Chapter 36: Big Mom’s Shock!

"Mom! Something huge has happened!"

Perospero practically screamed those words at the top of his lungs, as if only by shouting could he convey the urgency and panic he felt.

The lively atmosphere inside the grand hall instantly froze. Everyone turned to look at him.

"A shocking change has happened within the Whitebeard Pirates! Their vice captain is some unknown newcomer, and he’s been given a bounty of 2 billion Berries !"

The news exploded through the hall like a bombshell.

Everyone stared at Perospero in disbelief.

A bounty of 2 billion Berries was an astonishing figure. It was more than enough to prove that this newcomer possessed extraordinary strength.

"And that’s not all! Somehow, many of their crew members have become Users with Two Devil Fruit Powers! Even Whitebeard himself is suspected of being a Three-Devil-Fruit User!"

Perospero shouted as he ran, clearly terrified by the information.

His voice trembled, and fear filled his eyes. A user possessing two Devil Fruit powers was already enough to overturn common sense, but Whitebeard potentially wielding three Devil Fruits was simply beyond imagination.

Silence fell over the hall.

No one could find the words to respond.

The air itself seemed heavy, making it difficult to breathe.

Panting heavily, Perospero finally arrived before Big Mom and dropped to one knee, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"What?!"

Big Mom, seated on her luxurious throne and preparing to enjoy a delicious cake, frowned the moment she heard Perospero’s shouting.

Her appetite instantly vanished.

She hated being disturbed while eating sweets—especially by her own children.

"Perospero! What are you barking about? Can’t you see I’m enjoying my cake?!"

Big Mom’s eyes gradually filled with anger, her voice dripping with irritation.

She had been about to savor her favorite dessert, only to have her enjoyment interrupted by sudden yelling.

Clearly, she hadn’t actually heard what Perospero had said.

"Ma-Mama! Listen to me first!"

Perospero hurriedly waved his hands in panic.

"This is important!"

"Hmph. Then hurry up and say it."

Big Mom responded coldly, though she hadn’t immediately punished him.

Her gaze remained fixed on the tempting cake, as if she might resume eating at any moment.

Seeing that she wasn’t flying into a rage yet, Perospero quickly pulled out the newspaper and presented it to her.

"Mom, this is serious! The newspaper says that a large portion of the Whitebeard Pirates have become Users with Two Devil Fruit Powers! And that old man Whitebeard—the one who already has one foot in the grave—is suspected of being a Three-Devil-Fruit User!"

"What?!"

Big Mom was finally shocked.

She immediately set down her fork, snatched the newspaper from his hands, and began reading.

The further she read, the more alarmed she became.

Her pupils widened dramatically, and her face filled with disbelief.

"Mama-mama-mama! How is this possible?! How could Whitebeard do something like this?! What exactly happened?! Wasn’t that old fool prepared to be buried with the old era? Why is he suddenly causing such a commotion now?!"

Big Mom’s voice was filled with confusion.

Whitebeard had always been one of her greatest rivals, but this news brought her a level of pressure she had never felt before.

Seeing his mother’s emotions gradually becoming unstable, Perospero grew increasingly anxious.

Still, there were more pressing matters to discuss.

"Mom... the Whitebeard Pirates’ strength has increased dramatically, and their intentions are unclear. Should we reconsider our plans regarding Fish-Man Island?"

Big Mom frowned.

She had never cared all that much about Fish-Man Island itself.

Whether she obtained it or not wasn’t particularly important.

The real purpose had been to use Fish-Man Island as a means of testing the Whitebeard Pirates’ current strength.

Through that, she could judge whether Whitebeard still possessed the power to contend with the other Four Emperors.

But if the report was true...

Then Whitebeard possessed at least two Devil Fruit powers.

Possibly even three.

"Don’t rush to conclusions."

Big Mom fell silent for a moment before continuing.

"Although Morgans rarely publishes false information, we should verify it ourselves first."

Perospero nodded.

"...Understood."

Jaya

A small, unremarkable tavern stood on the island.

Its appearance was so ordinary that most people would overlook it entirely.

Yet this tavern had long since been absorbed into the Whitebeard Pirates’ sphere of influence and served as one of their affiliated outposts.

Ever since that day, everything on Jaya—from the lush forests to the winding roads—seemed to bear the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Even the air itself felt saturated with the presence of Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors.

However, not everyone welcomed this change.

Bellamy was one of them.

Deep down, he resented having his fate dictated by others.

"My idol is Doflamingo!"

That thought echoed repeatedly in his mind whenever the night grew quiet, reminding him of the dream he once pursued.

Before the Whitebeard Pirates had arrived, he had already planned to leave Jaya.

He intended to pack his belongings and set out to join the Donquixote Family.

But plans never survived reality.

Just as he was preparing to depart, the Whitebeard Pirates descended upon the island and swiftly took control of the entire area, enforcing strict security measures.

Faced with the sudden upheaval, Bellamy felt both angry and helpless.

Although he had no choice but to submit on the surface, his admiration for Doflamingo had never faded.

Night after night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Bellamy would quietly slip out and observe the Whitebeard Pirates’ guard rotations from the shoreline.

After several days of careful observation, he finally figured out their entire shift schedule.

Tonight...

He was going to escape.

"This is the changing of the guard. There definitely won’t be anyone watching!"

Gritting his teeth, Bellamy rushed to the small canoe he had hidden long ago and began paddling desperately toward the open sea.

Meanwhile, inside a heavily protected manor behind the Whitebeard Pirates’ encampment—

Ron stood quietly before a large window.

His gaze pierced through the darkness as he watched the gradually receding figure.

When Bellamy finally disappeared beyond sight, a faint smile appeared on Ron’s lips.

After confirming that Bellamy had completely left the island, he turned and walked toward a nearby table.

A Den Den Mushi rested atop it.

"Go take over the watch. That guy’s gone."

After hanging up the call, Ron returned to the window.

This time, however, his expression grew thoughtful.

His eyes narrowed slightly as if contemplating something important.

"That’s a walking gold mine..."

he murmured to himself.

"I hope you’ll prove useful, Bellamy."

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