One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

Ten minutes later, Smoothie, who had shrunk back to her normal size, appeared on Vane's ship. Her arms were pinned behind her back by Esdeath's ice, and her legs were similarly restrained.

This wasn't ordinary ice—it had been reinforced, its hardness rivaling steel. No regular ice could hold a powerhouse like Smoothie.

She sat on the deck, slumped against the railing, a bitter expression on her face. She hadn't expected to be captured.

As one of the Big Mom Pirates' three Sweet Commanders, Smoothie was known across the New World. Her strength was second only to that of Charlotte Linlin herself. Yet here she was, caught so easily.

The Godfall Pirates.

A young pirate crew that had shaken the seas recently. Their captain had defeated Akainu—the strongest force in the Navy Headquarters. And he possessed two Devil Fruits, an unheard-of feat!

He also had two terrifying subordinates. One, a woman with long, icy blue hair who wielded the power of Ice. The other, a woman who could command lightning.

Just three people, yet their abilities defied reason.

"What is your purpose?" Smoothie asked coldly.

Kalifa had gone into the kitchen. Only Esdeath remained standing in front of Smoothie.

Clad in a sharp black suit and her signature military cap, Esdeath exuded calm power. Smoothie had already experienced her strength firsthand.

These people weren't ordinary. They were monsters. The woman with lightning might've been the weakest among them, but the other two? Terrifying.

"Ask him," Esdeath said, nodding toward Vane, who had just returned from Smoothie's now-ransacked ship.

Vane had been searching for a transponder snail. Someone of Smoothie's rank would surely carry one.

Sure enough, he found it.

The transponder snail had the familiar features of Big Mom herself.

"What do you want?" Smoothie asked again, growing uneasy.

Vane gave a crooked smile. "Well, you're in my custody. How about sending a nice little message to your family?"

Smoothie narrowed her eyes. There was no way this was just about greetings.

Vane didn't expect her to cooperate anyway. He could do it himself.

"Contact Totto Land," he said.

The snail clicked and whirred.

"You're insane," Smoothie snapped. "Defeating an Admiral doesn't give you the right to challenge the Big Mom Pirates! You'll pay for this! My mother isn't someone you can—"

Vane cut her off, voice calm. "I plan to make your Big Mom Pirates pay too. We're destined to clash anyway. Might as well get it started."

"You'll regret this."

Smoothie fell silent. Moments later, the transponder snail connected.

A deep, composed male voice came through. "Hello?"

"Katakuri-nii?" Smoothie whispered, recognizing the voice instantly.

Charlotte Katakuri—the strongest shield of the Charlotte Family, second only to Big Mom. He had never lost a fight that mattered. Never fallen flat. Never shown his back.

Katakuri.

Vane spoke into the snail. "Hello, Katakuri."

"Who is this?" Katakuri asked, voice suddenly alert. It wasn't Smoothie, nor any of her subordinates. No one dared address him like that.

"I've captured your sister—Charlotte Smoothie. She's with me now."

"What? You captured Smoothie?" Katakuri's initial disbelief turned into denial. Smoothie ranked among the top of the Charlotte Family in strength—only he and their mother surpassed her. It was hard to believe anyone could overpower her.

"What's your game?" he said coldly. "If this is some trick, you won't live to regret it."

He was suspicious, but the fact that Smoothie's transponder snail was in this man's hands made him hesitate.

Then Vane said: "Smoothie, say something to your brother."

Katakuri frowned, but no reply came.

Smoothie remained silent. Her mind raced. Not speaking might make Katakuri doubt the situation.

But Vane had more methods than she expected.

Esdeath walked up with a cruel smile. "Impalement? Burial alive? Burning? Dismemberment? Hot oil? Acid baths? Or maybe we start with something simpler—stone stoning? You pick."

"Torture?" Katakuri's voice grew colder. Was she really in their hands?

Still, Smoothie said nothing.

Esdeath was infamous for her interrogation methods. No one had endured them intact—body or mind.

Vane raised the snail again. "Katakuri, do you want to know who I am?"

Katakuri remained silent.

"My name is Vane. Rhett Vane. If there's only one by that name, then it's me."

"Fire Sword?" Katakuri muttered.

Even in the New World, the name was spreading fast.

"Yes. That's me. So do you believe now that your sister is in my custody? She still won't talk, hoping her silence will fool you. But if she doesn't speak, you know what happens next."

Katakuri's tone sharpened to a dagger. "What exactly do you want?"

He believed it now. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't. But Rhett Vane was different. This young pirate was strong enough to shake the balance of the New World. One more major step, and he could rival even the Four Emperors.

And now, they were enemies.

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