One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

"Hey, Esdeath, need a hand?"

Kalifa's voice rang out behind her.

"No need," Esdeath replied coolly.

She leapt into the air, ice blade raised. In a flash, a massive shadow formed above—a ten-meter-wide ice sphere condensed in the air.

Boom!

The power radiating from it was overwhelming.

"What... what kind of force is this?" Smoothie's expression shifted to shock. That sphere could easily obliterate her ship.

As it plummeted, Smoothie's sword pierced the body of a fallen subordinate. Her [Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit] ability activated, absorbing moisture from the corpse. Mist gathered around her blade, her body expanding rapidly like a rising colossus. Her weapon grew with her.

"Oh? So that's how it works—the [Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit]. Absorbing water to grow stronger... but the bigger you get, the uglier you become. Honestly, woman."

Esdeath shook her head with disdain. "You don't even spare your own men. Look how pitiful they are."

Though ruthless toward enemies, Esdeath was known for never turning her blade against her own.

Another moment passed. Smoothie, now towering and furious, didn't have time to reflect—the ice ball was falling fast.

"Moisture Blade!"

Smoothie roared, slicing upward. A titanic wave of sword energy tore through the air, cleaving the ice sphere in half. The two pieces crashed down beside her and exploded violently.

But...

Esdeath was smiling again. Another identical ice sphere was already forming above.

"Damn it!"

Smoothie snarled and prepared to strike again—only to be blindsided.

A massive icicle launched toward her midsection, appearing from thin air like a battering ram. It slammed into her body, knocking her backward. The second ice sphere crashed down onto her ship, smashing it to splinters.

Crack!

Her vessel—destroyed. Her crew—buried beneath debris.

Smoothie staggered to her feet, eyes wide with fury as she surveyed the wreckage. She barely dodged the next volley—spikes of ice flew from the ground, one slicing across her back. Blood trickled down.

She gritted her teeth, refusing to scream.

"You're dead!"

Smoothie's rage peaked.

She launched another devastating Moisture Blade—its wave cut across the sea, splitting even the frozen ocean in its path.

From the distance, a cry rang out.

"What's going on?"

Vane stirred awake and stumbled to the deck. His eyes narrowed at the scene: a shattered ship, crushed by ice. The fallen flag— unmistakably that of the Big Mom Pirates.

"Sir!"

Kalifa called out respectfully.

Vane glanced her way, then turned to the battlefield. Esdeath stood across from none other than Charlotte Smoothie.

He recognized the giantess immediately—one of Big Mom's three Sweet Commanders, and second strongest among them.

But he wasn't worried.

Esdeath could hold her own—even against an Admiral. Compared to her, Smoothie was only a stepping stone.

"What happened?" he asked Kalifa.

Kalifa explained everything in detail.

As she spoke, Vane's eyes lit up. He looked at her with newfound appreciation.

Using Smoothie as leverage to demand Devil Fruits from Big Mom? Genius. The old hag definitely had at least two or three in reserve.

Sure, this would provoke her. But Vane wasn't concerned. In fact, antagonizing Big Mom had always been part of the plan. This was the New World. To dominate it, you had to make enemies—especially ones like her.

"Kalifa, you did well," Vane said with a rare smile. "Finally putting your talents to good use."

Then he soared into the sky, heading toward Esdeath.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on. Smoothie was furious, striking wildly. Esdeath, on the other hand, danced around her attacks, smiling.

Anger only made enemies easier to defeat.

"Getting mad, Smoothie? That makes me happy," Esdeath taunted. "You remind me of an old enemy. Rage just makes your defeat more embarrassing."

With her agility and Smoothie's giant size slowing her down, Esdeath found dodging effortless.

Suddenly, another enormous icicle struck Smoothie's midsection and sent her flying.

"Why is she so strong?!"

Smoothie's mind reeled. Not even in the New World had she met a woman who manipulated ice like this. Esdeath didn't just create ice—she summoned it from nothing and shaped it like a god.

Not even Aokiji could do this, right?

"Am I actually going to lose? And what about that lightning woman on their ship? She hasn't even joined the fight yet…"

As that thought hit her, another icicle dropped from the heavens, slamming into her stomach with enough force to make the ice itself crack. Blood spurted from her lips as she doubled over.

"Their physical strength in this world is unreal…"

Esdeath muttered, watching her fall.

Just as she was about to deliver the final blow, Vane landed beside her.

"Hold off. If you kill her, Big Mom will go berserk."

Esdeath smirked. "I thought you were going to sleep through the whole thing."

They approached Smoothie together. She lay pinned beneath a frozen pillar, dazed and weak.

Capturing her now?

Child's play.

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