"Mother!!!"
A heart-wrenching roar drowned out everyone else's voices at the scene.
Katakuri stared blankly at the dismembered Big Mom, his psychological defenses completely shattered.
The other Charlotte Family executives also showed sadness and grief on their faces.
Their Mother's death was too humiliating.
Reno had completely taken advantage of the situation.
If Mother hadn't suffered an eating disorder at that critical moment, how could Reno have killed Mother so easily?
But now, dwelling on these things was useless.
Everyone felt the suffocating aura emanating from Reno, and a mix of powerlessness, indignation, sorrow, and other negative emotions filled their hearts.
With Big Mom dead, no one here was Reno's match anymore.
They had become fish on a chopping block, at his mercy.
Just as everyone despairingly closed their eyes, awaiting Reno's judgment.
The rampaging lightning slowly subsided, and the roar abruptly stopped.
Reno's gaze swept over the shattered palace; thousands of Charlotte Family members plus guests.
Now, less than one in ten remained.
The rest were all core members of the Charlotte Family.
Of the invited guests, apart from Morgans and Stussy who had been knocked unconscious, all lay in pools of blood.
"Reno!!"
Katakuri picked up the trident from the ground and charged forward furiously.
Boom!!
However, just as he lifted his foot,
A terrifying pressure, like a mountain, suddenly descended. Katakuri felt a sweetness in his throat and involuntarily spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
His tall body also hunched over like a shrimp.
"Katakuri-nii!!"
"Katakuri!!"
"..."
His younger siblings around him cried out anxiously, running towards Katakuri in a panic.
Aside from Mother Big Mom, Katakuri was the spiritual pillar of the Charlotte Family.
Boom boom boom!!
Boom boom boom!!!
However, in the next second, the scene repeated itself.
As if carrying a great mountain, everyone fell to the ground with a thud, their chests pressed tightly against the surface, unable to move.
The immense pressure caused their faces to twist and deform.
"Re... Reno, don't hurt... hurt them."
Katakuri's furious roar came intermittently.
Reno walked in front of Katakuri, looking down at him from above, and said indifferently:
"Katakuri, for Galette and Flampe's sake, I'll let you go."
"If you continue to pester me—"
"Katakuri, don't... don't believe this scoundrel, he killed Mother!!"
Before Reno could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a muffled roar.
He frowned and looked over, only to see a man with a fierce face and a scar over his right eye emerging from a crushed biscuit soldier.
It was Charlotte Cracker, one of the Sweet Commanders.
A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit Ability user of the Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit.
He usually hides his true body inside his biscuit soldiers.
"Katakuri, you absolutely must not fall for Reno's—"
"Die!!!"
A silver-white line arced through the air, and in Cracker's horrified gaze, it whizzed through his brow.
A Sweet Commander fell!
"No!!!"
Katakuri's roar followed closely.
He looked up at Cracker, who was slowly closing his eyes, and his wide eyes quickly filled with bloodshot veins.
Another one died!
"Katakuri, it seems your younger siblings don't want this path to survival. In that case..."
Reno spoke expressionlessly, the blade fragment on his fingertip beginning to spin at high speed.
"Wait!!"
"Reno, don't kill anymore!"
Katakuri's face changed drastically, and he quickly shouted loudly.
The unwillingness in his heart urged him to seek revenge on Reno, but the insurmountable gap in strength made him hesitate.
He was not afraid of death.
Dying for the Charlotte Family was even an honor.
But he could not stand by and watch his younger siblings die in vain.
Looking at the fearful and bewildered expressions on their faces, Katakuri felt a pang of heartache.
"Reno, let them go. Let this matter end here."
Katakuri lowered his stance, speaking with difficulty.
"Katakuri-nii, Reno killed Mother, how can you—?!"
"Katakuri-nii, we—"
"All of you, shut up!!!"
Katakuri's eyes suddenly widened, and his resentful younger siblings quickly fell silent.
His authority was fully displayed at this moment.
Seeing this, Reno nodded in satisfaction.
He didn't care if the other party was sincere or not.
Keeping these people was already his utmost benevolence.
Moreover, even if he didn't act, someone else would deal with them.
Those forces that were once hostile to the Big Mom Pirates might have been deterred by Big Mom and dared not harbor ill intentions.
Now, with Big Mom's death, several pillars of the Charlotte Family had also died one after another.
The entire Big Mom Pirates was supported only by Katakuri, a single pillar that could not stand alone.
Once those ill-intentioned individuals caught wind of the situation, the dark side of the sea would be fully revealed.
The territories occupied by the Big Mom Pirates, and all their underground trade, would be cleanly divided by these people.
As for the remaining members of the Charlotte Family, whether they could survive was an unknown.
After receiving a satisfactory answer, Reno immediately withdrew the pressure.
Everyone felt their bodies lighten.
"Everyone, collect the bodies."
Fearing that his younger siblings would cause trouble again, Katakuri immediately spoke in an unquestionable tone.
The remaining executives of the Charlotte Family exchanged glances, resignedly lowered their heads, and infinite sorrow appeared on their faces.
They followed Katakuri's orders, searching for the bodies of their brothers and sisters amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Katakuri, meanwhile, walked silently towards Big Mom.
"Galette, Flampe, come here!"
The two sisters, crying profusely, were just about to move when a stern voice suddenly entered their ears.
Hearing that devil-like voice, Galette and Flampe's bodies trembled involuntarily.
"Katakuri-nii."
"Katakuri-nii."
The two girls' voices trembled, and they cast pleading glances at Katakuri.
Katakuri paused, turned his head to look, gazed deeply at the two girls, and finally sighed helplessly, "Go. He won't harm you."
With that, he turned and left.
"Katakuri-nii."
"Brother."
Looking at the desolate figure before them, Galette and Flampe's eyes gradually welled up with a thin mist.
They didn't blame Katakuri for being heartless.
To preserve the bigger picture, he could only do this.
With complex emotions, the two girls walked together to Reno's front.
Reno glanced at them both, then withdrew his gaze.
From their perspective, what happened today was unforgivable.
He couldn't be bothered with idle talk.
When they returned, he would directly brand them with the Slave Mark.
To be honest.
Besides retrieving the Soul-Soul Fruit, what interested him most were Stussy and Vinsmoke Reiju.
Sensing Reno's burning gaze on her, Stussy's delicate body trembled, and she gave an awkward smile.
"Come here," Reno said, watching Stussy with a half-smile.
Stussy forced a smile onto her face and walked with difficulty towards Reno.
In her mind, she was rapidly thinking of a way out of this situation.
"Lord Reno, is there something you need me for?"
Stussy walked up to Reno and said with a charming smile.
Reno unreservedly admired Stussy before him: golden curly hair, blue eyes, fingers and toes painted with vibrant nail polish, and a pair of white transparent fishnet stockings that added to her allure.
She was a complete vixen.
Combined with the nature of her work, Stussy exuded a captivating charm in every gesture.
Among Reno's current twenty-seven women, only Kalifa had a similar aura.
But even she was slightly inferior to Stussy.
"From now on, you are a member of the Reno Pirates," Reno said calmly.
In his tone, however, there was an air of unquestionable finality.
It was just as she expected.
Stussy remained outwardly calm, but her heart sank halfway.
She was about to refuse when her peripheral vision caught sight of Big Mom's corpse. After swallowing a mouthful of saliva, she said seductively:
"Lord Reno, please don't joke. How could I possibly catch your eye?"
"If you truly like beautiful women, I can find a few for you; I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
Stussy guaranteed with certainty.
As the Queen of the Red-Light District, she had an unparalleled advantage in this regard.
Reno liked women, so she would cater to his preferences.
She had handled countless beautiful women.
Some were even just as stunning as she was, if not more so.
They would surely satisfy all of Reno's desires.
"I only want you."
Just when Stussy thought things were taking a turn for the better, Reno's words once again sent her heart plummeting to rock bottom.
"Lord Reno, why must you be so demanding?"
Stussy said with a bitter smile.
"Stussy, if you're worried about the World Government, there's no need."
"With me here, even if you betray the World Government, they won't do anything to you."
Reno smiled and explained, looking at the somewhat uneasy Stussy.
Isn't she just an agent of the World Government?
Kalifa was too, and now she's his woman, isn't she?
To be precise, although Stussy is a CP0 working for the World Government, she has always been Vegapunk's person.
Of course.
Unless absolutely necessary, Stussy would not betray the World Government.
Stussy subconsciously stepped back, her beautiful eyes filled with wariness.
"How do you know these things?"
She asked cautiously.
You know, her identity is top secret.
"It's not important. You just need to know that if you dare to refuse me, I'll go to Egghead and kill Vegapunk."
Reno said with a slight smile.
At these words, Stussy's face changed drastically.
Reno even knew about her relationship with Vegapunk?!
She didn't doubt Reno's words at all. For a man who would kill Marine Hero Garp and Yonko Big Mom without hesitation, killing Vegapunk was as easy as crushing an ant.
Stussy's expression kept changing, her thoughts raced, trying to come up with a countermeasure.
0...begging for flowers---finally
"I agree to your request, I just ask that you don't harm Dr. Vegapunk."
Stussy resigned herself, bowing her head, looking as if she was at his mercy.
In the face of absolute power, she had no right to bargain.
"A smart choice." Reno smiled and nodded.
He was just scaring Stussy earlier; he didn't really want to kill Vegapunk.
However, when he had time, he really should go to Egghead.
There were also a few beautiful women around Vegapunk.
Although they were just clones, each of them was an independent individual with their own thoughts and desires.
The next second, Reno pulled back his thoughts and walked towards Vinsmoke Judge, who was on the other side.
Galette, Flampe, and Stussy followed closely behind him.
The anxious Judge saw Reno approaching and quickly went to meet him, a smile on his face.
Yonji, Ichiji, and Niji looked on with disdain.
To them, who had no emotions, Judge's behavior of bullying the weak and fearing the strong was truly despicable.
Looking at Reno, who was so close, Reiju took several deep breaths before she could barely suppress the excitement in her heart.
"Lord Reno, please tell me if you have any commands."
Judge ignored the strange looks behind him, walked up to Reno, and asked respectfully.
Even Big Mom had become Reno's victim.
As long as he could survive, dignity was nothing.
In his opinion, he was at least much stronger than Katakuri.
Reno didn't bother to chat with him and said sternly, "Relax your mind, don't resist."
"Wh-what..."
Judge was utterly bewildered and hadn't had time to ask for the reason.
Reno's right palm was already pressed against his forehead.
"Ah!!!"
By the time Judge reacted, he only felt a sharp pain in his mind.
But it quickly disappeared again.
Slave Mark, successfully imprinted!
"Your subordinate, Judge, greets Master!"
Under the astonished gazes of Reiju and the three women behind him, Judge suddenly knelt on one knee and spoke respectfully.
"Get up." Reno replied calmly.
"Judge, from now on, stop all your acts of revenge in North Blue."
"Now, take the Germa Kingdom to a remote place and mass-produce clone soldiers, do you hear me?!"
"Yes, Master."
Judge nodded without any hesitation.
Under the control of the Slave Mark, he would obey Reno's commands unconditionally.
Reno nodded slightly and then glanced at the Ichiji brothers.
The three of them had completely become tools, but fortunately, they also obeyed Judge's commands unconditionally.
It could be said that controlling Judge was equivalent to controlling the entire Germa Kingdom.
As for these clone soldiers, he would have great use for them in the future.
Reno teleported away, leaving spatial marks on all the snail ships, and then returned.
"Judge, there's nothing for you here. Leave Totto Land now."
"Reiju, stay."
Reno waved his hand, urging them somewhat impatiently.
"Yes, Master."
Judge gave Reiju a meaningful look, then left with the Ichiji brothers.
Reiju, whose name Reno had called, was stunned in place, her heart pounding like a thousand deer.
Reno wanted her to stay alone, could it be... Thinking of a certain possibility, Reiju's breathing suddenly became rapid, and she bit her lower lip nervously.
"Lord...Lord Reno, is there something you need?!"
Reiju didn't want to overthink it and asked, suppressing her inner excitement.
"Why are you nervous?!"
Looking at Reiju, who was like a frightened little white rabbit, Reno couldn't help but laugh.
"No...I...I'm not nervous." Reiju shook her head, trying to act tough.
But her apple-red cheeks and slightly inward-pointing slender beautiful legs mercilessly betrayed her.
"Reiju, join the Reno Pirate Crew and follow me from now on."
Reno stopped teasing Reiju and said seriously.
Did happiness come so suddenly?!
Somewhat caught off guard, Reiju was clearly at a loss, feeling a dizzy spell.
"If you don't want to, I'll leave."
Seeing Reiju lower her head and remain silent, Reno deliberately put on a stern face and made to turn and leave.
"Lord Reno, I'm willing, I'm willing to join the Reno Pirate Crew!!!"
Fearing that Reno would really change his mind, Reiju quickly shouted.
Isn't this the day she had been waiting for?
To get rid of that cold-blooded family and cold-blooded father as soon as possible.
No matter what Reno had done to Judge just now, she didn't care.
Stussy rolled her eyes speechlessly at this scene.
What a simple little girl, too easy to deceive.
Why was it so difficult for her?
"Since you've agreed, then let's go." Reno looked at Reiju with a chuckle, feeling much better.
"Lord Reno, can I take Sanji with me?!"
Reiju hesitated and pointed a finger at a man who had fallen unconscious not far away.
In the entire Germa Family, the only person she cared about was this younger brother.
Reno glanced at Sanji indifferently and shook his head, saying, "He cannot come aboard my ship."
"Let Judge take him out of Totto Land. Afterwards, he can go wherever he pleases."
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.
