Chapter 177: Provoking BIG MOM
"Do we really have to carve a bloody path through the Calm Belt every time we pass by…?"
"Of course! This place is like a paradise for hunters. It's amazing! Eric, let's establish our base here…"
"Rejected," Eric answered coldly.
"Ugh! I don't like your answer, Eric, but that expression on your face is just wonderful…" Esdeath said with a girlish look, clutching her chest.
Kurumi looked at Esdeath with a face full of disdain.
"The Sea Kings here are just large in size at best. There are many powerful enemies waiting for us in the New World…"
"Then let's head to the New World immediately!"
"Esdeath, aren't you being too impatient?" Chiron, acting as the strategist, laid out several documents on the table. "The New World is currently dominated by three Sea Emperors."
Everyone gathered around to look at the table.
"Edward Newgate, known as 'Whitebeard,' is considered the strongest man in the world and possesses the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. He commands sixteen divisions with over 1,600 men. Each of the fifteen division commanders is exceptionally strong, and he has more than twenty subordinate pirate crews. His is the most powerful pirate group overall."
Esdeath: "I want to charge at him."
"'Beasts' Kaido, known as the 'Strongest Creature,' has unimaginably high defense and vitality. Despite being captured over ten times, no one has ever managed to kill him. He currently resides on Onigashima and commands the Three Calamities and the Flying Six. Rumors say Kaido is aggressively recruiting Zoan-type ability users."
Perona asked the question that many pirate fans wondered about: "Kaido is a man, right? And Whitebeard… is he even a creature? Who exactly is the strongest?"
Esdeath's answer was simple and crude: "Fight them both at once and we'll know."
Everyone: "…"
Esdeath tilted her head. "What? Go on, Chiron."
"Ahem…" Chiron cleared his throat. "Lastly, we have a female pirate—Charlotte Linlin , also known as 'BIG MOM.' She formed her pirate crew based on blood relations and rules over the sea territories consisting of 34 islands centered around her headquarters, Whole Cake Island. Each island is governed by a minister."
"Many of her crew's Devil Fruit powers are food-related, and she possesses an extensive intelligence network. She has forty husbands, over forty sons, and more than thirty daughters."
Perona quipped, "Damn, she breeds like a pig."
Eric sighed softly, "It's a pity she was such a beauty in her youth…" Seeing everyone's strange gazes, he quickly clarified, "I have absolutely zero interest in the current Big Mom…"
Crack—Esdeath's hand suddenly gripped Eric's shoulder tightly. "Since when did your taste get so awful?"
"My taste has always been perfectly normal! Esdeath, aren't you beautiful?"
"You mean I'm the same as that old hag?!"
Snowflakes began drifting through the air as the table near Esdeath started to freeze and the frost spread outward.
Eric looked to Kurumi for help, but she firmly turned her head away in refusal.
'God, please save me!'
With utmost sincerity, Eric said to Esdeath, "Esdeath, you are one of the most attractive women I've ever seen. How could I possibly be interested in that old, fat woman?"
Esdeath's expression softened. "Really?"
"Of course!"
One crisis resolved, but the other two women were now giving him sharp looks.
'Shido-, please help me!'
Brr-brr! Eric's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
"Moshi moshi?" Eric picked up quickly—just in time.
"Mr. Eric? It's me, Morgans," the Den Den Mushi mimicked Morgans' voice precisely.
"Oh? What is it, Big News Morgans?" Eric didn't even bother stepping aside for privacy—he let everyone listen.
"Well, I actually received a request on my end."
"Uh-huh, go ahead. No promises I'll accept it."
Everyone leaned in to listen.
"BIG MOM wants to arrange a marriage with you."
Crack
A distinct snapping sound echoed as everyone suddenly felt like they were trapped in an arctic hell.
"So cold!"
"Esdeath, please stop!"
Esdeath snatched the receiver. "What did you say? Say it clearly."
"'Ice Queen,' you're there too, huh…" Morgans was sweating on the other side. "Well, um…"
"Speak!" Her tone went from level to sharply rising, and the murderous chill could be heard through the Den Den Mushi.
Either way, it's a knife to the neck—Morgans decided to spill it: "BIG MOM wants to marry her daughter to Eric. She wants to know what you think."
"Oh, so it's not BIG MOM herself. That's a relief…" Everyone exhaled in unison.
Esdeath came to her senses. "What?! Marry BIG MOM's daughter?!"
"Yes, and which daughter exactly will be decided upon your arrival…"
Before Morgans could finish, Esdeath sneered coldly, "No need. Tell Charlotte Linlin to wash her neck and wait for us!"
Clack—she slammed down the receiver.
Morgans on the other end stared at the phone in a daze, then suddenly inspiration struck. He clenched one wing into a fist and exclaimed, "This is huge news! I need to polish this up—maybe frame it like a declaration of war…"
"But this was commissioned by BIG MOM, so I better report Eric's stance first."
…
"Hahahaha, such arrogant little brats," Charlotte Linlin laughed menacingly. "If he won't become my son-in-law, then he can become a corpse floating in the sea!"
"I deeply apologize, Charlotte," Morgans said cautiously. He was nervous, knowing he may have botched things, and BIG MOM wasn't known for her patience.
"Hm?" Charlotte Linlin reassured him, "Don't blame yourself, Morgans. Since the Great Pirate Era began, more and more snot-nosed brats have taken to the seas, not understanding the true terror of a real emperor."
"Let the newspapers tell that brat to hurry to the New World—I have a grand gift waiting for him!"
"Understood."
"Killing a Celestial Dragon and a few nobles and he's already forgotten who he is? Good, the world needs to be reminded of what it means to be a 'Sea Emperor.'"
…
"Morgans, you bastard! How dare you write this kind of report?!" Eric cursed when he saw the latest newspaper.
The headline read: "Captain of the Rising Star Dawn Pirates Provokes Veteran Sea Emperor 'BIG MOM,' Tells Her to Wash Her Neck! BIG MOM Responds by Urging Eric to Enter the New World Quickly."
"So BIG MOM really did hear what Esdeath said! What should we do?" Perona clutched her head and ran around in circles.
"Hmm? You disagree with my actions?" Esdeath glared at the hamster-like Perona spinning in place.
Perona stood up straight. "Nope!"
Chiron stroked his chin thoughtfully. "This is bad. If something like this happens and the captain doesn't respond, outsiders will look down on him…"
"So what?" Deidara scoffed through his nose. "Most ninjas do dirty, thankless work that nobody understands. Hmm."
"We're not ninjas."
Chiron picked up where he left off. "This kind of thing seriously affects the captain's reputation. If we're building our own nation someday, someone might use this against us…"
Eric said casually, "Even if the public only remembers things for a few days… this time I don't want to run away! Even if it means helping a certain bastard's scheme succeed."
"Besides, Esdeath was the one who said that line—so it's basically as if I said it too…"
Esdeath cupped her hands in front of her chest, thinking, 'Eric looks so handsome right now!'
Kurumi puffed up her cheeks angrily.
"Once we find the Doa Doa Fruit, we're heading to the New World—to meet this so-called 'Sea Emperor'!"
(END CHAPTER)
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