Shanks, on the other hand, looked a little uncomfortable after just a few bites.
If nothing unexpected had happened, it was simply too sweet—sweet to the point of being cloying.
Normal people couldn't really handle it. Otherwise, Big Mom wouldn't have ended up this… well-built.
While everyone was eating the desserts, the atmosphere was strangely peaceful—one might even call it harmonious. But the moment Big Mom finished off all the chocolate almond cake…
The temperature began to drop.
If Karl hadn't known that Aokiji wasn't present, he would have sworn the guy was secretly blowing cold air somewhere.
"Shanks," Big Mom asked slowly, "how do you like this place of mine?"
Shanks curled his lips slightly and replied with exaggerated praise,
"The air is sweet, and delicious food is everywhere. It feels just like heaven."
"Mama-mama-mama~"
Big Mom laughed loudly at his words—then suddenly stopped, fixing Shanks with eyes as big as basketballs.
"Hey. Since you like it here so much, why don't you join the BIG MOM Pirates?" she said. "With you added to my crew, BIG MOM will become the sole ruler of the seas!"
"Heh~" Shanks chuckled, casually wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Big Mom, I appreciate the offer. But I'm used to living freely. I'd rather not join."
BANG!
Big Mom slammed the table, her face twisting into something ferocious.
"You think I'm joking with you? Today you have only two choices—join the BIG MOM Pirates, or die here!"
"Hahahaha~" Shanks laughed. "I think there's a third option."
As the words fell, he stood up from his seat and turned to leave.
Big Mom's gaze sharpened instantly.
"Stop them!"
Several of her children sprang into action at once, each displaying their own abilities.
"Candy Wall!"
A massive pink wall of candy rose up, blocking the Red-Haired Pirates' escape route.
"Mochi Rain!"
Countless globs of mochi poured down from above, trying to trap Shanks and his crew—but they had no intention of sitting still.
Clang—
Shanks grasped his sword, drew it in a single motion, and flung out several sharp flying slashes, pulverizing every last mochi mass.
"Big Mom," Shanks said calmly, "are you sure you want to go to war with me?"
"Mama-mama-mama~ War?" Big Mom sneered. "Don't forget—you're standing on my territory! Capture them!"
"Yes, Mama!"
Meanwhile, the tea party had descended into complete chaos.
Guests fled in all directions to avoid being caught in the crossfire. They weren't panicking—more like used to it.
Stussy vanished at the first opportunity. Not seeing Karl didn't bother her at all—if anything, it suited her perfectly.
All she needed to do now was leave Totto Land. Whatever happened afterward would have nothing to do with her.
As for Karl—
At this very moment, he had perfectly blended into the ranks of the Red-Haired Pirates. Wearing a serious expression, he held a gun and pointed it at Big Mom's people.
"So it really started…" someone muttered.
Karl whispered back,
"What? Are you scared?"
"Scared of what?" the Red-Haired pirate replied fiercely. "Life and death mean nothing—if you don't like it, you fight it! With Shanks around, who wins and who loses is still up in the air!"
"Hey—wait," the pirate suddenly frowned. "I don't think I've seen you before. Who are you?"
Karl's expression changed slightly. As an attack came flying in, he shoved the fearless Red-Haired pirate straight toward it.
"AHHH—!"
Well.
Now he really had life and death figured out.
Not far away, Big Mom was growing impatient. Seeing that her children still hadn't subdued the Red-Haired Pirates, she removed her pirate hat and gripped it in her hand.
Then—
She demonstrated the ultimate principle of combat.
Power beats everything.
"Out of the way! Elbaf Spear · Ikoku Sovereignty!"
She raised her arm and unleashed a gigantic sword-shaped shockwave—vast in range and terrifyingly fast. It surged toward the Red-Haired Pirates.
Shanks launched himself forward, drawing his sword in a horizontal slash.
Another flying slash erupted—smaller than Big Mom's, but far more enduring. After a brief stalemate, the two shockwaves neutralized each other and vanished.
"Mama-mama-mama~ Red-Haired boy," Big Mom laughed. "You've really grown over the years. Mama is starting to like you more and more!"
"Spare me the talk," Shanks replied coolly. "Let's settle this with our blades."
With that, the two clashed. Around them, the commanders on both sides found their own opponents.
After "struggling" to cut down one Big Mom commander, Karl quietly surveyed the battlefield and shook his head.
Not intense enough.
Time to add some fuel to the fire.
Soru!
After several blinding bursts of movement, Karl appeared on the main platform of the tea party—right beside the framed photo of the nun.
A bad feeling surged through Charlotte Katakuri. He immediately snapped his gaze toward Karl.
The moment he saw Karl lifting the frame, Katakuri's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
"Not good! Stop that guy!"
"What?!"
Several Charlotte siblings followed his pointing finger—and their hearts nearly stopped.
"Damn it! Kill him! He must not destroy that photo!"
"Quiet! Don't let Mama hear!"
Karl looked at the commanders rushing toward him with a playful smile. His figure flickered—and in the next instant, he appeared not far from Big Mom.
"You old hag! How dare you bully our captain—die!"
He raised Raven and unleashed an utterly unreasonable golden sword aura, slamming it straight into Big Mom.
Even with her monstrous durability, blood sprayed under the force of that strike.
Shanks was stunned.
When did my crew get someone this vicious?!
Kekeke…
Big Mom looked down at the blood spilling from her body. She clenched her fist, her face twisting in fury as she glared at Karl.
"Die!"
She grabbed Prometheus and pressed it against Napoleon's blade.
In that instant—
Napoleon evolved.
The blade lengthened, fangs sprouted from its midsection, and flames erupted around it. Big Mom gripped the sword with both hands and swung it down violently.
"Emperor Sword · Ikoku Breaking Blade!"
Karl remained calm.
He pulled the framed photo of the nun from his system space and tossed it straight into the incoming sword aura—then vanished in a flash.
The instant Big Mom saw the photo, her eyes locked onto it, and she screamed—
"NO!!!"
But it was too late.
In the next second, the nun she cherished above all else was cleaved in half by her own attack. The shattered frame crashed to the ground, completely destroyed.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"
Big Mom let out a piercing, inhuman shriek.
The sound itself became a shockwave—no, it wasn't just sound.
It was Conqueror's Haki.
"Oh no—Mama's gone berserk!"
Several Charlotte children closest to her clutched their ears in agony as blood flowed from them. Facing the scream head-on, even Shanks couldn't endure it and immediately retreated.
After all—he only had one hand, but two ears. Standing his ground and "tanking" it wasn't an option.
Reacting the fastest, Katakuri instantly formed countless mochi lumps and distributed them to his siblings.
"Quick—use these to block your ears!"
"Thank you, Katakuri-brother!"
The siblings hurriedly stuffed the mochi into their ears. The effect was surprisingly good—at the very least, they could remain standing.
Meanwhile, Big Mom continued screaming.
Within a twenty-meter radius, no one dared approach.
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