Over the boundless New World sea, the colossal steel giant, the GP02 Physalis, its thrusters spewing full propulsion, headed towards Whole Cake Island.
Inside the cockpit, beside the pilot, No. 4 was Ann, the Phantom Fruit user, trembling with fear.
Today was the day she would demonstrate her value.
Seeing Ann trembling nervously, No. 4 gently comforted her, "Don't be nervous, Miss Ann. As soon as this job is done, you will receive a reward of ten billion Berries. With that money, you can go back home and live a comfortable life."
"I, I know, but, but..."
No. 4's reassurance had no effect.
Ann became even more nervous.
Her delicate and lovely face was filled with extreme fear and timidity.
Because what she was about to do was deeply offend one of the Four Emperors.
Ann had read that wicked fairy tale no less than a thousand times.
She was not stupid.
As a pirate idol from the New World, she was also quite familiar with Big Mom's history.
There were many different versions of Big Mom Charlotte Linlin's history.
Leaving aside the inspiring, terrifying, and frightening parts, every story about Big Mom revolved around one woman:
Mother Carmel.
No one really knew who this nun was, but anyone who had attended a tea party knew that Big Mom's respect for this nun was like facing her own mother.
Big Mom would take out a photo of the nun to consult before doing any major thing, and anyone who dared to insult the photo of Mother Carmel in front of her would suffer a terrible death.
Seeing Ann trembling nervously, No. 4 blinked and smiled, "Miss Ann, don't you want to know the relationship between Mother Carmel and Big Mom?"
"...Huh?" Ann blinked, looking timidly yet curiously at No. 4.
"Alright, we still have some time to fly to Whole Cake Island, so let's tell a story."
The story of Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, in short, can be described as a story of a natural prodigy who went astray.
Like Nezha, Hercules, Kintoki Sakata, and various legendary protagonists born with divine strength, Big Mom showed extraordinary talent from the day she was born.
From birth, it took only five years for her to grow into a small giant of six meters tall.
Charlotte Linlin's growth was frightening and terrifying.
This kind of physical growth was far superior to even the giants.
What was even more terrifying was the terrifying strength that grew with her size.
How strong was five-year-old Charlotte Linlin? Probably most pirates who entered the New World were not her match.
Without any training or systematic guidance, purely by instinct, she had the strength of a Supernova at five.
Along with this terrifying strength came an extremely abundant appetite matching her size, and the frightening 'Eating Disorder' (Sishizheng).
Without warning, or triggered by any reason related to unfulfilled appetite, Charlotte Linlin would enter a state of uncontrollable rampage.
She would not stop this destruction of everything in sight until she ate what she wanted or exhausted her energy and fell asleep.
At the age of five, Big Mom caused irreparable damage in her hometown and was coaxed and abandoned by her parents in Elbaf, the homeland of the giants.
This innocent 'little' girl was adopted by Mother Carmel's 'Sheep's House.'
Mother Carmel was the previous owner of the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Relying on this ability and a staged act with the World Government, she served as a 'Saint' in the Giant Kingdom.
However, secretly, she was a World Government lackey who gathered suitable orphans and delivered them to CP organizations for cultivation.
The innocent Big Mom spent happy years in Elbaf.
Although it may have been less than a year, she suffered an Eating Disorder during the giants' unique twelve-day 'Winter Solstice Festival' fast.
She rampaged, killing the giants until they could no longer resist.
Yes, at just five years old, she shattered Elbaf, a kingdom known for its strength across the sea, with pure physical strength, and even killed the giant hero Jorul with a single blow.
Big Mom, having committed an unforgivable crime, was about to be executed by the giants, but Mother Carmel saved her at the critical moment.
As compensation, she left Elbaf with Big Mom and the children of the Sheep's House.
However, Carmel's plan was to sell Big Mom to CP0, making her the strongest Celestial Dragon shield in history, earning enough money for several lifetimes, and then retiring.
But shortly after leaving Elbaf, during Charlotte Linlin's sixth birthday celebration, Mother Carmel and the orphans of the Sheep's House celebrated with her.
Charlotte Linlin, overjoyed by the birthday cake, ate so absentmindedly from day until noon.
When she finally came to her senses, she was the only one left.
Yes, Mother Carmel and the children had vanished mysteriously.
"Hiss~~~" Ann widened her eyes and inhaled sharply.
If according to the fairy tale book, could it be...
"Actually, no one knows what happened, including Big Mom herself." No. 4 shrugged and chuckled.
"Except for a giant soldier who saw what happened, no one in this world knows the truth. You just need to know that from that day on, the name Charlotte Linlin was branded as 'demon' by the giants, who hated and rejected her. The only race not collected in Totto Land is the giants."
It had nothing to do with Shin whether he discovered the truth of this matter.
He only needed to know that this was an opportunity he could exploit.
Big Mom's special 'Iron Balloon' physique made her difficult to kill, but smashing Mother Carmel's photo in front of her would cause her to cry uncontrollably and temporarily lose the Iron Balloon ability.
However, even more terrifying, after losing her physique, Big Mom would certainly go insane.
This madness was no less severe than the eating disorder.
In the original plot of the Whole Cake Island Arc, Big Mom lost her sanity entirely due to the double shock of Mother Carmel's photo being smashed and the birthday cake being destroyed, chasing the Thousand Sunny relentlessly.
Shin knew how cautious Big Mom would be after being assassinated once.
Katakuri was by her side 24/7.
With his eight-second Observation Haki prediction, there was basically no chance for a surprise attack unless it was a large-scale, unavoidable strike.
Therefore, he needed to make Big Mom lose her sanity completely, instill false memories in her, and then lure her to chase him.
"Alright, Dragon is in position, Kaido is also heading towards Marineford. Now... we just need one more!"
During the conversation, the GP02 had arrived over Whole Cake Island.
Listening to the virtual points received from killing Kurozumi Orochi and a group of Wano plot characters, No. 4 (Poltorto) controlled the tall steel giant to slowly descend through the clouds.
The cockpit in the abdomen opened, and the giant mech's palm slowly moved.
Ann took a deep breath.
The cold air at high altitude made her lungs and heart feel icy.
In extreme fear, she tremblingly activated her ability.
Phantom Fruit: Projection Theater
A massive projection, large enough for half of Totto Land to see, appeared in the sky.
It was a slowly unfolding scroll, like the traveling storytellers in Wano carrying easels and setting up frames to tell stories.
"A long, long time ago, there was a girl named Charlotte Linlin."
Accompanied by Ann's gentle, motherly voice, the scroll in the sky slowly changed, eventually transforming into the image of a giant little girl.
"That is-"
Big Mom widened her eyes.
That girl was her!
"She possessed great power, but it was also accompanied by a curse of eternal hunger. Under the control of her appetite, she would transform into a demon."
"She was abandoned by her parents in the country of giants and adopted by a kind nun..."
Ann's storytelling was excellent.
Her voice was perfect for telling fairy tales, and her Devil Fruit ability was utilized well.
The vivid images unfolded in the scroll across the sky.
The story progressed bit by bit, from the abandoned Big Mom, to her causing chaos in the Giant Kingdom, and then being driven out.
Charlotte Linlin's childhood memories were all recounted.
"Linlin, happy birthday!"
The kind nun holding a birthday cake appeared in the illusion in the sky.
Big Mom on Whole Cake Island widened her bloodshot eyes, reaching out dazedly.
"Mother, Mother Carmel..."
The style of the image changed abruptly again!
The scroll in the sky suddenly turned blood red.
Ann stopped her storytelling voice and sang a strange song in a childlike voice.
"Sweet, sweet, delicious cream puffs, cream puffs like snowflakes~"
"The walls are made of caramel, covered with white cream, delicious, delicious, delicious caramel cream puff tower~"
"Eat, eat, still want to eat after eating!"
"Bread made from wooden tables and chairs, coated with Tatarou blood-red jam, sweet, sweet, so sweet."
"Eat, eat, still want to eat after eating!"
"Squeezing out the eyes of the fish, holding them in the mouth, like delicious mint candy."
The song, sung in a childlike voice, was so eerie, especially when combined with the sudden blood-red background of the scroll, it was terrifying.
The giant girl, drooling greedily, grabbed a miserable screaming Fish-Man child, cruelly squeezed his eyes out, and ate him alive, piece by piece.
The girl laughed, covered in blood and flesh, pouncing on the screaming children trying to escape.
The birthday party that was just joyful turned into a horrific and bloody slaughterhouse in the blink of an eye.
"Mama mama mama, mama mama mama!!!"
She laughed eerily while eating, a sound that Big Mom below was all too familiar with.
"How could this be, what is that, what..."
Big Mom's face was filled with confusion and bewilderment.
Her golden pupils were filled with an unknowable confusion.
Something terrible from the depths of her memory seemed to have been awakened.
"Not good-Perospero, we must stop him!!!"
Katakuri's eyes narrowed.
He had already seen a terrible future in eight seconds.
Without hesitation, Katakuri threw his spear at the GP02 in the sky!
The triangular spear, imbued with Armament Haki, tore through the air, piercing towards Ann with supersonic speed, but it was easily blocked by No. 4 using the GP02's giant nuclear-proof shield.
He had missed the last and only opportunity.
Sometimes, even if you can predict the future, it is useless.
You only get to see the inevitable outcome twice.
"Hungry, hungry, still so hungry no matter what, Mother, go, go, I want cream puffs!"
Accompanied by Ann's increasingly drawn-out singing, the illusion changed again.
Charlotte Linlin, covered in blood and flesh, with an innocent smile, grabbed the screaming Mother Carmel and opened her bloody mouth.
"Mother, I'm so hungry."
Carmel screamed as Charlotte Linlin tore off her arms, stuffing them into her mouth, followed by the terrifying sounds of chewing flesh and bones.
"Delicious strawberry cream puffs, thank you for the meal~~"
Ann's song stopped at this final thank you.
The illusion dissipated, and Ann tremblingly jumped back into the GP02's cockpit.
"It has begun!" No. 4 laughed joyfully.
Big Mom's eyes slightly narrowed.
Her mental barrier was breached when she saw the story, especially seeing Mother Carmel being eaten by her, filling her heart with a frenzy of horror.
No matter how her sons advised her, it was useless.
Her bewildered eyes were completely trapped.
Memory is never a reliable thing, especially those vague memories.
Like how people always want to eat childhood snacks when they grow up, those 'delicious snacks' are the result of vague memories enhanced by psychological effects.
That vague memory, which Big Mom herself couldn't recall, only needed a little guidance for her to subconsciously generate a false 'memory.'
Whether she actually ate Mother Carmel and the children was irrelevant.
She only needed to believe that she had actually done it.
"Mama mama mama mama mama mama!!!!!!!!!!"
Big Mom suddenly began to wail uncontrollably.
The horrific sonic wave instantly knocked Katakuri and Perospero away from her side.
The violent sound wave, mixed with terrifying Conqueror's Haki, caused all the residents of Whole Cake Island to faint.
"Not good, Mom's 'physique' has been lifted, Katakuri, quickly protect Mom!"
Perospero, resisting the pressure of the Conqueror's Haki, shouted at his brother.
Katakuri did nothing but pick up the triangular spear that had fallen nearby and said solemnly,
"He is not here to kill Mom."
No. 4 (Poltorto) inside the GP02 happily watched the wailing Big Mom.
This Iron Balloon was now as fragile as a normal person.
With one shot, he could kill this guy.
But he wouldn't do that.
He wasn't here to kill Big Mom.
On the contrary, he was just here to take her away.
"Prepare, let's start."
No. 4 adjusted the engine angle.
Ann once again released her Phantom Fruit, projecting a giant Mother Carmel into the air.
"Mother, Mother! Mother!!!!!"
Big Mom, in her frenzy, walked towards the giant phantom of Mother Carmel.
The phantom smiled, opened its arms to her, but quickly moved away from her.
"Wait for me, Mother!!! Zeus, Prometheus!!"
The rampaging Big Mom frantically summoned her Homies.
The white Zeus instantly transformed into a massive dark thundercloud beneath her feet.
Prometheus attached to her head, making her hair burn like fire.
Her eyes turned an abnormal and eerie golden color.
Driven by Zeus, she rapidly chased the GP02 soaring away in the sky, chasing the image of Carmel.
"Perospero, you must be careful when I'm not here. I have a very bad feeling. That guy's target isn't just Mom!"
Katakuri, who had anticipated this, had already jumped onto Big Mom's thundercloud.
After giving his last instructions, he followed Big Mom, chasing the soaring GP02 in the sky.
"Target, Marineford!" No. 4 pushed the engine to the limit, laughing wildly.
"The Four Emperors, assemble!"
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