"Damn it! I can't land a single blow on his real body!"
Katakuri cursed inwardly, frustration burning behind his usually calm demeanor. Jacob Bovan possessed an ability similar to the Flame-Flame Fruit, but he wasn't a Logia-type user. That should've made him vulnerable to Haki-infused attacks—yet nothing worked.
Even worse, Jacob had suddenly manifested powers they'd never seen before, not even as part of the original Homie's abilities. It was terrifying.
There's no way I can win this. Katakuri clenched his fists, deeply aware of how grim the situation was.
But Jacob remained calm. From what he remembered of the original story, only Brook's underworld-infused ice could deal real damage to Prometheus.
Seems like I should deal with Brook first. Send him off to join his crewmates sooner rather than later.
Far from the battlefield, ten kilometers away, a group of observers were watching the scene unfold through telescopes.
News magnate Morgans was practically foaming with excitement, his beak-shaped mouth twisted into a gleeful smirk. He muttered to himself, "This... this is huge. A massive headline! Big Mom's first official tea party after becoming one of the Four Emperors, and something this explosive happens? She's going to be furious."
He turned to the Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy, and asked with a grin, "By the way, where's Big Mom? With her power, she should've sensed this chaos long ago."
Morgans' words seemed prophetic. Before Stussy could answer, the earth trembled. The vibrations rumbled through the land, growing stronger by the second.
"It's her. Big Mom is coming!"
"This fight's about to end, then."
"Don't be so sure. Didn't you see Katakuri? He couldn't even touch Prometheus."
"Wait... Prometheus is one of her Homies, right? She created him. If she can make a Homie this powerful, then Big Mom truly lives up to the title of Emperor."
The spectators gossiped from afar, most of them relishing the spectacle like it was prime-time entertainment.
Especially Morgans. The greater the chaos, the more sensational tomorrow's headlines would be—and the fatter his wallet would get.
On the battlefield, the scorched earth burned with unrelenting fire. Everything flammable had already turned to ash.
But not even flames could hinder Big Mom's approach. The fire licked her dress but couldn't touch a single hair on her head.
Her already fearsome face contorted in rage, jaw clenched so tight it creaked. She spat through gritted teeth, syllables grinding out like steel on stone:
"Pro... me... theus... You dare ruin my tea party? Unforgivable. Offer up your soul!"
She reached out with a thick, fleshy hand. Her fingers curled into a claw, attempting to rip Jacob's soul from his body.
One second. Two. Three... Five full seconds passed, but nothing happened.
Jacob exhaled with relief. His soul remained intact.
"What?! Impossible! Your soul came from me! I should be able to reclaim it with a flick of my fingers!"
Ding! Charlotte Linlin was shocked by the Host. Evaluation: S. Reward: Swordmaster Proficiency.
Ding! Critical Shock Triggered. Evaluation multiplied: SSS. Reward: Grandmaster Swordsmanship, Sword Intent, Supreme Sword Genius Talent.
The system's voice rang out again and again in Jacob's mind, each chime feeding his rising grin.
This shock-value system was beyond powerful. In mere minutes, it had transformed him into someone who could shake the world.
The situation was rapidly spiraling out of Big Mom's control.
Her head lowered, fists clenched at her sides. Her arms were coated in pure black Haki, thick with rage. Her aura surged into the sky.
Even the guests at the tea party, watching from a safe distance, felt a suffocating wave of killing intent crash over them.
"I'll make you pay with your life!"
Big Mom roared and took a step forward. Her blackened fists struck out, each swing blasting through the air with the force of a cannon.
The compressed wind pressure alone made Katakuri slide back from where he stood.
"Useless. Armament Haki can't touch me."
Jacob smirked—but the words had barely left his lips before his face turned pale. He leapt aside, heart pounding.
The pressure from those punches—he could feel it.
"Of course I know Haki can't touch you. That's why I laced my attacks with the Soul-Soul Fruit's power!"
Big Mom howled with laughter, fists continuing to fly like meteors. She was determined to crush him here and now.
Jacob quickly shrunk his body, darting through the cracks between her attacks. Staying here any longer would be a death sentence. Worse, now that Big Mom had appeared and he'd already dodged a few of her blows, the onlookers weren't as shocked anymore. His shock value was dwindling.
That meant no more new abilities—at least not from staying and fighting like this.
But just as he prepared to escape, a bold idea sparked in his mind.
Cake Island was a ruin. Smoke curled from collapsed buildings. Debris littered the streets.
Jacob kept his form small, dodging through the chaotic battlefield with speed and agility.
So this is the power of a Yonko? Just the shockwaves from her punches carry such overwhelming force?
This close-quarters combat with one of the Four Emperors had given him a clearer picture of their terrifying might.
Still, Jacob believed in his system. With it, he was destined to surpass Big Mom—and all the other Emperors.
As her blows gradually slowed, Big Mom paused, her fists no longer flying. Her brow furrowed, and her murderous glare fixed on him like a beast stalking prey.
Jacob raised an eyebrow and taunted with a grin, "What's the matter, Big Mom? Tired already? You're not living up to your title. Maybe it's time I took over as Emperor, huh?"
He kept jabbing with his words, goading her. Veins bulged on Big Mom's forehead, her rage boiling over.
"Prometheus!!" she bellowed, voice shaking the ruins around her. "Napoleon! Weigoku!"
The crown-shaped hat on her head—Napoleon—responded instantly. A long blade snapped from its top as Big Mom grabbed the hilt.
She brought it down in a mighty swing, aiming to cleave Jacob in two.
The slash came with a howling wind, dragging dirt and rubble with it like a miniature storm.
The oncoming tempest wiped the smirk from Jacob's face. For the first time, he met the attack with absolute seriousness.
"Golden Emperor Flame! Celestial Fire! Armament Haki!"
Golden flames burst from Jacob's body, blazing high into the sky. Fueled by Big Mom's own wind, the fire roared even stronger.
Ten kilometers away, even the bystanders could feel the tremendous energy surging from the battlefield.
Big Mom's power had twisted the skies behind her into churning storm clouds, crackling with thunder and lightning.
Behind Jacob, the heat of his flames turned the sky a vivid crimson.
One side raged with thunderclouds. The other burned in radiant fire.
The battlefield was split in two.
Stussy narrowed her eyes at the surreal scene. Even without a telescope, it was impossible to miss.
She turned to Morgans and asked quietly, "Who do you think will win?"
Morgans, like the others, had been watching intently. Though not a powerful fighter himself, his keen insight and unmatched connections made him a force of a different kind.
"I'd bet on Charlotte Linlin in the end."
Others echoed his sentiment quickly.
"We agree. Big Mom will win."
"She's the Empress of the Sea. If she loses here, the other three Emperors will be humiliated too."
"Exactly. It would open the floodgates. A bunch of reckless fools would start challenging the rest of them."