Chapter 290: Katakuri and The Beginning
"Worried about your brothers and sisters?" On the top floor of the institute, Louis mused.
Katakuri had headed straight for the street where the Charlotte Family members lived the moment he arrived on Terra. It was clear he was telling the truth.
The two stood facing each other. Katakuri looked at Louis, who was even taller than before, and felt a wave of complex emotion.
Once, the Big Mom Pirates had coveted the power of the Lunarians and Giants, targeting the Archangel Pirates. After multiple invitations failed, his brother, Oven, framed them, which escalated the conflict with the Whitebeard Pirates. In retaliation, Archangel sent his brother to the Marines, triggering the war that led to the collapse of the Big Mom Pirates. Mama and many of his siblings had died at the hands of the Marines and Celestial Dragons.
Unable to support the crew alone, he'd had no choice but to send his remaining siblings to the Beasts, Golden Lion, and Archangel Pirates for safety. He had considered the Red-Hair Pirates, but when he saw that one of the enemies hunting his family had the same face as Red-Hair, he'd given up that idea and placed them on Terra instead.
After that, he'd led his few remaining strong siblings across the seas to draw attention, until, finally, he was the only one left.
Katakuri knew his family's downfall was a direct result of their own decisions. The fault did not lie with Archangel or Louis.
That was why he could stand here and speak with Louis calmly.
"Lord Louis," Katakuri said, his gaze sharp, "you must already know that Whitebeard and his fleet are on their way here."
"I know," Louis nodded.
"You're not evacuating the residents?" Katakuri looked out at the sprawling city below. "Even a weakened Whitebeard, wielding the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, can unleash a natural disaster. His power may no longer threaten a top-tier fighter, but the aftershocks alone are enough to destroy this city, which is larger than many islands."
Louis's reply was simple. "I've made special arrangements."
The Fantasy Species, Gaea, had already stopped expanding the land and was lying in wait beneath the city, ready to block any attacks.
Katakuri accepted this. It was Louis's territory; he wouldn't let it be destroyed.
He looked up at the world-spanning Treasure Tree Adam. "This... Adam tree... has grown so large." He vaguely remembered it being much smaller on his last visit. He was stunned.
"Katakuri," Louis suddenly asked, "we're making a move on the World Government. Are you in?"
In Louis's eyes, Katakuri was strong. Future-sight Observation Haki, Conqueror's Coating, and a Paramecia Awakening. He was more than qualified to participate.
"A move... on the World Government?" Katakuri's expression shifted. He caught the nuance in Louis's words. "'We'? You mean it's not just you?"
He wasn't surprised that Louis would attack the World Government. But that someone would be crazy enough to join him... that was unexpected. The World Government would not collapse from a single attack. They would retaliate. Anyone involved would become a target. The Archangel Pirates might be able to withstand the blow, but other crews, even an Emperor's, would be hard-pressed.
He figured the only one crazy enough would be Kaido.
Louis didn't keep him in suspense. "It's Shiki and Ochoku."
"The Golden Lion?" Katakuri was stunned. "I thought for sure it was Kaido."
"Kaido?" Louis mused. "He would be a good addition, but we're out of time. Unless he happens to be nearby."
"Out of time?" Katakuri asked. "When are you doing this?"
"If you're in, I'll tell you the plan."
"..."
"Fine. I'm in." Katakuri agreed without hesitation.
The World Government and the Marines were the ones with his family's blood on their hands, not Louis. He had no reservations about this.
"The timing," Louis said, "is within the next few days. Shiki has already left Hachinosu. By now, he should be near the Red Line. He's going to rip Impel Down out by the roots... and drop it on Mary Geoise."
"..."
Katakuri's eyes narrowed. "Dropping Impel Down... on Mary Geoise? A fine idea. The vicious criminals in that prison will give the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons a nasty surprise."
He knew Level Six held monsters, some of whom were on par with his former self. Unleashing them on the heart of the World Government was a fitting move.
"But," Katakuri frowned, "Whitebeard's fleet is almost here. Is it wise for you to be at Mary Geoise?"
Louis's gaze drifted to the horizon. "Whitebeard? He's also part of the plan. Of course... he just doesn't know it yet."
He then looked up toward Avant Heim. "And, as a reward, I'll return his precious 'son' to him."
Katakuri followed his gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Cracker is with the Beasts Pirates. I can contact him and confirm if Kaido is in Wano. If he's not, and he's nearby... should I tell him part of the plan?"
"No," Louis said. "Just tell him to come here. He doesn't care about plans."
"Understood."
"In that case," Louis said, "I won't keep you from your family."
The scenery around Katakuri instantly blurred. He was no longer on the high balcony, but in the middle of a bustling street, an overwhelmingly familiar, sweet aroma in the air.
I've grown so much stronger, yet the gap between us hasn't shrunk at all? he thought, his heart pounding. He pulled his hood up, his mind reeling. His Haki... it's so strong he can ignore my own and teleport me at will...
"Katakuri-niisan... is that you?" a hesitant voice called out.
Katakuri looked. He was standing in front of a cake shop. A pink-haired, somewhat stout woman stood in the doorway, trembling, her eyes wide with hope.
"It's me, Chiffon."
At the sound of his voice, Chiffon burst into tears of joy, quickly hung a 'Closed' sign on the door, and pulled him inside.
Katakuri looked around the small, clean, cozy shop and finally relaxed. He pulled down his hood, revealing his face.
Chiffon froze.
Just then, a smaller figure emerged from the back. She saw Katakuri, and the cake she was holding slipped from her hands.
"Katakuri-niisan...!" Pudding's voice trembled.
Katakuri looked at Pudding, who was no longer hiding her third eye. He crouched down and gently stroked her head. "It's been a long time, Pudding. You've grown."
"But... your face..." Pudding reached out a trembling hand, tracing the raw, jagged scars that now covered his mouth, her eyes filling with pain.
"..."
Katakuri looked at her worried expression and was transported back decades, to when he had looked at Brûlée's scarred face with that same expression. Now, his little sister was worried for him. Brûlée... was long dead.
"Don't worry," he said, forcing a smile. "It doesn't hurt at all."
After sending Katakuri away, Louis teleported, reappearing in the underground prison.
"Clang... Clang..."
In the dim, foul-smelling dungeon, he materialized in front of the prisoners.
"Boss!" the pirate guards shouted.
Louis looked past them to two specific cells. "Get them out. Take them to the quarry by Mist Ship."
"Understood!"
Soon, two Whitebeard Pirate commanders, "Diamond" Jozu and Izo, were led out in Seastone chains. They kept their heads down, hiding the hatred in their eyes. They knew escape was impossible here. Their only chance was at the quarry.
Louis watched them go, then vanished. He knew what they were thinking, but it didn't matter. Without his permission, they would never leave Terra.
A storm had appeared from nowhere, shrouding the sea in darkness. In the wind and rain, a fleet of ships, all flying different flags, appeared on the horizon, charging toward the massive silhouette of Terra.
At the fleet's head, a whale-headed flagship, the Moby Dick, cut through the waves.
On its deck, the commanders and their crews worked the ship, their faces fearless.
CRACK!
Lightning illuminated the sky, and in that brief, brilliant flash, the pirates saw it.
"Look! In the sky!"
"Report to Marco and the Old Man! There's a fleet above us!"
In the dark heavens, a fleet of massive ships, held aloft by clouds, was descending, surrounding them.
Along the wooden hulls, rows of cannons glinted in the lightning, their muzzles turning as one to aim at the fleet below.
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