"You said you were captured?" Charlotte Linlin sounded bewildered. On the vast seas, who would dare to capture a member of her Big Mom Pirates? And not just any member, but her most valued son, a man of extraordinary strength.
After a moment of stunned silence, she finally processed his words. "What happened? Did you run into the Marines?"
"..." Katakuri closed his eyes, a hint of shame in his voice. "It was 'Strange Tail' Takero. I was defeated by him with a single punch."
Charlotte Linlin was silent again. She felt as if her son were speaking in riddles she couldn't comprehend.
Katakuri took a deep breath and continued his report. "However, Mama, King from the Beasts Pirates is also here. He was defeated just like me, with a single punch. We were both captured." As he said this, Katakuri's expression actually improved, a flicker of grim satisfaction in his eyes.
"Hey! You!" King, who had been listening quietly, scowled.
Ignoring him, Katakuri finally got to the point. "That's the situation. Takero is demanding a ransom of four billion Berries for my release."
"..."
"..."
If she hadn't recognized her son's voice, Charlotte Linlin would have assumed she was the target of a Transponder Snail scam. Another long, suffocating silence followed.
On Whole Cake Island, inside the Queen's Palace, all the busy Homies froze in terror, trembling. They could feel the terrifying aura emanating from their capricious Queen, escalating at an exponential rate.
Finally, a perfectly calm, emotionless question came through the snail. "Katakuri. You... are joking with Mama... right?"
Even thousands of miles away, Katakuri could hear the towering rage hidden beneath that calm facade. He maintained his composure and replied quietly, "It's not a joke, Mama. We severely underestimated Takero's strength. He is far more terrifying than the newspapers describe."
"USELESS! YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING!" Big Mom's rage finally exploded in a witch-like shriek. "I told you to 'invite' someone, not get captured! Can't you even handle such a simple task?! You've shamed the entire Charlotte Family!"
Facing his mother's merciless tirade, Katakuri's expression remained impassive. He simply and calmly reiterated the most important fact. "Mama, I must remind you again. The Conflagration, King of the Beasts Pirates, is here as well. His fate is the same as mine."
Beside him, King's already dark face grew even darker. 'This damn split-mouthed eel!' he fumed internally.
Finally, Big Mom's burning rage began to subside, replaced by rapid calculation. Even King was taken out in one move, just like Katakuri? This was clearly not a simple situation.
"Give the Transponder Snail to that Takero kid," she commanded, her voice returning to its usual majestic tone.
Katakuri handed the snail to Takero, who had been watching the exchange with an amused look. Before Takero could even speak, Big Mom's voice, dripping with accusation and sarcasm, crashed down on him.
"Mamamama... So you're the brat named Takero?! You've got some nerve! I kindly sent my son to invite you to my grandest tea party! I even offered you my daughter in marriage! Is this how you repay my kindness?! You ungrateful brat!"
Takero listened to her twisted accusations, then nonchalantly picked at his ear before letting out a disdainful scoff. "Huh? A tea party? Who cares about that, old hag?" He glanced at the face mimicked by the snail and added with extreme disgust, "And judging by how ugly you look on this thing, I'm sure your daughters can't be much to look at either."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY—?!!!"
Big Mom's roar escalated once again, the terrifying volume causing the Transponder Snail's body to tremble. "You ignorant little brat! In my youth, I was a peerless beauty! The men who pursued me could have formed a line from Fish-Man Island all the way to Marineford! I was conquering the seas when you were still a baby!"
"Yeah, yeah, stop rambling," Takero interrupted impatiently. "I'm not interested in your life story. Just get the money ready and come get your son. My patience is limited."
Hearing this, Big Mom fell silent again. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to threaten her so arrogantly. Her greedy eyes narrowed slightly. After a long pause, her voice returned, now laced with cunning. "Mamamama... Four billion Berries is no small sum. This is a matter... Mama needs to... carefully... consider."
"That's all for now." With a sharp 'click', she hung up.
Back on Whole Cake Island, Big Mom slowly put down the Transponder Snail, her plump face unreadable.
"Mama!" Her eldest son, Charlotte Perospero, rushed over, having heard the news. "That brat Takero is too arrogant! How dare he insult you and extort our family!" He licked his large tongue, his eyes flashing cruelly. "Mama! Let me lead a fleet! I'll show that kid what a true 'Hell Tea Party' is! You're not actually going to agree to his ridiculous demands, are you?"
"Agree?" Big Mom let out a strange laugh. "Mamamama... My money isn't that easy to take." She turned her calculating gaze to her son. "However, we'll drag this out for now. We can't afford to make an enemy of that brat just yet."
"Why?!" Perospero asked, confused.
"Because…" A solemn light flashed in Big Mom's eyes. "If what Katakuri said is true, and this Takero can effortlessly defeat both him and King… then he is not someone we can afford to offend rashly."
She had initially thought Takero was just a "big fish" she could reel in. But now, it seemed this wasn't a big fish at all. This was a deep-sea megalodon.
"Then... what do we do?" Perospero asked. "Are we just going to leave Katakuri there?"
"Patience," Big Mom said, a wicked smile spreading across her face. "Did you forget? The Conflagration, King of the Beasts Pirates, is with him too." She stuck out her huge tongue and licked her lips. "Let that fool Kaido, who only knows how to drink and fight, go and test the waters for us first."
At that same moment, in the cell, King had finally contacted his own captain.
King: "Lord Kaido, I've been captured."
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