Build The Strongest Family in the Prirate World

"I am the queen of all souls!"

"What's mine is mine!"

"All souls belong to me!"

Big Mom screamed wildly. Inside the massive Cake Castle, countless people cowered in fear of her.

Terrified, their souls began to leave their bodies, drifting towards Big Mom and merging into her.

Shockingly, the ones losing the most souls were none other than Big Mom's own children and her top commanders.

Meanwhile, the ordinary guests—those who had fainted earlier from Big Mom's terrifying screams or from Gangplank's Conqueror's Haki—were surprisingly spared. Her soul-absorbing power didn't affect them, making them both unlucky and fortunate at the same time.

"Mom! What are you doing?!"

Katakuri, locked in a battle against Pike and Gragas, was trembling with fury.

Even he couldn't stop a small part of his own soul from escaping toward Big Mom.

Every member of the Big Mom Pirates felt a deep fear of her—Katakuri included. But as he watched the souls of countless Charlotte family members being pulled away, and saw their faces filled with terror and despair,

His love for his family suddenly became stronger than his fear of Big Mom.

At that moment, Katakuri finally overcame his fear of her.

"Mom! Stop this right now!"

He roared at her, desperate to bring her back to her senses.

But Big Mom was beyond reason. Drunk on the rush of absorbing countless souls, she had completely lost herself.

Deep within her, the selfish and cruel soul of Mother Carmel—who had merged with Big Mom years ago—took control.

Once, Big Mom had been a sweet and obedient child. At just six years old, she killed a giant with her bare hands and defeated a raging bear in one punch. Yet despite her monstrous strength, she was kind at heart.

Even during her amnesia in Wano, Big Mom showed her innocent and caring side.

But everything changed when she devoured Mother Carmel and her soul. From that moment, Charlotte Linlin gradually transformed into the cruel and violent Yonko known as Big Mom.

Now, completely under the influence of Mother Carmel's lingering soul, Big Mom ignored Katakuri's desperate cries. Her only desire was to survive at any cost.

The souls she stole from her children and subordinates not only healed her injuries but also restored Napoleon, her sword, which had become battered and weak in her hands.

The power of the Soul-Soul Fruit depended on the strength of countless souls.

As her injuries vanished, Gangplank's scimitar swung toward her head.

But Big Mom turned suddenly, letting the blade cut deep into her shoulder instead.

The strange flames and ghostly energy on Gangplank's weapon burned her flesh, blood, and even her soul.

However, the endless flood of souls she absorbed quickly extinguished the flames and neutralized the ghostly energy.

Big Mom now possessed an overwhelming abundance of souls.

"Big news! Big news!"

"Big Mom is destroying her own crew with her own hands!"

"No—she's killing everyone who came to this banquet!"

"This is HUGE news!"

Morgans's eyes sparkled as he kept snapping photos, capturing the chaos. But suddenly, he froze. Jumping in place, he exclaimed in horror:

"Wait, I'm a guest at this banquet too!"

"Big Mom…"

At that moment, Morgans's soul began to drift out of his body.

Among everyone still conscious in the Cake Castle—except Katakuri, Stussy, Z, Pike, and Barrel—nearly all were losing their souls.

Even the powerful underworld kings, like the Shipping King Umit, the Warehouse King Jibotson, and the Loan Shark King Du Feld, weren't spared. Their souls were slowly escaping.

Big Mom's soul spell didn't work on those who felt no fear of her.

But for anyone—even those as strong as Disaster Generals—who harbored even a sliver of fear, their souls were easily stolen by her terrifying power.

Stussy, a CP0 agent backed by the World Government that ruled for 800 years, felt no fear of Big Mom. Compared to the overwhelming authority of the World Government, Big Mom seemed small and insignificant.

However, the underworld kings, who regularly dealt with Big Mom and knew her fearsome power, couldn't suppress the fear in their hearts, no matter how strong they were.

"Big Mom!"

The Shipping King Umit gritted his teeth as he glared at the unaffected Stussy and Z. His face pale, he strode toward Big Mom.

The Warehouse King Jibotson downed the last of his wine, threw the bottle aside, and followed Umit without a word. His usually cloudy eyes, dulled from years of drinking, had sharpened with resolve.

Both of them demanded answers: either Big Mom would stop stealing their souls, or she would face her end.

They were kings of the underworld, after all. Fear of Big Mom didn't mean they would sit quietly and wait for death.

"Hey, since you're not afraid of Big Mom, could you do something?"

"Wake her up—or kill her?"

"I'll pay a fortune! Name your price!"

The Loan Shark King Du Feld, visibly weaker than Umit and the others, was losing far more of his soul. Too afraid to confront Big Mom himself, he scurried over to Stussy and Z, hoping to entice them with money.

"Hehehehe," Stussy chuckled, covering her mouth. She glanced at Z beside her, who remained calm and unaffected by Big Mom's power.

"I don't dare to face Linlin myself," she said with a sly smile. "But our new friend here is one of the world's top assassins!"

"Of course," she added, "it depends on how much you're willing to pay to hire him."

Stussy wasn't afraid of Big Mom because of the World Government's protection. But what about Z? Was he fearless because he didn't know Big Mom's reputation, or because he was