"Action."
Seeing the one person and three Homies lying unconscious and completely defenseless, Lucien immediately issued orders to the dozen ghosts under his control. At the same time, he moved without hesitation, slipping into Big Mom's private chambers and swiftly locating the photo frame resting on the bedside table.
Inside the frame was an elderly woman with a wrinkled face, smiling gently while dressed in a nun's habit.
Mother Carmel.
The former user of the Soul Soul Fruit.
Among One Piece fans, there had always been speculation that Big Mom obtained the Soul Soul Fruit by devouring Mother Carmel. Lucien had no interest in confirming whether that theory was true.
He had no time to waste.
Grabbing the photo frame, Lucien rushed back into the main hall.
By then, the Sea Prism Stone container had already been moved into position by the ghosts. Big Mom's massive, unconscious body had been placed inside, along with several fruits, apples, bananas, pineapples, prepared in advance.
Lucien followed her in without hesitation.
He had only ten minutes.
As the ghosts outside sealed the Sea Prism Stone container, the interior plunged into darkness. A thick black cloth was draped over it from the outside. Lucien was deliberately imitating Blackbeard's method, ensuring complete isolation.
His right hand hardened, glowing faintly red and illuminating the cramped, oppressive space. Lucien smashed the photo frame without hesitation and burned Mother Carmel's image to ashes.
Next, he opened his system interface and stared at the 50 percent luck boost he had received as a VIP reward for killing Natsuki Subaru.
Lucien clenched his teeth.
He had originally planned to save it.
But the Soul Soul Fruit was too important.
"Ten minutes," he muttered. "Don't fail me."
The moment he activated the 50 percent luck boost, a strange sensation washed over him, as if fortune itself had turned in his favor.
Eight black thorns erupted from his tailbone and shot straight toward Big Mom. Despite some resistance, they pierced her body successfully.
It was not the indestructible steel body he had feared.
Just as Lucien prepared to absorb her, his movements abruptly halted.
A realization struck him.
Big Mom was a Soul Soul Fruit user.
That meant she was an expert in matters of the soul.
Death might not mean true annihilation. Her soul could very well exist independently.
If he recklessly attempted to absorb it, could there be unforeseen danger?
Souls were unpredictable.
Caution was necessary.
Lucien made his decision instantly.
The black thorns withdrew, and a kukri appeared in his hand, its blade glowing crimson. He pressed it against Big Mom's bloated chest, gripping the handle with one hand and placing the other firmly on the spine of the blade as he pushed it toward her neck.
Blood sprayed.
Big Mom's eyes snapped open.
Her massive pupils locked onto Lucien, heavily applied makeup failing to hide the terror and fury within.
Boom.
A terrifying surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted like a tsunami, crashing into Lucien. His pupils shrank violently. His spiky hair whipped wildly, and his head felt as if it had been smashed by a giant hammer, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
Lucien's expression turned feral.
In an instant, he removed his weight restraints. The sound of intense battle music echoed in his mind. A white aura ignited around his body as his power surged to its absolute limit.
This was all out.
The eight black thorns hardened completely, pinning Big Mom's limbs in place. Lucien roared as he forced the kukri down with everything he had.
"Die."
"Die."
"Die."
His voice was filled with urgency and murderous intent.
Black and red lightning intertwined with golden arcs, filling the entire Sea Prism Stone container. With one final, muffled wail, everything fell silent.
Big Mom had awakened too late.
Even one or two seconds earlier, Lucien might have failed.
Strictly speaking, she had not fully awakened. The overwhelming drugs still kept her consciousness submerged. That terrifying burst of Conqueror's Haki was nothing more than instinct.
Lucien did not lower his guard.
He decapitated her without mercy, reducing her head to pulp, then continued until her body was completely destroyed.
The vitality of top tier pirates was monstrous.
That was especially true for a Yonko like Big Mom.
Only when nothing recognizable remained did Lucien finally exhale.
He had witnessed scenes like this countless times.
After confirming Big Mom's complete death, Lucien turned his attention to the fruits inside the container. They were soaked in blood and flesh, the stench thick enough to induce nausea.
Slowly, one fruit began to change.
Strange spiral patterns emerged across its surface.
Lucien stared without blinking, his breathing growing heavier.
It worked.
He grasped the newly formed Devil Fruit, his heart pounding with excitement.
It almost felt unreal.
A Yonko.
Big Mom.
Killed just like that.
And the Soul Soul Fruit had successfully reincarnated.
There was no doubt the 50 percent luck boost had played a decisive role.
With luck in hand, the world was his.
VIP truly meant VIP.
Lucien even found himself hoping his useless golden finger could one day upgrade to SVIP.
Dong. Dong.
Holding the Soul Soul Fruit, Lucien knocked against the Sea Prism Stone container using a prearranged signal. Moments later, the seal was lifted and the container opened.
Stepping back into the main hall, Lucien raised the fruit and took several fierce bites, swallowing even the peel.
He did not know what feces tasted like, but no matter how bad it was, dogs still ate it.
This Devil Fruit tasted worse.
It was like rotten rats mixed with filth.
Lucien covered his mouth with both hands, his face turning purple as he forced it down.
As the fruit was consumed, power surged through his body.
Knowledge followed immediately.
The basic abilities and functions of the Soul Soul Fruit flowed naturally into his mind.
Just as Lucien was sensing his new power, noise erupted outside the hall.
Someone had clearly noticed the disturbance, but they were blocked by the ghosts guarding the area.
Lucien immediately imitated Big Mom's voice, roaring angrily toward the door.
"Mama is resting. No one approaches without my order."
"But Mama," a voice replied nervously, "all the Homies on the island have suddenly lost their self awareness."
"Scram."
"Yes."
Silence quickly returned.
Big Mom's authority still held absolute weight.
At that moment, across Cake Island and the surrounding territories, every Homie created by Big Mom entered a frozen state. Flowers, buildings, objects, all lost their awareness.
They did not die.
Their souls still existed, but they were dormant.
Lucien understood this clearly.
In the original story, when Big Mom was restrained by Sea Prism Stone, her Homies did not disappear. They simply lost their consciousness.
Homies were not puppets.
They were independent life forms born from injected souls.
The ghosts Lucien created were different.
If Lucien died, they would perish with him.
Homies, however, only lost their awareness when their creator died.
Once Lucien fully mastered the Soul Soul Fruit, he would be able to restore them.
Recreate them.
Reawaken them.
However, Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon were special.
Unlike other Homies created from external souls, those three were forged from Big Mom's own soul.
And that made them far more dangerous.