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There was no doubt about it.
What was happening on the live broadcast screen at this moment was something that no one in the entirety of Totto Land could have anticipated.
The image on the screen showed Big Mom, who had already lost all awareness and was merely opening her mouth to emit meaningless, monstrous howls, and the figure that had appeared before her.
Everything that was taking place had completely surpassed the imagination of both the citizens of Totto Land and the officers of the Charlotte Family.
"Sea Beast First Seat!?"
Cries of shock rang out across the various islands of Totto Land.
Now that the name of the Twelve Zodiac resounded throughout the seas, everyone naturally understood the significance of a Sea Beast First Seat.
"An officer of the Twelve Zodiac?"
"I've never seen that Sea Beast First Seat before. He's not one of the ones with a bounty, he's a new officer!?"
"A dog-head mask? Is he 'Inu'?"
By now, the naming conventions of the Twelve Zodiac's senior officers were no secret across the seas, so many people were already able to guess Inu's identity and codename.
But the important thing was Inu's declaration.
A declaration of war.
Without waiting for BIG MOM to make the first move, the Twelve Zodiac had officially declared war on one of the Four Emperors and had even launched an attack.
"How did they infiltrate Cake Island? And what happened to Oven, Cracker, and the others?"
At that moment, on Chocolate Island, Smoothie's mind was filled with countless questions.
"And how did they learn Mother's weakness!?" She gritted out through clenched teeth.
Yes, a weakness.
It was something known only to the Big Mom Pirates, only to veteran officers of the Charlotte Family. Most of the time, Big Mom's body existed in the state known as the "Steel Balloon", a defensive capability and vitality far surpassing even ordinary Armament Haki.
She had not been injured in who knew how many years.
Yet there was one circumstance in which she would lose her "Steel Balloon."
That was when her mind collapsed, and her consciousness became chaotic.
At such times, she would emit those strange screams and unleash terrifying Conqueror's Haki. But at the same time, her body would become exceptionally vulnerable, and the easiest way to push her into that extreme state was through Mother Carmel's photograph.
Yet this matter had originally been a secret. Even among the Charlotte Family, very few knew about it.
So how had the Twelve Zodiac learned of it?
"..."
At that moment, however, Perospero's expression was grim, and he did not reply.
As the eldest son of the Charlotte Family, and as the strategist of the Big Mom Pirates, famed for his schemes and conspiracies, he had already begun to suspect a chilling truth.
From Cracker's injury several months ago and the weakening of his abilities, to Cracker personally naming several individuals not long ago as "guards" to help defend Cake Island, the truth painted by all these clues was actually quite clear.
"They've been preparing for this for a long time... not just a day or two."
The moment that possibility crossed his mind, Perospero's long tongue nearly stiffened.
"We need to go help Mother immediately. Hey, Katakuri…"
He was just about to turn around and call for Katakuri. But when he looked back, he saw that Katakuri, who had originally been rushing toward the Mirror Channel, had already stopped in his tracks.
"It's too late..."
For the first time ever, Katakuri's usually cold and composed expression was filled with visible shock and panic.
"There's more than one."
"Mother... Mother, she..."
His voice carried unmistakable complexity and alarm.
He had seen that astonishing future once again.
…
Meanwhile, atop the castle in Cake City…
"Everyone, prepare to strike."
Inu's gaze turned toward Big Mom in the distance.
As she emitted those strange screams, her overwhelming Conqueror's Haki had already begun affecting the physical world itself. The surrounding ground was almost completely shattered, and nearly everything around her had broken apart.
That's right.
In the original story, the current Nika and his allies had once cooperated to destroy Mother Carmel's photograph, triggering this exact "screaming" state in an attempt to assassinate her.
But in the end, they had failed because of Big Mom's terrifying Conqueror's Haki, the very weapon meant to kill her had been shattered to pieces.
However, that clearly did not mean Luffy and the others' plan had been flawed.
On the contrary. In Roy's view, that plan was nearly perfect in both completeness and practicality.
There had only been one reason for its failure.
At the time, Luffy and the others had simply been too weak.
But this time was different from the original story.
Because this time, the enemies facing BIG MOM were… The Twelve Zodiac!
"Let this sea tremble."
As Inu's words fell…
Bzzzt!
The eight clones that had been standing atop Cake City Castle suddenly sprang into action.
Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately swallowed their own shadows, and then fused together with Inu.
[Shadow Gathering Ground · Ninefold Devour]
[Chaotic Devil Fruit · Giant Great Warrior Fusion]
And finally...
[True Mirage Shadow · Rocks]
Without the slightest hesitation, he directly transformed into the appearance of Rocks.
The power of that supreme overlord of the past enveloped his body. However, it did not include Devil Fruit abilities or Haki, the terrifying aura alone instantly pierced through the clouds overhead.
And this was only the beginning.
Because in the very next moment…
Bzzz!
Above the clouds that had been torn apart, dazzling radiance poured down from the heavens. Within that brilliant light, a massive figure slowly emerged, covered in crimson-gold scales, blazing with golden flames, and bearing a pair of wings upon his back.
It was… The Twelve Zodiac, Youji (Rooster).
At this moment, the form he had assumed was unmistakably the one he had displayed back at the Sabaody Archipelago—his strongest form.
[Winged Divine Dragon Form]
And then, in the next instant…
Shhk!
The space above Big Mom's head suddenly split open.
Bang!
A colossal slash appeared out of thin air. At the source of that slash stood a figure wearing gloves and a Rat Mask, his hands clasped behind his back.
The Twelve Zodiac, Zishu.
At this moment, Zishu's body had grown enormously large, almost like that of a giant, and the slash he unleashed with a casual wave of his hand visibly distorted and split space itself wherever it passed.
"Th-Three of them!"
"Zishu isn't dead!? What exactly is going on?"
"Zishu, Yooj, Inu… three senior officers of the Twelve Zodiac!? They've all appeared on Cake Island at the same time!"
"So their target really is Mother!?"
Across the various islands of Totto Land, everyone watching the live broadcast cried out in shock almost simultaneously.
They weren't particularly familiar with Inu, but both Zishu and Youji were names that thundered across the seas in the current era.
Naturally, however, that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was the fact revealed by the simultaneous appearance of these three individuals. It proved that the Twelve Zodiac had not come here merely to threaten, retaliate, or pursue some hidden objective.
From the very beginning… Their goal had been to kill an Emperor of the Sea and that was indeed the truth.
"Mirage Shadow · Abyss Curse!"
"Winged Divine Dragon Strike · Solar Fist!"
"Void Slash · Grand Secret Art · World Severance!"
The three of them hesitated not at all, immediately unleashing their strongest attacks from three different directions toward the Big Mom who was still screaming incoherently.
Incidentally, the three Homies who should have been protecting Big Mom were likewise unable to move because of the effects of her "strange scream."
Bang!
At that moment, Inu's pitch-black slash seemed to plunge the skies above Cake Island into darkness.
Bzzz!
Yet within that darkness, Youji's radiance shone like the sun itself, illuminating even the night.
Shhk!
And finally, Zishu's slash, which could cut through all things, swallowed and cleaved apart both night and day alike. For a moment, the entirety of Cake Island seemed to alternate between darkness and daylight.
Under the terrifying aftershocks of those attacks, the castle that had stood upon Cake Island for many years, the symbol of BIG MOM herself, began to collapse in an instant.
Rumble! Rumble!
Deafening explosions echoed as the three attacks crashed toward Big Mom.
Naturally… Not even BIG MOM's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki could erase or withstand attacks of this level.
Shhk!
In the next moment, Inu's slash severed Big Mom's head from her body!
Bang!
Immediately afterward, Youji's fist pierced straight through Big Mom's heart!
Crack!
And finally, Zishu's spatial slash split Big Mom's body in half from the middle on the spot!
Without her Steel Balloon, her body was clearly no sturdier than a sheet of paper.
And so, in the next instant…
Thud!
The corpse of the Emperor of the Sea crashed heavily to the ground.
And throughout all of Totto Land, at this moment… There was only silence.
(End of Chapter)