katakuri."
Smoothie, another Sweet Commander and the Juice Minister, stepped forward, smiling slightly.
"Relax. Mama will make her own decision."
Her tone was calm but clear: Don't provoke someone Mama wishes to recruit.
Katakuri exhaled sharply, releasing the power gathering in his body. It wasn't Smoothie's words that stopped him—but Mama herself, who was now walking toward Shirogai with a thunderous laugh.
"Mamamamama~ Shirogai! Your cooking is divine! I've never tasted something so wonderful!"
Her massive frame shook as she clasped her cheeks like an infatuated maiden, eyes glittering with obsession.
"I'll be direct! Join my crew! Whatever you want—treasures, islands, Berries—I'll give you anything! Just become part of my BIG MOM Pirates!"
Gasps rippled through the hall. The pirates exchanged looks of disbelief and awe.
"So that's it… Mama's fallen for his food."
Some finally understood. Others doubted. A few, knowing Shirogai's power, quietly prepared to strike if things went wrong.
"Hahahahaha! Linlin… do you know what you're saying?"
Shirogai threw his head back, laughing coldly. His smile faded as he stared at her with calm disdain.
"Do you really think I'm someone you can command? Or has my presence deceived you into thinking I'm beneath your level?"
Katakuri froze. His future sight revealed what was coming—something monstrous.
"Run!" he shouted.
"What?"
Confusion flickered through the crew.
BOOM!!!!!!!!
Without warning, a torrent of Conqueror's Haki exploded from Shirogai's body. The air itself shattered under the pressure. A wave of sheer dominance swept through the Cake Castle, flooding all of Whole Cake Island.
Everyone gasped for breath. Bodies trembled. Then one by one—thud, thud, thud—they collapsed, fainting in droves. Only a handful with strong Armament Haki managed to stay conscious, barely holding on. Even the Homies scattered across the island froze in fear.
"Is he… also a user of Conqueror's Haki?!"
Charlotte Oven, sweating profusely, propped himself up on one knee, his voice trembling.
"Damn it! He dares to unleash that here—inside our capital?!"
Charlotte Cracker, another Sweet Commander, leaned heavily against the wall. His biscuit armor was the only thing keeping him standing.
"Be careful!" Katakuri gritted his teeth, releasing a surge of blood-red Conqueror's Haki to counter Shirogai's pressure.
"The real fight hasn't even started yet!"
He could only protect himself—nothing more.
"Mamamamama~ Shirogai, so you have the King's Disposition too."
Big Mom grinned, her jagged teeth dripping with saliva as her own Haki flared.
"But your Haki is still too green, brat! Mamamama~"
Her laughter echoed as deep purple Conqueror's Haki burst from her body, shaking the island. The aura of a Four Emperors-level being engulfed everything, smashing against Shirogai's black aura. People on distant islands fainted instantly. Even the skies above Totto Land darkened.
"Good! Good!"
Shirogai stood in mid-air, unfazed, the air around him bending under the collision of wills. A manic smile spread across his face.
"You didn't disappoint me, Linlin."
The crushing pressure only fueled his excitement.
"Indeed… this is the true essence of this world's power."
He looked down at her like a monarch addressing a subject.
"Only by clashing with monsters like you—Four Emperors-level monsters—can I feel my blood stir again!"
BOOM!!!!!!!!
A torrent of pure black Conqueror's Haki, refined and absolute, erupted from Shirogai, devouring the air around them. All across Totto Land, life itself seemed to collapse into unconsciousness.
"Finally… I can stop holding back."
His grin turned sharp and regal as he met Big Mom's glare.
"Now you see, Linlin… who's really too green?"
BOOM!!!!!!!!
Big Mom stumbled backward—one step, two, three—before grinding her teeth, blood spilling from her mouth. Yet her eyes burned with fury.
"Damn brat… you're far too arrogant!!!"
______
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