At the banquet in the Fish-Man District, the members of the Donquixote Family were having a wonderful time. And why not? With the Donquixote Family's current power, no one would be stupid enough to pick a fight with them. Most people were just there to suck up.
Trebol, in particular, was enjoying the feeling of being fawned over. He felt like he was floating on a cloud, absolutely euphoric.
But when real trouble arrived, he came crashing back down to earth, his blissful expression vanishing.
Trebol was very self-aware. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have "invested" in Doflamingo when they were just kids. He knew his entire high-ranking position was thanks to Doflamingo.
Although he couldn't fulfill Hody Jones's request, Trebol didn't beat himself up over it. Knowing your own strength and acting within your limits—that was how you stayed in your position.
While Trebol was drinking happily, King Neptune was having a miserable time. To complete his transaction and, more importantly, to avoid offending Big Mom, he was doing his best to meet his guest's demands.
That's right: the pirates who had come to Fish-Man Island for trade were from the Big Mom Pirates. And the one sent to complete the transaction was the head of the Sweet Commanders himself, Katakuri.
Normally, Big Mom wouldn't send someone of Katakuri's status for a simple trade. With his strength and position, wasn't it beneath him? But Mama's Tea Party was fast approaching, and Fish-Man Island's sweets were her absolute favorite. Furthermore, Big Mom planned to invite Doflamingo, who had been making waves across the seas. To do that, she had to send a heavyweight.
It was a show of strength. If she sent some small-fry to invite Doflamingo, Doflamingo would take it as an insult, and the two might end up in an unresolvable conflict.
Big Mom didn't want that. She coveted Doflamingo's strength. If their two crews could ally, she would be one step closer to claiming the title of Pirate King.
Of course, this was just Big Mom's one-sided wish. Doflamingo had no intention of joining forces with her, nor did he have any interest in the title of Pirate King.
At the Ryugu Palace, Neptune was enthusiastically hosting Katakuri. Katakuri, in response, was neither warm nor cold; he was simply indifferent.
"King Neptune, get Mama's sweets ready. We are in a hurry," Katakuri said coolly.
"Rest assured, rest assured! I'm already pressing them to hurry. It will be ready very soon, very soon!" Neptune replied, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.
Katakuri said nothing more and left on his own.
Back on his ship, Katakuri received a report from the scouts he had sent out. They had confirmed the presence of Donquixote Family officers on the island. A plan began to form in his mind.
"Katakuri, what is it? Are the Fish-Man Island sweets ready?" Big Mom's voice boomed from the Den Den Mushi.
"Mama, the sweets are ready. I've also confirmed the presence of the Donquixote Pirates on the island," Katakuri reported.
"Mamamama! The Donquixote Pirates? Katakuri, grab them and bring them here, too!" Big Mom laughed and immediately gave the order.
"Mama, that's what I was thinking."
"Mamamama, very good! Katakuri, hurry back. I want to eat those Fish-Man Island sweets! If only that island were mine. That old fool, Whitebeard..." As she spoke, Big Mom's temper began to sour, and she sounded on the verge of a full-blown rampage. The crew members around her didn't dare to even breathe.
"Mama, I will return as soon as possible."
With that, Katakuri ended the call. He set off for the Fish-Man District, his aura brimming with overwhelming power.
The banquet had lasted for a day and a night, a time for forgetting sorrows and letting loose. When Katakuri arrived, all he saw was a district full of bodies, dead-drunk and posing no threat whatsoever.
Omm...
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki radiated from Katakuri, instantly shocking the sleeping pirates awake. The weaker ones, of course, simply sank deeper into unconsciousness.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
Trebol, the first to his feet, stared seriously at the newcomer, alarm bells screaming in his head.
"Friend, what can we do for you? I am Trebol, an officer of the Donquixote Family," Trebol said, forcing politeness.
"You're coming with me. You won't be harmed," Katakuri replied coldly.
"You want us to go with you? That's impossible, G!"
"That's right! We're officers of the Donquixote Family!"
Lao G and Jora, now also awake, quickly chimed in, glaring at the imposing man.
"It seems you're choosing the hard way," Katakuri said, his brows twitching as he amplified the force of his Haki.
"Neh, neh, that little trick? Katakuri, your Haki is nothing compared to our Young Master's," Trebol shot back, resisting the pressure with a sneer.
"Is that so? I, too, would like to meet Doflamingo. Come with me, and you'll be able to see him soon enough."
"We don't need you to go to the trouble. A famous man like you, picking on us?"
"It seems I'll have to use force."
Done talking, Katakuri launched his attack, giving them no time to react. He unleashed a massive amount of mochi from his arm, planning to restrain them all at once.
Trebol's Sticky-Sticky Fruit was, in truth, remarkably similar to Katakuri's Mochi-Mochi Fruit. But the difference in their power was the difference between heaven and earth. There was simply no comparison.
"Sticky Meteor!"
"Feel the power of art!"
"Jio-Ken!"
"Fish-Man Karate: Eight Thousand Tile True Punch!"
With a powerful enemy at their doorstep, Arlong and his crew didn't just stand by and watch. These were Doflamingo's beloved subordinates; they couldn't let them be taken!
The group managed to block Katakuri's first wave. A few fish-men even tried to launch a sneak attack, but their spears and swords passed right through Katakuri's body as if he were a Logia.
"Isn't he a Paramecia?! How can he do that?!" Jora cried out in confusion.
"I don't know, G!"
Trebol's expression was grim. He knew, given his opponent's strength, that they were in deep trouble. Escaping from Katakuri would be next to impossible.
In that moment, he missed Doflamingo more than ever. When the Young Master was around, he never felt any pressure at all.
"Do you see the gap now?" Katakuri said. "Resistance is futile. Just come with me."
"Behehehe! Our strength may not match yours, but we haven't lost our backbone! You want us to come with you? Not a chance! You'll have to beat us first!" Trebol put on a brave face. With Doflamingo at his back, he didn't believe he was in any real danger. Even if he was captured, he had faith that Doflamingo would come to save him. He would save his family!
"Good. Spoken like one of the Donquixote Pirates. In that case, I will just have to beat you all down and take you by force." Katakuri appreciated the show of spirit. A coward wouldn't have been worthy of his time.
"Die, Katakuri!"
Hody Jones made his move, launching a sneak attack while Katakuri was talking.
Katakuri despised that kind of behavior.
As a result, Hody was the one who got beaten the worst.
Although Trebol and the others resisted fiercely, the gap in power was not something that could be bridged by numbers.
One by one, they all fell.
Katakuri had completed his mission. He dragged the defeated officers back to his ship, and along with the "gift" from Fish-Man Island, he set sail for Whole Cake Island.
As for the Tea Party invitation he was supposed to deliver? He wasn't going to bother. What better invitation could there be than the lives of the Donquixote Family's top officers? This might make relations between the two crews a bit... unfriendly. But they were pirates. Who needed to be friends?