Chapter 110: BRAND NEW WORLD

The girl who called herself Zoro's daughter stood tall and proud on the deck of the Sunny, boldly introducing herself in front of everyone.

"Self-Proclaimed 'Zoro's Daughter' — Musashi"

"I am Musashi!! A samurai from Wano Country... and the daughter of that Roronoa Zoro!!"

"Oi!! Where the hell did you go and have a kid, you damn mosshead!!"

"How the hell should I know, stupid cook!!! I’ve got no memory of this!!!"

"Zoro… if you’ve got something to confess, now’s the time."

"Not you too, damn it!!"

The crew began gathering. Sanji and Nami were the first to confront Zoro. Sanji was clearly furious, while Nami still sounded cold, like it was some kind of bad joke. Zoro, for his part, adamantly denied everything.

But not all the others were entirely skeptical. Some seemed halfway convinced. Especially their captain, Luffy, who looked like he was mostly buying it.

"Huh~~ so she’s Zoro’s kid? Doesn’t look like him. Her hair’s not green or anything..."

"She takes after her mother."

"Don’t just make stuff up!! And you, Luffy, stop going along with it!!"

"...Hah!! Don’t tell me... you and that black-haired sword chick from the Smoke Guy’s crew...!!! Grr... rrrgh... UNFORGIVABLE!! DIE, DAMN MOSSHEAD!!!"

"What the hell kind of impossible misunderstanding are YOU having, huh!!?"

Noticing the girl’s hair color, Sanji pictured a certain female marine, and imagining Zoro and her in that kind of situation, flames of rage ignited around him as he went in for a kick. It was probably the strongest kick he’d ever thrown. Zoro, furious and yelling back, caught it with his sword. Meanwhile, the other crew members also gave their impressions of Musashi.

"But isn’t she a bit too big to be your daughter?"

"Exactly! Take a closer look!! Hey, you!! If you’re claiming to be my daughter, how old even are you!?"

"Twen—... I-I’m five."

"So she’s five, huh."

"Born five years ago… Was that in East Blue?"

"Wow~~ you’re younger than me!"

"She almost said twenty just now, didn’t she!?"

Robin posed a good question, and when Zoro followed up, Musashi gave a ridiculous lie, which Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper believed without a second thought, prompting another furious outburst from Zoro.

Of course, it went without saying that Musashi was far too old to actually be Zoro’s daughter. Robin, Franky, and Nami had already caught on. But Sanji, still seething with rage, and Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, still caught up in the nonsense, were gradually warming up to her.

"Come to think of it, where’d you come from?"

"Me? I am a samurai from the New World’s Wano Country... Ah, wait... you mean how I got here?"

"...! (Wano Country? Samurai?)"

"Yeah! There’s no ship nearby, right? You just popped up outta nowhere..."

"Ah, well, I’m a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user!! Thanks to that, I can fly!!"

"Whoa~~!! That’s awesome!! I’m a Zoan-type too!!"

"Really? Hmm... So you must be a tanuki-type user then!!"

"I’m a reindeer!! And it’s a Human-Human Fruit!!"

"Don’t just start having a friendly chat like it’s nothing, damn it!!"

"Come now, no need to get so angry──Papa."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING PAPA!!!"

"Hmm, Papa’s a shy one, huh... Anyway──Straw Hat Luffy."

"Hm? What’s up?"

Ignoring Zoro’s furious retort, Musashi turned her gaze to Luffy. After all, she already knew about him—from a certain someone.

That someone was—

"I’d heard about you from Ace... I see. You've got a decent face!! And not bad Haki either!!"

"Ace!!? You know Ace!?"

"Yeah, we sailed on the same ship. He talked about you all the time."

"Heeey~~!! Seriously!?"

"Ace?"

"That’s Luffy’s brother. We met him before. He’s a pirate too."

"Wait, so you were in Whitebeard’s crew too!?"

Franky, still new to the crew and unfamiliar with Ace, tilted his head as he asked, and Nami explained. Ace—Luffy’s brother, whom they’d met back in Alabasta. A captain in Whitebeard’s crew. The others remembered him too, and Usopp, a bit surprised, listened on. Musashi nodded.

"Well... I was looked after by him. Whitebeard is... yes, my grandfather!!"

"Heeey~~ so that Whitebeard guy is Zoro’s dad then?"

"YOU IDIOT!! OF COURSE HE’S NOT!!!"

"Huh? He’s not?"

Musashi had declared it with pride, and Luffy and Chopper completely took it as fact. But Zoro once again shouted in full denial, leaving Chopper visibly shocked. As this bizarre back-and-forth continued, Nami finally held her head in her hands and sighed, trying to bring the conversation back to reality.

"Haa... well, at the very least, you’re someone Ace knew."

"Indeed, Nami-san... And you, Lady Musashi. Such elegance... such beauty, far too pure for our moss-headed fool. I thank the heavens for blessing my eyes...! Please, have some tea."

"Idiot. Say whatever you want..."

"Oh, nice! You're thoughtful! I do like tea!"

Zoro had apparently given up by this point, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall like he couldn't be bothered with something so stupid. Sanji served Musashi some tea, but even as she thanked him, she turned toward Zoro, clearly intending to keep the conversation going—only to be cut off by a completely innocent question from Luffy.

"Hey, so who's your mom?"

"...!"

"Huh? What’s wrong?"

Musashi paused for a moment, folding her arms and groaning as if unsure how to respond. Luffy tilted his head, and the rest of the crew exchanged puzzled glances.

But after a short silence, Musashi sidestepped the question with an evasive answer.

"...Ah, well. You see, I’ve got a few parents... Like, say, the world’s greatest swordsman, 'Hawk-Eye' Dracule Mihawk..."

"WHAAAAAT?! So you're Mihawk and Zoro’s kid?!"

"ARE YOU STUPID?! How did you even get that from what I said?!"

Zoro shot down Luffy’s absurd misunderstanding with all the force he could muster. Watching the back-and-forth, Musashi took a sip of her tea, then stood up.

"Thanks for the tea! It was great! ...Well then, I really must be going!"

"What?! You're leaving already?! At least stay for dessert—"

"Fuhaha, believe me, I’d love to stick around and have your ‘Papa’ show me the rumored Three-Sword Style in person... But I’m in the middle of tracking down Ace. I only stopped by because I happened to come across someone qualified to be my father... and found myself on the ship of Ace’s little brother."

"'Qualified to be your father'... what does that even mean...?"

"Wait, Musashi’s not Zoro’s daughter?"

"I’ve been saying that from the start..."

Thanking Sanji for the tea, Musashi casually walked over to the edge of the ship. Usopp threw in a quick jab at her last comment, and Chopper still looked confused, but Zoro just sighed and dismissed the whole thing.

As Musashi prepared to depart, Luffy cheerfully called out another question.

"So, why are you looking for Ace?"

"I think... she was chasing someone, wasn’t she?"

"Ah, that’s right. I think it was... ‘Blackbeard’ or something."

"......Yeah. That’s it. When I saw Ace heading off alone to deal with that guy, I got a really bad feeling... So I’ve been going against the current, chasing after him ever since."

"I see. But Ace is super strong, and dependable! He’ll be fine for sure!"

As Nami and Usopp recalled the situation, Musashi's expression turned serious and she nodded in agreement. Luffy grinned without a hint of doubt, declaring that Ace would be fine, just because he believed it. That made Musashi smile too.

"Heh... Yeah, you're probably right! Fuhahaha!"

"Yeah! Totally!! Ahahahahaha!!"

"What’s with you two suddenly cracking up...?"

Franky muttered a quiet comment at the sight of the pair laughing together like kindred spirits. Maybe they were similar in personality—Musashi seemed pretty easygoing herself.

"Well then! Straw Hat Luffy and crew! And you too, Papa! Next time we meet, let’s take our time talking about Ace and swordsmanship!"

"Yeah! Let’s meet again!!"

"I never want to see her again!!!"

"Yes, yes... calm down now..."

Their farewells couldn’t have been more different. Nami gently tried to soothe Zoro while Musashi waved and leapt off the ship. A sudden gust of wind swirled around her, and she rode it away, vanishing from sight.

"Whoa! Was that wind?!"

"She was gone in an instant... What even was her power?"

"She said it was some kind of Zoan-type, but she never transformed..."

"Doesn’t matter... I’m gonna take a nap... That wore me out."

"Hey, Zoro. So in the end... who is her mom?"

"Did you even listen to anything?!"

Luffy’s clueless remark drew one last outburst from Zoro. For him, this brief encounter had been utterly exhausting.

But... there was something else. Something about it kept gnawing at him. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t shake the memory of what Musashi had said—and her strength.

A samurai from Wano... and that girl’s skill... She was no ordinary swordsman.

Zoro stood deep in thought, face grim. He remembered the moment Musashi had first attacked.

They had only clashed for a few brief exchanges. But for a true swordsman, that was more than enough to know an opponent’s strength.

And Zoro had known, from the very first strike—

She’s way beyond me...!

"Tch...!!"

Cursing under his breath, Zoro turned and headed into the Sunny, making his way toward the training room.

"Gotta get stronger...!!"

It wasn’t panic—but after facing a swordsman that far above him, the fire in his body wouldn’t settle. Stripping off his shirt and grabbing the massive dumbbells, Zoro threw himself into the heat of training once again, trying to burn that unease out of his muscles.

---

—The New World: Totto land, Land of All.

A sea where people of all races live equally and peacefully, without discrimination—an independent nation governed by pirates.

The “Big Mom Pirates” need no introduction. They’re one of the mightiest pirate crews in the New World, counted among the Four Emperors who rule its seas.

Totland, made up of 34 islands and their surrounding waters, is the territory of the Big Mom Pirates. Though not affiliated with the World Government, each island hosts a branch of the crew, governed and commanded by a Minister.

And perhaps most notably: almost all of those Ministers—and the higher-ups of the Big Mom Pirates—are Big Mom’s own children.

The crew is centered around her real family. Ministers are chosen from among her 46 sons and 39 daughters. She also expands her ranks through arranged marriages between her children and powerful pirates or influential figures, forging blood ties and further growing her organization.

As a result, their organization is solid and their defense near impregnable, bolstered by the surveillance network of sea slugs around their waters. Their intelligence capabilities are also said to be among the best in the business.

Because of that, the citizens live without fear of pirates or outlaws, enjoying peace to the fullest.

After all, Big Mom’s dream is to create a utopia where all races coexist without discrimination. Even if it’s a business, she doesn’t allow unjust threats to her citizens. They pay a month’s worth of lifespan in tax twice a year, but aside from that, it’s enough to offer sweet confections. It’s not without problems—but compared to other nations in the New World, Totland is undeniably peaceful.

And that includes the capital of Totland, the seat of the Big Mom Pirates: Whole Cake Island—or at least, it was supposed to.

“Hmm…? What’s going on? The sky just suddenly got cloudy…”

“Is it gonna rain?”

The people of Whole Cake Island glance upward, noticing the clouds rolling in.

But no one is too concerned. Even with the island’s usually stable climate, sudden changes in weather aren’t unheard of—especially in the New World, where strange phenomena are the norm. A little cloud cover is nothing unusual.

But this time, it was different.

That much was clear from the gathering of elite Big Mom Pirates on the rooftop of Whole Cake Chateau, Big Mom’s own stronghold.

“…Just like Mama said, huh… Hey, they’re almost here…”

“Seems so…”

“They’re really coming…?!”

“Beast or demon, doesn’t matter now…”

Gathered—no, summoned—to the rooftop were Big Mom’s children. At the center stood the highest-ranking officers of the crew: the Sweet Commanders.

『Big Mom Pirates – Sweet Commander (25th son of the Charlotte Family): Charlotte Snack – Bounty: 600 million berries』

“So, what kind of person is it, anyway? Cracker-nii?”

『Big Mom Pirates – Sweet Commander (10th son): Charlotte Cracker – Bounty: 860 million berries』

“Don’t ask me!! I–I–I don’t even wanna talk about that freak!!”

『Big Mom Pirates – Sweet Commander (14th daughter): Charlotte Smoothie – Bounty: 932 million berries』

“Calm down, Cracker-niisan!! We’ve got everyone here. Even if it comes to a fight, we’ll be fine. Right, Katakuri-niisan?”

『Big Mom Pirates – Sweet Commander (second son): Charlotte Katakuri – Bounty: 1.057 billion berries』

“…Yeah. We’ve got the advantage, no question.”

They stood on the rooftop, usually reserved for tea parties and weddings, looking up at the sky. The atmosphere was tense. The siblings felt the approaching presence. Especially the elder brothers—normally composed—were visibly restless. Cracker, for one, couldn’t even keep his Biscuit Soldier form from showing signs of agitation.

“If they show up, can’t we just all gang up on them—Mama included—and take their head?”

“True. If they’re dumb enough to show up in small numbers, this is the perfect opportunity.”

“Let’s beat ‘em up and call it a day-yu!!”

In contrast, the younger children seemed fairly relaxed, tossing out cocky remarks about the approaching intruder. …But even so, the older siblings continued to sweat nervously, unable to hide their unease.

“…Hey, isn’t Mama here yet?”

“She was having her snack just a bit ago… she should be on her way… Actually, I’ll go check on her. If they show up, I’ll leave it to you guys!! Perorin♪”

“Huh?! Hey, Peros-nii!! You’re just trying to ditch us, aren’t you?! That’s not fair!!”

“Uh, I… I need to use the bathroom. Drank too much tea, maybe…”

“You’re disgusting, Daifuku!! …Agh, no, wait, I just remembered something urgent too. I’ll tag along partway. —You’ve got this, Katakuri.”

“I’m not letting that future happen…!!! No one’s getting out of this…!!! Flowing Mochi!!!”

“Ahh!!? Damn it!! Using mochi to trap our feet?! That’s low, Katakuri!!”

“Yeah!! What the hell!? Let us go!!”

“Stawhp it-fwa!! Stawhp it-fwa!!”

(They’re… panicking?! The older brothers…?!)

(They’re actually desperate…!!)

The Charlotte brothers, desperate to flee, sparked a brawl as Katakuri used his powers to pin them down.

The younger kids were left speechless. They’d never seen their elder brothers act like this. Even Katakuri—the Charlotte family’s finest—was going all out to stop them from escaping. That alone was shocking.

Just how terrifying was the person coming their way…?

The younger kids turned to their older sisters for answers, but the sisters simply watched the chaos with unreadable expressions. They seemed to know the story, but from their perspective, it didn’t seem worth running from.

What kind of relationship did the approaching enemy have with their brothers…? The younger kids could only watch, puzzled—until…

“…!! It’s starting—!!”

“—Ahahaha!! Just as noisy as ever!! Mind if I join the party?!”

“Kh…!!”

“!!!?”

Katakuri’s expression turned pale. He immediately stopped restraining his brothers and switched to a defensive stance, cursing under his breath.

And then she appeared.

A black-haired girl. A beauty with strange red and blue wings. A face they all recognized from bounty posters and photo books circulated even in the New World.

Without warning, she launched a kick at Katakuri, forcing him to stumble back.

The moment they saw her, the siblings who knew her turned pale, scowled, and stopped fighting altogether.

“She’s here…!! Nue…!!!”

“Heehee, long time no see~♡ But I’m not the only one who came, you know? It’s fine to be captivated by me, but you should really look up—there.”

“……!!!”

In response to her name being called by Perospero, the girl pointed upward, prompting everyone’s attention skyward. And the next moment, the thick clouds were split open by the emergence of an enormous dragon.

“They’ve multiplied like crazy again…!! Damn Linlin’s brats…!!!”

“……!!!”

“W-What the hell is that…!?”

“It’s Kaido…!!!”

A spiraling vortex formed in the overcast sky, and from within it appeared a colossal sky-blue dragon, easily several hundred meters long. Its sheer size rivaled that of the largest Sea Kings, and the pressure radiating from it made many widen their eyes in shock. The ones unfamiliar with him were stunned; the ones who knew recoiled with grave expressions—they all recognized him as Kaido.

Even among the people of Totto Land and the Big Mom Pirates, even her own biological children feared Big Mom… but this man was one of the Four Emperors, an equal to her. Hailed as the “strongest creature,” said to be invincible in single combat—he was the “Beast King” Kaido.

“Hey, Kaido—don’t go around scaring the townsfolk. Get down here already. We came all this way hiding in secret, and now you’re drawing way too much attention.”

“I know… I’m coming down…!!”

And then, there was the one known as Kaido’s senior—though she looked like a girl, she was a bizarre and terrifying being known as the “Phantom Beast Nue.”

The only one within the Beast Pirates who could speak to Kaido as an equal, and someone even the eldest children of the Charlotte family feared. At her call, Kaido descended to the rooftop and shifted from dragon to human form—though that too was monstrous: an enormous, menacing figure with horns, like some kind of demon lord.

“Linlin’s not here yet?”

“Looks like she’ll be here soon. Well, until then, why don’t we have a little chat with the kids? The air’s already thick with a lovely, swirling fear~♡”

Nue perched on Kaido’s left shoulder, now in human form. Even the children who were used to seeing Big Mom felt fear looking at those two.

From Kaido came a raw, overwhelming fear born of brute force. From Nue, an incomprehensible, alien dread. Both of them turned their gazes toward the children—specifically, the Sweet Commanders. And they noticed.

“Huh? Cracker, what are you wearing that for?”

“!!! …N-No reason! I can wear what I want!! Mind your business!!”

“Mind my business? …Ahaha♪ Since when were you so high and mighty that you thought you could greet me with your face hidden? Show me your face. Properly.”

“Kh…!! That’s…”

“Hm~? That’s what? What is it? Don’t tell me… you’re still that scared of me? So scared you can’t even take off your armor?”

“Grrr…!! Fine, fine!!”

Cracker—hiding inside his biscuit armor. Gritting his teeth at Nue’s words, which were half-teasing, half-provocation, he deactivated the armor and revealed himself. Though cold sweat ran down his face, he glared at Nue with a look full of bitterness.

“Oh, finally! I get to see crybaby Cracker’s face again♡ I brought you some sweets as a souvenir—want some?”

“Hell no!! …And just so you know!! I’m not scared of you anymore!!”

“Ahaha♡ If you weren’t scared, you wouldn’t say that, and you wouldn’t be trying to sneak away from here either, would you? Right? Same goes for the rest of you boys too♪”

“Gh… I just don’t like you, that’s all!!”

“I’m not scared anymore”—such a statement practically confessed that he had been scared before.

And judging by her tone, it seemed Nue had seen or at least overheard the earlier exchange. She giggled knowingly, and not just Cracker—several of his brothers flinched for a moment. Clearly, the unease from past experiences hadn’t completely faded.

Even so, one of them gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

“Nue… I’d prefer you didn’t bully my little brothers too much.”

“Oh, Katakuri! Long time no see!! Looks like you’ve unlocked future sight too, huh!? As expected!!”

“…Sorry, but I don’t need any do-nuts-for-you souvenirs.”

“Aw, come on! Isn’t it boring to use future sight in a conversation? Feels like a waste of Haki, don’t you think? And since you rejected my gift—fine, I’ll change the subject. Here! Eat these donuts and a hot bowl of ramen!!”

“I’m not using it for amusement… it’s necessary for anticipating unexpected events… Also, stop trying to make me eat stuff I don’t like…!! And more importantly, where the hell did you even get that stuff!?”

“Who knows~♡ But more importantly… eat it while it’s hot!!”

“—Like hell I will!!”

Donuts in her right hand. Steaming ramen in her left. Kaido twitched a vein in his temple as Nue stood there unfazed. When he refused, she gave a disappointed “Aww, and I went to all the trouble…” before tossing only the donuts at him and slurping the ramen herself. The children watching their exchange for the first time looked on in a strange mix of awe, fear, and disbelief. Katakuri, meanwhile, frowned with a rare headache, holding the donut he’d instinctively caught, unsure what to do with it.

“…Hmm. Katakuri, you’ve gotten stronger than before…!! Why not quit working for that old hag and join my crew? You’d be welcome.”

“! …Sorry, but I’ll have to refuse.”

“Wororororo…!!! Too bad. Even my dear Nue seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“…………”

Out of nowhere, Kaido spoke up. He wore a fearless grin as he invited Katakuri to join him.

Katakuri responded flatly, rejecting the offer. But Kaido didn’t seem the least bit irritated. He just laughed it off. It wasn’t exactly a joke—but neither did he expect someone like Katakuri to be swayed by a half-hearted pitch. That’s why his disappointment didn’t run deep.

Katakuri said nothing further, keeping his guard up. There were only two of them, but not ones to be taken lightly. Just as he thought that—

A heavy thud echoed behind him, and with it, a familiar presence. He looked into the future.

She had arrived.

“—Mamama~mamamamama… So you really came, Kaido…!!! And you too, Nue…!!!”

"! Mama...!!"

The children instinctively part to make way for the absolute ruler of Totto Land. One of the Four Emperors who dominate the seas of the New World... the captain of the Big Mom Pirates—Charlotte Linlin herself.

"It's been a long time... Linlin...!!!"

"Aah, it really has, hasn't it~? How many years... no, how many decades has it been? So, have you been eating anything sweet lately?"

Kaido and Nue now face each other. Nue aside, a meeting between two Emperors is an exceedingly rare event—especially when it's Kaido and Linlin, whose relationship is downright hostile. When they meet, a fight to the death is inevitable. That's how bad it is.

And yet, the one who stepped between them is Nue, who stands as an older sibling figure to Kaido and once shared a past as comrades with both. It was Nue who arranged this meeting. The only one who could.

"Mamamama... Oh, I just had some sweets for my three o'clock snack earlier."

"Still got that bottomless appetite, huh. —Well, I brought a little something for you. Here, a rare treat called dorayaki! You can eat as much as you want!!"

"Oh my~~♡ Mamamama... You're as thoughtful as ever, unlike Kaido~~♡ Can I really have them?"

"Go ahead!! Eat all you want, Mamuemon!!"

"Mamu... what? —Well, if you're offering, I'll take them."

"Tch..."

As Linlin and Nue start chatting—incidentally, Nue had somehow finished eating their ramen and made the container vanish—Nue presents the sweets, calling them a gift. With a flourish, they once again produce a mountain of these “dorayaki” from who-knows-where, piling them atop the UFO and handing them to Linlin.

Some of the kids grimaced at the sight of the UFO, but Linlin herself was overjoyed, heart-eyed at the sweet scent of the unfamiliar snack. Nue called her some bizarre name, but Linlin didn’t care. She accepted the treats happily. Watching this, Kaido clicked his tongue. Clearly, he wasn’t pleased—neither with Linlin casually munching away, nor with Nue offering her a gift in the first place.

But Kaido wasn’t the only one to react negatively. Perospero, the eldest son, stepped forward and spoke out in warning.

"Wait, Mama!! Are you seriously gonna eat sweets you got from them!?"

"...? I am. Is there a problem with that?"

"A huge one, Mama!! They could be poisoned!!"

It was a natural and prudent concern. The Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were both rival Four Emperors. No matter how close Linlin, Kaido, and Nue may have been in the past—or how much the Charlotte Family once owed Nue—an enemy was still an enemy. If given the chance, they would go for the kill.

Perospero wanted her to test the treats for poison first, at the very least. Honestly, he didn’t want her to eat them at all. And the rest of the children probably felt the same.

But Linlin, Nue, and Kaido all dismissed the concern.

"Hah-hahahaha! You don’t need to worry. These guys wouldn’t stoop to something as petty as poison to take me out—right?"

"Exactly. You're being rude, Perospero. I mean, if we were dealing with some low-level scrub, sure—but if someone really wanted to take Linlin out, they'd do it head-on. No poison. Just a straight-up kill. —Isn’t that right, Kaido?"

"Yeah. No need for poison."

"...Tch. If you say so... then fine..."

All three of them—Linlin included—flatly denied the use of poison. Whether that came from trust or pride, Perospero couldn't say. But he had no choice but to back off. He knew all too well: once Mama had unfamiliar sweets in front of her, nothing could stop her.

"Mmmmmm♡ This is delicious~~♡"

"Glad to hear it. So then, you'll hear me out, right?"

"Of course, darling♡ I’ll listen. Go ahead, say your piece."

Perospero and the children’s fears turned out to be unfounded. Watching Mama eat the dorayaki with delight, they breathed a quiet sigh of relief. They'd never seen or heard of this snack before, but clearly it suited her palate. She was obviously enjoying it—and in a good mood now, Linlin invited Nue to speak.

"Alright then, before I start, one quick check! …Do you already know what the government’s about to do?"

"! …Mamamama. I see. You’ve got sharp ears… and showing up on this island, too… Seems you’ve got a pretty skilled source of intel. Where’d you hear it?"

"Worororo… Maybe you’ve got a spy on your side. If you're curious, why don’t you go sniffing around, old hag?"

"...!! Kaido... You bastard..."

A loaded conversation. Probing for the source of intel. Kaido’s provocation. Just like that, the mood shifts. The earlier warmth brought by sweets vanishes.

Linlin glares. Kaido smirks, provoking her further. Nue steps between them again, frowning at Kaido in warning.

"Hey now. No fighting. Not yet. Save that for later. …Anyway, to put it simply—what I want to know is: how do you plan to move?"

And with a shrug of her shoulders, Nue quickly tried to move the conversation along... because Kaido and Linlin were already radiating a volatile, on-the-brink-of-clashing tension. This wouldn’t last long—so Nue, judging that much, threw out the first question to keep things moving.

Linlin responded with a wide, toothy grin. The kind only a seasoned, vicious pirate woman could pull off.

"Hahaha mamamamama... and what makes you think I owe you lot an explanation? Huh, Nue? If you wanna know that bad, then how about you answer first!!"

"Ahaha, well, that does make sense. Still, just blurting it out feels kind of boring, doesn’t it…? Hmm, what to do—"

"—Enough, Nue."

"!?"

Kaido cut her off mid-thought, even as Nue nodded casually, tilting her head as she considered her next move in the conversation.

But then Kaido, now glaring at Linlin with a menacing scowl of his own, laid it out with no room for ambiguity.

"In short!! Either you're with us or you're not, Linlin!! If you're not... then die. Right here."

"!!?"

What the hell...!?! The sudden threat stunned the Big Mom Pirates, who immediately took a fighting stance. It was clear—they were ready to throw down. Many of the younger ones shrank back, overwhelmed by the sheer, suffocating pressure of the two Emperors.

But the core of the crew—the Sweet Commanders and other top officers—showed their resolve. These were veterans of the New World, warriors who’d fought under Big Mom for years. Even if Kaido was an Emperor too, they weren’t about to back down. Their posture made that very clear.

But that fierce energy—was shut down by none other than Mama herself.

"Nobody moves a muscle!!!"

"!! Ma-Mama… but—"

"I said nobody gets involved, Smoothie. That goes for all of you. Sit down and stay quiet."

"...!! …Fine."

"Nue. You don’t lift a finger either."

"Yeah, yeah, good luck out there~ I’m just gonna hang out with the kids a bit. Been a while since we played together."

Smoothie, one of the Sweet Commanders, tried to interject—suggesting they should all attack together—but Linlin flatly refused. With Mama’s order to stand down, she had no choice but to nod. The one who actually voiced the response was Katakuri.

Kaido, too, warned Nue not to interfere. But Nue, as if she had already anticipated that, simply waved her hand with a resigned smile and agreed.

"It’s showtime… Napoleon!!"

『Yes, Mama!!』

Linlin then drew her bicorne hat—Napoleon—infused with her own soul via the powers of the Soul-Soul Fruit. The hat transformed into a blade, and she readied her stance.

Kaido likewise gripped his massive spiked kanabo, his signature weapon. Both weapons were cloaked in Haki, and their words struck like war drums.

"You came here knowing full well this could end in the grave, didn’t you!!!?"

"Ever managed to kill me by saying that before!?! Go ahead and try, if you think you can!!! The one who dies first is gonna be you!!!"

Their weapons clashed—at that instant.

"!!!?"

Conqueror’s Haki collided—and the heavens split open.

"Ahahahaha!! Oh, I love this… once in a while, I’d like to do this with someone besides Kaido, y’know♡"

"Waaahh!? Evacuate the rooftop, now!!!"

"…!! Quick—inside, inside!!"

"Hey, hey. While we’re at it, Katakuri, Cracker… and you newcomers over there—why don’t we have some fun too? This fight’s gonna drag on anyway. Maybe after dinner or something?"

"NOW’S NOT THE TIME FOR THAT!!!"

"Don’t joke around!! I’m outta here!!"

The Emperor of the Sea—Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin.

And the Emperor of the Beasts—Kaido.

Their deadly clash had begun—and as the children of the Charlotte Family evacuated indoors with Nue, they couldn’t help but throw out their reactions. Then, as they realized Nue would be hanging around for a while to supervise the situation… every single one of them buried their heads in their hands.