The skies over Totto Land were still cloaked in darkness. Which meant that everyone across the territory, whether they were still fighting or hiding for their lives, could clearly see the dazzling light erupting from Cake Island.
The massive energy that had been building since the battle began, combined with the opening created through flawless teamwork, exploded in a single instant. The resulting force was powerful enough to churn the entire sea.
The seawater evaporated. The ocean's surface caved inward. Fire burned directly atop the water. Fragments of a nun's habit vanished alongside flesh and blood.
High in the sky, countless tiny specks of light began to shimmer. The flames couldn't burn them away; instead, they gathered together, curving through the heavens like an endless river.
Those were the souls of the Homies consumed by Inoshi's attack, or rather, they were the lifespan and souls that the people of Totto Land had contributed over the years. The faint glow surrounding them signified that they were about to be sent to the Underworld, returning to Yomi.
A soul's radiance was brighter than any fire. At that moment, the sea looked as though a magnificent firework had bloomed across the sky.
The outcome was clear. The victor had been decided.
'The Yonko, Big Mom... had fallen.'
"...The Queen actually..."
"...Mother..."
The citizens of Totto Land and the members of the Charlotte Family alike stood frozen in disbelief. Their expressions were filled with conflicting emotions.
As had been said before, Totto Land was the Land of Dreams. Though its existence might have begun as nothing more than the fantasy of an immature child, it truly had become one of the few genuine paradises in the world. Which was why both its citizens and the Charlotte Family had such complicated feelings toward the Yonko, Big Mom.
Of course they feared their Queen, their mother. For ordinary people, giving up two months of lifespan every year meant losing one-sixth of their lives. They couldn't leave Totto Land, or they would be executed. Big Mom's occasional eating fits and childish whims also caused countless innocent deaths.
And yet, she also protected them. No one lacked food. No one lacked clothing. No pirate dared threaten them. In the perilous New World, a life like that truly was a dream.
The Charlotte Family felt much the same. To them, Mother had raised them since childhood. When they were little, she had genuinely shown them affection and attention. She had always loved children.
But at the same time, she was also their captain, their queen. They could never disobey her. They could never provoke her anger. The price was always death.
Big Mom had always possessed two faces. Which was why, now that she had truly disappeared within those brilliant flames, none of them knew whether they should rejoice or mourn.
But at that exact moment,
"STAY."
Everyone throughout Totto Land heard a voice echo inside their minds.
"OR..."
It was a voice filled with pure malice.
"LIFE."
The eyes of every person, and every Homie, went wide.
Their consciousness began fading. They could feel the mark branded upon their souls activating. It was the Soul Curse. The Queen of Totto Land was drawing out their souls and their lifespan once more.
But this time, she wasn't taking just a portion. She was taking all of it. Every soul. Every remaining year of life. She intended to merge the entire population of Totto Land into herself.
'Devil Fruit Awakening - Soul Sacrifice: Totto Land'
"...Mother... how could you..."
Watching Perospero and the rest of the Charlotte Family collapse unconscious, Katakuri, one of the few still barely able to think, ground out the words through clenched teeth. Even he could feel his consciousness slowly separating from his body. It was as if the monster waiting amid the sea of flames was calling to him.
''Of course I can.''
Through the spiritual connection, everyone across Totto Land could hear Big Mom's thoughts. They were a chaotic blend of fear, unwillingness, ambition, malice, cruelty, and rage.
''I am Big Mom. I am the Queen of Totto Land.''
Her soul trembled violently, as though enduring unbearable agony. And that was exactly what was happening. Surrounded by the countless Homie souls on their way to Yomi, Big Mom's enormous, monstrous soul was breaking apart.
Yes. Inoshi's attack, empowered by the Yomi-Yomi Fruit and pushed all the way to Awakening, had never targeted only her body. It struck both body and soul. Even a monstrous soul like Big Mom's was on the verge of complete collapse beneath that overwhelming force.
So Charlotte Carmel made the only choice she believed she had. It was the very same choice she had made long ago at that birthday party, the moment she had been swallowed.
She hated death. She feared death. She still had countless ambitions to fulfill, countless dreams yet to realize. She refused to die. So she chose to sacrifice and fuse every soul she had branded with the Soul Brand, exchanging them for the continued existence of her own soul.
The only difference was that back at that birthday party, she had sacrificed only the children of the House of Lambs. This time, she was sacrificing every single person in Totto Land.
Even knowing that sacrificing this many souls still might not save her... Even knowing that, after surviving this attack, she would still have to face countless more strikes from The Twelve Zodiac... Even knowing that every person in Totto Land would die because of this fusion and sacrifice...
It didn't matter.
The citizens of Totto Land? If they died, they died. They were nothing but slaves.
The children of the Charlotte Family? If they died, they died. They were nothing but tools.
As long as she herself survived. Even if she had to survive in the ugliest way imaginable, Carmel would still choose to live.
That was the kind of villain she was. Just like the color of her soul, she was pure black, no different from the night itself.
And at the darkest moment of that night, Totto Land fell into despair.
But in the very next instant,
"Mother... you can't do that."
Through the link between their souls, everyone in Totto Land heard the voice. It was innocent and childlike.
As those words echoed, everyone felt the pull on their souls weaken. Their souls began falling once more, returning to their own bodies. Even so, they could still hear Carmel's furious, disbelieving scream.
"Linlin?!"
The answer became obvious. And with Soul Vision, they could see it for themselves.
Above the sea at the center of Totto Land, within that monstrous mass of fused souls... as the soul continued to break apart, the soul that belonged to Charlotte Linlin began shining once again. It was crystal clear, a pure, innocent pink.
Yes. As Big Mom's monstrous soul finally split apart, Charlotte Linlin's soul awakened from its long silence. And what she was doing couldn't have been more obvious.
"Linlin, you monster! How many times are you going to ruin my plans?!" Sister Carmel's scream was filled with despair and venom.
But Linlin simply smiled. "Mother... Totto Land is our home. Everyone... is family."
It was the wish she'd always held onto.
"Our home, my ass... you little…" Carmel was beside herself with rage.
It was always like this. Always. Linlin was just a little girl, yet both her body and her soul were unbelievably powerful. She had suppressed Carmel for all these years.
It had been the same at that birthday party. Carmel had planned everything perfectly. After the party, she was going to sell all the children of the House of Lambs to the World Government as slaves. She had even mixed enough sleeping medicine into the cakes.
But Linlin... that monstrous body of hers had ignored it completely. Instead, she had eaten Carmel.
And now, at the most critical moment, she was ruining everything again.
But then…
"Huh? What happened?!"
"How did Linlin's birthday party go?"
"I think I fell asleep..."
New voices emerged from deep within Carmel's soul. They were the confused voices of children. Faint silhouettes began appearing among the scattered fragments of Big Mom's soul, Longarms, Longlegs, Fish-Men, and members of the Mink Tribe.
Yes. They were the children of the House of Lambs. As Sister Carmel's soul crumbled and her control over them faded, they, too, finally woke up.
"I'm really sorry. I never wanted to hurt everyone," Linlin apologized softly. "I'm... I'm a monster."
But clearly…
"What are you talking about?"
"Hurt us? We're friends!"
As mentioned before, during that birthday party, the one Linlin could never remember, the children had already fallen asleep because of the sleeping medicine Sister Carmel had given them.
And over all these years, their weak souls had never been able to clearly perceive what was happening in the outside world. So naturally, they had no idea what Linlin was talking about.
Still, there was one thing they vaguely remembered.
"I don't know what happened... but wasn't today someone's birthday?"
"Dummy, not today, it's tomorrow... I think?"
"No, you're the dummy! Today 'is' tomorrow! Look..."
"The sun's already up!"
As those words fell, the souls of Totto Land's people returned fully to their bodies.
They looked up blankly. And there, on the distant horizon, the sun was rising. A new day had begun.
And that day was Charlotte Linlin's birthday.
Everyone instinctively looked back toward the live broadcast. Above the sea of Totto Land,
"Linlin!!"
The children's joyful cheers rang out, bright as the newborn sun.
"Happy Birthday!!"
At the center of their celebration, surrounded by countless soul-lights belonging to the Homies and the people of Totto Land, Charlotte Linlin's soul floated among them.
"Th-Thank you, everyone!" Linlin laughed with pure happiness and gratitude.
Beside her, Sister Carmel was perhaps still shouting something, but no one paid her any attention.
The people of Totto Land looked at one another. Then…
"Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you, Queen of Totto Land!"
No one knew who started it, but within moments, the voices spread across all of Totto Land.
At the end of the year 1517 of the Sea Circle Calendar, six-year-old Charlotte Linlin finally welcomed her seventh birthday. And just like every birthday before it, the birthday tea party was lively.
Of course it was. Totto Land was always filled with feasts, music, and dancing. Totto Land was always filled with smiles and sweetness.
Totto Land was... the Land of Dreams.
And Totto Land was Charlotte Linlin's home.
---
(End of Chapter)
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