Chapter 103: BIG MOM's Invitation!
[New World - The Sea of Juice - Outer Borders of Totto Land]
"Lord Suzaku!"
A sharp, clear voice cut through the salty air, breaking the tranquility.
Ram, the pink-haired maid, descended from the crow's nest. She didn't climb down the ladder; she dematerialized into a streak of blue lightning, reforming instantly beside the captain's chair with the grace of a cat. Tiny sparks of static electricity danced on her fingertips, a sign of her heightened Logia senses reacting to the electromagnetic field of the atmosphere.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Ram?"
Suzaku lowered his porcelain teacup, looking relaxed. He was lounging on a deck chair, enjoying the rare peace after the chaos of the last few days.
"Did we find another Sea King for lunch? Akame is still digesting the last one, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind seconds."
"No, my Lord." Ram's face was serious, her ruby eyes narrowed as she looked toward the horizon. "It is not a beast. It is a ship. There is a pirate vessel heading straight towards us at high speed. It is on a direct intercept course."
"Huh?"
Suzaku was startled. He set his teacup down on the small table Rem had set up with a soft clink.
He subconsciously looked back at the main mast. The huge pirate flag, adorned with a stylized, burning Vermillion Bird, fluttered proudly in the wind. It was the symbol of the "Fifth Emperor," a flag that had just destroyed Enies Lobby, defeated an Admiral, and shaken the foundation of the world.
"That's strange," Suzaku muttered, a playful smile touching his lips as he stood up. "Our name should have been established by now. The newspapers were quite thorough. Is our reputation not working in the New World yet?"
He walked to the steel railing, his black coat billowing in the wind.
"There are pirates who don't know any better, daring to provoke us so quickly?"
One should know that their current bounty total exceeded five billion Berries. With such achievements, any sane pirate—even in the chaotic New World—should be fleeing in the opposite direction or bowing in respect.
"Are they greenhorns looking for a quick death to make a name for themselves?" Suzaku mused, tapping the railing rhythmically. "Or... are they strong individuals with absolute confidence in their own power?"
"This is interesting."
Suzaku, with the mindset of enjoying a show rather than fearing a threat, gazed in the direction Ram pointed.
On the distant horizon, a ship of extremely unique style was cutting through the violet waves.
It wasn't a galleon. It wasn't a battleship. It looked like a hallucination brought to life.
The ship's design was distinctive, bordering on grotesque. Its hull appeared to be crafted from wood enchanted to look like giant biscuits and dark chocolate slabs. The masts resembled colorful lollipops, and the sails were shaped like huge slices of cream cake, embroidered with the grinning face of a homie.
Even from this distance, a faint, eerie melody drifted across the water, carried by the wind.
"Sugar and spice... waves and ice... who are we going to kill toniiiiight~?"
The figurehead—a giant singing sunflower—was moving its wooden lips, singing a song of death with a cheerful tune.
"It looks delicious," Akame murmured, suddenly appearing beside Suzaku. She held a fork in her hand, her eyes tracking the ship as if it were a giant floating dessert.
"It looks ridiculous," Uchiha Madara scoffed from his leaning spot against the turret. He kept his arms crossed, his eyes closed. "Is this a circus? The standards of warriors in this world are disappointing. There is no dignity."
The fairytale-like candy ship drew closer. It looked cute and dreamlike, appearing completely out of place in the New World, which was usually filled with bloodshed, storms, and steel.
However, before the other party could state their intentions...
The person on Suzaku's ship who tolerated threats the least had already reacted.
"You ignorant intruders..."
A cold, silky voice drifted from Suzaku's right.
Albedo stepped forward. Her usually captivating and beautiful face was now covered with a layer of icy frost. Her golden eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, glowing with a malice that dropped the temperature on the deck instantly.
"How dare you sail this filthy, sugar-coated mockery of a ship into Lord Suzaku's domain!"
As the Guardian Overseer, her instinct—etched deep into her soul—was to nip all potential threats in the bud. Any ship approaching the Supreme Being without permission was an assassin.
"Kneel!"
BOOM...!!!
The next moment, a cold, despairing Conqueror's Haki, completely contrary to her pure white dress, erupted with a roar!
It wasn't the hot, dominating will of a king like Suzaku or Garp. It was the heavy, suffocating pressure of a demon from the abyss. It was the will of a Yandere who would burn the world to protect her love.
Wherever the Haki passed, the sea seemed to freeze for an instant. The waves stopped rolling. The sunlight turned cold and gloomy, filtered through a miasma of killing intent.
This terrifying will, like an invisible, pitch-black tide, swept directly across the water and slammed into the gaudy candy ship!
Creak! The candy ship groaned under the pressure, its singing figurehead instantly silenced.
Suzaku did not stop her.
He recognized the Jolly Roger. A skull with pink lips and a tricorne hat. It belonged to one of the Four Emperors (Yonko) who reigned over the New World—"BIG MOM" Charlotte Linlin.
But so what?
He had come to the New World precisely to tear a piece of flesh from the Yonko. Defeating a Yonko would bring him massive Legend Points and a territory to develop. Killing two birds with one stone.
"Let's see how they handle a greeting," Suzaku smirked. "If they sink from this, they weren't worth talking to."
[The Big Mom Pirates' Ship - The Queen Mama Chanter]
On the deck of the biscuit ship, the atmosphere shifted from festive to apocalyptic in a split second.
"Ugh!"
Charlotte Katakuri, the strongest Sweet Commander, let out a muffled grunt. His feet rooted to the deck, the candy-wood cracking under the strain. He refused to give way, but his scarf fluttered violently in the Haki wind.
His eyes widened.
What... is this pressure?!
"Nii-san!"
Behind him, the sound of bodies hitting the floor echoed like dropped sacks of flour.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Nii... san..."
Charlotte Galette, the Minister of Butter, clutched her throat. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Foam spilled from her lips. She collapsed, along with dozens of elite Chess Soldiers and crew members. They fell in droves, unable to withstand the clash of monsters.
The entire crew—except for Katakuri and a few veterans—was knocked unconscious instantly.
"Damn it!" Katakuri cursed inwardly.
He had been stationed in Totto Land for many years, accustomed to running rampant with the formidable reputation of the Big Mom Pirates. Most ships surrendered the moment they saw the flag.
For a moment, he had forgotten that the other party was a ruthless individual who dared to confront an Admiral at Sabaody and escape unscathed. They weren't scared of Yonko. They were hunters.
This Haki... it belongs to that woman? The 'Blackwing Demon'?
Katakuri's sweat beaded on his forehead. He realized with a jolt of horror that in terms of raw Conqueror's Haki output... this woman might be superior to him.
He dared not be distracted. If he lost focus, the pressure would crush the remaining crew members' minds permanently.
I'm not here to fight. Continuing this is meaningless!
"STOP!"
Katakuri used all his strength to condense his voice into a Haki-infused beam, piercing through the violent pressure wave.
"WE ARE THE BIG MOM PIRATES! SENT BY MAMA TO DELIVER A MESSAGE! WE HAVE NO HOSTILE INTENT!"
The shout echoed across the water, carrying a desperate authority.
On the Pola, Albedo's eyes narrowed. The suffocating pressure of death slowly receded, though it didn't disappear. It hovered around the enemy ship like a guillotine blade waiting to drop.
She turned her cold gaze to the man sitting behind her.
"Lord Suzaku?"
She was asking for orders. Kill or spare?
Suzaku smiled. He swirled his tea, watching the ripples in the cup.
Just arrived in the New World, and a Yonko is already sending a messenger? Big Mom moves fast.
"This is too interesting," Suzaku chuckled.
He nodded slightly at Albedo. "Let him speak. He survived your greeting. That earns him a few minutes."
"As you wish."
Only then did Albedo completely retract her aura. Instantly, she transformed back from a demon into the graceful and sacred Guardian, full of poise. It was as if the monster from moments ago was an illusion.
[The Deck of the Pola - 10 Minutes Later]
The gangway was lowered.
Charlotte Katakuri boarded the steel ship alone. He left his unconscious crew to recover on their vessel, knowing they would be hostages otherwise.
He walked onto the deck of the Pola, his spurs jingling on the metal. His tall stature—over five meters—usually made him the most imposing figure in any room.
But here... in front of the group of "monsters" gathered on the deck, he felt strangely exposed.
His sharp gaze quickly swept over everyone present, analyzing threats with his Observation Haki.
First, the pale man leaning against the wall, looking at the clouds. Ulquiorra Cifer.
The intelligence stated that he alone had defeated Admiral Akainu. Just standing there, he exuded a deep-seated, nihilistic aloofness. He didn't even look at Katakuri.
He doesn't perceive me as a threat, Katakuri realized with a chill. That is terrifying.
Next, the black-winged beauty who had just crushed his crew. Albedo.
She was now meekly standing behind the Captain, pouring him more tea with a loving smile. There was no trace of her Haki. But Katakuri would never forget that pressure.
A loyal dog is the most dangerous kind, he noted. She is a fanatic.
And then... there was another man.
Standing alone by the ship's rear rail, arms crossed, looking out at the sea.
He was dressed in ancient crimson armor. He had long, spiky black hair that flowed like a lion's mane.
Uchiha Madara.
Katakuri's Observation Haki twitched violently. He could feel it—an arrogant aura that looked down on the entire world. It was restrained, but it felt like a sleeping volcano. The Chakra rolling off him felt ancient and bloodthirsty.
Who is that? Katakuri wondered, sweat beading on his forehead under his scarf. There's no information on him. Is he a samurai from Wano? Another monster Suzaku picked up? How many does he have?
Finally, he focused his gaze on the young Captain sitting in a deck chair.
"Vermillion Bird" Suzaku. Bounty: 1.8 Billion Berries.
He looked so young. Excessively handsome. Relaxed. He didn't have the rough edges of a pirate like Kaido or the manic instability of Big Mom.
But he was the absolute core. He was the gravity that held these unruly monsters together. The man who could make these proud warriors submit.
"Welcome aboard, Charlotte Katakuri," Suzaku said, smiling. "Sorry about the rough welcome. Albedo is protective."
"It is... fine," Katakuri grunted, his voice muffled by his scarf. He tried to maintain his composure. "I am used to strong greetings."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope sealed with pink wax and a skull emblem.
"I am here on behalf of Charlotte Linlin."
"So..." Suzaku put down his teacup, breaking the silence. His tone was as relaxed as a neighbor chatting over the fence, completely ignoring the fact that he was talking to a Yonko Commander.
"You mean... in half a month..."
Suzaku leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with amusement and calculation.
"BIG MOM wants to invite the Suzaku Pirates to attend her Tea Party in Totto Land?"
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