Chapter 206: The Road Poneglyph
Sea Calendar 1511, January 1st. The day before the start of the World Military Draft.
In the depths of the New World, on an unknown deserted island.
In a wide, open platform that had been flattened by a slash, Big Mom's unrestrained voice sounded.
"Hey, Louis! Are you really not planning to form an alliance with me?"
Big Mom, her entire body firmly bound by thick steel chains and her hands locked in Seastone, had the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. She spoke in a coaxing tone, "Come on, let's form an alliance! I'll marry my most beautiful daughter to you! Whether you like mature women, young girls, or lolis, I can satisfy your requirements!"
Hearing this, Louis's brow furrowed slightly, and he had to continuously suppress the thought of just killing Big Mom on this deserted island.
"What do you think of Smoothie? She's a famous beauty in the New World, and one of the few capable generals under my command." Seeing that Louis did not answer, Big Mom, still not giving up, pointed at her daughter.
And Smoothie, hearing this, did not have any particular reaction, as if she had long been accustomed to all this. Political marriage was an important way for the Charlotte Family to grow, and this time, the person Mama had her eyes on was a rare Lunarian and a top-tier powerhouse. Therefore, it was not surprising that Mama would make an exception and arrange for a combatant of her level to be married off.
As Big Mom's words fell, several of the female members of the Charlotte Family behind her even showed envious expressions. The person in question was not one of the crooked melons and split dates from previous marriages, but the man who was now called the most beautiful in the world. Not long after Big Mom had first proposed the idea of a political marriage with Archangel Louis to her children, the unmarried female members of the Charlotte Family had discussed it in private.
Archangel Louis possessed the world's number one masculine beauty, leaving those freaks of the sea in the dust by dozens of light-years. Therefore, they had all, more or less, fantasized about being chosen by Mama to be the one. Now, their fantasies had been mercilessly shattered.
"..."
To this, Louis, not wanting to see or be bothered, simply closed his eyes.
"Ma~ma~mamama."
After several unsuccessful invitations, Big Mom no longer discussed the matter of marriage. Instead, she shifted the topic to the Anemoi hovering above Louis's head and the Thor within his spear.
"Your ability's creations look pretty good, Louis! I can feel that the power they possess is much stronger than the few Homies that are usually by my side! However, they don't have souls, so they don't have the ability to think and speak like humans. They don't have the ability to act independently, do they?"
As she spoke, a meaningful smile appeared on Big Mom's face. Her gaze was extremely sharp. Coupled with her own Devil Fruit ability, she had seen the advantages and disadvantages of these things at a glance.
After a long while, Louis slowly opened his eyes, met Big Mom's, and silently spat out a sentence. "Can you shut up? Even if it's just a little, you should have the self-awareness of a prisoner. Shouldn't you be lowering your head in shame?"
"Shame?" Big Mom laughed as if she'd heard something funny. "I've been a pirate since I was five, and I've been making a name for myself in the New World for decades. A mere capture is not worth my shame!" she replied, showing her iconic expression.
As her words fell, Big Mom stared, casting a provocative glance at Louis.
Behind him, Smoothie's eye twitched. Cold sweat instantly dripped from her forehead, and she screamed in her heart, "That's enough, Mama! Don't provoke him anymore!"
To Big Mom's arrogant gaze and words, Louis, under everyone's watchful eyes, snapped his fingers.
The next moment, the Natural Water, which was far away on the sea, received the command. It instantly extended a large hand made of cold seawater. The azure hand rose from the sea, crossed the forest, and, in the terrified eyes of the group, slapped down at Big Mom.
"!!!"
Big Mom looked up at the giant hand of seawater smashing down on her, and her expression changed subtly.
BANG!
With a loud crash, crystal-clear water splashed, drenching the clothes of the surrounding people and making them choke on a large mouthful of seawater.
When the group weakly came back to their senses, they saw that the hand made of seawater had already slapped Big Mom into the sea. In the giant ball of water, Big Mom's eyes were wide, and seawater was constantly pouring into her cavernous mouth, her lungs rapidly expelling oxygen.
"Glug, glug, glug..." The sound that a drowning person often makes was heard, reaching everyone's ears.
"..."
"Stop, Lord Archangel!"
"If this goes on, Mama will drown!" Seeing that Mama had already been submerged for several minutes and Louis still had no intention of releasing her, the bound Smoothie couldn't help but shout anxiously.
To this, Louis was unmoved. He coldly watched this scene and let Big Mom drown for another ten minutes. It wasn't until Big Mom's consciousness had completely faded that Louis snapped his fingers again, withdrawing the seawater.
THUD.
The seawater returned to the sea, and the unconscious Big Mom fell face-first onto the ground, falling into a high-quality sleep.
Seeing this, Louis exhaled. "The world is finally quiet."
Nearby, the group saw this, wanting to speak but holding back. In the end, they didn't dare to say anything.
Smoothie looked at her mother, who had resumed breathing, and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. She then began to worry about Perospero, Oven, and the others who had not been released.
Half a day later.
Louis, in his Observation Haki, discovered a pirate ship. On its deck was an aura that was not unfamiliar to him—Katakuri.
Soon, the sailing ship flying the Big Mom Pirates' flag docked on the beach. Two figures, one tall and one short, under Louis's investigation, jumped off the ship and headed straight for the flattened platform.
"..."
Ten minutes later, Katakuri and a man with a lanky upper body, a thick lower body, straw-like hair, and a white face appeared directly in front of Louis.
The unique appearance and build quickly allowed Louis to recognize the other person's identity: the 19th son of the Charlotte Family, Charlotte Mont-d'Or, the user of the Paramecia-type Book-Book Fruit.
As Katakuri and Mont-d'Or approached, the soaking-wet, unconscious Big Mom also appeared before them.
"Mama!" Mont-d'Or subconsciously let out a cry of surprise. He then looked at the man sitting quietly to the side. After a few seconds of silence, Mont-d'Or swallowed the curses that were stuck in his throat.
Katakuri slowly stepped forward. He first glanced at Smoothie and the others, who had no external injuries, and then his gaze fell on his unconscious mother on the ground. "Lord Archangel, what happened to Mama?" Katakuri asked, looking at Louis, neither servile nor overbearing.
To this, Louis replied casually, "She was too noisy, so I let her cool off a bit."
After hearing this, Katakuri's expression and eyes showed no obvious change. Because he also sometimes felt that Mama was indeed very noisy. It was just that due to their status and the power gap, he had never brought it up.
Then, Katakuri skipped over this issue, frowned, and continued to pose a question. "Lord Archangel, Perospero, Oven, and the others... can they really not be returned to us as well?"
To this, Louis gave Katakuri a meaningful look and said something that made him freeze on the spot.
"You didn't really think that the matter of you killing the Whitebeard Pirates' allied captain and framing me for it was well-hidden, did you? That Oven... he's already confessed to everything."
"..."
Katakuri heard this and fell silent. As the second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates, although he had not participated in that operation, it didn't mean he was unaware of it.
After a long while, he sighed faintly in his heart. "At least I have to get Mama back—"He had already lost one of his siblings. If Mama didn't return, he would lose even more. He had the ability to protect Totto Land, but it was impossible for him to be on time every time, to have the absolute power to protect every single one of his younger siblings.
"In that case, let's begin the transaction!"
Katakuri raised his head again, met Louis's casual eyes, and said. "Mont-d'Or, release the items! Cracker and Snack are still in battle. We're on a tight schedule."
"Understood, Brother Katakuri!" Mont-d'Or nodded. He then took out a book from his pocket, opened it, and poured out all the things stored in the pages.
The next second, an ocean of gold poured out, covering the ground. Dazzling gold ornaments were reflected in the puddles that had not yet evaporated. On its surface, several wooden boxes inlaid with gold, and a square, red Poneglyph, were particularly conspicuous.
"Is this... a Road Poneglyph?" Seeing it, a strange light flashed in Louis's eyes, and he thought to himself.
Louis slowly stepped forward, treading on the ocean of gold ornaments, and came directly before the Poneglyph, examining it closely.
In the distance, the bound Smoothie and the others looked at the giant red stone, a strange feeling in their hearts.
"Brother Katakuri... he's really using this to trade for Mama and us?"
After confirming that the Poneglyph was not just dyed red, Louis, with a thought, summoned a part of Avant Heim from the sky. A giant cloud descended, slowly enveloping Louis, the Road Poneglyph, the wooden boxes, and the gold.
Soon, the giant cloud, under everyone's gaze, rose into the sky, revealing the empty ground.
Katakuri ignored the departing Island Cloud. Instead, he extended his hand, and countless mochi tentacles shot out, wrapping around the unbound parts of his siblings and taking them away.
Several hours later, Big Mom woke up in a room on the pirate ship and let out an angry roar.
"LOUIS!!!"
The next moment, she felt the power surging back into her body, and she subconsciously clenched her fists. "Have I been released?"
Then, she looked with a blank expression at her three Homies, which had gathered around her, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a ferocious smile. "Don't think it's over just like this!"
Soon, Katakuri's voice sounded from outside the door. "Mama, although I don't want to disturb you, there's something I must report."
"Speak!"
"Totto Land is still under constant attack. Compared to taking revenge on the Archangel Pirates, the most important thing at present is to solve the predicament Totto Land is in."
"..."
Big Mom heard him, and her expression changed subtly. After a long while, she gritted her teeth and said, "Those damned things! They only dare to come for my things when I'm not around!"
Realizing that the pirates of the New World were attracted by her collection, Big Mom suddenly had a question. "Katakuri, what did you use to trade me back? Was it gold? Or Devil Fruits?" Gradually, as if she had realized something, her voice became more and. more urgent.
"It couldn't have been the Road Poneglyph, could it?!"
To this, Katakuri, who was outside the door, was silent for a moment. It wasn't until several seconds later that he replied with a blank expression, "All of it. At present, in the treasury, there is only a small amount of gold left, and a few rubbings of the Poneglyphs."
Hearing Katakuri's answer, Big Mom's vision went dark, and her mind instantly went blank.
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 400 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!