Chapter 295 - 295: Luffy and Big Mom's Exit

"This fellow has been hiding in my body for so long, and I didn't even notice."

Under Kaido's final provocation, Big Mom, who had unleashed all of her Haoshoku, finally discovered the abnormality in her body and stripped Mother Carmel's soul from the Soul-Soul Fruit.

"Mother, didn't you leave? What's going on? Why is your soul inside my body?"

Seeing this, Hera couldn't help but complain: "Isn't it obvious? She took advantage of your childbirth and hunger pangs to try and seize your body. Didn't you feel anything was wrong?"

Big Mom looked at Hera, who was standing between her and Luffy, and raised an eyebrow, somewhat disagreeing with her statement.

"Forget it, see for yourself. It's time for you to return to your Cake Island."

With that, 'Zayin' was fired from Hera's gun, and Mother Carmel's memories were transmitted into Big Mom's mind by Hera.

Big Mom watched as the woman she had once regarded as a mother turned out to be a human trafficker behind her back. Even adopting her was only because she saw her talent and wanted to sell her for a high price.

But after an accident where she was swallowed into Big Mom's stomach, she used the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit to remain hidden, planting anchors in Big Mom's body every time she went on a rampage.

Attempting to seize her memories, Big Mom fell into a state of confusion, momentarily forgetting that she was still in the middle of a battlefield.

A space gate formed beneath the feet of Big Mom and the reinforcements from the Big Mom Pirates. Hera had long since anchored the location of Cake Island through the Mirror World. Taking advantage of the confused Big Mom's lack of resistance, she teleported the group back.

Feeling a sudden weightlessness beneath her feet, Big Mom snapped out of it. She reached out to grab the ground, trying to leap out of the spatial rift, but two familiar auras flashed through the shadows in front of her.

One of those auras was someone Big Mom believed could not possibly exist, causing her to freeze for a moment. It was this very hesitation that prevented her from breaking free from the space gate's constraints, and she was teleported back to Cake Island.

"That aura just now... how is it possible? Didn't he die at Marineford long ago? Could it be?"

Big Mom questioned herself in disbelief, but the aura that had just come from the City of Devouring Time would not lie. She had clearly sensed the auras of Whitebeard and Kaido within the City of Devouring Time.

Her Observation Haki swept over her children; every single one of them had been teleported back. No, wait—the aura of her 35th daughter, Charlotte Pudding, had vanished from the island.

In the palace where she should have been, only a note remained, which read: "We've taken our daughter-in-law away. She will be very safe with us."

Big Mom recognized Judge's handwriting at a glance: "That fellow."

Katakuri also noticed his sister's departure and the note. Frowning, he said, "They shouldn't have gone too far yet. Should we pursue them?"

Big Mom shook her head: "Forget it, let her be. Right now, we have more important things to do."

Then, looking at Mother Carmel's soul still held in her hand and sorting through the memories Hera had sent over, Big Mom's gaze gradually turned cold: "Now then, how should I best deal with you?"

On the battlefield of Wano Country, only Imu—who was possessing Gunko and about to descend—remained, along with Luffy in his Gear 5 form and the other officers of the Beasts Pirates who had lost Kaido.

Luffy also noticed Gunko in the sky, who was emitting an ominous aura. He curiously asked Hera, "What is that pitch-black thing? Hera, do you know?"

Hera nodded: "That fellow... he's probably my final enemy. But for now, he's still my superior. You should leave now too."

Luffy's eyes were full of hostility as he looked at Imu: "If he's your enemy, then he's my enemy too."

Then, his body began to grow larger, as if he wanted to become a giant and crush Imu in the sky with one foot.

But halfway through growing, Luffy's body began to shrivel. He dropped directly out of Gear 5 and turned into a withered old man.

"What's happening to me?"

Then, after swaying twice on the spot, he suddenly fainted.

"Sigh, don't push yourself if you can't hold on. I still have to clean up this mess for you."

Hera saw at a glance that Luffy had run out of stamina during the continuous battles. Having exhausted his strength, he naturally reverted from Gear 5.

Before Imu fully descended, a sword light teleported Luffy and the Straw Hat crew back to their pirate ship, and she also left an eternal pose for Nojiko pointing toward Elbaf.

The Straw Hat crew was somewhat bewildered to find themselves suddenly back on their ship, and even more so to find themselves in the middle of an ocean.

That is, until Sanji and Zoro saw Luffy suddenly appear on the deck along with a large pile of food and a note placed on top of him.

"He's just exhausted. Take good care of your Captain. Also, head straight for the Giant Country, Elbaf. Someone is waiting for your arrival there."

"By the way, I've also put the Wano Country poneglyph on the ship for you. No need to thank me."

"Oh, and one more thing, Sanji. I've had Judge and the others pick up your little girlfriend and take her to the Germa Kingdom. No need to worry about her anymore."

At the bottom of the note, there was a drawing of a cute Little Hera giving a wink.

Seeing this note, Nojiko and Robin both broke into a smile.

"Hera really thought of everything. Well then, it's time for me to show what I can do."

As Sanji spoke, he picked up the ingredients from the deck and walked into the kitchen. His Captain was still waiting for the food he would prepare.

Zoro and Usopp were more interested in the "little girlfriend" mentioned in the note. They both chased after Sanji, asking, "What little girlfriend? We were only apart for a short time, how did you get a girlfriend?"

Sanji looked at the two of them buzzing around him incessantly. Veins of anger gradually appeared on his forehead. Finally, unable to take it anymore, he gave Zoro and Usopp a punch each.

However, the image of that Three-Eye Tribe girl's face came to his mind, and his brow gradually smoothed out as he hummed a little tune and entered the kitchen.

On the territory of Wano Country, Imu finally descended. Clad entirely in pitch black, only his two crimson eyes were visible as he looked toward the remaining Hera.

Hera's perception pierced through the black curtain surrounding Imu, probing for Imu's true face without him knowing.

Soon, Hera made a startling discovery. She had previously thought Imu might be female, most likely an ancestor of Nefertari D. Vivi's family.

To her surprise, Imu was actually male. Moreover, from his appearance, he belonged to the same Lunarian race as King.

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