Chapter 47: The Battle Comes To A Close And The Old Words Are Brought Up Again
“Do you want to continue?”
Vice Admiral Tsuru raised her eyes to look at Sengoku sitting behind the desk.
“I don’t doubt the agents who dutifully perform their duties in such harsh environments as the New World, but… this matter still needs to be handled with caution. The Black Prince who fought fiercely with BIG·MOM for a day and the Black Prince who killed Umit are no longer the same concept.”
“The latter can still be controlled somehow, but the former can only cooperate with… If we can’t determine what kind of person Sokachio Elus really is—whether he holds justice in his heart, or puts interests first, or is truly a cruel bloodthirsty madman—then cooperation cannot proceed without figuring these out.”
As she spoke, Sengoku’s brows furrowed slightly, and his mood became heavy.
If possible, he did not want to see a new overlord rise in the New World who could stand equal to the Four Emperors, whether pirate or not. A monster like this, capable of destroying a country single-handedly and extremely difficult to control—if not on the side of order—would be best if they all died out completely. That would be the most ideal state.
Justice,
is unable to be upheld precisely because of the obstruction from these monsters.
“Garp still has that bastard personality, but his insight is indeed sharp. Let him meet that Black Prince and see if His Highness can truly cooperate with us.”
“Looks like I worried for nothing. As long as you have a plan in mind, that’s good.”
Vice Admiral Tsuru lowered her eyelids and slowly took a sip of tea.
“Worried that desire has clouded my judgment?” Sengoku adjusted his glasses, looked up at the ceiling, and murmured: “I’m always thinking about reclaiming the Navy’s lost authority in the New World. Tsuru, you know that even during the height of the Rocks Pirates, the Navy never lost control of the New World as completely as now.”
“There was only one Rocks, but there are four Four Emperors. That’s not your fault, Sengoku.”
“But the New World was lost in my hands.”
Gazing at the pure white painted ceiling, Sengoku let out a deep sigh.
“If self-blame can lighten your mood, I won’t stop you from taking all the responsibility on yourself.” Vice Admiral Tsuru held her teacup, her gaze fixed on the greenish-brown tea in it. “But the rise of the Four Emperors is essentially a continuation of the Rocks Pirates, a lingering disaster from the Fleet Admiral Kong’s time that wasn’t fully eradicated. That’s an indisputable fact.”
Three of the Four Emperors were once members of the Rocks Pirates.
Back when Fleet Admiral Kong was in power, he failed to completely wipe out the remnants of the Rocks Pirates, leading to the New World becoming the Four Emperors’ New World. The World Government and Navy’s ruling power in the New World suffered a devastating blow. The remaining G1 and G5 bases are just the last fig leaves left for the World Government and Navy.
“Sengoku, being too dutiful isn’t always a good thing. Moderation is the way for longevity. Don’t tense yourself too much, or you’ll make mistakes in your busyness.”
“I know! Tsuru, and… thank you!”
“That’s the staff officer’s duty.”
————
Frank Aroma Sea Area, about 320 kilometers southwest of Saiboi Island.
Waves gleaming with silvery moonlight surged and churned tirelessly. The cold sea wind blew, making the flag of the BIG·MOM Pirates flutter loudly. The massive fleet led by Queen Mama Chanter braved the biting sea wind like a knife, chasing the chaotic, bizarre sight in the sky.
Above these sea waves, there were seas of fire surging, thunderbolts tearing through the air, sword qi crisscrossing the clouds, and ink-green spiritual glow dyeing the moonlight.
The night sky was painted with this chaotic scene woven from intersecting powers.
The fierce battle had lasted three days and two nights.
Now,
it was already the third night since the battle began.
“How much longer… is this going to last?”
Standing on the deck, gripping the ship’s side railing, Snack gazed blankly at the chaotic scene in the sky, an indescribable sense of fatigue permeating his heart. Clearly, over these three days and two nights, he had only been a spectator, expending not a bit of strength, yet now he felt utterly exhausted.
Looking up at the battlefield above, it was a realm he might never reach in his lifetime.
He still had that much self-awareness.
His greatest wish was to become a General. Standing alongside Brother Katakuri would be his ultimate pursuit. As for Mom… as her son, he only felt obedience and fear. He had never even considered the possibility of becoming as powerful as Mom.
“Snack, go rest if you can’t hold on.” Katakuri’s voice drifted into his ears with the sea wind.
Snack instinctively looked toward the voice, seeing Brother Katakuri like an iron man cast onto the deck. Deep admiration rose in his eyes. The battle in the sky had lasted three days and two nights, and Brother Katakuri had stood for three days and two nights.
During this time, he hadn’t moved a single centimeter.
If not for Observation Haki clearly sensing that vibrant life breath, one might suspect something had gone wrong.
“I’m fine, I can still hold on.”
Snack shook his head. Looking at the scarf coiled around Brother Katakuri’s neck, he hesitated for a moment before asking: “Brother Katakuri, how’s the battle between Mom and that… Black Prince going now?”
After personally witnessing Elus and BIG·MOM’s fierce battle over three days and two nights,
Snack no longer referred to Elus with dismissive terms like “brat.” A strong person who could match Mom—if talking behind his back, a few bad words were fine, but at this distance, he didn’t doubt Elus could use Observation Haki to monitor their every move.
“You weren’t watching?”
Katakuri asked.
“Yeah, I’ve been watching all along, but… I don’t understand it.”
Snack spoke as if reciting a tongue twister.
But the meaning was quite clear: Snack’s Observation Haki could observe the battle between Elus and BIG·MOM in the sky, but his insight wasn’t enough to judge the battle’s situation.
“Mom has the upper hand, but to completely overwhelm that Black Prince… it’s probably impossible in the short term,” Katakuri said.
This wasn’t just for Snack; it was also for the group of eager siblings standing behind him. The chaotic, unclear battle in the sky filled these less powerful siblings with anxiety. They worried and feared that Mom might be toppled from her pedestal by this suddenly emerging Black Prince.
No matter how unrecognizable Mom became during her episodes,
They always knew Mom was the great tree sheltering them from the outside world’s storms. Without Mom’s protection… unimaginable!
Hearing Katakuri’s words, the Charlotte Family siblings on the deck quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Though Elus’s power was shocking, as long as Mom remained the Pirate Emperor of the New World, their future lives wouldn’t change much.
“Brother Katakuri, should we find a way to help Mom?”
While the siblings behind whispered among themselves, the tall, long-legged Smoothie silently walked to Katakuri’s side and asked in a low voice.
The BIG·MOM Pirates’ “Sweet Three Generals.”
Charlotte Katakuri, Charlotte Smoothie, Charlotte Cracker.
After countless brutal bloodbaths, these three had become the top pillars of the pirate crew, second only to Mom BIG·MOM and Chef Longbread. In a straight one-on-one, any Four Emperor could easily crush them, but with Mom tying down the opponent, they could indeed join such a battle.
She didn’t get an immediate response.
After waiting about half a minute,
“For now, no need.”
Katakuri gently shook his head.
For now, just for now—no need. Honestly, joining a battle at that level in the sky would carry enormous risk. Attacks Mom could ignore would severely injure or kill them if they landed. So… better to keep spectating for now!
After all,
Mom truly had the upper hand in this battle.
★
Above the clouds,
Beneath the moon,
The battle continued.
“Black Cero!”
This was Elus’s sixty-ninth use of this killing move capable of dealing certain damage to BIG·MOM.
Pitch-black light burst from his fingertips.
Like a beam shot from the abyss of hell, it pierced through the blazing sea of fire and vast thunderclouds.
Frightened, Prometheus’s main body swiftly dodged, while Zeus dutifully carried BIG·MOM. After all, nowhere was safer than by Mom’s side. Even if injured by Elus, Mom could repair them anytime.
Elus’s spiritual pressure attacks could harm the homies created by BIG·MOM.
Even Armament Haki couldn’t harm the sun Prometheus and thundercloud Zeus, yet they couldn’t evade attacks from spiritual pressure, which was also a transformation of soul power.
“Ikoku.”
Wielding the great sword ‘Napoleon’,
BIG·MOM’s counterattack was equally fierce.
The massive slashing wave collided head-on with the black Cero, unleashing another storm that shook the Vast Sea and swept in all directions. Fortunately, this was over the great sea; on land, three days and two nights of fierce fighting could completely reshape an island’s terrain and landforms.
The 351st direct clash ended in a draw again.
However,
This time, BIG·MOM didn’t eagerly launch the next round like before. Standing atop Zeus, she pointed the tip of her great sword ‘Napoleon’ toward the sea below. Sun Prometheus clung to BIG·MOM’s hair, its flames burning fiercely.
“Sokachio Elus.”
For the first time, properly calling Elus by name, instead of contemptuous terms like ‘boy’ or ‘brat’.
BIG·MOM seriously sized up Elus.
She slowly said:
“Your strength is very strong.”
“To be praised by Whole Cake Island’s Queen is my honor.”
Three days and two nights of fierce battle were enough for Elus to erase the weakness shaken by trivial matters before. He calmly conversed with BIG·MOM while the Moonlight Sword gripped in his hand still flickered with sharp blade light.
He didn’t relax just because BIG·MOM suddenly stopped.
Still prepared to fight at any moment.
“Though I really want to kill you and use your head to quell the petty thoughts of those wastes in the Dark World, clearly that’s not happening now. You’ve earned the right for me to change my original intention.”
BIG·MOM saw Elus’s vigilant stance, but she truly had no desire to continue fighting.
Three days and two nights of fierce battle—
She hadn’t fought anyone for such a long time in ages.
Of course,
Her stamina was still plentiful, and her mental state quite robust.
She could fight another five days and nights without issue, but the real problem was that even five more days and nights wouldn’t yield substantial results. Elus, with flight capability, could absolutely escape even if he couldn’t win.
That was the fact she discovered in these three days and two nights of fierce battle.
“Change your mind?”
Elus narrowed his eyes.
“Ceasefire! Continuing this battle benefits neither of us. Fighting me for three days and two nights is enough for your reputation to echo through the New World. Continuing won’t bring more changes, unless you’re prepared to truly fight to the death here.”
BIG·MOM stared at Elus, awaiting his response.
The reason she proactively proposed ceasefire wasn’t just weariness of this battle with no clear outcome.
Her sons and daughters chasing closely over the sea were the key reason. During the battle, her Observation Haki had caught Katakuri and Smoothie’s sudden bursts of battle intent toward Elus.
Though suppressed afterward,
If the battle continued, they would eventually intervene. That was something she absolutely didn’t want to see.
Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker—these three children were BIG·MOM’s proudest offspring, key pillars of her pirate crew, vital helpers in realizing her dream of becoming Pirate King. She truly didn’t want these three finest children to die in such a pointless battle.
If they must die, it should be for something more valuable.
“…Then, let’s end it here!”
BIG·MOM could sense her children’s little moves; Elus’s Neuro-Scan naturally keenly captured the intense killing intent aimed at him. A little thought made it clear why BIG·MOM wanted to ceasefire.
However,
This was fine too.
He hadn’t planned to make it an all-or-nothing feud with BIG·MOM anyway. Apart from the Umit matter, they had no prior entanglements, so no irreconcilable hatred.
Moreover, he wasn’t alone; he had a kingdom waiting to inherit!
This three-day-two-night fierce battle.
The biggest beneficiary was actually Elus. Leveraging BIG·MOM’s name, he had thoroughly made his name in the New World. Reputation seemed ethereal, but it absolutely held real significance.
With this reputation.
Taking over Umit’s maritime transport network would face no more obstacles.
Even diehards like Ximuyel Kingdom would have to weigh if offending a strong person who fought BIG·MOM for three days and two nights was worth it for the dead Umit.
“Then, Whole Cake Island’s Queen, I’ll take my leave.”
Elus flapped his wings, preparing to depart.
“Wait.”
BIG·MOM suddenly called out to Elus.
“What?”
Elus spun the still-undissipated Moonlight Sword in his hand. “Having second thoughts?”
“No.”
BIG·MOM shook her head. The great sword ‘Napoleon’ in her hand had transformed back into hat form and was worn on her head. Sun Prometheus also shifted from “anger state” to its normal state as a sun with red dimples on its face.
“How about reconsidering my earlier proposal? Come be my son-in-law! Do you like older ones? Or younger ones?”
