While everyone's attention was fixed on Doflamingo and Big Mom, Baby 5 quietly slipped away.
She had her orders from Doflamingo. She bore the heavy responsibility of rescuing Trebol and the others. With a Vivre Card to guide her, the task wasn't too difficult; she just had to follow its direction.
As Baby 5 snuck toward the prison, Doflamingo, high above, had just finished dealing with Katakuri's attack.
His and Big Mom's dangerous gazes locked once more, both bracing for the next round.
Seeing that Big Mom wasn't scolding Katakuri further, Brulee and the others let out a small breath of relief, their eyes following their mother's to the great enemy before them.
Among Big Mom's many children, most were filled with animosity for Doflamingo. But for Katakuri, Smoothie, and Galette, their feelings were far more complex.
Katakuri was conflicted. He respected Doflamingo for his strength and his devotion to his family. But he was also the enemy who had injured their mother, rejected her proposal, and broken his sisters' hearts. It made Katakuri want to tear him apart.
Smoothie and Galette's feelings were simpler: admiration for his power, mixed with resentment. Why did he have to refuse so bluntly? Are we not beautiful?
Doflamingo, of course, had no idea he was the subject of such complex emotions. It was Big Mom's turn to attack, and he had no time to think about anything else.
Her fist, coated in Armament Haki, came at him. Though her body was cumbersome, her speed was not. She aimed straight for Doflamingo's face, intending to destroy that handsome, arrogant smirk.
Doflamingo cursed inwardly. 'This damn old hag! Trying to ruin my face!'
His own fist, wreathed in Armament-infused lightning, met her punch.
The space where they collided rippled like the surface of water.
One punch wasn't enough. Their tempers flared, and they locked into a scorching, high-speed brawl in mid-air.
Meanwhile, Baby 5 had snuck into the prison.
Big Mom's 19th son, Charlotte Mont-d'Or, was in charge here, guarding the prisoners within the world of his Book-Book Fruit. Because he was watching over such important captives, he hadn't attended the Tea Party.
Book-Book Fruit user. Charlotte Mont-d'Or. The one guarding Trebol. Baby 5 recalled the intel Doflamingo had given her.
"Little girl, this is no place for you. How did you get in here?" Mont-d'Or said, his eyes narrowing. He was instantly on alert, and the guards around him tensed.
"You're Charlotte Mont-d'Or, right?" Baby 5 said, trying her best to channel Doflamingo's intimidating posture. "Let Trebol and the others go. Do you have any idea who I am? If you don't, you're going to suffer."
"Where did this sharp-tongued little brat come from? Get lost!" Mont-d'Or's face turned livid. Her sheer audacity was infuriating.
"Such an ignorant man." Baby 5 shook her head, putting on an air of "I'm so disappointed you won't listen to my wise counsel."
"Die, you little wretch!"
Her act was the last straw. Mont-d'Or lunged, attacking her directly.
'How come when the Young Master scolds people, they just take it?' Baby 5 thought, easily dodging his attack. 'Why doesn't it work for me? I must be doing it wrong...'
"Tsk, tsk. You're not very good, are you?" Baby 5's sing-song voice piped up from behind him, causing Mont-d'Or to lose even more face.
His face contorted with rage. "I'm going to rip that smart mouth right off your face!"
"What the hell? When the Young Master says stuff like this, no one calls him mouthy! But when I do it, I'm the wretch? Fine! I'll teach you a lesson! Kneel!" Baby 5 complained, striking back with her own "command."
"You little—!"
"White Hot! Shut your dog eyes and sink into eternal darkness!"
Baby 5's body instantly transformed into a massive cannonball. Just as Mont-d'Or was about to grab her, her entire form began to glow.
FWOOSH!
The super-indestructible-flashbang was born.
Mont-d'Or hadn't taken her seriously. She was small, and he was confident he could handle her. He had tragically underestimated her.
The blinding, intense light seared into his eyes. For a split second, Baby 5 saw the look of pure terror on his face. White Hot was useless against someone with strong Observation Haki, but against an average opponent, it was more than enough.
"Aaaaaaaargh!"
One after another, Mont-d'Or and his men screamed, clutching their eyes as they fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
"Tsk, tsk. You brought this on yourself," Baby 5 said, walking up to him. "Now, let Trebol and the others go."
"Never! Die, you little brat!"
Though his eyes were on fire, Mont-d'Or was not defeated. He had been playing possum. The moment Baby 5 got close, his hand shot out, clamping around her throat.
A wave of asphyxiation hit her. Mont-d'Or's grip was a vice. He held on, ignoring her kicks, as if he planned to take her with him.
"No matter the situation, you must remain calm. Panicking won't save you. The more dangerous it is, the calmer you must be! Baby 5, do you hear me?"
Doflamingo's words echoed in her suffocating mind, jolting her back to her senses. She stopped her useless struggling.
"Hahaha, die, brat!" Mont-d'Or cackled maniacally. So what if he was blind? As long as this brat died, it would be worth it.
But the cold feeling of death he was expecting never came. Instead, he felt... heat. An ungodly, searing heat.
He almost let go, but his hatred made him clamp down even harder.
The temperature skyrocketed. Mont-d'Or's hand was turning bright red, his skin blistering.
"You brat! What trick is this?!" he screamed. There was no reply. Only the wails of his men.
His heart hammered in his chest. A primal terror seized him. Feeling the flesh of his hand literally cooking, he finally, instinctively, let go and scrambled back.
"Nuclear Explosion."
Accept your baptism by bombardment!
Baby 5 screamed in her mind, 'Just die, all of you! I'll blow you all to kingdom come!'
A beautiful, deadly flower bloomed. A violent explosion shook the very foundations of Whole Cake Island.
A mushroom cloud quietly rose into the sky, showing this fantasy world the true power of thermal-nuclear weapons.