Fruit Restraint, I Fucking Eat, Eat, Eat!

His arms transformed into long strips of mochi, combined with Armament Haki. Jet-black mochi appeared, then continuously split and spread.

Staring at the lightning before him, Katakuri instantly whipped countless mochi strands through the air. His attacks were airtight, lashing like whips, their afterimages forming a wall.

"Haaah!!!"

Driven by his determination to protect his brothers, Katakuri held nothing back. His hands endured the scorching heat and numbness until the lightning finally dissipated.

At last, Katakuri lowered his hands and let out a rough breath. Faint arcs of electricity still flickered around his forearms.

He had blocked it...

That power, akin to a Logia's, sounded an alarm in Katakuri's mind.

The guy before him was likely a Mythical Zoan, and his destructive power was astonishing.

This would not end peacefully today.

Though he did not know what the other side wanted, the man considered himself a Marine while they were pirates. It was only natural for them to fight.

With that thought, Katakuri decided there was no point in continuing. After arriving here, he had secretly made inquiries. Tiger had not returned yet.

Taking Neptune hostage would be best, but if that was impossible, he could not let his brothers suffer needless losses.

"Retreat!"

Katakuri made the call decisively. There was no need to fight now!

But...

The instant the lightning vanished, Katakuri discovered that Mobius had disappeared.

When!?

Before his surprise could show, an even greater crisis had already arrived.

Dragon's Nine Sons—Suanni.

Mobius had long understood what it meant for speed to equal power.

So this was how that old man used to fight!

His four limbs struck the ground, and Mobius shot past them at a speed none of the three had anticipated.

His target was the one at the very back... Mont-d'Or!

Of the four Devil Fruits, the Book-Book Fruit with its spatial abilities was undoubtedly the best!

"Stop!"

Realizing Mobius's intention, Katakuri flew into a rage. Mont-d'Or was the weakest among them, only here to assist!

At once, the walls and ground began to squirm, as though some fundamental substance was changing.

Mobius paid it no mind. He had already shifted into human form as he arrived before Mont-d'Or.

A broad palm steadily grew larger and larger before Mont-d'Or's eyes...

Smack!

Mont-d'Or could fight, but he was not really a combatant. He usually relied more on his intellect, and this sudden encounter left him unable to react.

His throat was seized. Mont-d'Or groaned in pain and tried to struggle, but he could not muster any strength. He could not even use the Devil Fruit ability he was usually most adept with.

Dark Water.

Mont-d'Or was completely trapped. Darkness spread, and before the other three's eyes, their brother gradually vanished.

"What did you do? Give Mont-d'Or back!"

Owen erupted in fury. He might have been simple-minded, but when it came to protecting family, he would not lose to anyone!

Hot Wind Fist!

He threw a vicious punch, and a violent heatwave rushed forth, nearly roasting people alive.

Mobius turned back toward the hot wind and smiled, then opened his mouth wide.

Huu~

The sound of inhalation rang out. Every gust of hot wind Owen had unleashed was swallowed by Suanni, warm and pleasant, adding even more energy.

"Heat is my food."

"Damn it!"

Daifuku's shrill voice pierced the air. His hands rubbed his stomach so quickly that afterimages nearly appeared.

The genie grew even more muscular, bulging veins writhing like earthworms across his clenched fist. It flashed into existence behind Mobius.

It swung its blade and slashed down!

"You are smoke, aren't you?"

Mobius's smile grew even brighter. What a gift delivered right to his door~

Suanni loved smoke and fire.

He transformed into a dragon-lion-like beast sitting upright, facing the genie without moving. He merely slowly opened his mouth and gently inhaled.

The genie's massive body suddenly froze. Its face filled with terror, like a mouse seeing a cat, as if it had encountered its natural predator.

All its courage vanished. The genie shook its head and tried to flee, but its body involuntarily flew toward Suanni's mouth.

It grew smaller and smaller until the genie became a thin noodle-like strand. Mobius slurped it up and swallowed it whole.

"Mmm, delicious~"

Mobius licked his lips, utterly satisfied.

"You..."

Blood suddenly burst from Daifuku's facial features, then from all over his body. He stared at Mobius, his eyes filled with terror.

How was this possible? Ever since he had gained this ability, the genie he summoned had never been hurt!

Unless...

Devil Fruit restraint!?

Thud~

All the genie's reflected damage transferred to Daifuku. He could no longer endure the excruciating pain and collapsed backward, his eyes rolling white as he fell unconscious.

"Brother Daifuku!"

Owen cried out in grief and fury. Heat surged across his entire body, and his eyes nearly spat fire.

"I'll kill you!"

Uncontrollable high temperatures erupted. A blazing heat capable of boiling the sea appeared and flooded toward Mobius.

"Calm down, Owen. Smoke and fire are useless against him. His ability restrains them!"

Katakuri's voice came from behind him. Though he did not know Mobius's exact power, based on what he had seen, attacking him with smoke and fire was like feeding buns to a dog.

"But..."

Owen was desperate. He wanted to avenge his brothers!

"Put your heat on me."

Katakuri spoke directly. At that moment, everything around them softened, turning springy and sticky like mochi.

Mochi-Mochi Fruit: Awakening!

Owen suddenly understood. Being able to eat smoke and fire did not mean he could eat other solid substances. Katakuri's mochi was his fist!

"Got it!"

With a wave of his hand, high temperatures surged forth and flowed into Katakuri, clinging to the mochi as though forming a suit of high-temperature armor.

Mobius looked at Katakuri with interest. This guy was absolutely a genius, able to develop the Mochi-Mochi Fruit to such a degree.

In a sense, Devil Fruit powers were only a matter of quality and quantity.

For instance, why did the ability to control water seem so much stronger and more impressive than the ability to control ramen?

Because of knowledge and perspective. Water was the source of life. Life could not exist without water. It could evaporate into vapor, freeze into ice, cause catastrophic floods, and form vast oceans.

Whether on the microscopic scale or magnified, water was terrifying.

But...

If one controlled ramen, did ramen have broth? Did the broth contain water? Did that count as controlling water? If it did, then controlling ramen granted greater authority than controlling water.

And ramen also contained flour, seasonings, meat, vegetables, mineral types such as salt, even chemically synthesized products like chicken essence.

If it did not count, then using the control variable method taught in elementary school, was there really such a huge difference between an ocean of ramen and an ocean?

A simple question: which weighed more, a pound of cotton or a pound of iron?

So in theory, Devil Fruit powers should have been equal.

But there was also the claim that Devil Fruits were crystallizations of human desire. People had seen the sea, but had anyone seen an ocean-sized expanse of ramen?

Thus, abilities that instinctively felt powerful would surely be powerful. Devil Fruits were products of consciousness.

Baked Mochi!

Katakuri threw a punch, his fist coated in high temperatures and flames as it flew toward Mobius.

At the same time, all the assimilated walls and ground launched vast numbers of high-temperature mochi fists, crashing down like a wall of fire.

In theory, mochi would carbonize under such intense heat, but through his development, Katakuri had avoided that weakness.

In the original story, this attack was enough to rival the King Kong Gun that crushed Doflamingo.

It was just that Katakuri was still comparatively inexperienced now, and its power was not yet what it would be in the future.

Mobius did not move, because he had long thought of a way to deal with Katakuri.

It was...

Dragon's Nine Sons—Taotie!

A savage and violent aura rushed forth, startling Katakuri and Owen into instinctively looking up. Then all the two of them could see was an abyssal maw.

With a single gulp, all the burning mochi vanished, swallowed into its stomach.

Mobius looked at the two with Taotie's gaze, his thick tongue sweeping around his lips.

Hungry, he was so hungry!

Drool fell from his mouth. With a sizzle, it corroded pits of varying sizes into the ground.

Katakuri's body stiffened. A familiar figure seemed to appear before his eyes, and fear rose uncontrollably within him.

How could this be...

"Owen."

Katakuri closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his face was filled with resolve. He spoke calmly, then stepped forward once more, tore off his scarf, and exposed his entire body.

"Hm?"

Owen looked toward his older brother, hoping he would save the situation as he always had.

"Run."

But Katakuri left him only his back, then raised his trident and charged toward the monster.

"I won't let you harm my family!"

This was courage-born resolve!

Owen stood dumbfounded.

Then...

With one huge gulp!