Whole Cake Island, Totto Land
Thanks to Smoothie and Galette promptly finding Big Mom favorite delicacies, Charlotte Linlin now restored to her senses, sat calmly in the castle hall that she had nearly destroyed earlier.
Almost all members of the Charlotte family were present in the hall, anxiously waiting for Big Mom to settle down.
BANG—
Suddenly, the tightly shut hall doors were pushed open and Katakuri, holding his trident, strode in quickly.
"Brother Katakuri, have the Marines retreated?"
Galette hurried forward, casting a worried glance toward the doors.
Katakuri shook his head and walked up to Big Mom, his expression grave.
"The Beast Pirates have been completely annihilated. Kaido and his two top Commander have been captured by Admiral Akainu and Gion."
He paused briefly, then continued in an even more serious tone.
"Akainu and Gion did not return to their base. Instead, they are leading their fleet straight toward Totto Land. They will join forces with Kuzan in at most two hours!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Charlotte family members erupted in chaos.
"This is too much! They're planning to take us down too, Mama!"
"Mama, give the order! Let's charge out now and fight Kuzan and his Aokiji Army to the death!"
"We can't just sit here and wait, Mama. If Akainu and Gion arrive, our chances of winning will be slim!"
Hearing their younger siblings clamoring for battle, Katakuri frowned slightly, then turned around and said sternly.
"Quiet!"
"Brother Katakuri, now is not the time to hesitate!"
"That's right, hesitation will only lead to our defeat!"
"We're not the Beast Pirates. With Mama here, victory will surely belong to the Charlotte family!"
As the situation threatened to spiral out of control, the Charlotte siblings were brimming with fighting spirit.
Big Mom, now fully rational, set down the plate of food she had been holding and scanned the hall with a commanding gaze.
"QUIET! ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!"
The moment Big Mom spoke, the hall fell into complete silence, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Seeing this, Charlotte Linlin slowly stood up, a trace of imperceptible sorrow flashing in her eyes.
The regal aura of one of the Four Emperors of the New World vanished in that moment, replaced by a maternal tenderness.
"Kaido, how could you have been captured? If you're arrested this time, you won't be as lucky as before!"
As she spoke, Charlotte Linlin tilted her head slightly toward the door, recalling the days aboard the Rocks Pirates' ship.
She vividly remembered when Kaido first joined as a rookie crew member and the moment during the God Valley War when she handed him the Fish-Fish Fruit.
Those memories remained fresh in her mind.
Looking back, they had each risen to become emperors of the New World.
Unlike Kaido, who yearned to ignite a grand war, her dream was to create a nation where all races and beings could live together without distinction of status or hierarchy.
Perhaps due to their immense power, neither the Marines nor the World Government had dared to engage them in open conflict over the years.
Even when friction arose, both sides tacitly agreed to keep it in check.
But when she learned of the coup at Marine Headquarters, where a young Marine Vice Admiral stepped into the spotlight to become the new Fleet Admiral and signed the Mary Geoise Treaty with the World Goverment, she sensed that the world was on the brink of monumental change.
It was precisely for this reason that she had initially considered sending an invitation for a tea party to this young Fleet Admiral.
However, before she could act, the young Fleet Admiral turned his attention toward the New World.
This meant that the new Fleet Admiral, who had forced the World Government to compromise, would not grant them the opportunity for equal dialogue, nor would he allow them to continue reigning supreme in the New World as they had before.
"Katakuri."
After a brief silence, Charlotte Linlin suddenly looked up, her gaze intense as she stared at Katakuri.
"What's coming will come. Prepare for all-out war! Whether Akainu and Gion are coming to join forces with Kuzan to eliminate us or to force us into submission, the Charlotte family will never yield!"
Hearing this, Katakuri did not immediately carry out Charlotte Linlin command with his usual unwavering resolve. Instead, he met her gaze and, after a moment of hesitation, spoke.
"Mother, according to Kuzan, their Fleet Admiral… will personally come to Whole Cake Island!"
The maternal tenderness in Charlotte Linlin eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by the domineering and fierce demeanor of one of the Four Emperors.
Her aura surged to its peak, as if she were on the verge of descending into a frenzied state. Unprepared for Charlotte Linlin sudden agitation upon hearing of the Fleet Admiral arrival, Katakuri quickly called out.
"Mother—"
"Do you know why my hunger pangs suddenly flared up?"
As if she knew what Katakuri was thinking, Charlotte Linlin casually tossed a piece of paper, roaring in a near-frantic tone.
"How dare some brat of a Fleet Admiral speak to me in such a manner!"
"Does he truly believe he's invincible? I AM BIG MOM!"
Amid her roars, Katakuri looked down at the two lines written on the paper and softly read them aloud.
"Allow Kuzan to land on the island, or shall I come myself?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Katakuri's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.
This sentence might not mean much to ordinary pirates, but when the target was one of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin, it was absolutely devastating!
Not to mention Charlotte Linlin, even he couldn't help but react upon hearing it.
This was a blatant disregard for the Charlotte family.
****
In the Turbulent Waters of the New World
Unlike the sunny skies of the Holy Land, the New World chaotic climate once again brought down a torrential rain.
The warship that had set out from the first branch to pick up Orion and his companions was speeding through the storm toward the waters of Whole Cake Island.
On the deck of the warship, which was being tossed violently by the sudden waves, Captain Morgan, draped in his Captain coat, stood at the bow with a fanatical expression, continuously directing the accompanying soldiers to maneuver the ship.
Even though his clothes were soaked by the rain, he showed no signs of slacking off.
Not only did he not slack off, but he also stood firm at the bow, enduring the pouring rain as it struck his face.
"Morgan, the storm is getting worse! You should head back to the cabin and leave this to me!"
A commodore wrapped in a raincoat quickly approached Morgan, ready to take over and let him rest.
"No need!"
Morgan waved his hand dismissively, excitedly saying.
"This is my first time in the New World! How could I retreat because of a little storm?"
After a brief pause, Morgan immediately turned his head to look at the subordinates who had followed him from the East Blue to the New World, all of them as driven as he was, and shouted with all his might.
"How much longer until we enter the waters of Whole Cake Island?!"
The officers from the 153rd branch who had accompanied Morgan reported the information they had received in an orderly manner.
"We've already made contact with Akainu forces!"
"We've spoken with Momousagi forces and they will rendezvous with Aokiji forces in ten minutes!"
"The warship is about to enter the waters of Whole Cake Island!"
"Let the storms of the New World rage on!"
"The Fleet Admiral has arrived!"
------------------------------
Please Read my new book, One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral.
Read 60 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator