"How is that possible?!"
Across the waters of Totto Land, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Everyone—from the Straw Hat Grand Fleet and the Big Mom Pirates to the distant Red Hair Pirates and the assembled giants—watched in stunned silence. Prince Loki of the Giant Race stared wide-eyed, his face contorted in disbelief as he gritted his teeth.
"What kind of joke is this? That kid... he..."
Loki could barely accept the reality of what he had witnessed. He had watched the entire battle unfold: from the moment Luffy was effortlessly swatted away by Big Mom, to his repeated falls and miraculous recoveries. Luffy had not only mastered internal destruction with his Armament Haki but had now achieved the peak of power on the high seas: Conqueror's Haki coating.
"Is this the power of that legendary Devil Fruit?" Sauno asked nearby, his voice laced with realization.
A murmur of agreement rippled through the onlookers. Only that legendary fruit seemed capable of granting such rapid evolution. However, Shanks suddenly interjected.
"No. In these eight hundred years, the owners of this Devil Fruit have changed time and again. This is Luffy's own power—his own will."
Loki showed no respect for the Emperor, his jealousy boiling over. "Don't joke around, Red Hair. Do you think we are all children?"
Loki's anger was rooted in a deep-seated bitterness; he believed that had it not been for Shanks, that legendary fruit might have been his. "I remember you said that kid is only 19 years old. Even monsters like Rocks, Roger, and Whitebeard didn't possess such power at that age. Not even you, Shanks. Now you tell me this is his own strength? Do you think we're all fools?"
Shanks fell silent, unable to offer a convincing explanation. At that age, he had only just formed his own crew. It was Jia Peng who stepped in to diffuse the tension.
"Loki, this world is inherently full of unknowns and miracles. The freedom we pursue as pirates—isn't that what it's all about? If the world remained static, there would be no point. Isn't your own existence, to the giants, a miracle?"
The comment silenced Loki. He had been ostracized since childhood, treated as a demonic anomaly, and he understood all too well what it meant to defy the expectations of the world.
As the debate cooled, Luffy engaged Big Mom in direct combat. The result shocked everyone.
"How? Mom is actually being suppressed!" Perospero, who was locked in battle with Kin'emon, yelled in disbelief, his tongue wagging uncontrollably.
Under the influence of Conqueror's Haki coating, Big Mom's defensive advantage had vanished. Her massive size, once an asset, now made her slow compared to Luffy's Gear Four agility. She was like a heavy tank—offensively dangerous but increasingly inflexible. Facing Luffy's terrifying speed and infused strikes, she was forced into a passive role.
"Gum-Gum: Hydra!"
Luffy unleashed a barrage of iron fists coated in Conqueror's Haki. They struck Big Mom's massive frame with no discernible trajectory, leaving her unable to mount a proper defense.
"So powerful!" Zoro, Sanji, and Yamato watched in awe from below.
"Luffy-kun is already this strong; we cannot drag him down!" Jinbe declared. With his confidence restored, he turned his full attention back to Katakuri, and the intensity of the war escalated across the sea.
As Luffy continued his assault, Big Mom's movements grew sluggish. The accumulation of damage began to show as blood welled from her mouth. Recognizing the opening, Luffy surged with elasticity, crimson lightning coiling tightly around his arm.
"Gum-Gum: King Kong Gun!"
This was the evolved form of his strongest Gear Four attack. His fist, appearing as massive as a giant's, collided with Big Mom's body.
"Boom!"
The roar of the impact transformed into a shockwave that tore through the dark clouds above Totto Land. Big Mom was sent hurtling toward Cake Island like a streak of lightning. Another explosive crash signaled the destruction of the island itself. Cracks raced across the land until the entire island shattered, the earth sinking into the sea as water gushed upward from the fissures.
Luffy landed on a broken patch of land, breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on the crater where Big Mom had been buried.
"So... did we win?" Nami asked, uncertain.
Before anyone could answer, streaks of light—glowing orbs resembling dumplings—began to emerge from the wreckage. Members of the Big Mom Pirates paled at the sight. They knew exactly what those were: the souls and lifespans Big Mom had harvested from the people of Totto Land over many years.
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