The surprise on Big Mom's face flashed by in an instant, like a stone tossed into a calm lake, leaving only brief ripples behind.
Then an exaggerated smile spread across her face.
"Mamamama!"
Big Mom let out a strange laugh.
Her voice echoed through the air with an oddly penetrating force.
Her enormous body rushed toward Ron with an agility completely at odds with her size.
Every step made the deck tremble slightly.
"Isn't this our genius Ron?!"
As Big Mom shouted, she bent down. Her huge mouth, painted with bright red lipstick, was almost pressed against Ron's face.
A heavy fragrance mixed with an indescribably strange odor rushed toward him.
"I never expected to run into you here!"
As she spoke, she carefully took out an exquisite glass bottle, handling it as though it were the most precious treasure in the world.
Under the sunlight, the bottle refracted colorful rays.
Inside, a few milliliters of dark red liquid slowly flowed with her movements, flickering with an eerie glow.
"Look!"
Big Mom was as excited as a child showing off a new toy, her eyes shining with fanaticism.
"This is the blood of one of the Five Elders—Saint Saturn!"
Her voice became sharp from excitement.
"I saw that old man transform with my own eyes! He's definitely a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user! And…"
She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Ron, the greedy light in her eyes growing even stronger.
"It's the kind of power that's absurdly strong! Ron, kid, can you help me turn this blood into a Devil Fruit?"
"Saturn? Saturn's blood???"
Ron took a deep breath, trying to calm the shock in his heart.
He had never expected Big Mom to actually obtain such a precious blood sample from one of the Five Elders.
Countless thoughts instantly flashed through his mind.
Just as he was about to respond, a bold burst of laughter suddenly interrupted his train of thought.
"Gurarararara!"
Whitebeard laughed loudly as he walked forward.
He casually lifted a large bucket.
The metal bucket shone with a cold gleam under the sunlight, giving off a heavy and solid impression.
Whitebeard tossed it to Ron as easily as throwing a toy. The seemingly casual motion contained astonishing control of strength.
The metal bucket drew a graceful arc through the air and landed steadily in Ron's hands.
"Ron, kid, we've got some 'local specialty products' on our side too!"
Whitebeard's voice was loud and full of confidence. His smile was like warm sunlight in winter, making people feel deeply at ease.
Ron hurriedly caught the metal bucket.
When he saw what was inside, his pupils suddenly contracted, and disbelief flashed through his eyes.
The bucket was more than half full of dark red liquid. It swayed slightly inside, giving off a mysterious and powerful aura.
There were at least two liters!
"This… this…"
He looked up at Whitebeard, his voice trembling slightly.
"Captain, did you… pin Saturn to the ground and drain his blood?"
Whitebeard grinned, revealing a neat row of white teeth. There was a trace of pride in his smile.
"That old guy left behind quite a few 'souvenirs' when he ran away!"
He patted Ron on the shoulder with his broad, powerful hand, nearly knocking the young man to the ground.
"How about it? Enough for your research?"
Ron nodded, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two containers in his hands.
The few milliliters of sample Big Mom had protected so carefully looked especially precious inside the delicate glass bottle.
Meanwhile, the half bucket of blood Whitebeard had casually thrown over gave off a bold and domineering presence.
Ron could not help imagining the scene of Saturn fleeing in panic, battered and miserable under the pursuit of the Whitebeard Pirates, finally leaving behind these precious samples.
Big Mom, meanwhile, stared fixedly at the bucket of blood Whitebeard had brought.
The jealousy in her eyes almost seemed to take physical form.
She had gone through so much trouble to obtain such a small sample.
She had thought she could use it to accomplish something shocking, but who would have thought Whitebeard's side would bring it by the bucket?
That jealous expression made her already distorted face look even more ferocious.
"Damn you, Newgate!"
Big Mom's bloodshot eyes were like an abyss burning with ghostly flames, locked firmly onto the huge metal bucket Whitebeard had thrown to Ron.
At that moment, her pupils shrank violently from extreme shock.
The tiny glass bottle she was carefully holding, containing only a few milliliters, suddenly seemed pitifully small in comparison.
The bottle flickered weakly under the shifting light and shadows.
Compared with the amount of blood Whitebeard had obtained, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
The blood Whitebeard had collected was dozens of times more than the few milliliters she had worked so hard to get from Saturn after countless difficulties.
That massive difference stabbed fiercely into her heart.
"Mamamama…"
Big Mom's laughter rang out abruptly in the silent space, but it had become twisted and sharp, making people shudder.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the glass bottle.
She had exhausted herself and spent no small amount of effort just to get this tiny bit of precious blood from Saturn.
But Whitebeard?
He had brought it by the bucket!
That full bucket of blood radiated an aura that made her almost go mad with jealousy.
The gap was like an insurmountable mountain standing before her, causing a fire of jealousy to surge in her chest.
The flames burned fiercely, almost devouring her reason completely.
What angered her even more was that now Ron had the massive amount of blood provided by Whitebeard, his need for the few milliliters in her hand had instantly dropped.
The Five Elders' blood, which had seemed priceless in her eyes, had fallen from a dazzling pearl into a roadside stone. In the blink of an eye, it had become an optional scrap.
That cruel realization struck her heart like a heavy hammer.
Big Mom's powder-covered face twisted, and the muscles beneath the makeup seemed to twitch with rage.
"Newgate…!"
Big Mom growled through gritted teeth, her voice filled with endless resentment and fury.
A terrifying, vicious light burst from her eyes, like a cold blade that could pierce through any obstacle.
Her enormous body trembled slightly from anger, and the ground beneath her feet shook with it.
Her Conqueror's Haki leaked uncontrollably, causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear in the ground around her as dust rose into the air.
But soon, she forcibly suppressed her anger.
After all, Whitebeard and Ron were practically family.
Their relationship was like a sturdy fortress. No matter how furious she was, there was nothing she could do.