Daifuku wasn't fully committed to the battle like Oven.
He knew the outcome of this war hinged on his mother. As long as she won, it didn't matter what Pirate Alliance they'd formed, what CP0 agents lurked nearby, or what Buster Call-level firepower the Marines had brought.
It wasn't as though the old generation of legends had shown up personally. There was nothing to fear.
And the thought of his mother losing? Daifuku hadn't even considered it.
Buggy's group had already relocated the battlefield with Big Mom. She was a born warrior at heart — not some idle old woman who only ate sweets and bore children. Facing these four challengers, she felt a deep thrill stir within her that she hadn't experienced in years.
"Now this is interesting! You'd better put on a good show for me!" Big Mom laughed, reminiscent of days past.
As legends continued to fall, she had grown lonely on the seas. Totto Land no longer needed her hands for most matters, and days spent either bearing children or traveling to bear children had left her feeling rusty.
Now, seeing fresh faces before her reminded her of someone — not herself, exactly, but that brash young brother of hers who didn't know the weight of the world: Kaidu.
That kid had been so defiant back then, only to get his head scrambled by one punch from Newgate. Pity that her brother was likely gone now.
She'd heard the rumors years ago and investigated thoroughly, confirming what many had feared. The only confirmed fact was that Kaidu was indeed dead, and it was almost certainly the work of Inazuma's Raiden Shogun.
The thought made Big Mom nostalgic. These four brats before her reminded her of that reckless Kaidu who had tried to challenge the Rocks Pirates. She wasn't even angry about the disrupted Tea Party — she wanted to beat them into shape and take them under her wing.
Of course, Doflamingo didn't count. That shameless fraud who'd deceived her feelings didn't deserve to die just once.
The very thought of Doflamingo set her off. Without warning, she tore a thick bolt of purple lightning from the dark clouds and hurled it straight at him, her rage manifesting as a terrifying display of power.
"Thunder!"
This thunderous attack was actually Big Mom using her soul power to give the lightning life, granting her command over it. The bolt crackled with violet energy, descending like the wrath of the heavens to punish the man who had wronged her.
But Doflamingo wasn't the type to stand there and take it — even though he usually preferred to say "I don't feel like fighting you right now." This time was personal. There was no dodging.
Doflamingo flicked his fingers, instantly raising several antenna-like structures beside him. The lightning was about to strike his head when it suddenly folded back, drawn by the antennas and conducted harmlessly into the earth. A shower of sparks erupted from the point of impact where the bolt met the ground.
The kid wasn't without skill. Too bad his Devil Fruit was mediocre — even with Awakening, his ceiling was limited.
With Doflamingo diverting Big Mom's attention, Enel, Buggy, and Shanks seized the opening and attacked in unison.
Buggy's Devil Fruit hadn't fully awakened. He could affect some inanimate objects but nothing living. He certainly couldn't use an explosive attack on Big Mom — that would be far too unsightly.
But Buggy didn't care for theatrics. He closed the distance and threw a direct punch at Big Mom, his flowing Haki instantly piercing through her skin — the legendary "Iron Balloon" that few could damage.
He sent that extra-large, dozen-XL-sized woman flying backward through the air with a resounding impact. Still, such attacks were child's play to Big Mom. Armament Haki's internal destruction? Everyone could do that.
Big Mom sneered. Her flying body halted in midair.
Under her feet she trod on Zeus the thundercloud, in her right hand she swung Napoleon the blade, and in her left she held Prometheus the blazing sun. She looked like a terrifying Valkyrie wielding the very power of heaven and earth.
Her left arm swung forward, and the fire surged like a dragon.
Enel raised his arm and channeled his power, firing an energy pulse straight into the blaze. The two forces collided with a deafening roar, and flames spread outward like a tide in every direction.
"Not bad. Mamamamama," Big Mom said, pleased with the group's performance — if they couldn't even manage this, they'd have no value as recruits. As for them actually blocking her attacks… don't make her laugh.
Zeus launched the lightning. Prometheus unleashed the fire.
Big Mom herself had barely moved, aside from the opening slash at those agents. But now, she intended to stretch her legs.
Her pink hair ignited into blazing flames, the woman growing more excited by the second as her bloodlust surged. She swung Napoleon with full force.
"Mamamamama — take this! Mikata!"
This was a technique of the Giant race — a devastating slash released with overwhelming Haki. At full power, it could cleave through an entire island without difficulty. This particular strike used far more force than her previous one.
The dark purple crescent hadn't even arrived, yet Buggy's group already felt the sword pressure bearing down on them like a physical force, threatening to tear them apart. The ground itself cracked from the force, surface tiles ripping up like they'd been shovelled away, leaving the earth scarred and gouged in its wake.
Buggy wasn't afraid — he could simply split his own body. But Enel had to dodge.
Doflamingo, whose own Devil Fruit hadn't awakened either, quickly wove sturdy threads into a barrier, standing firm before the Mikata. This was similar to his Birdcage, except these threads were pulled taut rather than constricting.
In Doflamingo's estimation, these threads should have blocked most attacks. But they only momentarily halted the Mikata's advance before snapping apart in rapid succession. One by one the threads gave way, unable to withstand the overwhelming force behind the slash.
A series of taut, snapping sounds reverberated through the air like breaking strings on a giant instrument, each fracture sending a shudder through everyone's hearts as the barrier crumbled.
Then, in that critical moment, Shanks stepped forward. Griffin — the Western-style blade — was now entirely black, coated in his Haki. The understated yet luxurious black cloak draped over his red hair billowed outward with the force of his aura.
"Kamiyabushi!"
Big Mom heard a word that made her blood run cold.
[
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