Inazuma stole a glance at Ivankov, who gave a tiny, almost unnoticeable nod.
Both understood their current situation was incredibly bad—fighting back meant certain death.
The Revolutionary Army's plans needed time to grow, and only by staying alive could they ever hope to see their goals succeed.
"We... pledge our loyalty," Ivankov forced the words out.
A hidden gleam flashed beneath his massive, dramatic false eyelashes.
He knew this was just a temporary surrender.
For the sake of the Revolutionary Army's grand mission, he had to swallow his pride and survive this nightmare.
"Excellent~ Mamamama!" Big Mom clapped her massive hands together, making heavy, dull thuds.
"Katakuri! Show them the rules of Whole Cake Island!"
From the shadows, Katakuri stepped forward smoothly.
He stood incredibly tall and straight. His spotless white cape looked especially sharp under the bright hall lights.
With a serious face and sharp eyes that swept over the new members, he looked like he could read everyone's deepest thoughts.
However, even he could not fully figure out Big Mom's true goal in gathering these highly dangerous criminals.
He gave a small nod, following Big Mom's order.
...
Down in the underground training grounds of Whole Cake Island, a heavy, choking feeling filled the dark and damp air.
The walls were covered in strange symbols and claw marks, hinting at the terrible things that had once happened down here.
The newly captured members were testing out their abilities.
Their faces ranged from nervous to completely defeated, each doing their best to prove they were useful.
Meanwhile, hidden safely in a secret room inside the castle, Big Mom watched everything through a video Den Den Mushi.
Her thick fingers tightly gripped a massive slice of cake, which she shoved into her mouth without caring how messy she looked.
The cream and fruit squished loudly as she chewed.
"Mama, are these people truly trustworthy?" Perospero could not help but ask, a clear look of worry in his eyes.
After all, none of these new recruits were exactly weaklings.
A dangerous, greedy light flashed in Big Mom's eyes.
"It does not matter~ As long as they are strong enough~" As she spoke, she licked her lips, her stare filled with dark ambition.
"Once they have rested and healed up their bodies, we will take them to the Eternal Divine Kingdom and sell their blood!"
Perospero gave a slow, understanding nod, then turned back to watch the screen with Big Mom.
However, right at that moment, her relaxed, happy chewing suddenly stopped.
"How are things... over at the Eternal Divine Kingdom right now?" Big Mom's voice echoed slowly through the large, quiet room.
She tilted her head slightly, a hint of annoyance in her eyes. "It has been so long already. That little war should have ended by now, right? Perospero~"
Hearing Big Mom call his name, Perospero froze.
His normally proud posture suddenly went stiff.
The fancy candy cane in his hand made a soft tapping sound as it hit the floor, quietly giving away the panic rising in his chest.
He took a deep breath, fighting hard to control the slight shake in his voice before answering:
"Mama... the latest news is that Admiral Akainu... has died in battle at the Eternal Divine Kingdom."
Crack!
With a sharp, ugly screech of twisting metal, the silver fork in Big Mom's hand instantly bent and crushed out of shape, as if squeezed by a giant invisible fist.
Her massive body, moving like a slow mountain, leaned forward.
She cast a heavy, terrifying shadow over Perospero that made him feel like he was suffocating.
"What did you say? That magma brat... is dead?" Big Mom's voice was full of pure shock and disbelief.
"Yes, Mama."
Perospero carefully wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, his eyes full of deep confusion.
"And... during the brutal fight with Akainu, Whitebeard actually awakened the Phoenix fruit. But the strangest part is..."
His voice suddenly went dry, as if something was stuck in his throat. "...He only awakened it after being killed once by Akainu."
Big Mom's eyes went wide.
The news hit her like a massive boulder crashing into a quiet lake, sending ripples of shock across her face.
Her giant body slowly leaned back into her chair.
She let out a low "Hmm" as she processed this unbelievable news.
She mumbled to herself, "Awakening only after dying once? Hmm, that is quite interesting... Are Devil Fruit awakenings really that desperate nowadays? Mamamama!"
Perospero shook his head, looking totally lost.
"I don't understand how it works either... After all, this whole thing is just too bizarre and impossible to understand."
Of course, neither of them knew the truth—that Whitebeard had traded one of his eight lives as the ultimate price to trigger his awakening.
"Continue," Big Mom ordered.
She grabbed another whole cake and stuffed it into her mouth without a second thought, the sweet sugar spreading across her tongue.
"The Revolutionary Army has left the Eternal Divine Kingdom, and the Fish-Man Island group also went home after the Divine Kingdom's victory banquet."
Perospero quickly and clearly laid out the rest of the spy reports.
"Some other pirate crews chose to stay behind and join them, while others sailed away. However..."
He paused, looking nervous about sharing the next piece of news.
Noticing this, Big Mom frowned and snapped, "However what? Stop stuttering and spit it out!"
Jumped by Big Mom's anger, Perospero rushed to explain, "All of the Supernovas have left, and no one knows what abilities they bought from their deals with the Eternal Divine Kingdom! Those rookies are all moving in secret, making it impossible to figure out what they are really planning."
Big Mom waved her giant hand, swatting the news away like a fly.
A mocking smile curled on her lips as bits of frosting flew from her fingers onto the table.
She laughed carelessly. "They are just brats of the new era. They are not worth worrying about~ But before they get in our way..."
She suddenly flashed a deeply greedy smile, her eyes shining with a dark, hungry light.
"Get the ships ready! We are going to sell blood at the Eternal Divine Kingdom again very soon! If those brats can offer good things for trade, we absolutely cannot miss this chance to get even more power!"