— — —
Drip.
Step by step, he walked forward. Katakuri's figure was now drenched in crimson.
But it wasn't his own blood—It was the blood of his enemies.
But none of that mattered.
Katakuri didn't care about such things. As long as he crushed every last enemy, that was enough.
"No! Is this guy a demon?!"
"He's not human at all! Help me!" Even these ruthless pirates, men who had long abandoned fear, were now trembling.
To be honest, for the truly powerful, a strong Conqueror's Haki could instantly take down fifty thousand, a hundred thousand, or even more.
But—Those people only fainted. They weren't dead.
While it created a shocking spectacle, the mental impact wasn't absolute.
Anyone with a brain knew that those who fell were nothing but ants.
The real threats were the ones still standing.
But the problem was Katakuri didn't just use Haki and focus on those who stood. He was killing them all.
That was what truly instilled fear.
Drip.
Blood pooled on the ground, flowing like a small stream down the hillside.
Katakuri's voice was cold, devoid of emotion: "Seven hundred and thirty of you remain. If this is all you have to offer, I don't know who gave you the courage to show up here!"
"Aaaah! No!"
"The Celestial Dragons! It's all because of those damn Celestial Dragons! They set us up!"
As Katakuri continued his slaughter, the pirates screamed, their voices like a dam breaking, desperately trying to plead for mercy.
But—It was meaningless.
At this moment, amidst the massacre, the people of the Ryugu Kingdom felt both fear and fury.
Queen Otohime had always longed for peaceful coexistence.
But—Reality was right before her eyes.
"Sigh…" Otohime murmured softly, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"Maybe I was wrong. Peaceful coexistence is just an illusion. In their eyes, the Fish-Men and Merfolk are nothing more than pets."
Cracker nodded. "You're absolutely right. To humans, all non-human races are just pets."
Hearing Cracker's blunt words, the crowd fell silent.
Compote spoke even more directly: "So stop dreaming. Peace? Coexistence? That's impossible. This world is real and brutal. Strength is all that matters."
Mondée agreed. "That's why following Big Bro is the best choice for your future. Otherwise, your fate is nothing but darkness."
One by one, they spoke.
And the people of Ryugu Kingdom had no words to refute them.
Deep inside, they understood.
— — —
Splat!
From the sea of corpses and blood, a lone figure emerged.
Charlotte Katakuri.
Third son of the Charlotte Family.
Vice-Captain of the Big Mom Pirates.
The strongest of the Sweet Commanders.
Even at just eleven years old, he had already begun to shine with invincible brilliance.
The reason was simple.
Once upon a time, as a child, Katakuri trained under his eldest brother.
Joey had placed young Katakuri on a couch and spoken to him gently:
"Katakuri, do you know? One day, you will be an invincible man. You will surpass everyone—beyond even Mother."
"You will be the unshakable pillar of our family. The sharpest blade that cuts down anyone who dares to challenge us."
Those words had never left him.
And so, step by step, he climbed higher.
The strongest. Invincible.
Forever.
Katakuri would never fail—because he was the strongest.
Slam!
Clenching his fist, he took hold of his trident and strode forward, whispering, "Big Bro… can you see me? I will never disappoint you. I am the blade of our family! I am Charlotte Katakuri!"
A firm resolve. Sharp eyes.
A strange sensation suddenly surged through him.
"Cough, cough."
Katakuri abruptly started coughing violently.
Then—Everything returned to normal.
He frowned slightly. "What was that just now? Did I overexert myself? No… That shouldn't be possible for me!"
Pushing aside his doubts, he set them aside for another time.
Right now—He had one task left. To claim Fish-Man Island as Big Mom Pirates' territory.
Totland's domain. The Charlotte Family's domain.
What he didn't know was that his true power was awakening.
His will. His spirit. His strength.
All of it was on the verge of a complete transformation.
— — —
Back on the Queen Mama Chanter
Katakuri calmly said, "King Neptune, everything has been handled. I'll leave it to you to clean up the bodies."
At this moment, the ruthless killer and the composed leader seemed like two completely different people.
This was why Katakuri was called the perfect man.
Under the teachings of Scáthach and Zhuge Liang, he mastered everything faster than anyone.
Cracker, Compote, Daifuku, and Oven were warriors.
Perospero, Amande, Broye, and Custard were strategists and administrators.
Scáthach and Zhuge Liang respected Joey for a reason: He knew how to utilize talent.
He placed his family members in the perfect roles.
Perospero was cunning, making him ideal for the underworld dealings.
Amande was cold yet highly capable, making her the perfect chief minister of Totland.
And Katakuri? He was near being perfect.
For now, he was in charge of protecting their interests in the pirate world.
As for their mother? Joey was completely unfazed.
She loved to go out and have fun.
If she ever got tired of adventuring, she'd return. If not…
She could just be Big Mom Pirates' mascot.
"Understood!" Neptune nodded hastily. "Katakuri, I must ask one more thing—please leave the Big Mom Pirates' flag here. That's the only way—"
Katakuri nodded. "No need to worry, King Neptune. I know what to do. Big Bro said it himself: Fish-Man Island is our ally, under our protection. No one will dare cause trouble here."
With that—Katakuri's arm stretched into a massive form, gripping an enormous pirate flag.
Slam!
Step by step, he walked toward the central plaza of Fish-Man Island.
Half an hour later—Before countless onlookers—Fish-Men, world government officials, underground brokers, pirates—Katakuri raised the flag high.
Boom!
He drove it into the ground.
Then, gripping his trident, he declared coldly:
"From this day forward, Fish-Man Island belongs to the Big Mom Pirates! Anyone who dares lay a hand on it—will be our enemy! A battle to the death!"
No one doubted Katakuri's words.
After all, the Big Mom Pirates weren't just about Katakuri.
Just now, he had slaughtered over ten thousand men in one go. Though terrifying, those opponents weren't exactly strong.
But the real problem? If you mess with Fishman Island, All Big Mom Pirates will come for you.
Katakuri will come.
And if Katakuri comes, so will Linlin, the Big Mom.
Linlin—one of the former commanders of the Rocks Pirates!
Even in this era, the name of the Rocks Pirates still loomed large.
Golden Lion, Whitebeard, the Big Mom—
These three were once the most powerful commanders of the Rocks Pirates, their strength beyond doubt.
But more importantly— The Big Mom Pirates were backed by the Charlotte Family.
Simply put, this was a deep pit.
One wrong step, And you're dead.
Regardless of what others thought, the moment that flag was planted, it signified the full realization of Joey's vision for the Charlotte Family's three branches.
Amande managing Totto Land.
Perospero overseeing the Dark Trade Guild.
Katakuri leading the Big Mom Pirates.
The three major branches of the Charlotte Family were now complete.
Getting started was always the hardest part. But once the foundation was set, everything else would come more easily.
Neptune immediately stepped forward. "Lady Linlin, Sir Katakuri, please! The royal palace has prepared a banquet in your honor."
"Good!" The group followed Neptune toward Ryugu Kingdom.
Queen Otohime remained silent, shaking her head.
At the entrance of Ryugu Palace, Fisher Tiger deliberately lagged behind before finally speaking. "Your Majesty, your vision was not wrong."
"In the past, Fishman Island had no choice but to seek the World Government's recognition in order to peacefully coexist with humans."
"However…"
Tiger's expression turned serious. "Now, we have backing. Do we really need to fear humans anymore?"
In the past, the Fishmen were not incapable of fighting back.
They simply couldn't afford to.
They feared provoking the Marines and bringing disaster upon themselves.
But now, things were different.
With the protection of the Big Mom Pirates, With the backing of the Charlotte Family, It was time to fight back.
Otohime sighed in distress. "That's exactly what worries me! If we begin to retaliate, the Fishmen's long-repressed anger toward humanity will be unleashed entirely. And when that happens…?"
Tiger, however, shook his head. "Your Majesty, no one can have it both ways. You can't expect to gain something without making sacrifices."
With that, he walked away, leaving Otohime standing there, lost in thought.
Indeed. She had hoped for the protection of the Charlotte Family without completely severing ties with humanity.
But was that even possible?
Impossible.
Joey wouldn't allow it.
Neither would anyone else. Fence-sitters were the first to die in times like these.
Now, Otohime had to make a choice and she knew there was no way to avoid it.
A neutral stance?
Joey would never allow it.
"Sigh…" Otohime let out a soft breath, her decision becoming clear.
Sometimes, Living in constant fear and submission was far worse than taking a bold step forward.
If they won, the Fishmen's status would be forever changed.
If they lost, they would be left with nothing.
But they had already come this far.
Why not take the gamble?
"Heh…" Otohime chuckled softly. "Sometimes, kindness isn't always a good thing."
"Indeed!" Compote nodded. "Your Majesty, kindness is not always a virtue! Big Brother was right. You will come to understand how to handle this matter."
Hearing this, Otohime was intrigued.
"Did Sir Joey foresee this?"
"Big Brother said that while you are kind, you are also capable of making decisive choices. That means you represent the will of the Fishmen."
"Huh…"
"Does he really think so highly of me?"
"Big Brother believes that you are the soul of the Fishmen, while Tiger represents their fighting spirit."
"I see…"
As they talked, Otohime and Compote continued toward the palace.
As for what would happen if Otohime failed to make the right choice?
No one asked.
No one answered.
Smart people knew better than to speak of such things.
.
.
.