Big Mom's decision

Deep inside the castle on Whole Cake Island, Linlin sat on a giant candy chair.

Her signature tricorn hat sat quietly on her head, and her long pink hair, peeking out from under the brim, was a little messy, with a few strands hanging down beside her face.

To her right hung Prometheus, the small sun-like fireball smaller than usual, its light dimmer.

Zeus huddled on her left shoulder, and the thundercloud shrank into a ball, its thunderclaps barely audible.

Napoleon was dozing above her head, his hat brim drooping slightly.

Her face looked terrible. She hadn't said a word since returning from the shore; she just sat there, her chest heaving heavily, as if a breath was stuck in her throat, unable to come up or down.

Katakuri stood a few steps in front of her, his scarf covering the lower half of his face, revealing only his eyes.

Perospero leaned against the door, pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, the half-licked candy ball covered in dust, but he didn't care.

Smoothie stood in the corner, leaning against the wall, holding her longsword.

Cracker sat on the inner steps, hands on his knees, head bowed in a daze.

Oven and Daifuku stood outside the door, not coming in, but their footsteps echoed back and forth in the hallway without stopping.

"Speak," Linlin's voice was muffled, as if squeezed from deep in her throat, "Are you all mute?"

Perospero spoke first.

He spoke very quickly, as if he had finally found an outlet for words he had been holding back all the way.

"Mom, that guy named Tekka said he's going to twist my head off."

He said it in front of everyone, in front of all the brothers of the Totto Land. I can't swallow this insult.

But I also know that we're in this situation now...

He paused for a moment. He twirled the lollipop between his fingers, rubbing off the dust, but he didn't put it in his mouth.

"We can't fight given our current situation."

Linlin shifted her gaze from Perospero's face to Smoothie. "And you?"

Smoothie held the longsword and thought for a moment.

"I saw their formation. Each of those hundred men was stronger than us. My Observation Haki never stopped, from beginning to end."

When that guy named Tekka took a step forward, I almost thought he was going to attack. My Observation Haki was going off like a siren in my head, giving me a headache.

She paused, then said, "Mom, I can't get it. I'm not kidding."

Cracker raised its head.

"We can't win. But I'm not willing to just hand over the Totto Land like this."

Linlin didn't respond to him.

Her gaze passed over Cracker and landed on Katakuri.

She stared at him for a long time, her eyes holding something that others couldn't quite understand.

Katakuri has remained silent since then, but his silence carries more weight than any words.

Linlin knew in her heart that her son never said anything he wasn't sure of on the battlefield.

If he says he can fight, then he can fight.

If he doesn't speak, it means he really can't fight.

"Katakuri," Linlin's voice was hoarse, "You said."

Katakuri raised his head. His eyes were calm, without hesitation or evasion.

"Mom." His voice was steady. "When I was standing on the shore, I was using Observation Haki the whole time. I saw that guy named Yashiro. His Haki was deeper than mine, and his reactions were faster than mine."

Then I looked at that guy named Tekka. The moment he took a step forward, my Observation Haki had already covered the entire battle. There was only one conclusion: on our side, not a single one of us could withstand a single blow from him.

Linlin's fingers gripped the armrests of the chair tightly.

Zeus on her shoulder huddled closer, letting out a low whimper, as if responding to her emotions.

Katakuri continued speaking, his pace slow, but every word he uttered was deliberate and impactful.

"If Tekka makes a move, Perospero will be the first to die. His Observation Haki gave him a warning, but his body can't keep up. Smoothie can hold out for a few more breaths, but she can't hold out for ten. Cracker..."

He glanced at the Cracker, but didn't finish his sentence.

Cracker himself knew it, so he lowered his head again.

"I can hold out a little longer," Katakuri said, "But only for a little while. If Tekka fights seriously, I can't stop him. Not to mention there are a hundred Night Owl Guard behind him."

Not to mention that the guy named Yashiro hasn't even made a move yet. And not to mention that the Nightingale Guard and the Heavenly Star Guard are still coming ashore one after another.

Linlin remained silent for a long while.

Her chest heaved heavily, but her anger was no longer as intense as before.

Napoleon above her head adjusted the brim of his hat, as if looking at her.

When she spoke, her voice was very low, almost inaudible.

"Totto Land. I've been running this business for so many years."

"I know," Katakuri said.

"Those children. So many children who have been with me for so many years. So many have died." Linlin's voice trembled slightly, very softly, but she quickly suppressed it. "How many did Imu take away with that one blow? Have you ever calculated it?"

No one responded.

They all know.

Perospero stood by the door, his fingers gripping the lollipop stick so tightly they turned white.

Smoothie lowered her head in the corner.

Cracker sat on the steps and buried his face in his hands.

They knew those numbers.

Of the brothers who followed them all the way, seven or eight out of ten didn't survive Imu's wave of attacks.

The military strength of Totto Land has shrunk to its lowest point in history.

If they were to fight the Uchiha Clan again, how many of the remaining members would survive?

Prometheus's light dimmed, and the flame shrank.

Zeus floated down from Linlin's shoulder and circled her once, as if to comfort her.

Linlin ignored them.

"Mother," Katakuri's voice softened, "We can't fight. But if we don't fight, those who want to stay can still be recruited into the Earthly Chief Guard. At least they'll still be alive."

Linlin closed her eyes.

She kept her eyes closed for a long time. The castle was very quiet, with only the sound of her heavy breathing rising and falling. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Katakuri.

"If I choose to submit, what will the Uchiha Clan do to me?"

Katakuri did not answer the question immediately.

He thought for a moment before speaking. "Mother, you are one of the Four Emperors. Your life is more useful to the Uchiha Clan than your death. At least with you alive, there's someone in Totto Land who can keep things in check. They need someone like that."

He paused. "As for the rest, I suspect they won't go too far. They're offering the option of submission, not an order to exterminate them."

Linlin stared at him for a long time.

Then her gaze shifted to the castle wall, to the enormous map of Totto Land.

The map uses colored lines to mark every island, every sea area, and every shipping route.

It took her decades to draw that, bit by bit.

She drew every single stroke herself.

She stared at the map for a very long time.

"Perospero," she began.

Perospero stood up straight.

"Call all the cadres in."

Perospero paused for a moment, then nodded, turned, and left.

After a while, Oven, Daifuku, and the remaining cadres came in and stood in the castle, looking at Linlin.

Linlin stood up from the candy chair.

She stood very straight.

Napoleon moved his hat above her head, flipping it up so that it transformed into a sword, which landed in her hand.

She gripped her sword, its tip touching the ground, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Totto Land," she said, her voice rough and hoarse, but every word was clear, "Hand it over."