Seeing that Big Mom was clearly down to her last breath, Alice and Erina, who had been watching the battle from the rear, also drew their swords and made their move.
They exchanged a glance and charged toward Big Mom simultaneously.
Both were primarily sword users, perhaps due to their former careers as chefs.
But at this critical moment—
Big Mom suddenly raised her head.
A look of nearly insane resolve appeared in her eyes.
"You think... this is over?!"
She gritted her teeth, her life force burning wildly like a breached dam.
At the cost of shortening her own lifespan, she unleashed her final and most powerful strength.
"Zeus! Prometheus! Napoleon!"
All three main Homies responded to her call simultaneously.
Zeus transformed into a deep purple thundercloud, Prometheus into a blazing sun, Napoleon into the massive sword.
The three merged as one… the blade as bone, lightning as flesh, flame as soul.
Big Mom raised the sword high, lightning and flame swirling around the blade, Conqueror's Haki crackling like dark red lightning.
The entire sky over Totto Land instantly darkened.
Heavy rain poured down, lightning churned within the clouds, illuminating everyone's faces.
"Mother's Cannon: Roaring Light Sword!"
Big Mom roared and swung her sword down.
The three powers fused into one, manifesting as a woman with lightning for a body, flame for hair, and a blade for a weapon.
That giant stood hundreds of meters tall, like a Titan from legend, overlooking all of Whole Cake Island.
The female giant raised her lightning-clad claw and struck down at Alice and Erina.
The violent shockwave tore up the stone slabs on the ground and shredded the surrounding buildings.
Alice and Erina's long hair flew backward in the fierce wind.
"Ev... even after all this, she can still unleash this much power..."
Erina's voice trembled.
"Damn it..."
Alice had the same expression as her cousin.
They were too close, no time to dodge.
At that critical moment—
A figure charged in from the rear.
Makoto.
His right palm faced upward, fusing a massive spiral energy ball composed of blue-white energy and black flames.
Amaterasu: Rasenshuriken.
He hurled the energy ball like a shooting star.
Boom——!!!
The Rasenshuriken collided with the female giant's claw.
Eternal flames versus violent lightning, rotating energy versus slashing force… two world-destroying powers intertwined, collided, and tore at each other mid-air.
The explosion was deafening, the shockwave leveling all buildings for several kilometers around.
The next instant, Makoto pulled the ring at the center of his chest, unleashing the chainsaw's roar.
Even an Observation Haki master like Katakuri couldn't track it, only catching a red afterimage flashing past the female giant.
The giant's arms broke apart from the middle.
Her face twisted in a silent roar as her body gradually collapsed in the flames.
Alice and Erina looked up sharply to see Makoto in Chainsaw Man form already standing beside Big Mom.
"What are you staring at? Do it!"
Makoto shouted.
The sisters snapped out of it and charged toward Big Mom.
Big Mom knelt on the ground, gasping heavily.
Her body was completely spent.
The three main Homies lay scattered beside her, all looking equally drained.
She looked up at the two women rushing toward her.
Alice and Erina's swords pierced her heart simultaneously.
Blood gushed from the wound, staining both their hands.
Big Mom's body shuddered violently.
She looked down at the two swords in her chest, then back up at the two women before her.
"..."
Her lips trembled, her eyes filled with unwillingness.
She hadn't expected that after ruling the seas for decades, she would die at the hands of these two unknown little girls.
"Someone like you, living the good life for so long... that's enough, isn't it?"
Makoto walked up and said with a smile.
"You—!"
Big Mom wanted to curse him, wanted to damn him, wanted to use her last strength to drag him to hell with her.
But she could no longer speak.
A gurgling sound came from her throat as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Her body began to fall forward.
Boom—!
Big Mom hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Her eyes remained open, pupils already vacant, the corners of her mouth still frozen in a bitter arc.
Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, a queen who had ruled the seas for decades—
Had fallen.
Hisako ran up from behind and asked, "Who landed the final blow on Big Mom?"
Makoto looked at Alice and Erina's swords and answered without hesitation, "Alice."
Alice and Erina's strength was essentially comparable.
But if forced to choose, Alice was likely slightly stronger.
After all, she had entered Makoto's circle earlier, and in the beginning, Makoto had given her a little extra help.
Upon hearing this, Alice jumped for joy.
"Yes! I won! The Soul-Soul Fruit is mine!"
She threw herself into Makoto's arms, clinging to him like a happy koala.
Erina, on the other hand, looked utterly dejected, head bowed, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.
Makoto stepped forward, put his arm around Erina's shoulder, and gently comforted her, "There are plenty of other Devil Fruits. We'll find one even better for you."
Though a little unwilling, Erina didn't throw a tantrum.
She knew that her and Alice's earlier jealousy and rivalry had already gone too far, making Makoto somewhat displeased.
She absolutely couldn't push it now, lest she damage her standing in Makoto's heart again.
"Mm."
She nodded, leaning against Makoto's shoulder.
Just then, Makoto noticed that Big Mom's Homies, Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon, hadn't disappeared immediately.
They lay scattered beside Big Mom's corpse, trembling, their eyes filled with fear.
Makoto walked up and looked down at the three Homies.
"Die, or submit?"
Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon exchanged glances.
Then they simultaneously lowered their heads.
Napoleon shrank into a small hat and flew over to Alice's head, landing gently.
"Mama," It called softly.
Alice was startled, then couldn't help but laugh.
"What did you call me?"
"Mama," Napoleon repeated.
Zeus and Prometheus also crowded around Alice, flattering their new master.
"Mama, we are your servants from now on."
"Mama, what would you like to eat? I'll roast it for you!"
Alice's smile was radiant.
"Tonight, let's celebrate here together! I'll cook personally!"
Seeing this, Nino felt a bit sour.
With the help of these three main Homies, even if Alice couldn't fully utilize the Soul-Soul Fruit's power, she had at least reached the level of an Emperor Commander.
Nino had thought Miku's Bake-Danuki Fruit was the ultimate 'free win', but now there was another.
Nino suddenly regretted eating the Flame-Flame Fruit.
Noticing her second sister's thoughts, Itsuki quietly comforted her, "Don't think about it. Even if you hadn't eaten the Flame-Flame Fruit, the Soul-Soul Fruit wouldn't have fallen to you."
Alice had joined Makoto over a decade earlier than Nino. By seniority, there was no way Nino would get the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Nino gave her fifth sister a glare.
Itsuki's comfort was worse than no comfort.
After that, Ai walked to Big Mom's corpse, crouched down, and pressed her right hand to her chest.
Black mist surged from her palm and seeped into Big Mom's body.
Moments later, a flame-like dancing light was wrapped in black mist and pulled out.
Ai expertly picked up an apple she had placed in her item bar in advance.
The moment the golden light touched the apple, the reborn Soul-Soul Fruit came into existence.
Alice took the fruit, holding it in both hands, her eyes shining.
"So this is... the Soul-Soul Fruit..."
She took a deep breath and bit into it.
"So disgusting!"
Then—
She felt the changes in her body.
The three main Homies cheered simultaneously.
"Long live Mama! Long live Mama!"
They crowded around Alice, even more intimately.