One Piece: The Strongest Female Pirate Crews Chapter 189: Whitebeard's Judgment and the News Arrives

The Sun and Moon sailed away, leaving Katakuri and his siblings in despair as they watched it disappear into the distance. They were powerless, with no other choice but to accept the reality of their mother's departure. The once-unshakable family now found themselves facing an uncertain future.

"Will Mama ever co back?" So mbers of the Big Mom Pirates clung to a faint glimr of hope.

"Co back? Maybe, but as a mber of the Sun and Moon Pirates," Katakuri sighed heavily. The reality was unchangeable. It was ti to face the facts.

"What do we do now?" soone asked, looking to Katakuri, the leader that many siblings were now relying on.

With Big Mom gone, even the powerful figures like Cracker appeared lost. Big Mom had always been the captain, the guiding force behind the Big Mom Pirates, but now, with her gone, the crew was left drifting without a course.

"Since Mama has beco a mber of the Sun and Moon Pirates, we need to choose a new captain. I'm the eldest son, so it's only natural that I should beco the captain," Perospero declared, determined to seize the leadership. He had his eyes on the captain's seat now that his mother was no longer there.

The Big Mom Pirates had not lost much of their power. They still remained a force to be reckoned with on the seas, and anyone who took charge of such a crew would beco one of the closest figures to a sea emperor.

But many of the siblings frowned at Perospero's ambition, clearly disapproving.

"I think Katakuri is better suited," Daifuku and Oven spoke in unison, fully supporting Katakuri. Most of the crew mbers nodded in agreent. Despite his recent defeat at the hands of Gion, Katakuri's strength and charisma still made him the undisputed first choice to lead the family.

With so much support behind Katakuri, Perospero's face turned green, and he had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept the decision.

"Katakuri, soon enough, the whole world will know what has happened. With Mama gone, how are we going to deal with those who will co after us?" Cracker asked, a deep frown on his face.

The Big Mom Pirates were still considered one of the Four Emperors' crews, with imnse territory in the New World. But now, with Charlotte Linlin no longer with them, it was inevitable that other predators would set their eyes on them. In the New World, the law of the jungle reigned supre—the weak were devoured, and without the proper strength, they wouldn't be able to defend their vast territory.

"Don't worry, I will protect you," Katakuri said firmly, his eyes resolute. He was determined to shoulder the responsibility.

But despite his resolve, his siblings still seed wary.

"What if the Beasts Pirates or another of the Emperor's crews target us? What then?" soone asked. Such a force would be beyond Katakuri's ability to fend off alone.

"They won't." Katakuri gave them a confident smile.

"What?"

"Don't forget, Mama may not be here with us, but she's part of the Sun and Moon Pirates now. After today, who would dare provoke the Sun and Moon Pirates with Mama on board? Who would dare co after us?" Katakuri explained. Despite everything, the truth was that their safety now rested on Kuke's reputation.

The realization made Katakuri feel a sense of bitterness. Despite the losses the Sun and Moon had brought to their family, including taking away Big Mom, the family's continued safety depended on Kuke's influence. This left Katakuri unable to harbor the hatred towards the Sun and Moon that he wanted to feel.

"So... are we like an affiliate of the Sun and Moon Pirates now?" soone asked hesitantly.

Silence fell. Everyone was silent. Though they weren't officially an affiliate, it certainly felt like there wasn't much difference between them and a subordinate crew.

Becoming an affiliate was sothing they once would have rejected vehently, but now, they found themselves begrudgingly accepting it. The thought didn't sit well with them, but they couldn't deny the reality.

Katakuri tried to reassure each of his siblings, offering words of support, until he noticed Flampe and Pudding huddled together.

"What are you two doing?" Katakuri asked, stepping closer, startling them both.

Flampe, who used to idolize her brother, now seed the most frightened. Pudding spoke up in a soft voice, "Flampe wants to take her to find Mama, to find the Sun and Moon Pirates."

Katakuri frowned at Flampe.

"I want to go," Flampe insisted, pouting.

Katakuri turned to Pudding.

"I'd... like to see Custard and the others," Pudding added timidly.

Katakuri sighed inwardly. It was only now that he realized the true extent of their losses. It wasn't just the visible departures of Smoogie and the others; they were losing more people in spirit as well.

Katakuri looked silently at Flampe and Pudding and thought to himself, "Is our family destined to beco a training ground for future mbers of the Sun and Moon Pirates?"

Across the seas, the various powers of the world were waiting for the news.

The fact that Gion had defeated Katakuri hadn't shocked anyone too much. Katakuri's na was well-known, but Gion's was even more so. Back when she was in the Navy, Gion had been a representative figure of the new generation of marines, on par with the second-in-commands of the Emperor's crews.

Now, as part of the Sun and Moon Pirates, wielding the powerful Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit, and having taken part in the siege against Sengoku, Gion had surpassed the likes of Marco and Katakuri among the Emperor's second-in-commands.

So her victory was considered natural in the eyes of those who understood the power dynamics.

But soon after, the details of the wager made their way into the newspapers, shocking the entire world.

A wager between two Emperors of the Sea—sothing like this had never been seen before. It left everyone speechless, from Whitebeard to the Navy Admirals, and even the Five Elders.

Whitebeard stared at the newspaper in disbelief.

"This must be so sort of mistake, right?" Whitebeard looked towards Izo, who had brought him the news.

"Father, it's true. Multiple news agencies are reporting the sa thing, and the source is Perospero of the Big Mom Pirates himself. It's not false," Izo confird.

Even though it was confird, Whitebeard still stared blankly at the paper. He had lived most of his life, but he had never seen such a reckless gamble.

"Linlin would really do sothing this crazy? Bet herself? She was never the type to do sothing like this before." Whitebeard truly felt his age then, like he was no longer able to keep up with the madness of this new era.

"So, Father, who do you think will win?" soone asked. "And do you think the loser will actually beco the subordinate of the winner?"

Whitebeard pondered for a mont. "Kuke has the greater chance of winning." After the Wano Country incident, Whitebeard estimated that Kuke had reached a level of power comparable to his own. Even if he had used so sort of strategy to win against Kaido, he would still need enough strength to carry out that plan within a few hours.

"If Kuke wins again, the reputation of the Sun and Moon Pirates will be unstoppable," one of the commanders noted, looking worried.

Defeating two Emperors in a row—one could only imagine the glory that the Sun and Moon Pirates would gain.

"If Kuke wins, doesn't that an the Sun and Moon Pirates will gain Charlotte Linlin? Two Emperors on the sa crew? Their strength would be... unbeatable. How are we supposed to rescue Marco then?" another captain added nervously.

Even Whitebeard's face turned serious for a mont before he smiled. "There's no need to worry too much. Do you really think that if Kuke wins, Linlin will simply accept defeat and obey him? That's naive."

After all, they had once been part of the sa crew. Whitebeard knew Linlin well enough—to her, losing face or being scorned by the world wasn't as important as maintaining her independence. There was no way she would willingly join the Sun and Moon Pirates just because she lost.

"At most, she'll do what Kaido did and abandon everything, including her own territory, and just run away," Whitebeard said confidently, believing in his own judgnt.

But, a little over two hours later, the news bird flew over the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, dropping the latest newspapers.

The headlines told the story of what had happened at Cake Island.

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DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up 40 chapters at patreon/Emik01.

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