The ship sank beneath the waves.
But the clash between Luffy and Katakuri raged on.
Katakuri utilized his Mochi-Mochi Fruit abilities to continuously propel himself through the air, relentlessly attacking Luffy.
Luffy, using Moonwalk, nimbly dodged Katakuri's barrage. Occasionally, due to a momentary lapse in his Moonwalk's speed, Katakuri would successfully predict his movements and land a mochi fist.
However, Luffy seemed unfazed, still full of energy and bouncing around.
Katakuri, on the other hand, was visibly tiring. The constant use of his powers was rapidly draining his stamina, and it was clear he wouldn't last much longer.
Only now did Carl fully grasp the extent of Luffy's improved physical prowess, to the point where even Katakuri couldn't easily overwhelm him. As for strength and speed, witnessing Katakuri being outpaced by Luffy in Second Gear demonstrated just how much Luffy's capabilities had been enhanced.
Once Luffy switched to Fourth Gear, Katakuri probably wouldn't be able to withstand a single direct hit!
Luffy continued to toy with Katakuri in Second Gear. They traded blows, each managing to inflict some damage on the other.
But as time wore on, Katakuri was clearly reaching his limit, while Luffy was only slightly winded, obviously still possessing a significant reserve of energy.
Now, Katakuri fully believed the rumors of Luffy holding back.
Such a person can already contend with the Four Emperors.
It seems my mother's desire to recruit Straw Hat Luffy is nothing more than wishful thinking.
This time, she has incurred the Straw Hats' hostility.
In the future, when the Straw Hats enter the New World, they will likely target the Big Mom Pirates first.
At that point, even if Mama wins, it will be a pyrrhic victory, easily exploited by others.
The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on Katakuri's mind, his expression growing even more somber.
Still, he wanted to gauge the full extent of Straw Hat Luffy's power!
"Straw Hat Boy, you are just like me, still daring to challenge Mama's authority. I advise you to give up and attend Mama's tea party obediently. Otherwise, you Straw Hats will regret offending my mother!"
This guy was truly persistent, using the same persuasive tactic again.
Luffy was genuinely provoked. "Same as you? It seems you won't be convinced unless I show you some real skills!"
With that, he abruptly bit his forearm and inflated his muscles wildly, transforming into his Fourth Gear: Boundman form. Although it looked somewhat comical, Katakuri felt the immense Armament Haki coating Luffy's body, and his expression immediately shifted.
This level of power... I fear even Mama might struggle against it...
"Be careful, this will blow you away!"
As Luffy spoke, he propelled himself forward with a powerful kick, his entire body blurring into an afterimage.
In the blink of an eye, he was before Katakuri. Katakuri had predicted Luffy's movement, but he couldn't react to Luffy's sheer speed. Then, the massive rubber fist, encased in Armament Haki, slammed into Katakuri with tremendous force.
Katakuri coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolled back, and he plummeted into the sea.
The remaining fighters on the tattered ship were trembling with fear, staring at Luffy in horror and disbelief.
They knew how formidable Katakuri was; even facing a Marine Admiral alone wouldn't have resulted in such a one-sided defeat. But to be beaten so decisively by the Straw Hat Boy was truly astonishing.
In other words, the Straw Hats genuinely possessed the strength to contend for the title of Four Emperors!
This realization terrified the fighters, and they instinctively felt that Big Mom would be the Straw Hats' primary target upon entering the New World.
Because Big Mom was considered weaker than the other male Four Emperors, and they were already in conflict with the Straw Hats. Could anyone seriously challenge Whitebeard without first dealing with Big Mom?
Thinking this, the combatants grew increasingly worried.
They had initially believed that joining the Big Mom Pirates would guarantee safety and security, but now it seemed that was far from the truth.
However, the weak had no right to choose; they could only return to their matriarch and report. As for how she would handle this, they could only await her command. Even if it meant their ultimate demise, there was no other option.
"Okay, look, hurry up and grab him, or he'll drown!"
Luffy's words snapped the remaining fighters out of their daze, and they frantically jumped into the sea to pull the unconscious Katakuri back onto the boat.
Luffy turned his attention back to Carl. "Mr. Carl, is my current strength good enough?"
Carl nodded. "Yes, it might still be more challenging to fight Kaido one-on-one, but you should be able to win. I said so!"
"Hahahaha! Four Emperors, I will defeat them all!"
Luffy struck an OK pose, completely oblivious to the fact that there were only three male Four Emperors left.
At this moment, a combatant cautiously spoke up. "Um, Captain Straw Hat, could you... ahem... could we take Mr. Cracker back? If we leave him here, we'll all die!"
"Oh, right..."
Luffy agreed without hesitation, grabbed the unconscious Cracker, and tossed him back onto their boat.
Vivi pursed her lips, but she remained silent. This was the captain's decision, and she wouldn't argue. It was just biscuits, after all, and they were sold everywhere.
But no biscuits would be given to Luffy in the future.
Katakuri stirred at this moment, looking up at Luffy with difficulty. "You... you won."
Luffy grinned. "Yep, I won! I'm really strong! Go back and tell that old hag that when I get to the New World, I'm going to beat her silly and make her wash taro for me and wait!"
Hmm? Taro?
Katakuri frowned, but he understood Luffy's meaning and simply nodded without speaking.
The battered boat, carrying their unconscious comrades, began to limp away, their chances of weathering the storms and successfully returning to the New World uncertain. But that wasn't Luffy's concern.
The news of Luffy's victory over Katakuri and Carl's defeat of Cracker spread like wildfire.
Since it wasn't far from Magic Valley Town, many people had witnessed the events firsthand, observing the battle's progression through binoculars. The news swept across the sea almost instantly, causing a massive uproar.
The second of the Big Mom Pirates' Three Sweet Commanders had been defeated by the Straw Hats!
There was no more sensational news than this!
Many recalled the earlier inferences in the newspapers, suggesting that the Straw Hats possessed the power to threaten the Four Emperors' rule. Now, it seemed that this prediction was likely to be confirmed.
Straw Hat Luffy had effectively earned the title of "Fifth Emperor" even before entering the New World!
In Magic Valley Town, the yellow-haired Bellamy was speaking into a Den Den Mushi with a worried expression.
"Doflamingo, it's true! Katakuri and Cracker of the Big Mom Pirates were defeated by the Straw Hats, and many people in Magic Valley Town saw it! Now, many are calling Straw Hat Luffy the Fifth Emperor, and he'll be your future opponent! How about it? Let me join your crew. My bounty has reached 55 million Berries; I'm very strong!"
"Heh heh heh! Fifth Emperor? This is truly interesting! Bellamy, I don't need subordinates who are like trash. If you want to join my family, you'll have to make some real contributions!"
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