"Mamma…"
Rumble—rumble—rumble…
A meteorite several times larger than Big Mom herself suddenly began to tremble violently.
At the upper central portion of the meteor, a rocky cavity resembling a human mouth abruptly formed. As it opened and closed, a deep, muffled human voice echoed from within.
"Ma—ma—ma—ma…"
Big Mom burst into excited laughter.
A Homie born from a cosmic meteor—this perfectly satisfied her obsession with collecting bizarre creatures.
Amid thunderous booms, the enormous meteor transformed in the blink of an eye into a stone giant clad in a hardened shell.
Granted life, Malphite raised both arms and let out a roar of exhilaration to celebrate his rebirth.
"ROAR—!!!"
"Thank you, Mama!!!"
Homies created by Big Mom—especially those forged directly from her soul—were naturally and intensely loyal to her, the wielder of the Soul-Soul Fruit. Betrayal was almost unthinkable.
At that moment, Big Mom hooked one hand onto Malphite's shoulder and, using the lack of gravity to her advantage, leapt straight onto his head. She slammed her foot down, crushing part of his skull and forcing his neck to sink sharply, as if his spine had malfunctioned.
But to Malphite, this was nothing.
As a cosmic meteor, just like Zeus and Prometheus, he possessed abilities that matched his nature…
For example—high-speed movement through space!
And that was precisely the reason Big Mom had awakened him.
"Ma—ma—ma—ma…"
"Straw Hat brat, the fight's only just begun!"
Having regained her footing, Big Mom let out a wild, domineering laugh, as if victory were already within her grasp.
Of course, having witnessed Luffy's abnormalities firsthand, she no longer dared to underestimate him.
Big Mom had realized that Luffy—no, the power of Nika—stood apart from everything she had known about this world.
But…
The pride of an Emperor left her unafraid of any foe.
Because every step of her journey had proven one thing beyond doubt—
Her power was peerless!!!
"Zeus!"
"Prometheus!"
"Napoleon!"
"Yes, Mama!!!"
Big Mom spread her arms wide, standing atop Malphite's head as she laughed loudly.
"Lend your power to our new partner…"
"And annihilate all who stand in my way!!!"
"Understood, Mama!"
The three Homies wore the same manic grins as Big Mom before charging straight toward Malphite's body without hesitation.
Sharing the same soul-origin, Malphite had no fear of harm. He allowed Big Mom's three ace Homies to merge into him.
In an instant—
Crimson flames boiled across his heavy stone body, scorching the earth-toned rock until it resembled flowing magma.
Brilliant lightning surged across his non-conductive stone form, slithering like luminous serpents coiled around him.
Napoleon transformed outright into a gigantic blade, gripped tightly in Malphite's hand.
In the blink of an eye, the once-plain stone giant became a colossal swordsman wreathed in thunder and flame.
"Go! Malphite!"
"Starfall Rift Cannon!!!"
Standing atop Malphite, Big Mom's presence rivaled that of the transformed giant beneath her. Her hair flared like living fire, dancing wildly in the void.
Receiving the command, Malphite gripped the blade with both hands, raising it level with his shoulders, then cracked a fierce grin.
Cracks spread along the blade as layers of stone climbed upward, forming an enormous rocky edge.
Within the raging stone gale, a scarlet glow flickered—magma veins pulsing like blood vessels.
Blazing lightning illuminated the void, making it the brightest star in the cosmos.
"Wow—looks pretty strong!"
Luffy, who had been marveling at Malphite's appearance, showed no trace of panic.
From Big Mom's perspective, a victor of decades naturally expected to keep winning.
But from Luffy's point of view…
The ending of this battle had already been written.
Compared to Big Mom, who was fighting at full power, he still had plenty of trump cards left.
That was the absolute advantage granted by the power of Nika.
Both were awakened Devil Fruit users, yet others peaked at Admiral-level strength.
Luffy's awakening, however, allowed him to soar straight into the highest echelon of the world.
Because—
Characters from gag anime are invincible!!!
"Gum-Gum · White…"
"Big Chomp!!!"
Whoosh—
The moment his words fell, Luffy's head expanded to an absurd size!
More precisely—
His mouth expanded explosively in an instant.
From Big Mom's perspective, it was as if a gigantic cavern had suddenly opened before her.
At the bottom of that cavern lay a massive, soft, crimson tongue.
Though space offered no real reference points, Big Mom somehow felt that this gaping maw could swallow the entire world!!!
BOOM!!!
The energy Malphite had been charging erupted violently.
The massive stone blade shot forward, propelled by scorching flames and urged on by crackling lightning.
This strike was enough to shake the world.
Across the entire pirate world, only a handful could survive it head-on.
Yet such a terrifying attack met its natural nemesis today.
The flying blade tore through space and reached Luffy in an instant.
With his mouth opened so wide, the blade entered directly without obstruction.
Then—
"Chomp!"
Luffy snapped his mouth shut.
His body rapidly compressed back into his standard Gear Fifth size.
He began chewing.
A few seconds later—
BOOM!!!
It was as if a bomb exploded inside Luffy's body. He suddenly inflated as black smoke burst from his ears, nose, and mouth.
Yet after all that, Luffy merely patted his chest calmly, like someone easing food down their throat.
Just like that, Big Mom's full-powered strike was completely nullified—
In Luffy's own unique way!
"H-How is this possible!?"
Big Mom stared in disbelief from atop Malphite's head.
She hadn't expected one blow to seriously injure Luffy—but blocking it so effortlessly shattered the worldview she had upheld for decades.
Cracks formed.
Meanwhile, Luffy looked dissatisfied, smacking his lips as he complained,
"Ugh, dirt tastes awful!"
"Guess Red was right—when you're out, you shouldn't put just anything in your mouth."
His voice wasn't loud.
But space itself was eerily silent.
So every word reached Big Mom's ears perfectly.
And with that, the final thread of her rationality snapped.
"You bastard! You dare mock me at a time like this!!!"
"I'll kill you!!!"
BOOM!!!
Surging Conqueror's Haki exploded from Big Mom once more.
She pressed a palm to her chest and yanked as if tearing something out.
In the next moment, her face aged visibly—but the madness in her smile only deepened.
"Nika!? A so-called legendary hero!?"
"I'll use ten years of my lifespan to show you…"
"Just how ridiculous that legend is!!!"
"LIFE!!!"
BOOM!
A massive sphere of soul energy fused into her body.
She roared thunderously:
"Revive! My body!"
"Yes, Mama."
An eerie voice echoed from nowhere.
Power surged infinitely.
Towering flames lit up everything as pitch-black lightning filled the void.
A monstrous figure—no smaller than the empowered Malphite—appeared before Luffy.
The Soul-Soul Fruit allowed Big Mom to amplify herself with soul power.
Ordinary souls were too weak to matter, so she had created a technique that burned her own lifespan to gain strength.
In her early years, this was how she crushed all opposition and built her empire.
She hadn't used it in countless years.
At most, she had ever sacrificed a single year.
But facing Luffy's bizarre form, she had no choice but to be ruthless.
Because she knew—Luffy's power far surpassed anything she had ever faced.
If she didn't go all out now, she might never get another chance.
Ten years of lifespan—how strong would that make her?
Even Big Mom herself had never known.
But today…
She felt it.
BOOM!!!
Now gigantic, Big Mom resembled a demon king risen from the abyss.
In the weightless void, she stepped on Malphite's head, seized his arm, and raised Napoleon—wreathed in thunder and flame—high overhead.
Moments ago, Malphite had been fearsome.
Now, he obediently became her mount, carrying her wherever she willed.
"Emperor Sword · Shattered Blade · World Eradication!!!"
ROAR!!!
Living flames danced violently along the blade.
Big Mom swung down at Luffy with merciless force.
The world itself seemed split in two.
Boiling fire and terrifying sword energy spiraled toward Luffy.
Burning ten years of lifespan shattered her former limits, erasing the shame of being the weakest Emperor.
At this moment, she seemed like the strongest being alive—
Even if that power wouldn't last long.
Whooo—whooo—whooo…
Flames swirled, engulfing Luffy in blistering heat amid thunder and lightning, like an infernal execution device.
"She's… this strong!?"
Luffy's eyes widened in shock.
Even as the "Legendary Sun God," the heat was hard to endure.
Left with no choice, Luffy held his breath and swam through the sea of flames.
He quickly escaped the inferno.
But luck did not favor him.
The moment he emerged, a massive figure loomed overhead, great sword raised for a crushing strike.
Demon King Big Mom—riding Malphite.
The blade came down without giving Luffy time to prepare.
"Die, Straw Hat brat!!!"
Big Mom's face twisted with savage joy.
She never imagined ten years of lifespan could yield such power.
As for how long she'd live afterward?
Who cared!
A pirate knew the future was an illusion.
Only the feast before your eyes was real!
Even if she failed to recruit the Straw Hats, killing the world's current top bounty would shake the seas.
Her crew would rise further—just like the Whitebeard Pirates once did.
However—
Just as she envisioned that future, a deep, steady voice rang out.
"Hey! Old hag—what do you think you're doing?!"
CLANG!
A crisp metallic clash echoed through the cosmos.
Big Mom's smile vanished instantly.
Shock returned to her face.
"H-How is that possible!?"
She stared in disbelief at the hand gripping her massive blade.
Then, dazzling light erupted before her eyes.
Luffy, grinning in an inverted "D," was enveloped in evolution light.
He raised his head, meeting Big Mom's gaze with excitement.
"Interesting! This is way too interesting!"
"So that's a Yonko for you!"
"You actually forced out my strongest power!"
"In that case…"
"I'll use you to test my ultimate form!"
"Pokémon-ization… Activate!!!"
Luffy laughed as he caught Big Mom's attack.
In the next instant, his body began to transform violently once more within the radiant light…
(End of Chapter)