Shadow Hatred: Memory-Memory Fruit

"Hey, why is it so dark all of a sudden?"

After leaving Drum Kingdom, Roman's paper airplane carried the Straw Hat crew into a misty area. In the center of the mist was a gloomy island, and from the sky, one could see the giant sail behind the Gothic building in the center of the island.

"Isn't this the 'Thriller Bark'?"

Zoro glanced at it and closed his eyes, losing interest. After living with Perona for two years, didn't Moria know how strong Zoro was?

It's boring.

"Oh, this is it. I remember we almost got wiped out back then, but we were lucky to have you here~~"

Usopp, who had been bandaged up by Chopper, looked nostalgic for his 'glorious days'.

Back then, a single sentence from him was enough to energize the Straw Hat crew's four strongest fighters...

"Since it's the 'Thriller Bark,' then the one we need to defeat is Moria. However—"

"Yo ho ho, everyone, I missed you all so much~~"

"Brook!!"

As the paper airplane's hatch opened, fluttering pieces of white paper provided footholds in the air. Standing atop the Gothic building, Brook stepped on these pieces of paper and leaped upwards into the cabin. Then, the pieces of paper flew back and reformed to form the hatch.

"Brook, you defeated 'Moria'?"

In response to Roman's question, the skeletal gentleman with the afro nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Roman."

"However, it's more accurate to say that Moria deliberately lost to me rather than that I won."

"He asked me to avenge him; his subordinate, 'The Invisible Person' Absalom, died at the hands of Blackbeard..."

?!

That's not right. How could Moria know about Absalom's death? Unless:

Roman frowned. Unless the Red Earl had accessed his memories, no one else knew anything about Absalom. Even Nami only knew that the original owner of the 'Suke Suke no Mi' had died, causing the invisibility ability to fail...

When was it?

"Yeah, we'll have to fight Blackbeard sooner or later anyway!"

Luffy cracked his knuckles.

"But before that, I'm going to beat up that 'The Red Earl' guy first! Because the King of the Pirates can only be me!!"

"Impossible, even Luffy can't beat the boss."

Pato was the first to shake his head, after all, in the little raccoon's mind the Red Earl was the strongest man in the World's Greatest! — Although in terms of strength, the Red Earl did have the ability to challenge for the number one throne, his ambitions lay elsewhere.

"Hehehe, how will you know you can't win if you don't fight?"

You just got kicked away, okay?

Roman suppressed the urge to complain. To be fair, the Red Earl is definitely on par with the Four Emperors. And unlike the tanky Big Mom or the tanky Kaido, the Red Earl is a high-speed, high-attack, and highly predictive assassin. Facing him, you can easily be killed in an instant if you're not careful!

In short, in the end, only...

"Roman, what's wrong now?"

Nami looked on with curiosity as Roman sighed, one hand on his forehead. With the Straw Hat crew's strength increasing, it was rare to see Roman make such an expression.

"It's Sanji and Brulee. I've found them. But..."

Call out--

The paper airplane suddenly accelerated, pinning a group of unsuspecting hyperactive children firmly to the back of the cabin!

"What happened?"

When Luffy, who was pinned down by Usopp, Chopper, Pato, and Carrot, asked a question, Roman gave a concise answer.

"Sanji and Brulee's opponent is Big Mom."

?!

Oh no... a newlywed couple being brutally beaten by the mother-in-law?

"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry, hurry, hurry!!!"

Urged on by Luffy, the giant paper airplane soared to a speed that normal passenger planes could hardly achieve, and white sonic booms exploded in circles. Only an unscientific Devil Fruit ability could do something so unscientific.

"I can see Whole Cake Chateau!"

"Over there—"

Sanji, clad in his battle suit and carrying Brulee, was dodging and weaving between the buildings on Whole Cake Chateau! Wisps of smoke billowed from his body; defeating his opponent was out of the question, even escaping was incredibly dangerous. After all:

Unlike others, Big Mom is born with a defense like an 'Iron Balloon,' coupled with a terrifying Devil Fruit ability. Even without Haki, she is still a top-tier fighter, undoubtedly the most powerful 'clone' to date.

"Sanji ~~~"

Luffy Fourth Gear, crashed through the wall of the plane and flew towards Big Mom, while Roman slowed down and reduced the size and amount of paper in the paper airplane because:

"Nami, I'll go help Luffy in a bit. You take the plane and get the others away from here."

Roman, now clad in the White Knight's robes, shifted control of the paper airplane. Against a top-tier magic tank like Big Mom, sheer numbers were meaningless. Those unable to withstand her superior Logia attacks or penetrate her innate steel skin were simply easy prey.

"Roman, how about we use 'that move'?"

Roman waved his hand at Nami's suggestion.

"No need. This is just a 'clone.' Let's save that trick for the real thing."

"Very well, I'll see if her skin can stop my knife!"

Facing a formidable foe, Zoro immediately perked up.

"If the enemy is Big Mom, count me in."

Jinbe also stood up.

Luffy was leading the charge, was already rapidly approaching his opponent.

"Rubber King Kong Gun!"

Facing Big Mom, Luffy went all out from the start. With his punch, the air seemed to explode, and he soared through the sky above Whole Cake Chateau, the buildings beneath his feet being sliced apart by the invisible impact, like the surface of the sea!

Noticing Luffy, Big Mom didn't back down, gripping her pirate hat 'Napoleon' in her hand and wrapping 'Prometheus' around it:

"Emperor Sword - Shattering Blade!"

The massive longsword 'Napoleon' radiated intense heat and light. Wherever it passed, even without direct contact with the ground, a bright and dazzling river of lava was torn open, carrying scorching winds. After a brief moment of charging in the air, it slashed fiercely towards Luffy.

Boom!!

Luffy's fist slammed into Big Mom's longsword, and a burst of flames, accompanied by wildly flickering flames, exploded in all directions! The raging fire waves rolled, and countless sparks of heat shot out from 'Napoleon'.

Like a volcanic eruption, the golden, blazing flames burst forth in dazzling, shimmering sparks as they fell. Even the slightest spark that touched a nearby building would instantly create a terrifying, gaping hole.

Click-clack—

At the same time, the ground beneath BIG MOM's feet suddenly exploded! The shockwave and tremors spread wildly in all directions, and the cracks, like a spider web, stretched out continuously, instantly turning the buildings within a radius of several hundred meters into ruins.

"You brat! How dare you interfere in my family affairs?"

Luffy his ground against the enraged Big Mom.

"Sanji is my partner, and my family! — Why can't I interfere?"

"Court death!!"

Facing the blazing sword raised once more, Luffy remained fearless. After all, with his advanced Armament Haki, he was no longer particularly afraid of fire attacks. And Big Mom's other attack, 'Zeus,' involves Luffy, so:

"Rubber King Ape Gatling Gun!"

Although Luffy in Fourth Gear still looks a bit 'small' in front of Big Mom, his densely packed King Kong Gun are not to be underestimated!

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! It hurts so much!!!"

After all, it wasn't the real Big Mom, and the 'Iron Balloon' alone couldn't completely protect her from Luffy's attacks. But despite Big Mom's cries of pain, her powerful voice and the long sword she immediately swung back at clearly indicated:

It just hurts.

"This is way too hard!!"

Luffy, was forced to retreat mid-air, dodging Big Mom's enraged slash! Meanwhile, Zoro and Jinbe had already passed Luffy.

"Plum Flower Skin!"

Jinbe tensed his arms, forming a cross in front of him, while simultaneously coating them with Armament Haki! He actually withstood Big Mom's longsword head-on, while Zoro at the same time slung his twin swords behind his back and unleashed a powerful slash like a tiger's claw! The light flowing across the three swords grew increasingly fierce and sharp, making it impossible to look directly at them. The sword light extending from the blades like a rainbow became increasingly domineering and arrogant, scorning the world.

"Three-Sword Style: Black Extreme Tiger Hunt!"

Pfft! X3

"Ahhh—"

Three sword flashes, crisscrossing and maneuvering, suddenly struck Big Mom, the sound of them tearing through the air like a tiger's roar atop a mountain, shaking the surrounding area for miles! However:

"Hey, hey, hey, that's way too hard..."

Zoro echoed Luffy's sentiment, saying that Big Mom's physique was arguably the most abnormal in the world. Even the Giant race's blade slash was shattered by the impact on the five-year-old Big Mom. She was practically born with the Devil Fruit ability!

After decades of battles, Big Mom's physique has become increasingly abnormal, even leaving Luffy and Zoro somewhat bewildered.

Forget it, I'll just beat her up!

Luffy, Roman, Zoro, Jinbe were locked in a fierce, back-and-forth battle around Big Mom. While they could only inflict limited damage on this 'Big Mom,' even the real Big Mom wouldn't stand a chance against the Straw Hat crew's four main fighters. Let alone a clone.

The Straw Hat crew grew increasingly accustomed to their opponent's attack patterns as the fight progressed, and their teamwork improved dramatically. They even managed to turn the tide and gain the upper hand against Big Mom. However, to achieve victory...

I wonder how long it will take.

"Brulee, you rest here for now, I'll go help Luffy and the others."

Amidst the paper airplanes circling Whole Cake Chateau, Sanji, having quickly tended to his injuries, prepared to rejoin the battle. But he was immediately stopped by Brulee—

"Wait a minute, Mr. Sanji!"

"According to Nami, both Whole Cake Chateau and 'Mom' are illusions created by Devil Fruit users using their memories. So I should be able to help."

?

"Phew~~~"

As Luffy unleashed a torrent of energy during the battle, he was sent flying backward like a deflated balloon.

"You can't even last 10 minutes? Are you Ultraman or something?"

Despite Roman's complaints, the pressure on him, Zoro, and Jinbe increased dramatically without Luffy. While they weren't guaranteed to lose, the initial ease was gone. Was the battle destined to become a cycle of Luffy using Fourth Gear – deflating – Fourth Gear – deflating again?

"Hang in there, I'm coming to help you!"

As Sanji flew in with his Geppo, Big Mom raised her chubby face.

"Oh my god, oh my god~~ I only spared your life to be my chef because your cakes were so delicious, and now you're coming back to die?"

"—Then I'll grant your wish!"

"Thunder!!"

With a single move from Big Mom, 'Zeus' instantly transformed into a massive waterfall of Inazuma, twisting into a magnificent and terrifying thunderbolt. With a deafening roar, it writhed and raged like a majestic thunder dragon, charging towards Sanji with a roar.

"Don't even think about it."

Roman instantly stood in front of Sanji, a shield in his hand.

"Momo - 50x Shielding Shield!"

Zzzzz—

In an instant, Electric Light filled the sky, like thousands of silver snakes dancing wildly. Although many bolts as thick as an arm bypassed the shield and struck Roman, he didn't even bother to look at the damage.

"Heavenly Fire!"

Since the lightning was blocked, BIG MOM once again grabbed at the air, and a massive, blazing fire, as thick as a warship, suddenly erupted! The fire then condensed into a huge pillar of flame, carrying the power of the blazing sun, and brought with it a surging wave of fire that engulfed Roman and the others.

"Fish-Man Jujutsu - Water Heart - Ocean Current Shoulder Throw!"

A massive ocean current, rising straight up like a dragon, surged towards the sky. This surging wave, accompanied by a deafening roar, crashed against the flames unleashed by Big Mom, and then they perished together!

A second time!

"Jinbe, you—"

Just as BIG MOM raised the 'Napoleon' sword, preparing to charge himself, a figure leaped over, and three swords instantly blocked the 'Napoleon' sword.

"It's rare for a chef to want to show off—"

Brush,

With Big Mom's attacks blocked by her companions, Sanji Geppo fly to Big Mom's fat face and pulled her back with his hand:

"Mother,"

Brulee, who was hiding behind Sanji, was put down by Sanji with one arm around her, while Brulee's delicate hand landed on Big Mom's forehead.

"You are just a bound 'memory',"

"You unfilial daughter, you want—"

"Let me free you!"

As Brulee activated her Devil Fruit ability, Big Mom, who had been so fierce and arrogant just moments before, suddenly froze, the light in her eyes vanishing rapidly, like a machine that had been unplugged.

Memory Wipe!

Thud~~