A massive golden island-ship loomed over the horizon, its hull shining like a mountain of treasure. The crimson dragon flag of the Wild Dragon Pirates snapped in the wind, its menacing sigil blazing under the sun.
Five kilometers from Cake Island, the enormous vessel had come to a halt. After all, this wasn't a ship—it was a floating continent, ten kilometers long, large enough to block out the sun if it approached too closely. Sailing such a beast right over Big Mom's territory would look less like a visit and more like a declaration of war.
Even Souta Kiryuu wasn't arrogant enough to steal the spotlight from one of the Four Emperors—especially when he was here to marry her daughter.
The Ark Revelation, Souta's flagship, led several flying battleships through the clouds toward the island. On the shore below, Charlotte Linlin, the fearsome Big Mom herself, stood waiting with her brood of monstrous children and legions of animated Homies, all assembled to greet the "Dragon God" of the New World.
"Sluuurp! So sweet… so fragrant! The whole sea smells like syrup!"
Bonney, the gluttonous woman with an appetite that could shame an island, stood at the prow, licking her lips as her eyes glittered.
"An ocean of syrup! A castle made of cake! Streams of cream! Cookie soldiers! Is this paradise?!"
Yamato, the little tomboy with her wide, glowing eyes, clutched the rail in awe. Compared to this sugary wonderland, Wano's starving villages might as well have been the underworld.
Even Souta couldn't deny it—the place looked like something out of a child's dream. The walls were edible, the streets paved with chocolate, and the air smelled like sugar. No wonder Big Mom had eaten herself into her current state.
Bonney pointed toward the syrup sea. "Whoa! Those fruits are huge! And… are they smiling? Souta! Can I eat one?"
He sighed, brushing a lock of silver hair back. "We're on Big Mom's turf. Eat later—just don't try to eat her citizens by mistake."
He still couldn't get over how strange this woman's empire was. The "sea" around Cake Island wasn't seawater at all—it was syrup, thick and shimmering, infused with Homies Big Mom had given souls to. No wonder she could command the ocean itself in the old stories.
"Mama mama mama! Souta Kiryuu—you've finally come!" Big Mom's piercing laugh thundered across the waves, so loud it made the decks tremble. "This year's tea party will be more exciting than ever, now that you're here!"
Her small eyes gleamed with greed as they darted to the figures standing behind Souta—white-haired, dark-skinned Seraphim, glowing with angelic power.
The Charlotte family lacked only a few races to complete Big Mom's insane "all races under one banner" dream—the Giants, the Lunarians, and the nearly extinct Buccaneers.
Sixty years ago, her relations with the Giants had imploded. A failed arranged marriage, a runaway daughter named Lola, and a humiliated prince had sealed that fate forever. Since then, no Giant had ever spoken to Big Mom again.
The Lunarians and Buccaneers were even rarer—hunted to near extinction. Only a few remnants existed: King, one of Kaido's "Disasters," and Kuma, Souta's right-hand man.
Now Big Mom's gaze locked on Souta's Seraphim. A hybrid between Lunarian fire and Buccaneer might—a creation that could finally fulfill her dream.
"You've got a cozier setup than Kaido ever did," Souta said casually as he descended the ramp. "My crew's been starving to try your cooking."
His body grew with every step—activating his Mythical Zoan: Great Daibutsu Form—until he stood just under ten meters tall. Big Mom, towering at eight, suddenly found herself looking up.
The Dragon God did not bow to anyone—not even another Emperor.
"Mama mama! You've got so many tricks, don't you?" Big Mom's tongue slithered over her lips as she looked him over. "What a fine specimen…"
"Don't look at me like that," Souta muttered, shuddering.
In an instant, a thunderclap of Conqueror's Haki burst from him. The air thickened. Even the syrup sea rippled. Big Mom took a step back, eyes wide.
Katakuri, her strongest son, felt cold sweat run down his temple. His mind screamed danger. This wasn't just Conqueror's Haki—it was something beyond. A divine aura that bent lesser wills.
Several of Big Mom's weaker children collapsed outright, eyes rolling back.
"Take care of that child," Souta said flatly. "The blood of the D family will serve you well enough. Don't test my patience."
He turned and walked into Cake Island's glittering streets, his officers following—Empress Hancock, the golden Emperor Tesoro, and the silent giant Kuma.
At the edge of the syrup shore, Bonney and Yamato were already elbow-deep in a watermelon Homie, juice and laughter flying everywhere.
Big Mom gritted her teeth. "Mama mama… That arrogant brat—he's even more overbearing than Rocks was." But as her hand drifted to her swollen belly, a strange tenderness flickered in her gaze.
The bloodline of Monkey D. and Charlotte combined… perhaps even greater than Katakuri's. Perhaps a match for Dragon himself.
"Mother." Katakuri approached quietly, voice low with unease. He'd seen that look before—the mix of obsession and danger that preceded catastrophe. "Please, don't provoke him. You know what he's capable of."
He glanced past her at Souta's entourage. Hancock, Kuma, Tesoro—each one a walking disaster. And those weren't even his worst monsters. Souta's second division alone contained legends: Douglas Bullet, Enel, Shiryu of the Rain—living calamities with tempers like powder kegs.
If they'd come here, Cake Island would already be rubble.
Big Mom let out a deep, grating laugh. "Mama mama mama! Go prepare the tea party. Our guest is here to marry into the family, after all."
Her children stared in disbelief. Their mother—the iron tyrant of Totto Land—was backing down. Normally, any insult like Souta's would have earned instant bloodshed. Even Whitebeard or Roger hadn't gotten away clean when they'd crossed her.
Once, Roger had dared to sneak into Cake Island to steal a Poneglyph. She'd chased him across the seas in a rage, raining candy cannonfire the whole way.
But today? She was smiling.
Somewhere deep inside, every one of her children understood why.
Souta Kiryuu wasn't just another Emperor. He was something else entirely—a force even monsters learned to fear.
...
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