"What did you say?"
At a warehouse several kilometers from the Cake Castle, Katakuri, who had been overseeing the inventory of gifts for the Tea Party, turned his head sharply, eyes wide in disbelief.
"That guy, White Dragon, actually snuck in disguised as a guest — and made it into the Tea Party venue?"
"Yes, Brother Katakuri!"
The report came from the Minister of Cheese, Mont-d'Or, who was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. "As soon as I realized something was wrong, I came to warn you! Right now, Mama and that guy… they've already started fighting!"
BOOM!
Just then, a loud boom came from outside the window. Katakuri looked up and saw dark clouds gathering over the sky in the direction of Cake Island, with thunder rolling.
His Observation Haki sensed two extremely terrifying and powerful auras violently colliding and crushing each other. The residual shockwaves made his heart pound, even from this distance.
That guy…
After three years, he's clearly gotten even stronger!
"Damn it!"
Katakuri's face darkened instantly. He grabbed the massive trident Mogura leaning by the wall.
"When Mama starts fighting, she loses all sense of restraint… I have to get there immediately and take command!" He barked out, "Mont-d'Or!"
"I'm here, Brother Katakuri!" Mont-d'Or straightened at once. "What do you need me to do?"
"Contact Oven! Mobilize all available troops — escort the guests out in batches and seal off the area around Cake Castle!"
"And another thing — send someone to Cream Island immediately! Bring back Mr. Streusen. If I remember right, the old man's been vacationing there lately! We'll need his help for this battle!"
"Yes, Brother Katakuri!"
Mont-d'Or's heart tightened. He nodded without hesitation, but as he watched Katakuri rush off, his face grew grim.
Cream Island was one of Totto Land's thirty-six islands — not far from Cake Island. A fast ship could make the round trip in under an hour.
But to think even Mr. Streusen had to be summoned…
Two years ago, during the all-out battle against the Beasts Pirates, Mama and Kaido fought so fiercely that the entire sea quaked — yet even then, Mr. Streusen had remained in seclusion.
And now…
The battle had only just begun.
The enemy was only one man, coming alone.
They had the numbers, the home-field advantage, and every resource at their disposal.
And yet — Katakuri was treating it as if the entire family might not be enough.
Mont-d'Or deeply respected and trusted his brother's judgment — Katakuri had never been wrong before.
Which could only mean one thing:
In Katakuri's eyes…
Not just Mama, but even if the Four Sweet Commanders and every Charlotte officer fought together —
they still might not be able to defeat that man.
"How… how is that possible…"
Mont-d'Or muttered in disbelief as he pulled out a Den Den Mushi, hurriedly relaying Katakuri's orders. Then his gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the thunderclouds thickened like a storm of gods.
"Has that man… really become that terrifying?"
...
BOOOM!
A peal of thunder split the heavens above Cake Island. Two figures shot skyward, clashing and separating in an instant — only to collide again midair with another earth-shattering blow.
DOOM!
The entire island trembled. The shockwaves of their fists meeting tore through the air, crossing even the distance to the harbor, where the once-calm waters erupted into violent waves.
And below them—
The Cake Castle, already scarred and cracked from the earlier impacts, began to quake violently under the sheer force of their clash.
Then — one floor after another — it started to collapse.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The muffled crashes echoed endlessly, shaking the entire Cake Island to its core.
"Not good!"
Katakuri had just arrived at Cake Castle when his pupils flashed red — his expression instantly changed.
The very moment the castle began to shake, he made a decisive order: every single member of the Charlotte Family, including the elite officers, was to evacuate immediately.
Meanwhile, the guests who had already escaped stood far away on the grassy plains, staring in shock as the grand Cake Castle crumbled from top to bottom. One by one, they froze in disbelief and horror.
"Th-the Cake Castle… it's collapsing again so fast!"
"As expected… when monsters of that level fight, no building in the world can withstand it…"
"Wait—what do you mean again?!"
"Idiot! If you had attended the wedding back then, you'd understand!"
..
In the sky.
A deafening explosion echoed as the two figures were forced backward by the shockwave of their clash.
Flames and lightning streaked through the heavens, leaving two dazzling trails — one a ghostly blue, the other a brilliant crimson-orange like falling maple leaves.
"Nao, you little brat!!!"
Watching her painstakingly rebuilt Cake Castle collapse once more, Big Mom's beautiful features twisted with fury. She roared and lunged forward, throwing a fist straight at Nao's face.
"How dare you destroy it right in front of me?! I'll tear you apart!"
BOOM!
Nao caught the blow squarely, his fist meeting hers head-on. He sneered, locking eyes with the enraged Emperor just inches away.
"You can't even protect your own life — and you're still worried about a castle?"
The next instant, he unleashed all the power in his body into his right arm!
Big Mom felt it — a terrifying, flood-like force surging through her. For a split second, she couldn't resist at all. The impact sent her flying hundreds of meters before she smashed into a towering clock tower made entirely of chocolate.
KRAK-KA-BOOM!
The ten-meter-high structure shattered instantly, spraying dark chocolate shards in every direction. From the cratered ground below, Big Mom coughed up a mouthful of blood and struggled to her feet, staring up at Nao's motionless figure hovering midair — her eyes full of disbelief.
This brat... during the earlier clashes where he seemed evenly matched with me, he actually hadn't used his real strength at all!
Such terrifying power... how is it possible!
Big Mom remembered clearly — three years ago, during the great battle in the North Blue, she had indeed lost to him. But that was only because the tide of war turned against her. She'd been anxious, enraged, and unstable — giving him the opening to strike her down.
In terms of raw power, stamina, and destructive ability, she had been clearly superior then!
But now, after just three years…
Nao's strength hadn't just caught up — it had surpassed her, by an entire tier!
"No… impossible… absolutely impossible!!"
Blood vessels bulged in her eyes as she raised a trembling hand and roared,
"Napoleon!!!"
At her command, the pink bicorne hat on her head instantly transformed — morphing into a massive broadsword of immense width and gleaming edge.
The Emperor's Sword!
Three years ago, the first Emperor's Sword that Napoleon had become was cleaved clean in half — destroyed by Nao's own blade.
Now reborn and infused with new soul power, Napoleon's aura and hardness were clearly far stronger than they had been three years ago!
"You—come here too!"
Big Mom's left hand snapped upward. From the sky, Prometheus, who had been hovering uncertainly, immediately turned into a streak of golden light and shot down, merging into the blade. Flames roared to life around it, wrapping the sword in blazing fire as bright as the sun itself.
"The little warm-up just now—don't get cocky over that tiny advantage you had!"
"Next, brat… it's time I show you what my real power is now!"
"Emperor's Sword—Endless Inferno Blade!"
With her furious roar, she stepped onto Zeus and soared into the air, raising her burning sword high overhead. The blazing light flared hotter and hotter, then came slashing down toward Nao's head with terrifying speed—faster than the eye could follow.
SHHHHHK!
Even before the blade struck, the suffocating heat hit like a wall. The air boiled, the atmosphere rippled, and it felt as though everything nearby would melt into the air itself.
"From fists to blades now, huh?"
Seeing the fiery strike descending, Nao showed no trace of panic. The corner of his mouth curled into a mocking smile as he slowly drew the twin thunder-wreathed swords of Yone from his chest.
"I'll admit it—your diet did work, Charlotte Linlin. You've gotten a little stronger since three years ago."
"But unfortunately…"
With his grip tightening on the twin hilts, Nao lifted his gaze, face utterly expressionless.
"…before me as I am now, that little improvement means nothing."
"Twin Sword Style—Wind Thunder Annihilation!"
His cold voice fell like steel. The Azakana Sword and the Wind Blade crossed and swung outward in unison—terrifying lightning energy gathered in an instant, then exploded outward in all directions!
Wind Thunder Annihilation.
This was the first trump card ultimate attack Nao had mastered after stepping the Master-level Swordsmanship realm and successfully developing his own Wind Thunder Sword Style based on the Wind Technique Sword Style.
And after three years of relentless refinement and training, the power of this single sword technique had already crossed another threshold, far surpassing its former might!
CRACK—CRACK!
A cold light flashed, and two magnificent, pale-blue sword energy abruptly surged out, their momentum vast, like pealing thunder, illuminating the entire sky covered by dark clouds.
As this single sword strike was unleashed, the lightning in the heavens and the howling winds of the world seemed to be simultaneously summoned, drawn to their target, Big Mom below, and descended upon her with a crash!
Compared to the slash unleashed by Nao.
Big Mom's flaming "Inferno Blade" was like a tiny stream before a vast ocean. In might, in scale, in sheer force—it was utterly insignificant.
BOOOOOOOM!
The cataclysmic storm finally descended, swallowing Big Mom and Zeus in an instant. Thunder roared across the heavens—far louder and more terrifying than before—shaking the very skies themselves!
Within the raging maelstrom, torrential rain poured down in sheets, as though the heavens had opened a waterfall upon the earth.
Endless vapor rose into the air. White mist spread and rolled outward, until the entire Whole Cake Island, along with the nearby coastal waters, was transformed into something like a heavenly sea of clouds.
Everyone on the island saw nothing but blinding white before their eyes — their vision fading into fog.
..
Far away, on a wide open lawn—
Whether it was the Charlotte Family's elite officers or the underworld emperors gathered for the tea party, all of them instinctively looked up toward the sky above the island, staring blankly at the battlefield.
As for the ordinary guests, they were utterly terrified. Many had even forgotten to take shelter from the rain — standing there drenched, mouths hanging open, staring dumbly into the heavens.
This… this level of battle… this kind of sword technique…
Is this really something a human can do?
...
After an unknown amount of time.
The trembling of the ground finally subsided. The dark clouds dispersed, the heavy rain ceased, and the previously dimmed light returned to normal.
High in the sky, within the dispersing clouds, a deep rift could be faintly seen — an enormous gash in the heavens itself.
That rift stretched endlessly toward the horizon, seemingly without end or beginning, as if the entire sky had been cleaved cleanly in two.
All fell silent.
On the vast, soaked lawn, countless people trembled as they gazed toward the center of the battlefield — where Nao stood motionless in the air, twin blades in hand, his entire body wreathed in lightning.
Below him—
The once-grand Whole Cake Castle was now a ruin so shattered it was barely recognizable. At its center, a massive crater yawned open, and in it knelt Big Mom, one knee in the scorched earth, her enormous body bloodied and trembling.
Her face was pale as paper. Every muscle in her frame shook violently — she seemed to be using every ounce of strength she had left just to stay upright.
The second-generation Emperor's Sword, Napoleon, lay several meters away, having slipped from her hand. Though not completely broken, its luster was gone — its soul's energy nearly extinguished.
"How… how could this happen…"
Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son, stared as if he'd seen a ghost, his voice breaking:
"Th-this has only been half an hour! And Mama… she's already about to collapse?"
"It's not that bad yet."
Katakuri, gripping his trident tightly, stood beside him, voice low and grim.
"Mama's taken a heavy blow, yes… but her state isn't critical. She could still fight for a long time if she pushed herself. It's just that—"
He stopped.
But everyone — Perospero, the Charlotte siblings, and the gathered family officers — understood what he meant.
Even if the battle went on, it wouldn't matter.
It was already clear: White Dragon's strength far surpassed Big Mom's.
There was no longer any chance of victory.
Katakuri's lips pressed tightly together as his complex gaze rose toward Nao, floating silently in the storm-torn sky.
Just as I thought…
Three years ago, he hadn't taken part in the battle in the North Blue — the seven-day, seven-night war between Big Mom and Nao.
But from the words of those who escaped — especially Smoothie's description afterward — he'd reconstructed that entire battle vividly in his mind, remembering every detail.
Like Big Mom, he had believed that Nao's victory then had been by luck and circumstance, that if they fought again, the outcome could go either way.
But now…
Three years later, this man's power had only continued to grow — at a pace that defied reason.
For anyone who had already reached the level of an Emperor or Admiral, further growth in strength was nearly impossible — like trying to climb beyond the sky itself.
But for this man, such limits simply didn't exist.
Recalling that terrifying sword strike, Katakuri couldn't help but feel a shiver of awe — and a wild, impossible thought crossed his mind:
Could it be…
That the current White Dragon's power… has already reached — no, even surpassed — that of the so-called strongest man in the world, Whitebeard?