Aboard the Moby Dick, Marco, Ace, and the others sailed toward Fish-Man Island. During the journey, Jinbe contacted them repeatedly, updating Marco on the situation below—Big Mom pirates' movements, the deployment of her forces, and the general strength of the Sweet Commanders stationed there.
Inside his cabin, Marco gathered Ace and the core fighters. Drawing on his knowledge—and hard-earned experience—he decided it was best to brief them thoroughly before battle and lay out a clear plan.
He spread several wanted posters across the table.
"All four Sweet Commanders are Paramecia-type Devil Fruit users," Marco began calmly.
"The most dangerous among them is Charlotte Katakuri, Big Mom's second-in-command."
He tapped Katakuri's poster.
"He's a Special Paramecia user of the Mochi-Mochi Fruit. Like a Logia, he can transform his body into mochi, giving him near-intangible defenses. On top of that, he possesses an advanced form of Observation Haki that allows him to see into the future. Within the Charlotte Family, he's considered their greatest masterpiece."
The room grew quiet.
"Next is Charlotte Smoothie," Marco continued.
"She wields the Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit and is also a powerful swordswoman. She can drain moisture from people and the environment, enlarging her body and amplifying her strength. Her bounty is second only to Katakuri's—aside from Big Mom herself."
He moved on to the next poster.
"Charlotte Cracker—Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit. He can mass-produce biscuit soldiers and hide his real body inside them. The image on his poster isn't even his true form. Those biscuit soldiers are tough… but they have a fatal weakness."
Marco glanced at Namur.
"They're vulnerable to water."
Finally, he gestured to the last poster.
"Charlotte Snack. Information on him is limited. He's likely a swordsman, with a bounty of six hundred million. Compared to the others, he's the weakest."
The commanders studied the posters in silence.
Marco folded his arms.
"I've prepared two plans."
He spoke decisively.
"Plan A: I take Katakuri. Ace handles Smoothie. Namur deals with Cracker, exploiting his weakness to water. Fossa takes on Snack."
Everyone nodded—on paper, the matchups made sense.
But Marco continued.
"There's a problem with this plan. It won't end quickly."
His gaze sharpened.
"Katakuri is extremely difficult to defeat. His Observation Haki surpasses mine, and if we fight head-on, this becomes a war of attrition."
Izo frowned slightly.
"That would be bad for us. According to Jinbe, the Big Mom Pirates sent over a dozen ships—more than ten thousand troops—along with countless Homies. If this drags out, our losses will pile up fast."
The room hummed with uneasy agreement.
Marco smiled faintly.
"Exactly. Which is why there's Plan B."
Ace leaned forward immediately.
"What is it?"
Marco met his eyes.
"Plan B is this—Ace, you stall Katakuri."
The room froze.
Marco continued smoothly, "Your Mera Mera no Mi counters his Mochi-Mochi Fruit. Mochi burns. Even if Katakuri is overwhelmingly strong, your flames can disrupt his form and limit his mobility. You don't need to defeat him—just hold him back."
Ace's lips curled into a confident grin.
"Leave it to me. He's Big Mom's right hand, undefeated and untouchable, right?"
He cracked his knuckles.
"I've wanted to see just how strong he really is."
Marco nodded, eyes calm but resolute.
Then it was settled.
The storm waiting at Fish-Man Island was no longer unknown—and the Phoenix Pirates were ready to fly straight into it.
For Ace, strength was an irresistible challenge. At his age, nothing thrilled him more than facing powerful opponents head-on. His loss to Blackbeard had been less about weakness and more about incompatibility—Teach's darkness had directly countered his flames. This time was different. The Mera Mera no Mi naturally restrained the Mochi-Mochi Fruit. Even against a pirate with a bounty exceeding one billion, Ace felt no fear—only anticipation.
Marco shared that confidence. After all, Ace was the Pirate King's son; talent and potential were written into his blood.
He continued issuing orders without hesitation.
"After Ace engages Katakuri, Fossa will stall Smoothie. Namur will handle Cracker. Curiel and Izo, you'll move freely and provide support wherever it's needed."
Then Marco's eyes hardened.
"As for Charlotte Snack—leave him to me. I'll take him down as fast as possible, then reinforce the others."
"I understand," the commanders replied almost in unison.
The strategy was clear: endure. Hold the line until Marco broke through. Once Snack fell, the balance of power would tilt, and the Sweet Commanders could be dismantled one by one.
Fossa slammed his fist into his palm.
"Fine by me. Even if it costs me my life, I'll hold her back."
Namur nodded heavily.
"So will I."
Meanwhile, on Fish-Man Island, Katakuri and his siblings had occupied the territory for several days. They hadn't advanced further—nor retreated. They were waiting.
Intelligence had already confirmed it: the Phoenix Pirates were coming.
Big Mom's orders were clear—crush them here. Even if total victory proved impossible, the goal was to bind Marco and his forces in battle, long enough for the Phoenix Pirates' territories to burn elsewhere. Once their foundation collapsed, Fish-Man Island would inevitably fall into Big Mom's hands.
King Neptune had done everything he could to maintain peace, providing food and hospitality despite his growing unease. Fish-Man Island simply couldn't afford to offend a Yonko crew.
Yet the Big Mom Pirates were nothing like the Whitebeard Pirates.
Their presence was domineering, oppressive. They openly declared their intention to wage war here, regardless of the island's fate. Neptune's pleas went unanswered, and though the Royal Army simmered with anger, reason forced them to endure. This was a foe they could not challenge.
Just then, a transponder snail rang beside Katakuri.
"Lord Katakuri," came the hurried report, "the Phoenix Pirates have arrived."
"I know." Katakuri ended the call and turned to his siblings, his expression calm but resolute.
"Marco is here. It's time to move. Fish-Man Island has belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates for decades—now it will pass to the Big Mom Pirates."
"I hope they're wise enough to accept that." Cracker laughed lightly.
"I'd actually prefer they resist. That would make this far more entertaining."
Snack frowned.
"Don't be careless, Cracker."
Smoothie crossed her arms confidently.
"Intelligence says the Phoenix Pirates brought only the Moby Dick and about ten subordinate crews. At most, a few thousand fighters. No matter how strong Marco is, he's no match for Katakuri. As for the rest, we'll deal with them easily."
Katakuri shook his head slightly.
"Do not underestimate them. The former Whitebeard commanders are veterans of countless battles. Complacency is how people die."
Oven scoffed from the side.
"In the New World, aside from the Yonko themselves, no one can truly stand against you anyway."
Katakuri said nothing—but his eyes remained sharp.
The calm before the storm was ending.
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