A moment ago, Marco had still been laughing, teasing Kizaru about an Admiral's pitiful salary.
"Less than two million Berries a month," he had scoffed. "For that kind of pay, you sure talk a lot."
But the mood shifted in an instant.
The Moby Dick cut across the waves, closing in on the yacht. Ace, Vista, and the other commanders stood at the bow, their expressions grim, eyes locked onto Kizaru like predators sizing up prey.
Marco frowned, sensing something was wrong.
Ace didn't wait for permission. He leapt onto the yacht in a burst of flame, landing beside Marco.
"Marco," he said, voice low and urgent, "we've been played."
Marco's smile vanished.
Ace continued, "Akainu is attacking the Big Mom Pirates. Totto Land is already burning. They've taken heavy losses—and they're invoking the third clause of the Three Emperors Alliance. They're demanding reinforcements. Now."
"What?"
For a split second, Marco genuinely froze.
His eyes slid toward Kizaru.
The Admiral was still seated calmly, teacup raised to his lips, golden lenses glinting in the sun.
And suddenly—
Everything clicked.
The endless chatter.
The pointless compliments.
The leisurely tea.
It had never been conversation.
It had been delay.
Vista stepped forward, his tone sharp and controlled. "Marco, this isn't random. The Marines are targeting the alliance itself. Fossa, Blenheim, Zack—they're all on Cake Island. We can't abandon them."
The air grew heavy.
Across from them, Borsalino continued sipping his tea as though this were nothing more than a seaside vacation.
He tilted his head lazily.
"My, my… aren't we overreacting?" he drawled. "The Phoenix Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates aren't exactly sworn brothers, are they? Why not stay here? Drink tea. Chat a little longer."
He smiled faintly.
"If you stay for just half a day, I can report mission success. Everyone saves face."
Marco stared at him.
His voice turned cold.
"So that's it."
"I was wondering why an Admiral would waste time drinking tea with me."
"This was your assignment from the start."
He set the teacup down gently.
"I suppose our tea party ends here."
Kizaru slowly rose to his feet, brushing invisible dust from his coat.
"Must we fight?" he sighed theatrically. "If you stay, no war spreads further. If you leave… things get messy."
The commanders behind Marco shifted subtly into combat stances.
At that exact moment—
A familiar mechanical voice echoed in Marco's mind.
System Notification: New Mission Issued.
Mission 1 – Rescue the Big Mom Pirates
Fulfill the third treaty of the Three Emperors Alliance.
Assist Totto Land. Repel the Marine assault.
Reward: 10,000 Attribute Points.
Mission 2 – Avenge the Past
During the Marineford War, you were easily defeated by Admiral Kizaru.
Defeat Admiral Kizaru.
Reward: 10,000 Attribute Points.
Marco's eyes darkened.
Marineford. The humiliation. The helplessness.
The light-speed kicks he couldn't fully answer.
A faint, chilling smile curved at his lips.
Black flames began to flicker across his shoulders.
Not the familiar blue phoenix fire—
But the Flames of Destruction.
The air around him warped.
The temperature plummeted and surged at the same time.
For the first time since this meeting began, Kizaru's expression changed.
It was subtle.
But real.
His Observation Haki screamed in warning.
In an instant, his body dissolved into blinding golden photons—
And he shot backward like a beam of light, retreating to the Marine warships in a flash.
He reassembled on deck, adjusting his glasses.
A thin trail of cold sweat slid down his temple.
Through the haze of future sight, he had glimpsed it—
The destructive power hidden within those black flames.
And for the first time that afternoon—
Kizaru no longer felt amused.
"Kizaru-san…?"
Smoker stared at the Admiral's sudden reappearance in a burst of golden light, unable to mask his shock.
Kizaru did not respond immediately.
His gaze was fixed upward.
High above the sea, Marco hovered in the sky, black flames rippling across his body like living shadows. The air itself seemed to distort around him.
Kizaru adjusted his glasses slowly.
"…So this your Devil Fruit Awakening," he murmured, his usual laziness replaced by rare seriousness. "How frightening."
Even before the first blow had been exchanged, the black flames crawling over Marco's body sent a chill through him.
This wasn't the Marco of Marineford.
This was something else.
Kizaru turned to the Marines behind him, his tone suddenly crisp.
"Proceed according to plan. Minimize casualties. Your mission is to stall them—nothing more. Do not pursue recklessly."
He had brought only ten thousand Marines.
Not to win.
But to delay.
Their purpose was simple: hold the Phoenix Pirates in place long enough for Sakazuki to crush the Big Mom Pirates.
Above them, Marco's eyes flickered as a translucent system panel unfolded before him.
Six attributes.
One weakness.
Speed.
As the user of the Glint-Glint Fruit, Kizaru's speed bordered on absolute. Light itself obeyed him. Marco understood this clearly: strength meant nothing if he couldn't land a hit.
He exhaled.
18,400 attribute points available.
Without hesitation, he poured 8,400 into Speed.
The number surged.
6,500 → 14,900.
The change was immediate. His body felt lighter. Sharper. The world below seemed to slow, if only slightly.
He kept 10,000 in reserve.
Two missions.
Defeat Kizaru.
Rescue Totto Land.
Thirty thousand points. Enough to push his Haki to the next stage.
Marco's eyes burned.
He raised his voice, the black flames flaring behind him like a pair of demonic wings.
"At Marineford, the Marines slaughtered our brothers!"
His voice thundered across the sea.
"Today—we take it back!"
The Phoenix Pirates roared in response, their morale ignited.
"OH—!!!"
They surged forward like a tidal wave.
—
Meanwhile—
Cake Island was already a vision of ruin.
Flames devoured towers. Smoke choked the sky. The once-glorious capital of Totto Land had become a battlefield.
Katakuri strode through the chaos, escorting Brulee and the younger siblings toward a massive standing mirror.
"Move quickly!" Compote shouted anxiously. "The Marines are closing in! Enter the Mirror World immediately!"
One by one, the younger Charlotte children disappeared into the glass.
Brulee turned to Katakuri, worry clouding her face.
"Big Brother… please be careful."
Katakuri's expression remained steady, but his voice was firm.
"Ensure everyone reaches the Phoenix Pirates safely. Contact them immediately and demand reinforcements."
Brulee nodded fiercely. "Leave it to me!"
Then—
A voice cut through the tension.
"Brulee!" Charlotte Pudding called out urgently. "Flampe is missing!"
Katakuri's pupils shrank.
Flampe.
Without hesitation, he turned.
"Compote. Protect the others."
"I'll bring her back."
Compote's face tightened. "Be careful, Katakuri."
He nodded once.
Family.
Cake Island could burn.
Territory could be reclaimed.
But siblings—
Once lost—
Could never return.
He took two steps—and froze.
A vision slammed into his mind.
Future sight.
A split second ahead.
Gunfire.
Brulee falling.
Katakuri's eyes snapped wide.
"Brulee—MOVE!"
But it was too late.
Bang.
The gunshot tore through the air like a blade.
Before anyone could react, a bullet pierced Brulee's body.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Then her body collapsed, crumpling to the ground before the mirror.
Time seemed to fracture.
"Brulee—!!!"
Katakuri's roar exploded from his chest, grief and fury tearing through him like a storm.
And somewhere in the smoke—
A hidden enemy lowered their rifle.
The assassin wore a loose black robe, their figure obscured, their face hidden behind a strange feline mask. No one could tell whether it was a man or a woman.
The moment the shot landed, the figure did not hesitate.
They turned—and vanished.
Like smoke swallowed by the wind.
Katakuri saw it all.
His sister falling.
The masked figure retreating.
For a split second, the world went silent.
Then rage erupted.
His Conqueror's Haki flared violently, cracking the ground beneath his feet as murderous intent surged through him.
"You—!"
He shot forward to pursue.
But the assassin was terrifyingly fast.
Soru.
One of the Six Powers.
A blur of motion—precise, disciplined.
Katakuri's eyes narrowed instantly.
World Government. Marine.
There was no doubt.
His blood screamed for revenge. Yet his mind remained cold. That speed was no accident. Chasing would take time.
And worse—This could be bait..
If he left now and more enemies appeared, the remaining siblings would be defenseless.
Katakuri stopped.
The assassin disappeared into the smoke.
He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles cracked.
Then he turned back.
Brulee lay on the shattered stone, blood spreading beneath her like a blooming crimson flower.
The sight pierced him deeper than any blade.
Self-reproach flooded his chest.
He had seen it.
He had warned her.
And yet—
For a single instant, he had turned his back.
That was enough.
The Marines had known.
Of course they had known.
Brulee's Mirror-Mirror Fruit was a strategic nightmare for them. If the Big Mom Pirates could move freely through mirrors, reinforcements from the Phoenix Pirates or the Beasts Pirates could arrive instantly.
So they cut the bridge. Before it could be used.
Katakuri knelt beside her, his massive frame trembling ever so slightly. His Observation Haki searched desperately.
Still breathing.
Faint—but alive.
"Brulee… stay with me." His voice, usually calm as iron, wavered.
"Brulee, open your eyes."
Around them, the younger Charlotte siblings began to panic.
"Big Sister Brulee!"
"Get a doctor! Hurry!"
Some of the children who had already entered the Mirror World began screaming in fear. Without Brulee, they were trapped inside the Mirror World itself—isolated, helpless.
Cake Island burned outside. And their escape route had just been severed.
Katakuri's jaw tightened.
Everything had been planned. Evacuate the younger siblings first. Contact the Phoenix Pirates.
Bring reinforcements through the mirrors.
A flawless strategy.
Now—Gone.
Reduced to ash in a single gunshot.
"Damn it…" he muttered, eyes darkening.
A doctor finally rushed forward, kneeling beside Brulee and pressing trembling hands to her wound.
Blood soaked her dress.
Her breathing was shallow.
Yet—
She smiled.
A small, fragile smile.
"Big Brother… I think… I might die…"
Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
"I'm sorry…"
Katakuri's heart clenched violently.
"Don't talk."
His tone sharpened, but it carried unmistakable fear.
"Save your strength."
He lifted his gaze to the doctor, eyes blazing with restrained fury.
"What is her condition?"
The battlefield roared in the distance.
But in that moment—
For Katakuri—
The entire world had narrowed to the fragile rise and fall of his sister's chest.
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