Chapter 463: Warm-up's Over, Little Brat
Chapter 463: Warm-up's Over, Little Brat
"Mother! Katakuri!"
Perospero rushed over, panting. "What happened? Why is there a battle?!"
He had been inspecting Homies in the forest of Cake Island when he suddenly felt the sky darken. He looked up just in time to see a massive island plummeting down, followed by Mother's 'Viguo'.
All the way here, he'd witnessed scattered island fragments raining destruction across Cake Island. Arriving at the scene, he saw the rising smoke and dust, and the torn fabric at Mother's waist.
"Perospero, that trouble you caused—Lucius Kro—has come knocking", Katakuri said flatly.
"Lucius Kro?!"
Perospero's eyes widened. "Was that falling island released by Lucius Kro?!"
He glanced at the swirling smoke and dust, exhaling in relief. "No worries. No one can rival Mother."
Hmph!
His words had barely faded when a thin wound suddenly split open at Charlotte Big Mom's waist. Though small, the injury sent shockwaves through everyone present.
"What?!"
This time, even Perospero's eyes bulged, and Katakuri's gaze darkened with a flicker of unease.
"Mother... was injured?!"
They all knew her defensive power intimately—the terrifying ability to shrug off cannonballs as if they were pebbles. How could a mere slash pierce that defense?
"Ahahaha! Little brat!" Charlotte Big Mom casually wiped the blood from her waist, her laughter sharp with delight. "You've got some skill!"
Boom!
A howling wind erupted from the smoke, scattering debris as Kuro emerged.
His body was coated in black, a purplish-black cross mark blazing across his forehead, tear streaks of the same hue running from his eyes. He stood hunched slightly, expressionless, his cloak and clothes smudged with grime from Mother's earlier punch.
If he hadn't reacted instantly to armor himself, his attire wouldn't just be dirty—it'd be shredded.
Still...
"Keh!" Kuro spat a mouthful of blood, gritting his teeth. "You're not bad either, old hag!"
That punch had left its mark.
"That's... Lucius Kro?"
Perospero wiped sweat from his brow. He'd never seen the man in person before. But judging by this display... he seemed... probably... really strong.
His decision might've been a mistake.
Assassinating someone who survives Mother? Big mistake.
"Ahahaha!" Charlotte Big Mom's laughter cut through the air, her face twisting into a snarl. She gripped her blade and swung downward, the blade igniting with white-hot aura.
Crash!!!
Kuro raised his sword to block, golden electric sparks flaring along its edge.
Boom! Boom!
The clash of blades sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, nearly knocking Perospero off his feet.
"Ahaha!"
After the first strike, Kuro barely held his ground before Charlotte Big Mom's booming laughter erupted again. She thrust her arms forward, sending him skidding backward.
Kuro shot into the air, then dove forward, his blade slashing toward the old hag's neck.
Boom!!
Napoleon's long blade, transformed from Prometheus, collided with Autumn Water. White fire and golden lightning erupted in a blinding flash over the palace ruins. Each strike scattered debris like shrapnel.
Hiss!
A shard of stone grazed Perospero's cheek, drawing blood. He touched his face, fingers coming away stained.
This was just the shockwave.
And the battle's epicenter...
"Hey, Katakuri! Help Mother! Otherwise, Cake Island won't hold up!" Perospero shouted.
"Can't be done." Katakuri's brow twitched, his voice low. "At this level, we'd only slow her down."
Boom!
Another deafening crash. Kuro dove from the sky, his blade glowing gold as he slashed downward. Charlotte Big Mom blocked with both arms, then shoved the blade aside and counterattacked.
Kuro shot upward, dodging the slash. His blade flashed in a wide arc.
"Slash Wave!"
"Viguo!!"
Charlotte Big Mom grinned maliciously, unleashing a shockwave that shattered the golden slash. The wave surged forward, unrelenting.
Crash!
Kuro raised his blade, deflecting the shockwave. With a twist of his wrist, he redirected it skyward.
"Lion Bite!"
As the shockwave dispersed, Kuro slashed downward. The air roared with howling wind, lashing toward the old hag below.
Hiss! Hiss!
Delicate wind blades sliced across her body, carving through the battlefield.
For a brief moment, the fight paused.
"Haa..."
Kuro exhaled, adjusting his stance.
Mother's strength truly dwarfed his own. Without his abilities, without the advantage of aerial mobility, he'd be crushed in a direct confrontation.
"Little brat, I'm growing fond of you. Still no interest in joining me?" Charlotte Big Mom asked, now holding Napoleon in one hand.
"Nope." Kuro flicked Autumn Water, his voice icy. "I'm here to settle scores, old hag!"
"What a shame." Mother's grin widened. "The Navy's losing a promising brat. They'll panic something awful... Here they come."
"Mother!"
From the sky, a white cloud and a small sun streaked toward them.
"That's..."
Kuro's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening.
Two more nuisances.
Charlotte Big Mom raised her hand. "Prometheus! Zeus!"
"Yes! Mother!"
The Homies spoke in unison. The small sun erupted into a massive flame, encasing Mother's arm. The white cloud Homie surged beneath her feet, transforming into a dark thundercloud that lifted her skyward.
"Warm-up's over, little brat!!"
Charlotte Big Mom soared upward, her left hand wreathed in flame. As she ascended, she threw a punch straight at Kuro.
A column of fire erupted from her fist, engulfing the surroundings in crimson light. Scorching heat seared Kuro's body in an instant.
The flames came!
Deng Shi! Kuro clenched his five fingers upward. The ground of Cake Island upheaved, stone pillars rising beneath him to form a massive wall.
Boom!!!
The fire exploded against the wall, the impact shattering it in an instant. But Kuro used the moment to ascend, the flames roaring beneath him as he transformed into a crimson meteor.
"Zeus! Chase him!"
Charlotte Big Mom bellowed, her right hand gripping Napoleon, her left ablaze. Thunderclouds surged beneath her feet as she pursued.
This form—this was her complete state.
And this was exactly why Kuro had never wanted to face Charlotte Big Mom.
Her defensive power was monstrous, her strength overwhelming. Her three-colored Haki was near peerless, now combined with flame and lightning. This wasn't just troublesome—it was three times more dangerous than facing Kaido.
(End of Chapter)
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