Whole Cake Island had finally begun to take shape.
"Morgans, you weren't involved in the slave market. Do you really need to come here?" Stussy asked with a smile.
She was the one passing information to Ren, and as the queen of the entertainment district, she knew a lot about the Underworld.
"I feel like there's going to be big news," Morgans said bluntly, stating his purpose.
"You mean the Celestial Dragon might come here?" another underground figure asked.
"Not sure, but it doesn't bother me either way, right? Hahaha," Morgans laughed heartily. In the Underworld, there was only profit—no one cared about sympathy.
"You're just here to watch us make a fool of ourselves?" the king of loan sharks, Lu Feld, said angrily.
Of course, not all underground emperors came here seeking protection. Some were confident enough to rely on their own power.
"Welcome, everyone," Perospero greeted them.
"This is just a small token," Each underground emperor presented gifts. If they wanted protection, it was only natural to prepare something.
"Giggling, please follow me," Perospero said, leading them to Big Mom.
At this time, Big Mom's figure hadn't yet changed drastically, though with so many children, she was beginning to resemble her later appearance.
"Linlin, these are all the sweets I collected during my travels around the world. I specially brought the chefs here to make them for you," Stussy presented a pile of desserts.
"Mama, how thoughtful of you," Big Mom accepted everything. As long as the chefs from around the world could satisfy her, they would live.
"Mama, in any case, welcome everyone. Now, the Celestial Dragon bloodline is within reach," Big Mom laughed loudly.
The underground emperors swallowed hard. They hadn't expected that she would be targeting the Celestial Dragon's bloodline. Stussy appeared perfectly normal on the surface.
Next came the banquet. Big Mom's crew hosted a grand party, waiting for Ren and his group to arrive.
...
"Five days… finally," Ren said as he checked Stussy's Vivre Card. After confirming the location, he stood up.
"Ren, come with me," Katakuri said coldly.
"Is the Big Mom Pirates trying to protect those slave traders?" Ren drew his great sword, ready to strike if the answer wasn't right.
"Mom won't let you kill them," Katakuri replied.
Ding.
Ren disappeared from sight. Katakuri used Observation Haki to locate him. At this moment, his strength was decent, but his Armament and Observation Haki hadn't fully developed yet.
Ren easily cut him until he lost consciousness.
"Brother Katakuri, damn it!" The other siblings didn't care that he was Big Mom's target. They were furious.
"You're no match for me," Ren said, releasing Conqueror's Haki and pressing down toward the center of the island. Most of the people there immediately passed out.
"Do we even have the right to stand in front of him?" Daifuku said, a look of despair on his face. He had once looked down on Ren.
Ren finally checked his simple status panel.
[Basic Swordsmanship: Lv max]
[Observation Haki: Lv max]
[Armament Haki: Lv 9]
[Conqueror's Haki: Lv 9]
[Physical Combat: Lv9]
He was now just one point away from mastering Conqueror's Haki Infusion. He needed to meet Rayleigh—or even Whitebeard—to master it through battle.
Soon, a clash of Conqueror's Haki erupted between Ren and his opponent. But it was obvious that Ren's Haki overpowered hers.
"Mom's Conqueror's Haki lost to him? Impossible!" Oven couldn't believe it. The shock made him spit blood, and he couldn't even stand.
"This is big news. Celestial Dragon Ren has stronger Conqueror's Haki than Big Mom. This sea is about to descend into chaos," Morgans said, taking photos of the rift in the sky.
The King of Loan Sharks had already passed out. Stussy remained calm and quietly passed information from a hidden spot while everyone else was unconscious.
Ren lifted his head and saw a woman flying from afar. She was young and beautiful, her figure still intact.
"Big Mom," she said, attacking immediately. Her cheerful mood at seeing the Celestial Dragon bloodline instantly vanished. Her Conqueror's Haki had lost, and she was furious.
Ren's sword turned black. Despite the massive size difference, he parried her strike and even seemed to overpower her slightly.
At that moment, everyone else at the scene finally passed out completely.
"Charlotte Linlin, I need the head of the underground emperors. Can you move aside?" Ren shouted as he forcefully struck her back.
"Mama, of course not," Big Mom began launching attack after attack, each slash cutting through the sea behind Ren.
Every time Big Mom struck, Ren countered with his own blade, pressing her from a position of advantage.
"Big news, big news, Ren's strength is still underestimated," Morgans kept taking pictures from afar.
"Not going closer?" Stussy asked with a smile.
"No, if I get closer, I'll pass out immediately. That would be deadly for a reporter," Morgans replied. "Besides, the photos from this distance already say enough."
"The battle between the two will probably last a long time. Are you going to follow the entire fight?"
"Of course, it's a journalist's duty," Morgans said with a fanatical expression.
The battlefield belonged to the two fighters.
The guards had sailed away, leaving the fight to Ren.
With steel-like skin and Armament Haki protection, even Ren's Armament Haki struggled to pierce Big Mom. He didn't yet master internal destruction or Conqueror's Haki, but it was enough to make him a top-tier fighter.
Ren slashed again, sending Big Mom flying, and the island began to crack and split.
The island was on the verge of sinking. He began to understand Big Mom's defense—it seemed similar to Observation Haki, since Armament Haki can cause internal damage, and the same mechanism could provide defense.
Stussy was not idle. She rescued Big Mom's children one by one. She knew Ren could not kill Big Mom, so she needed to use this chance to earn the woman's trust.
"Ren!" Big Mom roared in anger.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, arcs of electricity flashing. A massive thunderstorm was about to strike.
"Hera."
"Yes, Mama," a thundercloud began to gather power.
Ren used Armament Haki to protect himself while countering Big Mom's attacks with his blade.
This time, it was Ren who was sent flying, blood gushing endlessly.
The lightning strike brought a tingling sensation, and his body's recovery ability quickly began to heal him.
"This… is Conqueror's Haki Infusion?" Ren said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Sure enough, a future Yonko couldn't possibly not have mastered it.
It seemed this battle marked a qualitative leap in his abilities.
Stussy noticed that Ren's aura was still strong and let out a sigh of relief.
The next part of the fight was not easy for Ren.
The opponent's attacks bypassed his external Armament Haki and struck inside, shaking him and forcing him to spit blood.
But these wounds began to heal quickly thanks to his recovery.
Soon, he charged back and clashed with Big Mom again.
At this level of combat, Observation Haki was no longer enough.
Armament Haki and various killing techniques mattered more.
No matter how Big Mom attacked, he countered with a single strike—no flashy moves, just unparalleled swordsmanship.
Big Mom was equally shocked.
The opponent had a monstrous body, reminding her of Kaido after he had eaten a Devil Fruit, someone else with an incredible physique.
What surprised her most was how quickly Ren was growing.
He was learning both Armament Haki Internal Destruction and Conqueror's Haki Infusion from her in the process.
**********
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