Stussy's elegant eyes sparkled with amusement. Though she stood at a distance from the battlefield, the intense clash of willpower between the two combatants was impossible to ignore.
"I'm betting on Prometheus," she said with a knowing smile. "Jacob Bovan has the edge. Want to wager, Morgan?"
Morgan chuckled and lowered his telescope. "You're basically handing me a gift. Sure, what's the bet?"
"Five Devil Fruits. Or one top-tier fruit, if you prefer."
"No problem at all," Morgan replied, laughing heartily.
In his mind, Big Mom's victory was inevitable. Before long, he'd have a few rare Devil Fruits added to his collection. Who would turn down free treasure especially when it came from the sea's most coveted prizes?
Still, he asked out of curiosity, "What makes you think Prometheus can beat Big Mom?"
Stussy's smile deepened. "If you must know... let's call it a woman's intuition."
Morgan smirked, but inwardly, he remained cautious. Despite his vast information network and access to classified intelligence, he could never quite get a read on the woman beside him.
As the crowd debated the outcome, a sudden surge of spiritual pressure swept across the island. The sky darkened, winds howled, and violent shockwaves laden with gravel and debris erupted outward from the center of the clash.
They had collided.
"Mochi Wall!"
A figure suddenly appeared in front of Morgan, slamming his palms against the ground. A massive wall of mochi surged up from the earth, shielding them from the oncoming storm of rubble.
The spectators froze in disbelief.
They were at least ten kilometers from the battlefield's center yet the sheer force of the blast reached them here. Everyone knew Big Mom was powerful, but this was monstrous.
Even Morgan, the famed news tycoon, had rarely witnessed a battle of this magnitude.
Just how terrifying had the explosion been to send debris this far?
Katakuri clenched his fists, frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior. He had come to this position precisely because he couldn't intervene. All he could do now was block flying stones. It was humiliating, and it strengthened his resolve:
He had to grow stronger. Much stronger.
Back at the battlefield's heart, a deep crater had formed, stretching for kilometers. Its cracked surface radiated dryness and lifelessness, charred and splintered from the earlier inferno.
Jacob Bovan lay at its center.
The glow around him had faded. His eyes were closed, breath shallow. It looked as though he was barely clinging to life.
And yet, Big Mom Linlin stood frozen.
A burn. For the first time since childhood, her invincible body had been injured. Though it had mostly healed already, she couldn't deny it: she had been burned by Jacob's flames.
Elsewhere, Morgan exhaled a long sigh.
"What a pity. He would've made front-page news if he survived. Dead headlines don't sell as well. Still, I won the bet. Devil Fruit income secured."
"The rumors were true. Big Mom wins again."
"Even witnessing a fight like this was worth the trip."
"This battle cements her position as one of the Four Emperors."
"Word of this will shake the whole sea..."
As the crowd relaxed, convinced of Big Mom's triumph, Morgan turned to Stussy.
"You sure you don't want to back out?"
Disappointment flickered in her gaze, but her smile never faltered.
"A deal is a deal. I won't back out, Morgan."
They were peers at the top of their respective worlds he, the king of news; she, the queen of the Pleasure District. Their influence ran deep.
Nearby, Brûlée tugged at Katakuri's sleeve.
"Brother… Mama won, right?"
Katakuri nodded firmly. "Mama never loses."
For Big Mom's children, faith in her strength was absolute. Only the other Emperors could rival her no one else dared to challenge that throne.
Back on the battlefield, Big Mom raised her sword, Napoleon, high above her head.
"Prometheus," she thundered, "you dared ruin my tea party. Death is the only fitting price. Now DIE!"
She brought the blade down in one swift, decisive arc.
Just then, Jacob, still lying motionless, whispered softly:
"Linlin... don't you want to know where the nun is?"
The blade froze. It halted in the air, just a hair's breadth from Jacob's face.
Eyes still closed, his voice was gentle, almost serene like a man on the edge of death, already halfway to the next world.
"Speak," Big Mom growled, eyes blazing. "But if you're lying... I'll make sure you die screaming."
Jacob smiled faintly.
"She's always been with you."
Big Mom's brows tightened.
"What... are you saying?"
"It's simple," Jacob said, voice still light. "You ate her. Just like the others. She's part of you now. They all are."
His words were calm but each syllable was a dagger, stabbing at the heart of her deepest trauma.
"You. Ate. Them. All."
DING!
Target Charlotte Linlin has suffered extreme psychological trauma due to the host's words.
Emotional shock rating: SSS.
Reward: Universal Marionette obtained!
Jacob's lips curled into a victorious grin.
His plan had worked.
In an instant, his eyes snapped open, and fire erupted from his body like a raging vortex. The legendary Golden Emperor Flame surged forth, fused with the sharp-edged will of a Sword Saint.
All the intent and clarity he had cultivated in his moment of near-death exploded outward in a final strike.
"No-Blade Style: Inferno Tempest!"
A cyclone of heat spiraled outward from his body. Within it danced Sword Intent, the scorching intensity of the Emperor Flame, and the slicing edge of Armament Haki nothing could stand in its way.
BOOM!
CRASH!
BOOM!
The devastating attack slammed into Big Mom's shoulder.
Her formidable defense was pierced in one clean blow.
The sheer force hurled her backward, tearing through buildings and carving a deep trench in the earth. She skidded across the ground for hundreds of meters before coming to a stop at the edge of the crater.
Silence.
Dust settled.
Sunlight broke through the clouds, bathing Jacob's body in a warm golden light.
The once-celebratory Cake Island stood still.
Everyone was stunned.
It had all happened so fast.
"Brother... wh-why?" Brûlée stammered. "Why did this happen?"
Even Katakuri stood in stunned silence.
Big Mom their unstoppable mother had been defeated.