"Mo… Mom!?"
Staring at the figure that had been spat out like a piece of trash, the members of the Big Mom Pirates, who had been whispering among themselves just moments ago, suddenly widened their eyes in shock. They stared in disbelief at the bruised and battered woman lying there.
Their "Mama"—the one they worshiped like a god, the one who had given them life—could actually look this miserable!?
Was all of this… really not a dream?!
With Big Mom's appearance, it was as if the entire world had been muted. Everything fell silent in an instant.
And then, at that very moment, the gigantic rocket that had spat her out suddenly began spinning at high speed, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
In the next instant, Luffy's figure burst out from the smoke—his Pokémon-ization and Nika form already undone.
"Luffy!!!"
Seeing him reappear, the Straw Hats instantly lit up with excitement and ran toward him.
Even though they had all been absolutely confident that Luffy could defeat Big Mom, when it truly happened, their hearts still surged uncontrollably.
After all, this meant…
From today onward, the Straw Hat Pirates had truly stepped into the ranks of the world's top pirate crews—not just as so-called "kings" hyped up by the media!
"So, Luffy! Did you really go into outer space just now?!"
Usopp and Chopper, who had already heard from Red what had happened to Luffy and Big Mom, immediately hopped over, asking curiously.
"Yeah!"
Luffy nodded vigorously, then exclaimed with shining eyes,
"It was amazing! I never knew there was a place in this world even bigger than the sea!"
"Red, can we go on adventures in space someday?!"
After answering, Luffy immediately turned to look at the person he trusted and relied on the most—his vice-captain.
Red thought for a moment before giving a less-than-certain answer.
"With our current means, venturing into the stars would still be extremely difficult."
"Even though the Going Merry's flight capabilities are enough to take us into space, the universe is filled with too many unknowns… and it's simply too vast."
"I think… at the very least, we'd need some understanding of the nearby star systems before we could manage even basic space travel."
"Compared to the universe, we're far too small."
"Ah… why does it have to be like that?!"
Luffy, who had just begun to grasp the immensity of space, instantly wilted as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
"Alright~" Red stepped forward and patted Luffy on the shoulder. "It may be difficult, but that doesn't mean it's impossible."
"When the time comes, we can have Usopp and Franky build some insectoid units or machines that can operate around planets. After exploring the surrounding worlds a bit, we can start simple expeditions to nearby planets."
"After all, once we take control of the Totto Land waters, the resources we'll have access to will only increase. Pulling this off shouldn't be too hard."
"And extraterrestrial weapons are indeed a highly deterrent force. If we can master them, they'll be a huge help for our future plans."
"Alright then~"
Hearing Red's plan, Luffy perked up a little. His gaze immediately locked onto Franky and Usopp, his eyes sparkling.
"Franky, Usopp! I'm leaving this mission to you guys!!!"
"You really know how to dump trouble on people~" Usopp sighed helplessly.
He still didn't have much of a concept of outer space, but it definitely didn't sound like an easy job.
Franky, on the other hand, was brimming with confidence.
"Leave it to me! Whether it's tools for interstellar travel or extraterrestrial weapons, I've got it all covered!!!"
"Hehehe~ Having you guys around really puts my mind at ease!"
Luffy grinned widely, his mood fully restored.
At this moment, Zoro also walked over, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly as he asked,
"Alright, Luffy's beaten Big Mom, and the Avengers Alliance and the Straw Hat Grand Fleet have successfully occupied all the islands in Totto Land."
"Shouldn't we start thinking about how to deal with this territory next?"
"You're wrong, Zoro!"
Red replied with a smile.
"Did you forget the rules of our crew!?"
"After something as big as defeating a Yonko crew, the first thing we do next…"
"Is obviously throw a banquet!!!"
"Right, Luffy?!"
"Shishishi! You got it!!!"
Luffy flashed a toothy grin, raised both arms high, took a deep breath, and leaned back with all his might.
"Guys!!! It's banquet time!!!!"
His thunderous roar exploded from his mouth, instantly piercing the heavens and echoing across the seas around Whole Cake Island.
Even the clouds on the horizon were pushed outward by his shout.
And just like that, amid the bustling atmosphere of the Straw Hats, a lively banquet was quickly set into motion.
During the preparations, Red sought out Katakuri, who was still standing there in a daze.
Having firmly believed that Big Mom would inevitably win, Katakuri's mind was now completely blank.
Neither he nor the other members of the Big Mom Pirates had ever imagined…
That their Mama could one day be defeated.
And most critically, the ones who defeated her were a pirate crew that had been at sea for less than two years!
All of a sudden, Katakuri felt as if a red clown nose had appeared on his face, his hair turning rainbow-colored.
Simply put, he felt like a complete clown.
When he saw Red approaching, his expression froze.
Before he could say anything, Red spoke first, his tone as natural and practiced as a superior giving orders to a subordinate.
"Katakuri, go ask the remaining members of the Big Mom Pirates whether anyone is willing, like you, to join under the Straw Hat Pirates."
"Governing the Totto Land waters will require manpower."
"And also… once you're done, bring them all over to join the banquet. I'll introduce you to our captain, Luffy."
"Ah…"
Katakuri froze for a moment. But before he could respond, Red had already turned and left, heading off to share the news of Luffy's victory over Big Mom with their forces occupying the other islands.
At the same time, he instructed them to source materials locally and hold celebration banquets on each island to properly reward their brothers.
For a time, the Totto Land waters once again returned to the lively atmosphere of a tea party.
Only this time, the people creating that bustle had completely changed.
In the end, a total of seventeen members of the Big Mom Pirates agreed to follow Katakuri and join the Straw Hat Pirates.
And the majority of them were female officers from the Big Mom Pirates.
After all, Katakuri ranked first on the "Most Beloved Brother" list within the Charlotte Family, and naturally had his share of devoted admirers.
Moreover, compared to Big Mom—who wasn't particularly kind to her children—Katakuri's gentle treatment of his family made him far more appealing.
Among those willing to join, Red even spotted several familiar faces.
Brûlée, the user of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit; Pudding, the user of the Memo-Memo Fruit; and Chiffon, Lola's sister, whom Red and the others had met before…
Even though they hadn't managed to recruit the other Sweet Commanders, being able to bring in so many followers at once was proof enough of Katakuri's personal charisma.
Though it felt a bit strange, all of them ultimately joined in the banquet.
During the festivities, the Buggy Pirates even showed off one of their signature specialties, putting on a spectacular circus performance that pushed the atmosphere to its peak.
…
…
In the blink of an eye, three days and three nights passed.
The victory banquet finally came to an end.
And three days was more than enough for what had happened in Totto Land to spread beyond those waters.
Especially since Red had deliberately fanned the flames by selling Morgans the scoop…
A photograph showing Big Mom lying unconscious on the ground, while the Straw Hat Pirates raised their cups and celebrated joyfully.
From that moment on…
The entire world learned that the Straw Hat Pirates had defeated the veteran Yonko crew of the Big Mom Pirates and taken over all of Totto Land.
Once again, the world was thrown into an uproar by the Straw Hats!
After three months of silence—just when the world thought the Straw Hat Pirates had gone into hiding to avoid the World Government's pursuit…
They reappeared before everyone in the most high-profile way imaginable.
For a time, even people who weren't particularly sensitive to shifts in the world's balance could faintly sense that…
The Straw Hat Pirates—and their captain, Straw Hat Luffy—were fundamentally different from other famous pirates!
But there was one fact the entire world unanimously acknowledged.
That was—
A new Yonko had been born!!!
…
…
"How is this possible!? How could that old hag Linlin lose to a brat like that?!"
Wano Country, Onigashima.
After learning of Big Mom's defeat, Kaido rose from his throne in an uncharacteristic display, stepping out of the dark chamber. Bathed in bright sunlight, he stared intensely at the enlarged newspaper in his hands.
In the end, his gaze fixed on the photograph printed within it, unable to look away.
"Impossible! How could Linlin be defeated so easily?!"
Though they had gone their separate ways in pursuit of the dream of becoming Pirate King, Kaido had never forgotten the favor Big Mom once showed him.
With the Whitebeard Pirates' influence growing ever stronger, he had even considered joining forces with the Big Mom Pirates to eliminate some particularly annoying obstacles first.
Who would have thought…
That only a few days after the idea crossed his mind, news would arrive that Charlotte Linlin had been defeated.
Kaido remained silent for a long time. His breathing gradually slowed from its initial ragged pace.
Clearly, after a brief moment of calm, he had accepted reality.
But suddenly, Kaido snapped his head up. His eyes were flooded with blazing crimson as he roared at his subordinates:
"Prepare the ships!"
"All combatants, follow me to Totto Land…"
"And seize the Road Poneglyph!!!"
"Oh—!!!"
Hearing Kaido's command, the pirates erupted into cheers, howling with battle lust.
Those who joined the Beasts Pirates were either true monsters—or outright madmen.
Even though the news of the Big Mom Pirates' defeat had shocked them deeply…
Just as Big Mom's children trusted in her strength, the pirates of the Beasts Pirates had never once believed that their captain, Kaido, could be defeated!
Including the three All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates!
In an instant, vast numbers of pirates poured out from Onigashima into Wano, then passed through their exclusive routes and out onto the sea.
A war between Yonko crews seemed poised to erupt in the near future!
…
…
Meanwhile.
The day after the banquet ended.
The Whitebeard Pirates unexpectedly received a call from someone both familiar and unfamiliar.
Aboard the Moby Dick, riding the wind and waves, Whitebeard sat on his throne bare-chested, holding a Den Den Mushi no larger than his fingernail.
After a moment of contemplation, Whitebeard spoke into the Den Den Mushi.
"You're saying… you want me to designate Fish-Man Island as your territory, and in return, we call it even for everything you've done to help my crew?!"
"That's right!!!"
From the Den Den Mushi came Luffy's resolute voice.
"That way, you won't have to keep sending us Devil Fruits either!"
"We already have tons of those things here anyway—gross and inedible, and we can't even use them all up!"
"Gurarararara~!"
Whitebeard burst out laughing.
"This is the first time I've ever heard someone talk about Devil Fruits like that!"
"What an interesting brat! In this world, you're probably the only freaks who could treat Devil Fruits with such an attitude!"
But then, Whitebeard's laughter abruptly stopped, his tone suddenly shifting.
"However, brat…"
"Fish-Man Island is no ordinary place. Controlling it is equivalent to holding the lifeline of every pirate who wants to enter the New World…"
"That's not territory you can just hand over lightly."
Whitebeard paused again, as if deep in thought. After taking a few heavy breaths, he finally said,
"But considering the great favor you've shown the Whitebeard Pirates, I'll make an exception and cede Fish-Man Island to you."
In truth, given the debt they owed to Straw Hat Pirates, Whitebeard wouldn't have felt much reluctance giving up Fish-Man Island.
But Luffy's status was now different—he was a Yonko who could stand on equal footing with him.
There was a difference between how one treated juniors and equals.
Being kind to juniors was fine.
But when dealing with a Yonko who was, in name, his rival, agreeing too easily would make him seem weak.
That was why he sounded so reluctant.
However, Luffy clearly didn't understand any of Whitebeard's inner calculations. Hearing the hesitation in Whitebeard's tone and eager to secure Fish-Man Island as soon as possible, he revealed his final bargaining chip.
"Don't worry! We won't let you lose out!"
"You've already noticed Ace's newly gained power, right?!"
"Red said that if you're willing to cede Fish-Man Island, he can let you—and all the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates—gain similar power!!!"
(End of Chapter)