Chapter 168: When False Becomes True, True Is Also False
As mentioned earlier.
As a top martial artist, Ochoku could always clearly capture the subtlest killing intent, body movements, and even every detail related to the enemy.
This was the problem.
Because now, his "Perception" told him.
Every figure before him was a real, authentic individual.
Although he couldn't see their faces clearly.
Their killing intent, physique, vitality, and even breathing were genuine.
"Clone ability?"
He muttered internally, muscles tense all over.
He didn't choose to attack the figures immediately but breathed steadily.
He was waiting.
What he was waiting for was simple...
"Mamamama—Hey, Ochoku! What happened?"
Just moments later, Ochoku heard the voice from outside the door behind him as he wished.
BOOM!
The massive door burst open abruptly.
Thunder clouds and flames drifted into the room. Big Mom, holding the bicorne hat blade "Napoleon", appeared outside the door.
Ochoku's muscles relaxed slightly.
A smug smile appeared on his lips.
"Attacking me in Whole Cake Chateau... you guys sure have guts?"
He sneered at the figures emerging from the air, seemingly capturing their panic.
Correct.
This was what he waited for.
He didn't know who this Inu was or what his ability was.
But that didn't matter.
He was on Whole Cake Island, inside "Whole Cake Chateau".
Any disturbance here would be known by Big Mom immediately.
"Foolish acts courting death deserve punishment!"
He spread his arms, laughing loudly.
"Linlin, The Zodiac's 'Inu' is here, let's catch him together!"
As he spoke.
Big Mom's massive figure charged into the room holding the giant blade.
Surging killing intent rushed like a tide; ear-piercing roars exploded.
"Elbaf Spear · Ikoku!" (Sovereignty)
That secret technique of the Giant race was the power Ochoku knew Big Mom possessed.
As a teammate, it was a reassuring power.
But the next moment...
"!!!"
Ochoku's smile froze.
Because he clearly sensed the target of that roaring strike wasn't anyone else.
But... Himself!
The next instant, Ochoku moved immediately.
Black Armament Haki attached, he dodged sideways.
But clearly, facing this sudden strike, he couldn't dodge completely.
BOOM!
The slash capable of suppressing a nation blasted Ochoku away.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
His figure penetrated the entire "Whole Cake Chateau" instantly, spewing massive amounts of blood upon heavy impact.
His loose robe shattered instantly, revealing the body beneath.
Then...
"Hm?"
A trace of surprise flashed in "Big Mom's" eyes.
Because she clearly saw, under Ochoku's robe, a set of extremely tight-fitting black armor was revealed.
The armor was clearly extremely sturdy, fitting his body closely, even rising and falling with his breath. Despite the heavy blow, the armor didn't fall off.
At this moment...
"You... Linlin... what do you mean..."
Ochoku, suffering such a heavy blow, stood up slowly.
He looked at Big Mom, gritting his teeth.
"Are you declaring war on me..."
His words stopped in his throat.
Because now, he clearly noticed.
The figure of "Big Mom" attacking him faded away slowly again.
This time, fading with her was the entire "Whole Cake Chateau".
Yes.
The corridor filled with the scent of sweets, the sugar-glazed walls, the silent dreamlike candles, the flying Homies.
In this moment, they all dissipated.
Replacing them, a massive twisted space appeared before Ochoku.
Mirrors everywhere, undulating ground like an irregular maze.
"Mirror World?"
Ochoku knew one of Big Mom's daughters, "Charlotte Brûlée", was a mirror human who ate the Mirror-Mirror Fruit and could enter the "Mirror World".
So he looked instinctively at where he was attacked.
Sure enough—there was a huge mirror there.
The fact was almost laid before him.
"When did you get the illusion that this was 'Whole Cake Chateau'?"
From the start, when he walked through the door of his room, he was already in the Mirror World.
Everything after was just...
"Illusion!?"
Ochoku gritted his teeth. "Dare to humiliate me like this..."
Being toyed with like this felt humiliating.
But clearly...
THUD! THUD! STEP!
The approaching footsteps and figures appearing before him told him.
"And when did you get the illusion that I wanted to humiliate you?"
In the center of the crowd, Inu stood there.
He looked at Ochoku. "I told you, I want to... Kill You."
As he spoke, Ochoku saw the figures in front of Inu clearly.
Charlotte Perospero, Charlotte Katakuri, Charlotte Oven... almost all members of the "Big Mom Pirates".
Before Ochoku could react.
"Elbaf Spear · Ikoku!"
He heard the roar from above again.
Looking up, he saw "Big Mom" holding the long blade, falling from above!
Ochoku, having taken that hit once, didn't hesitate.
He leaped backward decisively, swiping his finger on the ground, writing a character.
[Shield]
As he finished writing, the ground of the Mirror World rose abruptly, turning into a giant shield blocking Big Mom instantly.
BOOM!
Next moment, "Napoleon" collided with the giant shield.
Then...
POOF!
In Ochoku's wide eyes, Big Mom's figure vanished abruptly.
"Fake again!?"
Ochoku was confused.
He couldn't understand the situation.
Big Mom attacking him was fake—but if fake, what about the "Ikoku" that hit him earlier?
And if fake, why was he in the "Mirror World"? Did Brûlée betray them?
Just then...
"Kill!" (xN)
He heard roaring shouts.
Turning around, he saw countless Charlotte Family executives charging at him.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
BOOM!
Flintlock bullets, roaring slashes surged.
Every bullet, every slash felt so real to Ochoku.
So...
He wrote on the ground again, two characters this time.
[Shield]
[Wall]
The characters converged on the ground, forming a massive shield wall wrapping him completely.
BANG!
BOOM!
Bullets and slashes hit, then... dissipated again.
"As expected... All Illusions!?"
Seeing this, Ochoku gritted his teeth, staring at the distant Inu. "Although I don't know how this guy used Linlin's 'Ikoku' just now... these attacks should be fake."
"This guy's fruit ability relates to illusions!"
Muttering internally, he leaped out of the shield wall decisively.
Just then...
SWISH!
"Katakuri" holding a trident, arm turning into mochi, grabbed at Ochoku.
WHOOSH!
"Oven's" scorching fist appeared beside Ochoku.
"Fake indeed—even if copying illusions, how can fruit abilities be copied?"
Seeing this, Ochoku confirmed his thought, ignoring these two attacks decisively.
Instead, he punched toward the distant Inu.
"Air Wave Fist · Tiger Roar!"
He punched, a tiger-shaped fist wind flew toward Inu.
This was Ochoku's choice—strike the leader, finish that "Inu", instead of tangling with these illusions.
But just a moment later.
BOOM!
He saw a tall figure appear before Inu.
A massive man holding a biscuit shield.
Ochoku recognized him—Big Mom's Sweet Commander Charlotte Cracker!
But the key wasn't this. The key was...
BOOM!
Next moment, Ochoku saw—"Cracker's" giant shield blocked in front of Inu, taking his "Air Wave Fist" head-on.
RUMBLE!
With a huge tremor, cracks appeared on the biscuit shield.
But moments later, the cracked biscuit healed rapidly.
[Paramecia · Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit (Fake)]
"Blocked... blocked it?"
This scene stunned Ochoku.
Aren't they illusions? Why block his attack?
"No... wait... could it be..."
Only now did Ochoku realize the possibility.
He turned back instinctively, but it was too late.
SPLAT!
Because now, "Katakuri's" arm turned into sticky mochi, grabbing his body.
[Paramecia · Mochi-Mochi Fruit (Fake)]
Ochoku: "!!!"
Then...
BOOM!
The fist burning with scorching flames punched Ochoku's face abruptly.
His face turned black instantly; blood evaporated by high heat the moment it sprayed out!
[Paramecia · Heat-Heat Fruit (Fake)]
"Wha..."
His wide eyes were full of confusion.
These guys, are they real or fake?
With such confusion, his figure was blasted downward by this punch.
☆☆☆
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