"Chiffon, how much longer?"
Snack kept looking back at the door. The faint rumbling from outside indicated that BIG MOM had fallen into a rampage and could succumb to her hunger pangs at any moment. This made him extremely uneasy, and his tone toward Chiffon became somewhat rude.
"It will take a little more time."
Chiffon didn't mind her brother Snack's attitude toward her and continued calmly with the final steps.
Ever since her sister Charlotte Lola ran away from her arranged marriage and left Totto Land, she had been ostracized by her other siblings. By now, she was used to it.
Chiffon directed the other chefs and helpers to place the enormous chiffon cake into the oven, then wiped her sweat. "Alright, now we just have to wait for the cake to finish baking."
Snack let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Since the cake still needed time to bake, he paced around the kitchen a few times before stepping outside to look through the nearest window at the venue set up outside Whole Cake Chateau.
At that moment, BIG MOM was gripping the combat-form Thundercloud Zeus in her left hand, flames several meters high blazing above her head, while her right hand swung Napoleon, reducing the venue to ruins.
"Come out, brat!"
BIG MOM's eyes were bloodshot, on the verge of losing all reason. She paid no attention to the frantic shouts of her children, solely focused on dragging out Reddy, who lacked the dignity of a strong warrior, to beat him up.
Gathering every race in the world was her deepest obsession. Even in her near-mindless state, she still hadn't developed any killing intent toward Reddy.
"Mom!"
Charlotte Perospero was panicking, but when he turned, he saw Charlotte Katakuri coldly watching BIG MOM, and his heart sank.
Is he planning to seize power?
At that moment, Katakuri withdrew his gaze and looked at him. "Brother, Mom is about to fall into her hunger pangs. We must evacuate the residents as quickly as possible."
"Oh… right, evacuate the residents."
Perospero was stunned for a moment but quickly understood.
When BIG MOM was in the throes of her hunger pangs, she recognized no one—not even her own children—let alone the island's residents.
However, BIG MOM would never take responsibility for the casualties.
Once she regained her senses and learned that members of the races she had collected had died, she would almost certainly blame her children.
At this moment, Perospero wanted to volunteer for this relatively easy task, which would also allow him to avoid BIG MOM in her hunger-pang state.
But he didn't have the courage to say it.
After all, he was BIG MOM's eldest son and considered himself the most suitable candidate to succeed her as the leader of Totto Land.
"I'm counting on you, brother."
Katakuri gave him an out.
Perospero immediately felt relieved and regained his confidence. "Leave it to me."
He then took some of their siblings who couldn't contribute much here and hurried out of the venue.
Watching Perospero and the others leave, Katakuri turned his attention back to BIG MOM, who was still rampaging.
The plan had deviated from its intended course.
But what reassured him was that BIG MOM still didn't know the cake had been destroyed.
This was ideal!
"Mom!"
Katakuri signaled the others to step back and stood alone in front of BIG MOM.
"Katakuri, where is that damn brat?"
BIG MOM's eyes glowed with an eerie red light, drool uncontrollably dripping from her mouth—clear signs of her hunger pangs setting in.
"Dr. Reddy has already escaped Whole Cake Island!"
Facing BIG MOM on the verge of a hunger-pang episode, Katakuri remained composed. His words made BIG MOM pause for a moment.
"Huh?"
Drool still dripping, BIG MOM leaned down, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Katakuri.
"Don't lie to me, Katakuri!"
Katakuri met her gaze calmly.
"Dr. Reddy created a clone with the powers of the Float-Float Fruit. He's already about to leave Totto Land's waters…"
"What?!"
BIG MOM, now nearly mindless, couldn't see through Katakuri's plan to lure her away from Whole Cake Island.
That's right.
This was exactly Katakuri's plan.
Leaving a hunger-pang-stricken BIG MOM on the island would mean the destruction of Whole Cake Island.
The best solution was to lead her away. As for which island would suffer next, Katakuri couldn't care less.
Moreover, this would buy Chiffon more time.
As long as Chiffon finished the cake in time, the threat of the hunger pangs would be instantly resolved.
"Zeus!"
Seeing that BIG MOM had taken the bait, Katakuri immediately turned to Zeus.
Zeus blinked in confusion but still left BIG MOM's left hand, rapidly expanding in size.
"Mom, I'll take you to catch Dr. Reddy!"
Katakuri jumped onto Zeus first, adopting a stance that said I'll go with you to capture him.
His performance successfully earned BIG MOM's trust.
BIG MOM leaped onto Zeus, grinning ferociously as she prepared to give the order to depart.
But then, an unexpected voice interrupted at the worst possible moment.
"Are you running away… BIG MOM?"
The moment Katakuri heard that familiar voice, he knew things were about to go wrong—but it was too late to stop it.
"MAMAMAMA… Brat, your biggest mistake was not escaping!"
Seeing Reddy appear, BIG MOM's emotions surged violently, making her forget Katakuri's earlier deception. She cackled wildly, leaping high into the air and swinging Napoleon down at Reddy's head with all her strength.
Reddy kept his hands in his pockets, smiling as if he didn't see BIG MOM's attack.
Just as Napoleon was about to land, a dark figure suddenly flashed in front of Reddy.
Clang!
A powerful shockwave erupted, instantly reducing the already ruined venue to complete devastation.
Invis, gripping the famed sword Shusui with both hands, blocked Napoleon, his feet sinking deep into the ground up to his calves.
Shusui and Napoleon were locked in a stalemate.
At that exact moment, another dark figure flashed in front of BIG MOM.
"Rokushiki Secret Technique… Maximum Six King Gun!"
Reddy murmured with a faint smile.
Currently, his clones had mastered Ryuo to a certain degree, but he wasn't sure if it could penetrate BIG MOM's steel-like skin.
So, before setting off for Totto Land, he had implanted Rob Lucci's shadow into Mon.
Maximum Six King Gun was Lucci's strongest technique, and Reddy believed its power was no less than Jinbe's Fish-Man Karate Secret Technique: Vagabond Drill.
Just as he had predicted.
BIG MOM was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground dozens of meters away.
"Mom!"
Katakuri's pupils contracted sharply. He realized now that he had severely underestimated the strength of these clones.
After all, not just anyone could block a full-power slash from BIG MOM in her rampage, and certainly not just anyone could send her flying dozens of meters.
"Are they monsters?"
Daifuku broke out in a cold sweat, staring in disbelief at Invis and Mon.
Smoothie and the other executives still at the venue were equally shocked. None of them had ever imagined that their invincible mother could be sent flying by someone.
"Hold them off!"
Katakuri quickly made the most appropriate decision. With a single order, he rushed forward alone, thrusting his trident at Invis, who stood guard in front of Reddy.
Seeing this, Daifuku hurriedly rubbed his belt, summoning his Genie to assist Katakuri in attacking Invis.
But the moment the Genie flew halfway, another dark figure descended from above, punching it into the ground.
"What?!"
Daifuku's face paled. He quickly dismissed the Genie and resummoned it.
At the same time, Pyo, who had just punched the Genie into the ground, abruptly changed direction, skimming the ground as he shot toward Daifuku.
In just one exchange, the Genie was sent flying again, leaving Daifuku alone to face the unstoppable Pyo.
Daifuku's face turned deathly white.
"Don't lose focus!"
Oven struck from the side with a Heat Fist aimed at Pyo.
The scorching fist wind howled past but was shattered by Pyo's punch, barely slowing him down.
Still, it was enough.
Daifuku resummoned the Genie, joining Oven in battling Pyo.
Reddy's lips curled into a faint smile.
Ready?
Because I'm about to get serious.
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