The Battle Draws to a Close and Old Words Are Raised Again

"Are we going to keep this up?"

Vice Admiral Tsuru raised her eyes to look at Sengoku, who sat behind his desk.

"I don't doubt the agents who faithfully carried out their duties in the harsh environment of the New World, but... this matter still requires caution. The Black Prince who could fight BIG for an entire day and the Black Prince who killed Umit are no longer the same concept."

"The latter could still be brought under control somehow, but with the former, we can only cooperate... Until we determine what kind of person Sokachio Aleus truly is—whether he has justice in his heart, puts profit above all else, or is simply a cruel, bloodthirsty madman—we cannot begin any cooperation."

As he spoke, Sengoku furrowed his brow slightly, his mood growing heavy.

If possible, he did not want to see a new overlord rise in the New World who could stand on equal footing with the Four Emperors. Pirate or not, a monster like that—someone capable of destroying an entire nation alone and exceedingly difficult to control—would be best off dead if they did not belong to the side of order.

Justice

could not be upheld precisely because of the interference of these monsters.

"Garp may still be that same bastard, but his eye for people is indeed sharp. Have him meet the Black Prince and see whether His Highness can truly cooperate with us."

"Looks like I worried for nothing. As long as you have a plan in mind, that's enough."

Vice Admiral Tsuru lowered her gaze and slowly took a sip of tea.

"Were you worried that desire had clouded my judgment?" Sengoku adjusted his glasses, then looked up at the ceiling and murmured, "Every moment, I think about reclaiming the Navy's lost authority in the New World. Tsuru, you know it too. Even when the Rocks Pirates were at their height, the Navy had never so completely lost control over the New World as it has now."

"There was only one Rocks, but there are four Four Emperors. This isn't your fault, Sengoku."

"But the New World was lost on my watch."

Staring at the freshly painted white ceiling, Sengoku let out a deep sigh.

"If blaming yourself can make you feel better, I won't stop you from taking all the responsibility upon yourself." Vice Admiral Tsuru held her teacup, her gaze fixed on the greenish-brown tea within. "But the rise of the Four Emperors is, in essence, still an extension of the Rocks Pirates. They are the lingering disaster left behind when Empty Marshal failed to wipe them out completely during his tenure. That is an indisputable fact."

Three of the Four Emperors had once been members of the Rocks Pirates.

Back when Empty Marshal was in office, he had failed to thoroughly eliminate the remnants of the Rocks Pirates. That was why the New World became the New World of the Four Emperors, while the World Government and the Navy suffered a devastating blow to their rule there. The two remaining bases, G1 and G5, were merely the last fig leaves left to the World Government and the Navy.

"Sengoku, being too devoted to your duties isn't necessarily a good thing. Only knowing when to tighten and when to loosen is the way to last. Don't stretch yourself too thin, or you'll make mistakes in your haste."

"I understand! Tsuru, and... thank you."

"It is simply a strategist's duty."

Frankincense Sea Area, roughly three hundred and twenty kilometers southwest of Saiboy Island.

The waves, shimmering with silvery moonlight, surged and roiled without rest. The cold sea wind whipped the flags of the BIG Pirates until they snapped loudly. Led by the Queen Mama Chantilly, the massive Fleet faced the blade-like gale as it pursued the strange, chaotic spectacle in the sky.

Above the sea, a sea of fire churned. Thunder tore through the air. Sword energy crisscrossed the clouds. Dark green spiritual radiance stained the moonlight.

The night sky had been transformed into an abnormal scene of chaos by those interwoven powers.

The fierce battle had already lasted three days and two nights.

Now, it was the third night since the battle began.

"How much... longer is this going to last?"

Standing on the deck with one hand gripping the railing, Snag stared blankly at the chaotic sight overhead. An indescribable exhaustion filled his heart. Though he had merely been a spectator for the past three days and two nights and had not expended even a scrap of strength, he felt utterly drained.

Looking up at the battlefield above, he knew it was a realm he might never reach in his entire life.

At least, he had that much self-awareness.

His greatest wish was to become a Sweet Commander. So long as he could stand beside Brother Katakuri, that would be the pinnacle of his aspirations. As for Mother... as her son, all he felt was obedience and fear. He had never even considered that he might one day become as powerful as Mother.

"Snag, if you can't hold on, go rest for a while." Katakuri's voice drifted into his ears on the sea wind.

Snag instinctively turned toward the voice. Looking at Brother Katakuri, who stood as unmoving as an iron statue cast into the deck, deep admiration surfaced in his eyes. The battle in the sky had lasted three days and two nights, and Brother Katakuri had stood there for three days and two nights.

During that time, he had not moved even a single centimeter.

If Observation Haki had not clearly sensed his vigorous life force, one might have suspected that something had happened to him.

"I'm fine. I can still hold on."

Snag shook his head. He looked at the scarf wrapped around Brother Katakuri's neck, hesitated for a moment, but eventually asked, "Brother Katakuri, how is Mother's battle with that... Black Prince going?"

After personally witnessing Aleus and BIG's fierce battle over the past three days and two nights, Snag no longer referred to Aleus as "brat." A powerhouse capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Mother—talking badly about him behind his back would be one thing, but at this distance, Snag had no doubt that Aleus could use Observation Haki to monitor their every move.

"Weren't you watching?"

Katakuri asked.

"Yeah, I've been watching the whole time, but... I can't make sense of it."

What Snag said sounded almost like a tongue twister.

Yet the meaning was perfectly clear. Snag's Observation Haki allowed him to witness Aleus and BIG's battle in the sky, but his insight was not enough to judge the true state of the battle from what he saw.

"Mother has the upper hand, but completely overwhelming the Black Prince... probably won't be possible in the short term," Katakuri said.

Those words were not only for Snag, but also for the group of younger brothers and sisters waiting expectantly behind him. The chaotic and unclear battle in the sky had filled these weaker siblings with unease. They worried, they feared, terrified that Mother would be pulled down from her altar by this Black Prince who had suddenly emerged.

No matter how indiscriminately Mother treated friend and family alike when her illness acted up, They had always understood that Mother was the great tree shielding them from the wind and rain outside. Without Mother's protection... they could not imagine it!

Hearing Katakuri's words, the Charlotte Family siblings standing on the deck quietly sighed in relief. Aleus's strength was terrifying, but as long as Mother remained the Pirate Emperor of the New World, their lives would not change too much in the future.

"Brother Katakuri, should we find a way to help Mother?"

While the younger siblings behind them whispered among themselves, the tall, long-legged Smoothie quietly approached Katakuri and asked in a lowered voice.

The BIG Pirates' "Sweet Three Generals."

Charlotte Katakuri, Charlotte Smoothie, Charlotte Cracker.

After countless brutal bloodbaths, the three of them had long become the pillars of the pirate crew, second only to Mother BIG and head chef Streusen. In a direct one-on-one fight, any one of the Four Emperors could easily crush them, but with Mother keeping their opponent occupied, they truly could intervene in a battle like this.

She did not receive an immediate answer.

After waiting for roughly half a minute, "Not for now."

Katakuri gently shook his head.

Not for now—only not for now. Honestly speaking, getting involved in a battle of that level in the sky meant taking enormous risks. Attacks Mother could ignore would leave them severely wounded even if they did not die, so... for now, it was better to keep watching!

After all, Mother did hold the upper hand in this battle.

Above the clouds, Beneath the moon, The battle continued.

"Black Flash!"

This was the sixty-ninth time Aleus had used this killing move capable of dealing a certain amount of damage to BIG.

A jet-black beam burst from his fingertips.

Like a pillar of light fired from the depths of hell, it pierced through the scorching sea of flames and the vast thunderclouds.

Prometheus's main body hurriedly dodged in fright, while Thundercloud Zeus obediently carried BIG. After all, there was nowhere safer than by Mother's side. Even if Aleus injured them, Mother could repair their wounds at any time.

Aleus's Spirit Pressure attacks could harm the Homies created by BIG.

Even Sun Prometheus and Thundercloud Zeus, whom Armament Haki could not harm, were unable to evade attacks formed from Spirit Pressure, which was likewise a transformation of soul power.

"Vivre Card."

Wielding the giant sword Napoleon, BIG's counterattack was just as fierce.

The vast, surging slash wave collided head-on with the Black Flash, and another storm powerful enough to shake the seas swept in all directions. Fortunately, they were fighting above the ocean. If this battle had taken place on land, three days and two nights of fierce combat would have been more than enough to completely alter an island's terrain.

The three hundred and fifty-first direct clash ended in a draw once again.

However, This time, BIG did not immediately launch another round of attacks as she had before. Standing atop Thundercloud Zeus, she pointed the tip of Napoleon toward the sea below, while Sun Prometheus clung to BIG's hair, its blazing flames burning fiercely.

"Sokachio Aleus."

For the first time, she addressed Aleus by his name properly instead of using dismissive terms like "brat" or "kid."

BIG studied Aleus with a serious gaze.

She spoke slowly.

"Your strength is formidable."

"It is my honor to be praised by Totland's Queen."

Three days and two nights of fierce battle had been enough for Aleus to erase the weakness he had once shown by wavering over trivial matters. He spoke to BIG calmly, while the Moonlight Sword clenched in his hand continued to gleam with a sharp sword light.

He did not relax because BIG had suddenly stopped attacking.

He remained ready to fight at any moment.

"Though I'd really like to kill you and use your head to crush the petty schemes of those trash in the Dark World, it's obvious that can't be done now. You have earned the right to make me change my original plans."

BIG noticed Aleus's wary stance, but she truly had no desire to continue fighting.

After three days and two nights of bitter battle, It had been a very long time since she had fought anyone for so long.

Of course, Her stamina remained abundant, and her mental state was equally excellent.

Even fighting for another five days and five nights would not pose the slightest problem. But the real issue was that even if they fought for another five days and five nights, this battle would not produce any substantial result. Aleus, who possessed the ability to fly, could definitely escape even if he could not win.

That was the truth she had discovered during these three days and two nights of battle.

"Change your plans?"

Aleus narrowed his eyes.

"Let's call a truce! Continuing this battle won't do either of us any good. You've fought me for three days and two nights—long enough for your name to spread throughout the New World. Nothing more will change if we keep going, unless you truly intend to settle this with our lives."

Big Mom stared at Aleus, waiting for his response.

Naturally, the reason she had proposed a ceasefire was not merely because she had grown tired of this battle, which was unlikely to yield any result.

The sons and daughters who had followed this battle closely from the sea were the most important reason. During the fight, her Observation Haki had caught the sudden surge of killing intent Katakuri and Smoothie had directed at Aleus.

Though they had suppressed it afterward, if this battle continued, they would sooner or later step in to help. That was something she absolutely did not want to see.

Katakuri, Smoothie, and Cracker—these three children were Big Mom's proudest offspring, as well as crucial pillars of her pirate crew. They were important helpers in fulfilling her dream of becoming the Pirate King. She truly did not wish to see her three finest children die over such a pointless battle.

Even if they were to die, their deaths had to be worth more than this.

"...Then let's leave it at that!"

Big Mom could sense her children's little movements, and Aleus's Neural Scan had naturally picked up the intense killing intent directed at him. With a little thought, he could understand why Big Mom had called for a truce.

Still, this was fine too.

He had not intended to become locked in a fight to the death with Big Mom. Aside from the matter involving Umit, they had never had any dealings with each other, so there was naturally no irreconcilable hatred between them.

Besides, he was not alone. He still had a kingdom waiting for him to inherit!

In this fierce battle that had lasted three days and two nights, Aleus had actually benefited the most. Using Big Mom's name, he had finally made a thorough name for himself in the New World. Fame seemed intangible and elusive, but it was by no means meaningless.

With this reputation, there presumably would no longer be any obstacles to his takeover of Umit's Shipping Network.

Even if there were still Umit loyalists like the Kingdom of Himuyel, they would certainly have to weigh whether offending a powerhouse capable of battling Big Mom for three days and two nights was truly worth it for the sake of the dead Umit.

"Then, Queen of Totland, I'll be taking my leave."

Aleus beat his wings, preparing to depart.

"Wait."

Big Mom suddenly called out to Aleus.

"What?"

Aleus twirled the Moonlight Sword that had yet to dissipate in his hand. "Changing your mind?"

"No."

Big Mom shook her head. The giant sword Napoleon had already returned to its form as a hat and was once more resting atop her head, while Sun Prometheus had also changed from its "angry state" back to its "normal state" as a sun with red dimples on its face.

"How about reconsidering my earlier proposal? Be My Son-in-Law! Do you prefer older women, or younger ones?"