The battle had finally subsided, but the battlefield was utterly unrecognizable.
Every trace of the original terrain had vanished, replaced by dense craters as if meteors had rained from the sky and scorched earth that looked like it had been burned by fire.
Thick smoke still billowed above a desolate, barren wasteland.
Every now and then, the wind carried the faint smell of scorched mochi through the air.
Across a stretch of several kilometers, not a single patch of level ground remained. In the pockmarked wasteland, four figures lay sprawled on their backs, eyes rolled white.
Enel, Katakuri, Crocodile, and Cracker—all four had fought themselves into complete unconsciousness.
A long time passed before there was finally a faint stir on the battlefield.
A hand slowly reached out, trembling, and pushed a battered body upright.
"Hmph hmph… of course it's me who's stronger!" Enel's grin hurt like hell the moment he smiled, but his pride was too overwhelming to suppress.
It had to be said—for someone his age, defeating Katakuri was genuinely astonishing. Katakuri was already twenty-six. While he hadn't yet reached his absolute peak, the room for growth remaining was small.
Enel, by contrast, was still a teenager. The next decade or more would be his prime period of development.
In truth, before losing consciousness, Katakuri had arrived at the conclusion that this young man might one day reach the same tier as his own mother.
And this Enel was only the vice captain of the Buggy Pirates.
Thinking of all the pirates who had ganged up on him, Katakuri even felt less certain about his mother's invincibility. These people might genuinely be capable of defeating her and establishing a permanent foothold in the New World.
Katakuri had always held complicated feelings toward Big Mom. But what worried him now wasn't her fate—it was his siblings. If Big Mom fell, what would become of his brothers and sisters?
But Katakuri, already slipping into unconsciousness, could think no further.
Enel staggered forward, heading toward Crocodile.
"That guy… normally acts like he's above everyone else, and here he is, passed out cold…" Enel let out a derisive laugh. He felt like every bone in his body was about to fall apart.
Thankfully, the country's guards hadn't stirred at all. If they had, he honestly wasn't sure he could have handled them in his current condition.
Muttering to himself, Enel reached Crocodile and struggled to heave the man onto his shoulder. He talked a big game about Crocodile, but the truth was that Crocodile had held his own respectably against Cracker. Cracker had been using Haki since childhood—Crocodile was a complete novice in comparison, and managing a draw was genuinely impressive.
After a painful effort, Enel finally got Crocodile onto his shoulder, nearly losing his balance twice before stumbling forward toward their ship.
"Is it really okay to just leave those two here like this…"
Suddenly, Crocodile cracked one eye open. He had no strength left to stand and his mind was clouded. But knowing him, against dangerous enemies like these, he would never leave them breathing.
In the original story too, Crocodile had always gone for the kill against Luffy. It was only the gap in their initial strength, Crocodile's own arrogance, and a certain protagonist's halo of plot protection that had allowed people to escape death several times.
Now, knowing that Katakuri and Cracker were still alive, Crocodile had no intention of letting them go.
But Enel had no interest in finishing them off.
"Forget it. He's not a threat anymore."
The way the Buggy Pirates operated was remarkably close to that of the Straw Hat Pirates—in how closely it aligned with Shanks' code. Against a powerful fighter like Katakuri, whom Enel had come to respect, they generally did not kill.
Of course, when facing Big Mom directly, they would show no mercy.
Crocodile frowned, concerned that if the locals found the two and healed them, everything would be for nothing. Their own injuries weren't lighter than Katakuri's, and if given proper rest and treatment, Katakuri might recover before the Tea Party.
Enel conceded the point and proposed a middle ground.
"Fine. Then let's bind them both with Sea-Prism Stone for now."
But he didn't stop walking. They had to get back to the ship first. He genuinely couldn't carry three people at once.
"You're pathetic," Crocodile said with a cold sneer.
Enel dropped him on the ground without hesitation.
"Crawl back yourself!"
…
With Katakuri and Cracker captured, panic swept through Totto Land. The Charlotte family members feared for Katakuri's safety and their own in equal measure. If the sweets weren't delivered on time and Big Mom's Hunger Rampage was triggered, they would bear the consequences.
Brulee was beside herself with worry. She had heard rumors that Katakuri had recently lost to a group of rookie pirates at sea—a fact he had suppressed, known only to a handful. She had refused to believe it, but now she couldn't keep her composure.
Oven set down the Den Den Mushi and shook his head, his lion's-mane hair swinging.
"No one's answering the Den Den Mushi."
Daifuku suggested calling the king of the country Katakuri had visited directly. Oven made the call quickly but returned with a grim expression.
"Big Brother was indeed attacked there. But both he and Cracker have disappeared. Only their ships remain."
"That can't be true! Big Brother Katakuri can't lose! He can't!"
The moment Oven finished speaking, Brulee let out a piercing scream. For her, the idea of Katakuri being defeated was simply inconceivable. He was the man they called "the one whose back never touches the ground"—a perfect record of never having fallen. She had once heard that he lost once as a child and had his scarred face to prove it, but no one had ever seen him fall in a real battle.
"Something must be wrong. We need to go find him!" Brulee screamed, rushing toward the mirror in her room.
"Brulee, stop!" Oven barked. "If you go rushing in blindly, you'll only put yourself in danger. We don't know how strong those opponents are."
Brulee's hands trembled, tears streaming down her face. "But Katakuri-nii…!"
Daifuku stared at the horizon, his expression grave. He turned to Oven and said quietly, "We need to inform Mother. No matter what happens, she has to know."
Oven hesitated. Everyone in the family knew what happened when Big Mom was denied what she wanted. The consequences of a Hunger Rampage were catastrophic.
"If she finds out before we have answers," Oven said slowly, "there will be hell to pay."
The siblings exchanged looks, the weight of the situation settling over them. None of them wanted to be the one to deliver the news.
[
Dear Readers,
I hope you are doing well. I am writing to you today because things have become genuinely difficult, and I need to be honest about where I stand.
I am currently posting five to seven chapters every day across my active fictions, keeping up with bonus releases and extra chapters on top of that. The schedule is relentless, and I am putting in everything I have to make sure nobody is left waiting.
Going forward, I am also bringing more quality fictions to the table — unfound gems and hidden stories that deserve a wider audience. I want to keep expanding what is available for you to read, but I cannot do it alone.
Right now, my financial situation has dropped to the lowest point it has ever been. Patreon support is not just helpful anymore — it is what keeps this work alive. Without it, I do not know how long I can sustain this daily output or continue hunting down those new stories for you.
If you have been reading and enjoying the work, please consider joining a tier. I have increased what each tier offers so that your support goes further:
Adventurer — $3 per month
20 chapters in advance for all of my works
Warrior — $7 per month
40 chapters in advance for all of my works
Immortal — $10 per month (Highlighted Tier)
60 chapters in advance for all of my works
Access to character images
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee due to Apple/Patreon policy. Please subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late — two to three months — which makes it much harder for me to receive funds quickly when I need them most.
I am pleading with you because I need your help right now. Your support would let me keep the daily releases going, keep the early access flowing, and keep bringing you those new, quality fictions I have lined up. It would keep my head above water while I do what I love.
If you cannot subscribe, sharing the work with others who might enjoy it still helps more than you know.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]