Gion awakening or not awakening her Conqueror’s Haki had no impact on the outcome of this fight.

“Sliced Mochi!”

Katakuri unleashed his ultimate move. His arm turned into mochi, expanding into the shape of a spiked club, then coated with Armament Haki.

He leaped up.

Spinning at high speed, like a meteor hammer, he smashed towards Gion.

Gion held her sword with both hands.

The blade was engulfed in crimson flames.

The combination of Phoenix Fire and advanced Conqueror’s Haki.

“Phoenix Dance!”

“Boom-!”

A world-shaking clash.

The ground rippled like ocean waves, creating expanding shockwaves, the earth torn apart like a rag, forming strange and twisted landscapes.

With a tearing sound, Katakuri’s formidable strike couldn’t push Gion’s blade back even an inch.

On the contrary, under the blade,

It was continually sliced apart.

One clean slash severed the spiked mochi weapon.

Gion disappeared.

The next instant, she reappeared right before the panting Katakuri, her blade sweeping horizontally.

A flying slash cleaved through the low-hanging air.

In the distant forest,

A huge swath of trees was cut in half, the entire forest losing its canopy.

“Gah!”

Katakuri was once again sent flying backward.

The Armament Haki covering his abdomen couldn’t protect him entirely.

A gash appeared.

Blood spurted from his mouth.

He flew back hundreds of meters.

Once again, he was about to crash heavily onto the ground.

“I can’t…” The thought of his back hitting the ground was unbearable for Katakuri; it was his final shred of pride.

He tried to use the same method as last time,

To steady himself with his feet.

“Forget it.”

Katakuri thought for a moment, resigned, letting his back hit the ground first.

This way, he’d conserve a little more energy.

His back scraped across the ground for over a kilometer, crashing through countless structures. Katakuri used the remains of a shattered wall to pull himself out of the debris.

He stood on the earth.

He rushed forward again.

He wouldn’t accept defeat.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two clashed at high speed, and it was clear the battle was one-sided. Katakuri was barely hanging on, giving his all just to block Gion’s attacks.

“Brother Katakuri…”

His younger brothers and sisters

Watched the battered Katakuri with pained expressions. The one they admired most was being completely overwhelmed.

Daifuku clenched his fists tightly.

Seeing Katakuri’s bare back, his clothes torn from the friction.

“It can’t be… Katakuri is the strongest, the strongest, he’s invincible.”

Those like Flampe, who worshipped Katakuri to an unhealthy extent,

Could not accept it.

They couldn’t bear to look. They didn’t want to see it.

The battle continued for over an hour.

“Gah-“

Katakuri was once again sent flying, blood splattering everywhere.

He had been sent flying countless times.

Once again, he crashed back-first into the ground.

Under the intense assault from Gion, it was hard for Katakuri to maintain his composure. His advanced Observation Haki, which allowed him to foresee the future, was not making much of a difference in this fight.

Katakuri struggled to stand.

He tore away his tattered scarf.

Revealing his fearsome mouth full of sharp teeth.

He exposed all his ugliness.

“I haven’t lost yet!”

Once again, he charged forward.

His eyes were rolled back.

He was relying purely on willpower.

“Aaaah!”

Katakuri roared, his fist shining with black lightning.

Conqueror’s Haki infusion.

In this extreme battle,

Katakuri was also advancing rapidly. His natural talent was among the very best in the sea.

His status had kept him from experiencing such a thorough beating before.

It had wasted his potential.

Today,

He had gained a lot.

“It’s a pity he’s a man,” Kuke glanced at the fiercely fighting Katakuri, reminding him of Yamato’s previous growth under pressure.

Katakuri’s future growth would likely surpass that depicted in the original story.

“But unfortunately, his opponent is Gion. Even with his desperate burst of strength, the gap cannot be closed.”

A phoenix emerged from Gion’s blade, spreading its wings and soaring.

The heat and the Conqueror’s Haki-infused lightning,

Made the air itself crack.

Crack.

The air was breaking apart.

Katakuri’s Haki-covered fist began to fracture.

His body was breaking apart.

Blood gushed out from his entire body.

When the shockwave subsided,

Katakuri was still standing, fist extended.

But his eyes were vacant.

His gaze had lost its focus.

Katakuri was defeated!

Even with his desperate final push, he couldn’t overcome Gion.

Gion sheathed her sword.

Without sparing a glance at Katakuri, she turned, her face breaking into a smile as she locked eyes with Kuke.

No words were needed between the two, who were more familiar with each other than anyone else.

“Doctor, doctor!”

Daifuku and the others rushed towards the unconscious Katakuri.

Calling for a doctor.

“Don’t worry, he’s just unconscious and exhausted. He’ll wake up soon. The injuries aren’t serious,” the doctor said after examining him.

Daifuku and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

It was good that he was okay.

After ensuring Katakuri’s safety,

They turned their eyes to Kuke and his crew, their gaze mixed with fear, helplessness, and a touch of respect.

They had lost again.

But in every battle,

They had lost convincingly.

The Sun and Moon Pirates hadn’t used any underhanded tricks, relying solely on strength.

They had even held back, not taking any lives.

“So this is the difference between us.”

They had accepted their fate.

They were scared,

Terrified to even glance towards their mother.

They had no idea how angry and furious she must be right now.

Big Mom sat expressionlessly on her throne.

Her eyes calm.

As if Katakuri’s defeat didn’t disappoint her in the slightest.

She had already expected it.

From the moment Gion stepped forward,

She knew the outcome was already decided.

Defeat was inevitable.

Kuke watched Big Mom, who seemed unnaturally calm.

Had she given up?

Was she too scared to continue betting?

Kuke signaled Shakky with his eyes to retrieve Big Mom’s Road Poneglyph.

When Shakky lifted the massive Road Poneglyph that was lying near Big Mom,

Big Mom’s calm expression finally changed.

It twisted.

It became terrifying.

“That’s mine, it’s mine!”

Big Mom stood up, glaring fiercely at Shakky, who was carrying away the Road Poneglyph.

It was her most prized possession.

A treasure that represented her ultimate ambition.

“Linlin, it’s not yours anymore; it belongs to our captain. You lost it to him,” Shakky said fearlessly, showing no concern for Big Mom’s rage.

She slowly walked back with the Road Poneglyph, deliberately provoking Big Mom’s fragile spirit.

“I… I…”

Big Mom’s huge mouth trembled.

It opened wide, like a terrifying black hole, ready to devour everything.

“You bastards!”

Big Mom’s roar echoed across the entirety of Cake Island, her violent aura sweeping through, turning the sky dark and thick with tension. Everyone could feel her uncontrollable rage.

Daifuku and the others looked on in fear at their enraged mother.

They were ashamed,

And terrified.

“Mom, let it go,” Perospero, the eldest son, spoke softly, trying to placate Big Mom, “Let’s end it here.”

We have nothing left to lose.

“Mom, the tea party ended a long time ago.”

Her other children tried to gently remind her.

“End it?”

Big Mom’s bloodshot eyes began to clear slowly under her children’s persuasion.

Just now,

She had genuinely considered going to all-out war with the Sun and Moon Pirates.

Now that she was calm again,

She felt a sense of fear.

Looking at Kuke’s crew,

Big Mom felt even more terrified. An all-out war—their crew would effortlessly crush her children.

Then, they would surround her.

Eventually, she would end up like Kaido, beaten down by a combined assault.

The harsh reality forced Big Mom to stay calm and avoid an outburst.

Should she just let it end like this?

Big Mom looked at the Road Poneglyph next to Kuke, at the four daughters among his crew.

Was the bet over?

She couldn’t accept this outcome.

But she couldn’t risk an all-out war either.

It felt like a massive boulder was lodged in her chest, suffocating her. Her face turned a dark shade of fury.

Her massive body shook violently.

“The game continues,” Big Mom ground her teeth.

There was still a chance.

One last option.

“But you have no more stakes left, Linlin. Maybe you should give birth to a few more outstanding daughters, train them well, collect more valuable treasures, gather more stakes, and then come challenge our captain again.”

Shakky’s words seemed to be persuading Big Mom.

But her tone was mocking.

Constantly provoking Big Mom.

Trying to break her fragile sanity.

“Who says I have nothing left to bet? I still have something!” Big Mom’s mind was blank, consumed by only one thought—she had to win once, just once, one victory was all she needed.

For that,

She was willing to bet anything, dare to gamble anything.

“What do you have?”

Everyone turned to look at Big Mom.

Even her children looked at her, puzzled.

What else could their mother possibly bet? The Road Poneglyph was lost, Kuke didn’t care for anything else; there was nothing left. Nothing at all.

Unless their mother was going to bet herself?

Impossible.

No one believed it.

“I’ll bet myself against you, Kuke.”

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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