The Born King, Charlotte Linlin.
At the age of five, she awakened her Conqueror's Haki and possessed enough raw strength to defeat giants with ease. Soon after, she set sail and became the youngest pirate ever to earn a bounty. That marked the beginning of her journey across the seas.
Her voice alone was often described as that of a monster among monsters.
"So, you refused? Vane, I extended an olive branch to you. This is an invitation countless people in the New World could only dream of," came the cold voice from the Den Den Mushi.
Vane chuckled softly. "I'll be landing on Whole Cake Island soon. Tell the Charlotte family to be ready. Big Mom, I hope you don't send out your weaker subordinates. They might not even stay on their feet long enough to block the road."
He ended the call without another word.
On the other end, Big Mom's expression darkened.
"He actually cut the line again. Rhett Vane, there won't be a second chance."
She slammed the receiver down.
"Well, you're reckless, Vane. But I'll make sure you learn that the world you've stepped into isn't what you think it is."
In the dimly lit room, Big Mom's bloodshot eyes were terrifying, as though soaked in blood. The sight alone made many of her children tremble in fear.
---
Whole Cake Island – Happy Street
"Something's not right with the Charlotte family lately."
Inside a lavish candy-themed mansion, Stussy sat quietly as her subordinates finished their report. Once they had left, she leaned back in thought.
Stussy, the blonde woman with short hair who looked no older than twenty, was in truth far older. She was one of the few who could address Big Mom by name—and one of the very few Big Mom allowed to stay as a guest.
She wasn't nearly as terrifying as Linlin, but she was still ruthless in her own right.
In this world, the first person who dared address Charlotte Linlin casually was Stussy. The second was Kaido.
Known as the Queen of Happy Street, Stussy ruled over the underground world of the New World and secretly worked as a CP0 agent for the World Government. In short, she was an undercover operative stationed on Whole Cake Island.
This world was layered: the surface world of the Navy and pirates, and the deeper, darker underworld beneath it.
Stussy was one of the emperors of that underworld. She controlled her domain with cunning intelligence, physical strength, and political backing. Though she looked young, her real age was over sixty—possibly even older than Big Mom herself.
Recently, she had sensed something off about Big Mom and her crew, but she didn't dare ask directly. Despite her high status, not even Stussy had the privilege to question Big Mom's secrets.
Still, she was curious. On top of that, she had learned that the Three Sweet Commanders had vanished.
Did they go to sea? Unlikely.
Something must have happened.
That day, a powerful burst of Haki from Big Mom had shaken the entire island. It wasn't for show—she had been enraged. That kind of outburst made even the Sea Kings around Whole Cake Island retreat in fear.
"Could someone have taken Katakuri and the others?"
The thought crossed Stussy's mind, but she dismissed it almost immediately.
It was absurd. Who in the world would dare touch Big Mom's family? If she went mad, the consequences would be catastrophic. Her physical resilience was nearly unmatched—perhaps only Kaido had more raw endurance.
According to the World Government's intel, Big Mom had been terrifyingly strong ever since she was five or six years old.
She was practically a walking fortress.
"So what happened?"
Even with her sharp intellect, Stussy couldn't figure it out. She remained deep in thought, unable to make sense of it. On the surface, she was a powerful underground queen. In truth, she served the World Government as a CP0 agent. Her true mission? Not even Big Mom knew that.
"Should I report this to the higher-ups?"
---
At the same time – Coastline outside the Forest of Temptation
A ship quietly docked at the shore.
Vane had arrived.
The moment the unfamiliar vessel was spotted, the trees within the Forest of Temptation stirred with energy. These weren't ordinary trees—they were sentient, with the ability to move and reason like humans.
Every tree turned toward the ship where Vane stood.
"Should we tell Mama? She's been furious lately. Maybe we'll earn some credit if we warn her."
"Credit? Are you sure she won't get even angrier?"
"What if she's more furious because we didn't tell her?"
"Huh? So she might be angry if we do tell her, and also angry if we don't? What kind of impossible problem is this? I've never run into one like it!"
"I'm scared... What if Mama burns us alive with Prometheus?"
"Yeah... me too."
"We should ask the Tree King. Only his wisdom can handle something like this."
"Right! But... where is the Tree King?"
The trees began to argue, shaking the forest in their confusion. What was once a tranquil place was now noisy, filled with tension.
---
Aboard the ship, Katakuri and the others stared at the Forest of Temptation, visibly unsettled. Even the usually brash Clark was at a loss.
What now?
They had been captured by Vane. That alone would make headlines around the world. Whole Cake Island was swarming with reporters hungry for juicy news. It was only a matter of time before this incident spread, unless Vane negotiated privately with Big Mom.
But that seemed unlikely.
Big Mom had already offered peace—inviting Vane to join her family by marrying her daughter. That alone showed how much she valued him.
But Vane rejected her.
So a direct confrontation between them was now inevitable.
---
Want to support me?
You can do that over at Patreon.com/Zphyr_ 💙
(We're currently on Chapter "190")
I upload 20 chapters a week there, by the way!