One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

"I want three Devil Fruits! Don't tell me you don't have any?"

That was Vane's demand. In exchange for three Devil Fruits, he agreed to let Smoky go.

"Three Devil Fruits? That's ridiculous!"

Katakuri rejected the request outright.

"Are you saying Smoothie is worth less than that? As the third Sweet Commander, her status in the Big Mom Pirates isn't small. Losing her would be a serious blow to your crew's strength."

"What exactly are you playing at? Vane, don't test us. The Big Mom Pirates aren't so easily provoked."

"That's for you to decide. Katakuri, you're not stupid. You know how the seas work — pirates conquer or get conquered. If I don't push back now, it's my ship that'll be sunk today, and Smoothie won't get off lightly either."

Katakuri narrowed his eyes. "You're insane. If Mama finds out about this, you'll pay dearly! Vane, think carefully about what you're doing."

"Oh? Then go ahead and tell Big Mom."

"You—!"

Katakuri was momentarily speechless. Vane wasn't afraid of Big Mom.

"We'll be waiting for you in Dressrosa. Just bring three Devil Fruits."

"Vane, do you even realize what you're doing?"

That was Smoothie's voice.

"Smoothie?!"

Katakuri heard it too. So it was true—she was there!

He clenched his fists. "Vane, do you really think your little pirate crew can stand against the Big Mom Pirates?"

"There are others in my crew who are just as strong. I'm not afraid."

Vane didn't flinch.

"You've only been sailing for three months and you're already this arrogant—hello?"

"I'll wait for you in Dressrosa. Bring the Devil Fruits."

Before Katakuri could finish, Vane hung up the Den Den Mushi.

"Damn it!"

Katakuri nearly crushed the snail. He was usually calm, but this time he was rattled. The one who captured Smoothie was no ordinary pirate. This wasn't hearsay—the man known as a psycho for killing celestial dragons had just declared war.

Katakuri began pacing the room. This was a private chamber used for Den Den Mushi calls.

"I completely lost my composure…"

He stopped, then clenched his jaw.

"I am the backbone of the Charlotte Family. I cannot lose my cool. What should I do now?"

Telling Big Mom wasn't an option. That would cause panic and chaos across the crew. Worse, it might prompt Mama to brand Smoothie as weak — a fate worse than death in their family. Besides, alerting the other Emperors or the Navy would only fuel Vane's reputation.

And the meeting place was Dressrosa — a strategic location in the New World, still under Doflamingo's influence. Not that Katakuri feared Doflamingo — but Joker was Kaido's informant. That made things far more dangerous.

"This must be handled quietly."

With a decision made, Katakuri exited the room and summoned Charlotte Cracker, Charlotte Oven, Charlotte Perospero, and Charlotte Brûlée — the most powerful of the siblings available.

Including himself, that made five.

Brûlée's Mirror World would serve as their escape route if needed. Other than her, the other four were all combat elites.

Katakuri briefed them. Their reactions were immediate — shocked and furious.

"Katakuri-nii, are you sure we shouldn't tell Mama?" Cracker asked. It seemed too serious to handle alone.

Katakuri shook his head firmly. "No. It would only damage Big Mom's reputation."

Perospero agreed. "Mama would go berserk. If she sees Smoothie as weak, she might discard her. That's the last thing we want."

Oven added, "So it's just us?"

"Yes. With Brûlée's mirrors, we can retreat if things go south."

Brûlée nodded. "I'm ready."

"But are we really bringing Devil Fruits?" Oven frowned. "We've only got five left."

Katakuri's eyes were cold. "Absolutely not. We're not giving him anything. Besides, he only has one crewmate — a woman even Brûlée could handle. She might be dangerous, but we're dealing with the so-called 'Sword God' With four of us, not even an Admiral could stop us. There's no need to be cautious."

Perospero added, "Also, based on what you said, this 'god' sounds arrogant — probably overconfident because things have gone his way so far. Pirates like that don't last."

"Exactly."

Katakuri continued, "We'll settle this quietly. No one else needs to know. When it's over, we'll hand Vane over to the Marines."

"Katakuri-sama is brilliant!"

And so, the five came to an agreement — no Devil Fruits, no compromises. They would head to Dressrosa in secret and strike decisively. They would retrieve Smoothie and make Vane pay.

Katakuri clenched his fist.

"We move tonight."

With that kind of force, Katakuri didn't believe for a second they'd fail.

No Devil Fruits. No negotiation. If they gave in now, others would follow. That was unacceptable.

There would be no second time.

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Y'all reading without sending powerstones....Keep up the good work ರ⁠_⁠ರ