In the massive crater below, dust billowed into the air as shattered stones scattered across the ground.
A tall, slender figure trembled, struggling to rise from the pit. Blood trickled from her lips as she glared furiously at Shirogai, who hovered above.
"You brat! Don't think you've won!!!"
A calm, almost amused voice echoed behind her.
"Is that the stubbornness of a Yonko? If you still refuse to surrender, then I'll simply have to end you."
Big Mom froze.
"When did he get behind me?!"
Before she could even turn, a torrent of milky-white liquid surged into the crater, engulfing her entire body. Only her head remained above the surface.
"Let me out!!!"
She struggled violently, but the wax quickly hardened—its surface gleaming like steel, impenetrable.
"Damn brat! I'm a Yonko!!!"
Her injuries, coupled with the exhaustion from Shirogai's earlier strike, left her too drained to summon her Conqueror's Haki to break free.
"Mama, I'm coming!"
Zeus finally descended from the clouds above, his dark thundercloud form trembling as he charged up a massive bolt of lightning aimed at the hardened wax.
Before the attack could land, Shirogai lifted his hand slightly, smiling faintly.
"Soul Calming Finger."
Crack.
An invisible force crushed Zeus's spirit in an instant.
"Ahhh!!"
Zeus screamed, his eyes rolling back as he fell beside Big Mom's head, twitching helplessly.
"Zeus!"
Big Mom's voice cracked with fury and disbelief. "You damn brat! When I break free, I'll eat you alive!!!"
Shirogai floated above her, his expression indifferent.
"The pride of a Yonko prevents you from admitting defeat, huh? But in the face of death, everyone is equal. Not even a Yonko gets a second life."
A heavy, bloody aura surrounded him, his Conqueror's Haki roaring through the battlefield like an approaching storm.
"God Sword: Emperor Slayer."
His voice was flat.
Gripping his sword, Shirogai condensed his power into a single devastating strike.
"Fall, Emperor Linlin."
Zzzzt!
Pitch-black sword energy infused with Haki surged forward, tearing through the ground as it flew straight toward Mama's exposed head.
"DAMN IT!!!"
Big Mom could only glare up at the attack, powerless to resist.
"Mama! Don't be afraid, we're here!"
"Let go of Mama!"
"Don't hurt her—I'll deal with you!"
Several voices cried out at once.
Figures leapt out from the shadows—Katakuri, Perospero, and the other members of the Big Mom Pirates—all rushing to shield their captain.
"Demonman Slash!"
"Candy Wall!"
"Hot Wind Heavy Punch!"
"Roll: Pretzel!"
"Adagio Waltz!"
"Sweet Juice Slash!"
One after another, they unleashed their strongest techniques to intercept the oncoming sword energy.
Pfft!
Ahhh!!!
Boom!
Each was instantly overpowered. The attacks shattered on contact, and their users were sent flying, blood spraying through the air.
Their efforts, though brave, were meaningless before a true monster's strength.
"What deep loyalty," Shirogai murmured, watching their bodies crash to the ground.
"But unfortunately, the weak have no right to challenge the strong."
Only Katakuri remained standing.
"Mama, don't worry. I won't let him kill you."
His body was covered in Armament Haki, his aura burning with Conqueror's Haki. Gripping his trident, Mole, Katakuri prepared to face Shirogai's attack head-on.
Zzzzt!
The Emperor Slayer slash reached him.
Bang!
Katakuri's body expanded, turning into a towering figure as he swung the Mole Trident with both hands, its tips blazing with Haki.
"Unrivaled: Giant Mochi Slash!!!"
Crack!!!
The trident collided with the slash, and an immense shockwave erupted.
Boom!!!
The entire battlefield quaked. Ruins shattered, debris spiraling upward from the blast.
"Such power…" Katakuri gritted his teeth, forcing the trident forward. His feet dug deep into the hardened wax, which began to fracture beneath him.
But he was still being pushed back.
The difference between a Vice-Emperor and a true Yonko-class was a chasm that numbers could never bridge.
Mama is right behind me! I can't lose!!!
Veins bulged across his arms as he roared. Conqueror's Haki flared violently around him.
Six additional mochi arms sprouted from his body, all coated in Haki, reinforcing his grip on the trident as he poured every ounce of strength into it.
For a moment, the slash began to waver—its intensity flickering.
But then Katakuri's eyes widened.
"Oh no… it's unstable!"
The immense sword energy started to compress, building toward a massive explosion.
"It's going to blow!!! If this explodes here… everyone will die!"
Without hesitation, Katakuri's expression hardened. His body expanded again, morphing into a giant mochi dome that enveloped the unstable blast.
"Katakuri!!!"
His siblings screamed in anguish.
"Take care of Mama! Live on!"
Katakuri looked down one final time, then used Moonwalk to propel himself—and the energy sphere—high into the air.
"Not bad, Katakuri."
Shirogai clasped his hands behind his back, his tone calm, almost respectful.
"You chose to sacrifice yourself without hesitation. Truly, the most beloved warrior of the Big Mom Pirates."
The next instant—
BOOM!!!
The explosion lit the sky like a second sun. Katakuri's body was consumed in the blast, his figure dissolving in the raging inferno.
Crack... Crack... Crack...
Energy rippled outward, distorting the air like a warped mirage.
"Katakuri!!!"
The pirates below screamed, tears streaming down their faces as they watched the light fade.
If that blast had detonated on the ground, none of them would have survived.
"I'll avenge my brother!!!"
Oven roared, his entire body igniting as he charged forward blindly.
"Bastard! I'll kill you!!!"
Shirogai smiled faintly.
"Oh? Driven mad by grief? If your enemies lost control like this, would your crew mock them for being weak?"
He sighed, almost disappointed, and extended his hand.
"Two Thorns Spear."
Two icy spears materialized beside him and launched forward.
Thud! Thud!
They pierced Oven cleanly, freezing him in place. His body turned into a statue of ice mid-punch, face twisted in fury.
Shirogai walked up to the frozen figure, speaking softly.
"As a Yonko's crew, you live by the rule of the strong. So don't wear that pathetic expression in front of someone stronger than you."
He raised his finger, ready to flick it—to shatter both the ice and the man within.
"Cough… please stop!"
A weak voice cut through the silence.
Shirogai turned. "Katakuri, do you still wish to fight me?"
The surviving pirates gasped as another Katakuri—a clone he had created before his sacrifice—stumbled forward.
Thud!
He knelt heavily, his expression solemn.
"You've won," Katakuri said hoarsely. "Mama can't defeat you. I beg you… spare my brother."
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