Watching Kuke ignore the seat she had prepared, and instead sitting directly opposite her, Big Mom was keenly aware of what this meant.

Kuke clearly had no intention of treating himself as her guest, nor did he want to sit in a place beneath her, even symbolically.

The seats that Big Mom had set aside for Kuke’s party were indeed the most distinguished guest seats, yet they were slightly lower than her own, forcing anyone sitting there to look up at her.

This was a subtle power play on Big Mom’s part.

If Kuke had accepted it, he would have been easier to manipulate.

But he hadn’t.

Big Mom’s eyes turned bloodshot with rage, the wild aura radiating from her filling the entire room.

“Mama… this is not behavior becoming of a guest.” Big Mom glared at Kuke, and it almost seemed like lightning flashed in her eyes.

“Kuke, though you may be esteemed guests, a guest should respect the host.” Perospero, the eldest son, eyed Kuke’s group with displeasure.

It was obvious that they weren’t taking the Big Mom Pirates seriously, belittling their entire family.

“Respect the host? We prefer when the guest dominates the host.” Hancock coldly glanced at Perospero.

Many members of the Big Mom family showed visible displeasure.

“Katakuri, this isn’t looking good. This seems like the prelude to an all-out battle,” Daifuku murmured, looking bewildered and a bit panicked.

Weren’t they supposed to be here for an alliance by marriage?

How did things escalate to the brink of a fight so suddenly?

“It’s to be expected. The other side is also an emperor of the sea—how could they follow our arrangements in every little detail?” Katakuri reassured his younger siblings. “This is an unspoken confrontation, determining who will have the upper hand afterward.”

The strong members of the family watched in silence.

They understood well enough.

A meeting between two emperors of the sea was never going to be a calm affair.

Even if relations were good, a clash of pride was inevitable.

Both were emperors of the sea, both had overwhelming pride.

If the other party didn’t show a level of presence and power that was satisfactory, they weren’t worthy of an equal conversation.

Suddenly, Big Mom shifted her attention to Stussy, who she knew well. “Stussy… my dear sister, you’ve finally arrived.”

Stussy had once been a favored guest at Big Mom’s tea parties.

She had even been considered a close friend.

But that same friend had failed to attend Big Mom’s crucial tea party.

“Give me a reason,” Big Mom demanded, her aura aggressive and overbearing.

“Linlin, my captain is the reason,” Stussy smiled as she faced Big Mom, showing no hint of fear.

She was telling Big Mom straight out.

Kuke was far more important to her than Big Mom could ever be. If it meant choosing her captain over attending a tea party, she would do so without hesitation.

Initially, Stussy had questioned the World Government’s command, doubting that Kuke’s significance could surpass Big Mom’s.

But after being brought under Kuke’s command, she now valued him above anything else in the world.

“Mama…” Big Mom glared at Stussy, her expression filled with menace.

A sinister aura filled the area, causing the sky itself to darken.

The family members could feel the bone-chilling presence.

“Is this one of her abilities?”

“Mama has activated her Soul Pocus ability,” one of the family members murmured in fear.

They had seen this power in action before.

Whenever Big Mom punished her family members, she would use this ability. Once activated, if the target showed even a trace of fear, their soul would be instantly extracted, and Big Mom would freely take away their lifespan.

More than one child had perished under this ability.

Even Katakuri’s face stiffened.

It was clear that he, too, harbored deep-seated dread for Big Mom’s power—a combination of instinctual fear and an unspoken, suppressed aversion.

“Stussy, are you aware of the price of defiance?”

Big Mom spoke, and her terrifying Soul Pocus ability locked onto Stussy.

“Is Kuke going to make a move now?” Katakuri looked towards Kuke.

Big Mom had made her move.

It would naturally require someone of equal standing to intervene in order to protect a crewmate.

“A price? If there is one, I’ll pay it,” Stussy said indifferently.

Fear?

There was none.

In the past, facing Big Mom, even with the World Government as her backing, Stussy had always held some fear.

But now, there wasn’t a shred left.

Her confidence came from the man sitting on the throne before her—Kuke.

It also came from herself.

After obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Stussy’s power had doubled. Now, she could even protect herself against Big Mom if needed. The speed of lightning meant she could leave whenever she wanted.

And she also possessed an ability to resurrect and teleport.

Big Mom was formidable, but what was there to fear?

Big Mom’s eyes widened.

She wasn’t afraid? Stussy truly wasn’t afraid of her?

Stussy, what gave you this courage?

In the past, when facing me, you were always cautious and courteous.

“She’s not even scared of Mama?” Katakuri and the others were stunned as they looked at Stussy.

They had assumed Kuke would have to intervene in order to stop Big Mom.

Unexpectedly, Stussy had managed to handle it herself.

“Stussy, she’s even more of a queen now than she ever was,” some of the Underworld Emperors murmured in awe.

Was this really the same Stussy they once knew?

“Isn’t that how it should be?” News King Morgans sneered at the panicked men around him.

Stussy had taken hold of the biggest support in the seas.

If it were me, I wouldn’t be afraid of anyone either.

Stussy showed no fear.

And Big Mom’s plan to create an incident had been thwarted.

She had intended to force Kuke into action.

Her strategy had been to use her abilities and aura to overwhelm Kuke, quelling the Sun and Moon Pirates’ arrogance, and then discuss business from a position of power.

Clearly, that plan had failed.

Big Mom froze, momentarily at a loss for words.

It was awkward.

She could only cover her embarrassment by glaring more fiercely at Kuke and his crew.

“Linlin, you haven’t changed a bit—still as shallow and laughable as ever,” Shakky said, her tone lightly mocking.

“Boom!”

Big Mom rose abruptly, her massive frame emanating a pressure that felt suffocating to everyone present.

“What did you say?!”

“Linlin, don’t tell me you don’t recognize me,” Shakky said, elegantly puffing on her cigarette.

Big Mom’s eyes widened as she stared at Shakky.

There was something familiar.

“Are you really that Shakky?” Big Mom’s ferocious face turned into a mask of confusion, mouth agape—a mix of intimidation and surprise.

“Even you… have joined Kuke?”

Big Mom’s reaction was the same as Kaido’s when he learned of Shakky’s identity—utter disbelief.

“How have you become so young again?” Big Mom asked, curiosity taking over as she inspected Shakky.

Then she glanced at herself.

Big Mom’s eyes turned red.

Her powers and her constitution had kept her far from becoming feeble, but she was still aging.

She was 56 years old now.

Older than Kaido.

Big Mom could tell that Shakky wasn’t just youthful in appearance—her entire being had rejuvenated.

With all of Big Mom’s knowledge and experience…

Even she was taken aback.

This was the kind of power every sea emperor of every era dreamed of obtaining.

The greatest enemy of any pirate overlord wasn’t other pirates or the navy—it was time. Once they grew old and weak, they would be replaced by the next generation.

It was the cycle every era followed.

Everyone longed to remain at their peak.

But who could actually achieve that?

“Tell me, how did you manage it?” Big Mom demanded urgently.

“If you want to know, ask our captain,” Shakky replied, playing coy.

Since the captain wanted to bring Big Mom under his control, Shakky was naturally willing to do her part for her captain’s ambitions.

That was, after all, the role of a crew member.

Big Mom slowly sat back down, her massive body shrinking back into her seat.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Kuke.

Her gaze filled with more longing and greed.

Big Mom settled back down.

The oppressive aura also dissipated.

Smoothie and the others let out a sigh of relief, thinking they had narrowly avoided a battle.

However, Katakuri and some of the older siblings wore grim expressions.

Kuke hadn’t said a single word, nor had the Sun and Moon Pirates’ vice-captain, Gion, taken any action, yet their mother had been forced to back down.

They had unwittingly fallen behind.

“Mama… Kuke, I invited you to this tea party for one reason only—an alliance by marriage.”

Big Mom decided not to beat around the bush.

She stated her goal outright.

“All my daughters—every woman here—you can take anyone you fancy.”

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DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up 40+ chapters at patreon.com/Emik01.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep