Night fell.
Whole Cake Island didn't quiet down as darkness set in; on the contrary, it became even livelier.
With less than 38 hours until Big Mom's tea party and wedding the day after tomorrow, everyone on Whole Cake Island was giving their all to prepare, making sure not a single mistake slipped through.
As the hostess of the tea party and the bride-to-be, Big Mom was naturally thrilled.
What excited her even more was Yemu's appearance, prompting her to make a rare evening visit to the Treasure Room.
Upon seeing Charlotte Linlin, the surrounding guards tactfully stepped outside, leaving only her in the room, eyes alight with excitement as she gazed at the two massive square stones inside the iron cage on the second floor.
One stone was red, and the other sea blue.
These were the legendary Poneglyphs.
Legend has it there are thirty such stones. Four are red; combined, they reveal the coordinates of the legendary island—the final destination of the Grand Line: Laugh Tale. The remaining twenty-six stones record the history of the "Void Century," including nine that contain critical intelligence.
Though Big Mom possessed only two, the known Poneglyphs were rare to begin with. Owning one of the four red ones meant Big Mom held the ticket to access that legendary island.
Previously, she rarely visited the Treasure Room, preferring the Library, where many of the adorable creatures she had painstakingly collected resided.
But tonight was different...
Charlotte Linlin stared at the two stone tablets before her, barely able to contain her excitement, and murmured,
"Is it time!?"
A knock sounded at the door.
Without turning her head, Charlotte Linlin called,
"Come in!"
The door opened, and Katakuri entered, followed by a squad of chess soldiers, each bearing a massive book on their shoulders.
Seeing Katakuri appear, Charlotte Linlin sank onto the vintage, luxurious pink sofa and shouted happily,
"Well then, Katakuri, my son, for the time being, you'll be stationed in the Treasure Room, responsible for guarding this book."
"I understand, Mama!"
Katakuri nodded quietly and then directed the chess soldiers to place the book—which held Lillilu captive—right in the center of the Treasure Room.
Once the chess soldiers departed, leaving only Charlotte Linlin and Katakuri, she asked with a spark of excitement,
"What's the situation with that kid now? Has he made any moves?"
Katakuri understood her question and shook his head.
"No. From noon until now, including the others, they haven't made a single move. They've stayed inside the room the entire time."
"Hmm!?"
Charlotte Linlin furrowed her brow, sensing something amiss, and asked,
"Are you certain?"
Katakuri's calm nature prevented him from giving a definitive answer; he simply reported the details he had gathered that afternoon.
"I don't know where the Sky Pirates got their intel, but they discovered Brûlée's ability, so our plan to monitor the room has failed."
Charlotte Linlin's expression darkened slightly, though she didn't voice any strong resentment.
"And then?"
"We had to change plans. We stationed people at the door to monitor their movements."
Katakuri continued, recalling another detail,
"Among them is that dinosaur creature, Kuromu, who possesses a spatial-type Devil Fruit ability like Brûlée. He's troublesome. However, I periodically send someone in under the pretext of delivering desserts to check on them. The priority is to monitor that spatial-type user. I've also asked the Homies in the castle to assist and alert us if they notice any signs of them leaving. I also pass by occasionally and use Haki to sense their movements. So far, they haven't made any moves."
"Is that so?"
Katakuri had done everything within his power, yet Charlotte Linlin still felt a trace of unease.
However...
"It's fine. With you watching over things, Katakuri, there's absolutely no problem."
Though twenty-five years old, Katakuri couldn't help a hint of bashfulness at Mama's praise.
"Don't worry, Mama. Unless I die, I will never let them steal your treasure."
"I believe in you, Katakuri!"
Perhaps it was Charlotte Linlin's rare tenderness that gave him a surge of courage, and he couldn't help but ask,
"Mama, is that kid really that important to you?"
"Huh!?"
Charlotte Linlin's gaze instantly turned cold as she looked at Katakuri.
Startled, he quickly clarified,
"I'm not questioning your decision, Mama. It's just that my sisters are, after all, your daughters..."
"Enough."
Charlotte Linlin cut him off mid-sentence, snorting coldly with a hint of displeasure.
"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? I've watched you grow up... Hmph. Never mind. You should know this anyway..."
She lifted her head and pointed at the Poneglyph before her,
"I'm asking you, Katakuri. Do you know what that is?"
Katakuri froze for a moment, then nodded, somewhat puzzled,
"Of course I know, Mama. That's a Poneglyph."
"Then do you know where I got these two Poneglyphs?"
"Well... Mama, you never told me..."
"Then I'll tell you now, Katakuri... Both this red Poneglyph I possess and the one Kaidou has, we obtained from that man, Rocks' ship."
"!!!"
Katakuri was utterly stunned by the answer.
"Are you saying, Mama, that Captain Rocks had already gathered two of the coordinate Poneglyphs back then?"
Then, Katakuri heard words from his Mama that left him incredulous.
"No... not two. To be precise, three... No, or to put it even more wildly, back then, that man may have already collected all four Poneglyphs that record the coordinates of Laugh Tale."
"!!!"
Katakuri's eyes went wide.
He understood the implications of Mama's words.
"Then why didn't Rocks go to Laugh Tale..."
Hearing his question, Charlotte Linlin finally broke into a delighted laugh,
"Yes, why indeed? Katakuri, let me ask you a question. What do you think is the most agonizing thing when faced with a treasure that's practically within your grasp?"
At that moment, Katakuri's mind raced with countless answers, yet he felt none were what Mama wanted. He could only say,
"I don't know, Mama!"
"Then let me tell you, Katakuri!"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes gleamed with madness.
"It's that even though the treasure is right before your eyes, you don't have the key to open the door to it!"
"And that key... is the one that man, Rocks, prepared for himself..."