Stussy's eyes sparkled, her gaze sharp even across the distance. The clash of wills between those two monsters was so intense it bled through the air itself.
"I'm betting Rorin D. Sol wins this," she said smoothly. "Morgans, you in?"
"Hah! Of course I'm in." The news emperor lowered his binoculars and smirked at her. "You're basically handing me a gift, Stussy. What's the wager?"
"Five Devil Fruits," she replied, her lips curving into a faintly wicked smile. "Or just one top-grade fruit will do."
"No problem! Hahaha!" Morgans burst out laughing. In his eyes, Big Mom was the sure winner. Which meant free treasure for him. After all, nothing in this world glittered more brightly than Devil Fruits—the sea's forbidden jewels.
Still, curiosity won out. "Tell me, Stussy, why are you so sure Rorin D. Sol can beat Big Mom?"
"Reason?" Her laugh was a silken thing. "A woman's intuition."
Morgans clicked his tongue. He had a monopoly on intelligence networks across the seas, yet this woman beside him—he could never quite read her.
As the onlookers murmured and speculated, the battlefield itself screamed with killing intent. A shockwave ripped through the horizon, scattering rubble and stone ten kilometers away.
The two titans had collided.
"Mocha Wall!"
Katakuri appeared before Morgans, palms slamming into the earth. A towering wall of sticky mochi rose instantly, shielding the crowd from the rain of debris.
Everyone froze. Ten kilometers. That was how far they were from the heart of the clash, yet the fallout reached them. The sheer scale was insane.
Even Morgans, who'd seen countless wars and duels, was rattled. Few in the world could unleash destruction like this.
Katakuri clenched his jaw. In this fight, he couldn't even hope to intervene. All he could do was block stray rubble—a humiliating admission for a man of his pride. But it only made his resolve stronger. I have to grow stronger. Much stronger.
The blast left behind a crater stretching thousands of meters, the ground cracked and lifeless.
And at the center of it all—Rorin D. Sol. His glow faded, his breath shallow. Eyes shut, he looked like a man who had spent everything, moments from death.
Big Mom, standing firm, frowned heavily. The truth was, she'd been burned. For the first time since her birth, her skin had blistered—if only for a second. She healed instantly, yes, but the fact remained. She had been hurt.
Morgans sighed from afar, regretful but pragmatic. A dead man was worth less than a living one. Still, he'd won the bet—Devil Fruits secured. That was profit enough.
"As expected, Big Mom wins.""Worth the trip, though. To see a battle on this scale…""This cements her as a true Emperor of the Sea.""No small fry will dare challenge her after this."
Voices rose, the tension easing.
"Stussy," Morgans drawled, smug. "Still time to back out, you know."
Her eyes flickered with the faintest trace of disappointment, though her smile never wavered. "Relax. I don't go back on my word."
Queen of the Pleasure District versus Emperor of the News—their statuses weren't far apart. Neither one bowed easily.
Nearby, Brûlée tugged on Katakuri's sleeve. "Brother, did Mama win?"
"Of course. Mama can't lose." Katakuri's voice was steady, absolute. For them, Big Mom's supremacy was unquestionable.
On the battlefield, Big Mom raised Napoleon high, her massive sword gleaming. "Rorin D. Sol… death will be the price for ruining my tea party! Hand over your life!"
The blade plummeted—
—and in that instant, Sol's lips moved.
"Big Mom. Do you want to know… where the nun is?"
The words were soft, almost careless. But they froze her hand. Napoleon's blade hovered a hair's breadth from his face.
Eyes still shut, Sol looked almost serene, as if spent of all strength.
"Tell me!" Big Mom's roar trembled with urgency. "But if you're lying, I'll make you wish you were never born!"
Her voice cracked with something rarely heard from her: desperation.
Sol's lips curled. "The nun? She's been with you all along."
Big Mom's brow furrowed, confusion twisting her face. "What do you mean?!"
"Simple," Sol said, voice light but cruel. "You ate her. She's inside you. Just like the others. All your companions—devoured by you! Every. Last. One."
The words stabbed deeper than any blade.
[Ding! Charlotte Linlin suffers extreme mental trauma from host's words. Evaluation: SSS. Reward: Universal Doll.]
The system's chime rang in his head, and Sol grinned inwardly. The trap had sprung.
His eyes snapped open. Flames burst from his body, swirling into a blazing vortex. Gold Emperor's Sunfire fused with the deadly aura of a Swordmaster, forming a storm of annihilation.
"Style of No-Sword… Inferno Storm!"
The world ignited.
Heatwaves roared out, infused with sword intent sharp enough to cleave the heavens. His flames and Haki fused into a scything tempest.
"BOOOOM!!""BANG! BANG! BOOOOM!!"
The strike tore into Big Mom, slamming past her defenses. She was hurled across the battlefield, carving a massive trench as she crashed through building after building, before finally skidding to a halt at the crater's edge.
Silence.
The winds calmed. The dust settled. Sunlight broke through the clouds, spilling warmly across Sol's battered figure.
Whole Cake Island froze. Eyes wide, mouths hanging open.
It had happened too fast. Too impossible.
Brûlée's voice shook. "B-Brother… w-why? Why did this happen?"
Even Katakuri was speechless, his certainty cracking.
Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom. Their unshakable Emperor.
She had been struck down.
Defeated.