Big Mom's roar shook the entire Whole Cake Chateau, causing the sturdy fortress to tremble under the weight of her fear and rage.
Several Homies huddled fearfully in the corners, squeezing their eyes shut, too terrified to look at Big Mom's enraged form.
Big Mom breathed heavily, her ample chest heaving violently.
"That brat Kaido can't even see the current state of the seas?! The rise of the Eternal Divine Kingdom is unstoppable!"
Her voice reverberated through the palace, filled with frustration and fury.
Outside the window, lightning bolts struck one after another, illuminating her ferocious face and making her appear even more terrifying.
Images of Ron's unfathomably deep eyes kept flashing through Big Mom's mind.
Beneath that young man's seemingly gentle smile lay an ambition and power capable of overturning the entire world.
Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the ring on her hand—a discovery she'd made unexpectedly during their last transaction.
She'd realized that Ron's ring was actually fused with a Castle-Castle Devil Fruit ability, creating an incredibly convenient mobile space.
At the time, she'd planned to use this transaction to have Ron create a similar ring for her.
After all, in this dangerous and unpredictable era of great pirates, having one more powerful ability meant more opportunities to enjoy delicious cakes at any moment!
However, her plans now had to change due to the shifting circumstances.
She genuinely didn't want to watch that brat Kaido die.
Despite their rivalry, they were, to some extent, allies within the same faction.
"Kaido, oh Kaido, the world has changed. In the tide of this new era, you either board the ship to gamble for greatness..."
Big Mom's eyes gradually grew dangerous and resolute, as if she could already see the course of the future and understood the choice she had to make.
"Or..." her voice suddenly dropped to a low, yet even more oppressive tone, "...disappear into the Old Era..."
With that, she slowly turned and strode out of the great hall.
Her footsteps were heavy and powerful, each step seeming to tread on everyone's hearts.
The Homies around her watched curiously, unsure of where she was going, and could only follow silently behind.
"Perospero!" Big Mom's roar echoed throughout the castle, her voice filled with urgency and determination.
"Immediately summon all the Sweet Commanders and the ministers!"
Her eyes flickered with a crazed yet lucid light—this was a moment concerning life and death, a critical juncture that would determine the future's course.
She, Charlotte Linlin, would never be left behind by the tides of the era.
Amid these turbulent seas, she'd find her own path to survival!
...
Soon after, two Dragons—one black and one white—soared out from Whole Cake Island, their figures strikingly conspicuous against the night sky!
Under the overcast canopy, the heavy clouds seemed soaked in ink, layer upon layer piled together, shrouding the sky without a single ray of light able to penetrate.
Amid this suffocating darkness, an enormous black Dragon was weaving through the thunderclouds.
"MAMAMAMA!"
Each scale of this black Dragon gleamed with a metallic, cold hardness, like meticulously forged black armor, shimmering with an eerie glow under the occasional flashes of lightning piercing the clouds.
With every roll, it seemed to stir up a violent storm, powerful air currents radiating outward from its center, churning the surrounding clouds into turmoil, shaking the entire world with its imposing presence.
This majestic black Dragon was none other than Big Mom, transformed into her dragon form.
"That brat Kaido..." the voice of Charlotte Linlin slowly emerged from the Dragon's massive mouth.
Within its draconic pupils, complex emotions flickered—reminiscence, helplessness, and a faint trace of worry.
Her thoughts drifted back many years, to the time of the Rocks Pirates.
Back then, Kaido was still a youth who loved to act recklessly and show off, always charging headlong into danger, relying on his boundless energy and stubborn refusal to admit defeat.
Yet, at least back then, he'd occasionally listen to others' advice and sometimes display the naivety and innocence befitting a young man.
But now?
Thinking of the current, obstinate Kaido, an inexplicable fury surged within the Dragon's heart.
That fool seemed to have lost his mind, acting wildly without any regard for the consequences.
The black Dragon abruptly dove, its colossal body like a moving mountain, roaring through the thick clouds.
The sea below instantly grew turbulent, waves raging as if provoked, violently crashing against the surface and splashing high sprays.
These tumultuous waves mirrored her own unsettled and agitated state of mind.
"That matter with Oden..." the Dragon let out a heavy sigh that reverberated through the clouds.
Twenty years ago, when she learned that Kozuki Oden had been executed by Kaido, she immediately issued a stern warning to Kaido via Den Den Mushi.
At that time, she was filled with dissatisfaction and concern over such reckless actions.
"Executing a country's legitimate heir, and in full public view... foolish!"
The Dragon's tail irritably lashed at the clouds, each sweep triggering a series of deafening thunderclaps, venting her anger upon the innocent clouds.
However, that stubborn fellow ignored her advice, single-mindedly obsessed with ruling everything through violence, his vision clouded by his inflated ambition.
"Mamamamama..." A low chuckle escaped the black dragon's maw. "If you refuse to listen this time..."
The black dragon's pupils abruptly contracted, its claws unconsciously tightening.
Its sharp talons carved trails through the clouds, mirroring the struggle and conflict within its heart.
"You're beyond saving."
...
Below, on the sea surface, the silhouette of an island suddenly emerged.
Amidst the chaotic sea and sky, the island stood like a solitary pearl, quietly anchored in place.
The black dragon slowed its flight speed, its massive form flickering in and out of view among the clouds.
She could now see the smoke of battle hanging over the Land of Wano.
The billowing dark fumes shot straight into the sky, staining the already dark heavens with an even deeper gloom.
High above the clouds, enormous figures were engaged in fierce combat.
The shockwaves from their collisions made the surrounding air tremble.
"Whitebeard... Kaido..." The black dragon's sharp eyes recognized those familiar auras.
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