"MAMAAA!!!"
A roar of sheer, heart-rending agony cut through the stunned silence, louder than all other sounds. Katakuri stared at Big Mom's headless corpse, his mental defenses utterly shattered. The other surviving Charlotte Family officers wore matching expressions of grief and deep sorrow. Their mother had died in such an… undignified way. Leo had taken advantage of her weakness. If Mama hadn't succumbed to her food rage at the critical moment, he never could have killed her so easily.
But dwelling on 'what-ifs' was useless now. They felt the suffocating pressure radiating from Leo, and a cocktail of powerlessness, rage, and profound sadness filled their hearts. With Big Mom gone, no one here was Leo's match. They were fish on a chopping block, awaiting the butcher's will.
Just as they closed their eyes in despair, awaiting judgment, the rampaging lightning finally subsided, the thunderous roar cutting off abruptly.
Leo's gaze swept over the shattered chapel grounds. Between Charlotte Family members and guests, there had been thousands. Now, less than one in ten remained, and those survivors were almost exclusively core Charlotte members. Of the invited guests, aside from the unconscious Morgans and the trapped Stussy, all lay dead in the blood-soaked ruins.
"LEO!!"
Katakuri snatched his trident from the ground and charged in a blind rage.
BOOM!!
Yet, the moment he took his first step, a terrifying pressure, massive as a mountain range, slammed down upon him. Katakuri felt a sweet, metallic taste flood his throat and coughed up a mouthful of blood uncontrollably. His tall frame was bent double, like a crushed shrimp.
"Katakuri-brother!!"
"Big Brother!!"
The surrounding siblings cried out in alarm, scrambling towards him. After Mama, Katakuri was the family's pillar, their spiritual support.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
But the next second, the scene repeated. As if bearing the weight of a mountain, every last one of them was slammed face-first into the ground, chests pressed flat, unable to move a muscle. The immense pressure distorted their faces.
"Le… Leo… don't… hurt them…"
Katakuri's furious voice came out in broken, strained gasps.
Leo walked over and stood above Katakuri, looking down. "Katakuri. Out of consideration for Galette and Flampe, I'm letting you all live. But if you continue to be troublesome…" He left the threat hanging.
"Katakuri! Don't… don't believe this bastard! He killed Mama!!"
Before Leo could finish, a muffled roar of protest interrupted him. Leo frowned, looking towards the source. From within a crushed biscuit soldier, a man with a ferocious face and a scar over his right eye glared out.
Charlotte Cracker. One of the former Sweet Commanders. User of the Paramecia Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit. He always hid his true body within his creations.
"Katakuri, you mustn't listen to Leo's—"
"Die."
Swish.
A silver-white blade fragment traced a faint arc through the air and, before Cracker's widening, terrified eyes, shot straight through the center of his forehead.
Another Commander, fallen.
"NO!!!"
Katakuri's agonized scream followed immediately. He watched, eyes bulging, as Cracker's gaze went vacant, crimson threads rapidly webbing through the whites of his own eyes. Another one. Dead.
"Katakuri," Leo said, his voice devoid of all emotion. "It seems your siblings don't value this path to survival. In that case…" The blade fragments hovering at his fingertips began to spin with a high-pitched whine.
"WAIT!"
"Leo, no more killing!"
Katakuri's face changed dramatically, and he shouted desperately. The injustice, the unwillingness to accept this) in his heart screamed for him to seek revenge, but the yawning chasm of power between them made the thought futile. He wasn't afraid to die. Dying for the Charlotte Family would be an honor. But he couldn't watch his younger brothers and sisters die for nothing right in front of him. Seeing the fear and helplessness on their faces was a physical pain in his chest.
"Leo, let them go. Let this end here." Katakuri lowered his head, the words forced out with immense difficulty.
"Katakuri-brother! Leo killed Mama, how can you—?!"
"Brother, we can't—"
"ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!!!" Katakuri's eyes flashed, his usual authority blazing forth despite his prone position. The dissenting siblings immediately fell silent, cowed. His prestige, commanding presence was on full display.
Seeing this, Leo gave a slight, satisfied nod. He didn't care if the submission was genuine. Sparing these people was the absolute limit of his mercy. Besides, even if he didn't deal with them, others would. All the forces that had been enemies of the Big Mom Pirates, held back only by fear of the Emperor herself, would now smell blood in the water. With Big Mom dead, key pillars like Smoothie, Cracker, and Snack gone, the entire crew rested on Katakuri's shoulders alone—a single pillar that could not hold up the sky. Once word got out, the darkest aspects of the pirate world would descend upon them. The territories, the underworld trade networks… all would be carved up. Whether the remnants of the Charlotte Family could even survive was a question mark.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Leo withdrew the crushing pressure.
The siblings gasped as the weight vanished.
"Everyone," Katakuri commanded, his voice brooking no argument, fearing another foolish outburst. "Collect the bodies. Now."
The surviving officers exchanged looks, then bowed their heads in resigned acceptance, infinite sorrow etched on their faces. They began the grim task of searching the sea of corpses for their fallen brothers and sisters.
Katakuri himself walked silently towards Big Mom's remains.
"Galette. Flampe. Come here."
The two sisters, their faces tear-streaked and lovely as rain-soaked pear blossoms, were about to move when a stern voice, cold and final, rang in their ears.
Hearing this devil's summons, their bodies trembled involuntarily.
"Katakuri-brother…"
"Brother…"
Their voices shook as they cast pleading looks at Katakuri.
Katakuri paused mid-step. He turned, looked at them deeply for a long moment, then finally let out a heavy, resigned sigh. "Go. He won't hurt you." With that, he turned and walked away, his silhouette the very picture of lonely desolation.
"Brother…"
"Katakuri-brother…"
Watching that retreating, defeated back, a fresh layer of tears welled up in the sisters' eyes. They didn't blame him for being cold. To protect the rest, he had no choice. With complex, heavy hearts, the two women walked together to stand before Leo.
Leo glanced at them, then looked away. From their perspective, his actions today were unforgivable. He saw no point in empty words. Once they were back on his ship, he'd simply apply the Slave Brand. Truthfully, apart from acquiring the Soul-Soul Fruit, the people who interested him most here were Stussy and Vinsmoke Reiju.
Sensing Leo's burning gaze shift to her, Stussy's body gave a slight shudder. She forced a coquettish smile.
"Come here." Leo's eyes fixed on Stussy, a knowing, almost teasing smirk on his lips.
Stussy's face strained to maintain its smile as she walked towards him, each step feeling like a mile. Her mind raced, searching for any way out of this.
"Leo-sama," she said, stopping before him and offering a charming, practiced smile. "What can I do for you?"
Leo didn't bother to hide his appraisal. Golden curls, striking blue eyes, fingers and toes painted with vibrant nail polish, the white fishnet stockings adding a layer of deliberate allure. She was the very picture of a seductive vixen. Combined with the nature of her work, every gesture she made carried a captivating, almost predatory charm. Among Leo's current twenty-seven women, the only one with a similar aura was Kalifa. But even Kalifa paled slightly in comparison to Stussy's practiced, potent magnetism.
"From this moment on," Leo stated calmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt or refusal, "you are a member of the Leo Pirates."
Just as I feared. Stussy's expression didn't flicker, but her heart sank. She was about to formulate a refusal when her peripheral vision caught the gruesome sight of Big Mom's corpse. She swallowed hard and let out a tinkling, seductive laugh.
"Leo-sama, you jest. How could someone like me possibly catch your eye?" she demurred, playing her role. "If you truly appreciate beautiful women, I can introduce you to several. I guarantee you'll be satisfied." She spoke with confident assurance. As the Queen of the Pleasure District, she had an unmatched advantage in this area. Leo liked women? She'd cater to that desire. The number of stunning women who had passed through her hands was countless; some were even on her own level. She could certainly satisfy any of Leo's appetites.
"I only want you."
Just as Stussy thought she saw a glimmer of room to negotiate, Leo's simple sentence dashed her hopes, sending her heart plunging into an abyss.
"Leo-sama… must you force the issue?" she asked, her smile now tinged with genuine bitterness.
"Stussy, if you're worried about the World Government, don't be." Leo watched her barely concealed anxiety with amusement. "With me here, even if you betray them, they won't be able to touch you."
So he knew she was a government agent. Just like Kalifa had been. The fact that he knew her affiliation as CP0, and that she ultimately answered to Dr. Vegapunk, was alarming. Of course, unless absolutely necessary, she'd never willingly betray the government.
Stussy took an involuntary step back, her beautiful eyes now filled with wariness. "How… how do you know these things?" she asked, her voice tight with vigilance. Her identity was top secret.
"That's unimportant," Leo waved a dismissive hand. "What you need to know is this: if you dare refuse me, I'll go to Egghead and kill Vegapunk."
Stussy's face drained of color. He knew about her connection to the doctor too?! She didn't doubt his words for a second. A man who killed the Marine Hero Garp and a Four Emperor like Big Mom would find ending Vegapunk as easy as crushing an ant.
Her expression shifted rapidly through fear, calculation, and despair. Finally…
"I accept your terms," she said, her voice low with resignation. She lowered her head, her posture shifting to one of total submission,ripe for the taking. "Just… please, don't harm Dr. Vegapunk."
In the face of absolute power, she had no room to bargain.
"A wise choice." Leo smiled, pleased. His threat about Vegapunk had mostly been a bluff—he didn't actually plan to kill the scientist right now. But he did intend to visit Egghead eventually. There were a few 'beauties' around the good doctor—his satellite Seraphim, perhaps—who were of interest. Even if they were technically extensions of him, they were independent beings with their own thoughts and… potential.
Shaking off that thought, Leo turned and walked towards the other side of the clearing, where Vinsmoke Judge waited. Galette, Flampe, and the newly recruited Stussy followed silently behind him like dutiful shadows.
The anxious and restless Judge saw Leo approaching and hurried forward to meet him, a servile smile plastered on his face. Yonji, Ichiji, and Niji watched with undisguised contempt. To them, devoid of emotion, Judge's groveling was the height of disgrace.
Watching Leo come closer, Reiju took several deep breaths to calm the wild fluttering in her chest.
"Leo-sama," Judge said, ignoring the scornful looks from his sons. "What are your instructions? Just name them." If it meant survival, dignity was worthless. At least he was doing better than Katakuri, in his own mind.
Leo had no patience for his simpering. "Relax your mind. Don't resist."
"Wh-what…?"
Judge was baffled, but before he could finish the question, Leo's right palm was pressed against his forehead.
"GYAAAH!!!"
By the time Judge reacted, a sharp, invasive pain lanced through his mind. It was gone as quickly as it came.
Slave Brand. Imprint successful.
"Your subordinate, Judge, greets his Master!"
Under the astonished gazes of Reiju and the three women behind Leo, Judge suddenly dropped to one knee, his voice dripping with newfound reverence.
"Get up," Leo said flatly.
"Judge. From this moment, cease all retaliatory actions in the North Blue. Take the Germa Kingdom, find a remote location, and begin mass-producing clone soldiers. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master!"
Judge nodded without the slightest hesitation. Under the control of the Slave Brand, he would obey unconditionally.
Leo gave a small nod of satisfaction, then glanced at the three cyborg brothers. They were already mere tools, but the upside was their absolute obedience to Judge's commands. Controlling Judge meant controlling all of Germa. Those clone soldiers would be very useful later.
In a flash, Leo used his speed to leave a Space-Space Fruit spatial mark on all the nearby Snail Ships before returning.
"Judge, you're done here. Leave Whole Cake Island now." Leo waved a dismissive hand. "Reiju stays."
"Understood, Master." Judge shot a meaningful look at his daughter, then turned and led his three emotionless sons away without another word.
Left behind, Reiju stood frozen, her heart suddenly hammering against her ribs like a caged bird. Leo had asked for her to stay… specifically. Did that mean…? A wild, impossible hope surged within her, stealing her breath.
"Le… Leo-sama?" she managed, forcing herself to sound calm. "What did you need?"
"Why so nervous?" Leo couldn't help but laugh, seeing her jump like a startled rabbit.
"I'm… I'm not nervous!" Reiju shook her head, trying to sound defiant. But herapple-red cheeks and the unconscious, slight inward turn of her long, graceful legs betrayed her completely.
"Reiju," Leo said, his tone turning serious, the teasing gone. "Join the Leo Pirates. Come with me from now on."
Was… was happiness always this sudden? Completely unprepared, Reiju felt dizzy, lightheaded. She simply stared, speechless.
"If you're not willing, I'll just leave," Leo said, deliberately putting on a stern face and making as if to turn away.
"Leo-sama! I'm willing! I want to join the Leo Pirates!!" The words burst from Reiju in a panicked rush, terrified he might actually change his mind. Wasn't this the very day she'd been waiting for? To finally break free from that cold-blooded family and that heartless father. Whatever Leo had done to Judge just now, she didn't care.
Witnessing this from the side, Stussy rolled her eyes inwardly. Such a naive girl. So easily won over. She sighed. Why is my situation so much more complicated?
"Since you agree, let's go." Leo smiled warmly at Reiju, his mood genuinely uplifted.
"Leo-sama…" Reiju hesitated, then pointed towards a man lying unconscious not far away. "May I… take Sanji with me?"
In the entire Germa family, he was the only one she truly cared about.
Leo's gaze followed her finger to Sanji. He shook his head. "He can't set foot on my ship. Let Judge take him away from Whole Cake. What he does after that is his own business."
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T/N :
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