Cake Castle
Rhett Vane and his crew had already arrived at Cake Castle.
"Mother."
"Mom, I'm here."
The living sun Protheus and the thundercloud Zeus floated over, taking their places at Big Mom's sides.
They were now in a grand space atop the Cake Castle, the place where Big Mom often hosted banquets. Even though the building resembled candy, the floor was sturdier than most structures in the New World. The area stretched across thousands of square ters, towering over the rest of Totto Land.
Big Mom sat at one end of a massive round table. Above her head floated Zeus, the thundercloud, and Protheus, the miniature sun, giving her an almost whimsical appearance—though their true nature was anything but.
As her homies, Zeus and Protheus were terrifying weapons. Zeus enabled her to summon deadly storms and lightning, while Protheus gave her control over hellish flas. Then there was Napoleon, the bicorne hat perched on her head, which transford into a broadsword capable of executing Elbaf's Spear: Ikoku Sovereignty, a technique with enough force to split the ocean.
Charlotte Linlin, known as Big Mom, was the wielder of the Soul-Soul Fruit. She could command the elents, summon natural disasters, and manipulate the very essence of life. Her power allowed her to extract the lifespan of others, and she had evolved her Devil Fruit far beyond what any of its forr users had achieved.
Her physical prowess was nearly unmatched, second only to Kaido of the Beasts. Her mastery over Armant Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki made her one of the strongest forces in the world. Facing her head-on could make even seasoned pirates tremble.
This was why she ruled Totto Land and remained one of the Four Emperors of the sea.
She was a monster in human form, a born destroyer. At age five, she annihilated entire villages and killed warriors of the Giant Tribe with her bare hands. Even now, her power seed to be rising, just like Kaido's.
"Well, well, well…"
Big Mom smiled as she looked at Vane sitting calmly across the table.
Behind her stood many of her children and several sons-in-law.
Across from her, Vane sat with Esdeath and Kalifa standing on either side. Behind him, Katakuri and the others stood frozen in place, shackled and bound.
Big Mom's smile was deceptive, masking the fact that she clearly had no concern for her captured children.
Nearly nine ters tall and imnsely obese, she resembled a living mountain. In front of Vane was a circular table about seven ters wide, filled with sweets and fruits.
Was this supposed to be a welco?
Hardly. The atmosphere behind her children was tense. Every one of them was prepared for war.
And yet, Vane had only brought two won. Three people in total. That alone should have been foolish—but Katakuri and the others, the very pillars of the Big Mom Pirates, were now prisoners. The number didn't matter. The strength did.
"This old woman is disgusting," Esdeath muttered. "She looks like a bloated witch. Everyone here looks weird."
The towering figures, misshapen features, and outrageous body types didn't impress her.
Kalifa nodded, her voice low. "It's intense. I've never stood opposite soone of this level before."
But when she looked into Vane's eyes, he was calm. Completely unmoved.
Vane didn't know fear—not anymore.
He had the strength to challenge even a Yonko. But he knew better than to underestimate Charlotte Linlin. Her abilities were troubleso—fire, lightning, flight, and devastating swordsmanship.
He looked at Zeus and Protheus. The thundercloud was a dark, ominous mass, and the sun was a flaming orb of destruction. Just like their creator.
Big Mom finally spoke.
"Vane. Do you really want to go against ? I admit you're strong, strong enough to beat so of my best children… but don't fool yourself. You can't defeat !"
"Well, well, well…"
She grinned wide, glancing at Esdeath and Kalifa.
"Are these your crew mbers? Three of you, thinking you can stand against ?"
Her laughter echoed across the room. Zeus and Protheus joined in with manic giggling, and the Charlotte children followed suit.
They saw it as a joke. A pirate with only two companions daring to challenge an Emperor?
Vane remained still.
"One person can fight thousands," he said. "The ones behind you are trash. None of them can put up a fight, except you."
"You—!"
"How dare you!"
"You'll regret this!"
"Mother will crush you!"
The Charlotte children raged, offended by his blunt dismissal. But they knew, deep down, he wasn't wrong. Katakuri, Cracker, Perospero—all defeated or captured. Their family had already taken a serious blow.
Big Mom's face darkened.
"Your tone is arrogant, Vane. But I'll give you one chance."
"A chance?"
"Yes. Among the daughters behind , pick one. I'll marry you into the family."
Ah, there it was again.
Big Mom's daughters imdiately tensed. They knew they were little more than bargaining chips to her—used to secure alliances and strengthen her empire.
Vane chuckled.
"I'm not lacking in won. Keep your daughters."
None of them could compare to Esdeath or Kalifa. So of them even had traces of Big Mom's... unfortunate features. Vane wasn't interested.
"So we have no room to negotiate?"
"None."
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