Chapter 396: The Funeral of the Masterpiece!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.

The core of the New World’s “Totto Land”—Cake Island.

The Land of Sweets, once filled with sunshine, laughter, and the air always perfumed with the sweetness of cream and caramel, was now shrouded in heavy, oppressive black clouds.

A torrential downpour, like a massive, gloomy curtain, ruthlessly washed over this lifeless island.

Those Homies that once covered the hills and plains had now lost their former vitality.

Whether it was the flowers, trees, or the doors and windows of the buildings.

Their anthropomorphic faces were filled with fear, shivering in dark corners, not daring to utter even a faint whisper.

On the vast, wide plaza in front of the Cake Castle, the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.

Previously, upon learning the tragic news of Charlotte Katakuri, the Charlotte Family had urgently dispatched a “Body Recovery Unit” to Dressrosa.

After sailing for several days against the harsh sea conditions of the New World, they had just arrived at the port this morning.

The recovery unit had not only brought back the family’s greatest masterpiece—the body of Charlotte Katakuri.

Along with the ship, they also brought back a tombstone made of hard stone.

The soldiers leading the unit knelt on the waterlogged stone slabs, reporting to the high-ranking members of the family with their heads bowed.

They said that the unit had searched painstakingly for a long time in the scorched ruins of Dressrosa, but had found nothing.

Just as they were preparing to return empty-handed, they found this grave engraved with the name of Charlotte Katakuri in a desolate and quiet place on the edge of the island.

Clearly, someone had tidied up the broken remains of this respectable opponent, solemnly erected this tombstone with hard rock, and given a great warrior the dignity he deserved.

The cold rain ruthlessly beat against the large solid wood coffin of Charlotte Katakuri, making a dull sound.

Charlotte Brulee knelt in a puddle, her hands gripping her brother’s coffin tightly, crying her heart out.

Tears mixed with the rain, sliding down her scarred cheeks.

“Brother Charlotte Katakuri…”

“Get up…”

“You promised you would always protect us…”

This “greatest masterpiece” who had fought to the death to protect his younger siblings behind him and to defend the dignity of the family.

His fall had ruthlessly drained the backbone that the Charlotte Family had always stood tall on.

An atmosphere of despair spread through the hearts of every member of the Charlotte Family in the plaza.

Meanwhile, in the heavily guarded special care ward deep within the castle.

The Four Emperors “Big Mom” Charlotte Linlin, who once made the entire New World tremble with fear, was still wrapped in special bandages.

She was wearing a ventilator, her eyes tightly shut, trapped in a deep coma from which she could not be awakened.

Only the faint vital signs on the instruments nearby proved that this overlord was still alive.

Having lost their backbone and strongest shield, and with Charlotte Katakuri, the soul of the family, also lost.

The Charlotte Family had been pushed to the absolute edge of the cliff by this sudden storm of the era.

As the eldest son of the family, Charlotte Perospero stood alone in the cold rain, his hands gripping his candy cane tightly.

He looked at his weeping siblings in the plaza, his mind filled with thoughts of his mother lying unconscious on her sickbed.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with an indelible, deep hatred and anxiety about the unknown situation.

In this New World where people are eaten without a trace, a beast that has lost its fangs will only be attacked by the pack.

In order to take revenge on that damn pirate crew, and to preserve the foundation his mother had worked so hard to build in these chaotic times.

He had to make a decision that went against the pride of the family—to grasp that hand from the abyss.

Just as everyone in the plaza was immersed in endless grief.

“Woo—!”

A sharp alarm suddenly rang out across the entire Cake Island, breaking the oppression in the rain.

A drenched Chess Soldier rushed into the plaza, face full of terror, falling into a puddle as he scrambled along.

He didn’t bother to wipe the mud and water from his face, pointing a trembling finger toward the port and shouting:

“E-Enemy attack!”

“An unidentified fleet has broken into Totto Land waters and has already docked!”

Upon hearing the words “Enemy attack,” Charlotte Smoothie, Charlotte Cracker, and the others, who had been immersed in grief, instantly raised their heads, their eyes filled with violent killing intent.

They naturally assumed it was some reckless pirate crew that had smelled the weakness of Totto Land and wanted to come here to get a piece of the pie.

“Those looking for death! I will kill them!”

“Coming to provoke us at a time like this!”

The sweet commanders drew the weapons at their waists, erupting with fierce killing intent, and strode forward, preparing to head to the port to start a massacre.

However, Charlotte Perospero suddenly raised his candy cane and struck it heavily against the waterlogged stone slabs, stopping his emotionally charged siblings.

His expression was as gloomy as water, and he gritted his teeth as he said:

“They are not here to loot the burning house; they are guests we ‘invited’.”

Everyone followed Charlotte Perospero’s gaze.

At the port of Cake Island, huge waves rolled and beat against the embankment.

A massive, menacing pirate ship flying a flag with three skulls—the “Saber of Xebec”—was arrogantly docked at the shore.

Under the hostile gaze of the remnants of Totto Land.

Marshall D. Teach, the Blackbeard who had lost an arm, led a group of vicious officers and strode into the central plaza of Cake Island.

Jesus Burgess, Catarina Devon, Doc Q, and other notorious members of the Blackbeard Pirates lined up in the rain.

And in the very center of their throng, that burly man with missing teeth strode onto the stone slabs of the plaza.

Although his right arm was empty, the sleeve fluttering in the wind and rain.

The dangerous aura emanating from him was more intense than ever before.

The materialized black mist of the Dark-Dark Fruit rolled and surged beneath his broad feet, as if it had a life of its own.

The torrential rain falling from the sky was swallowed up silently by that deep darkness before it could even touch his body.

Blackbeard stopped, looked up, and opened his only remaining left arm.

Facing the hostile gazes of the Totto Land crowd, he let out his signature wild laughter:

“Zehahahaha!!”

“Charlotte Perospero! It seems your current situation is even more miserable than I had imagined!”

Facing Blackbeard’s mocking and provocative gaze, the corner of Charlotte Perospero’s eye twitched violently.

He suppressed the raging anger in his chest and asked coldly:

“Cut the crap, Blackbeard.”

“I’ll only ask you one thing: did you bring enough’sincerity’ when you came here today?”

Upon hearing this question, Blackbeard put away the wanton smile on his face.

He stepped forward, waved his only remaining left arm, and shouted in a deep voice:

“Since I promised you, I will never break my word!”

“This is the alliance we already discussed over the Den Den Mushi!”

“Straw Hat and that damn Crimson Lotus Victor are also my mortal enemies; the enemy of my enemy is my friend!”

Charlotte Perospero stared coldly at Blackbeard, and the two looked at each other in the rain for a long time.

Charlotte Perospero looked back at his siblings, who were filled with confusion and grief, and thought of his mother, whose life hung in the balance on her sickbed.

He closed his eyes and made a decision in his heart.

He knew that the Charlotte Family had no other choice.

Charlotte Perospero sighed deeply and waved his hand, signaling Charlotte Smoothie and the others to put away their weapons.

But he still held his head high, maintaining the dignity and pride befitting the eldest son of a Four Emperors pirate crew, and coldly warned the other party:

“Blackbeard, on the soil of Totto Land, you had better put away your arrogance.”

“Even without Mama here to hold the fort, it wouldn’t be difficult for us to deal with the few of you.”

“Follow me to the conference room to discuss the specific plan for revenge.”

Watching Charlotte Perospero turn to lead the way, a smile reappeared on Blackbeard’s stubbly face.

He looked up and let out his signature wild laughter toward the gloomy sky again:

“Zehahahaha! That’s a smart man who knows the times!”

“Prepare to set sail, remnants of Totto Land!”

“Let us join forces and turn Wano Country into the grave of those self-important emperors!”

Blackbeard took big strides, following behind Charlotte Perospero as they walked into the castle.

On the surface, he was laughing wildly for the grand revenge to come, appearing heroic and bold.

But those eyes hidden in the dark mist revealed a sinister cruelty that made one’s soul tremble.

In his heart, he was silently supplementing and deducing this grand game of Chess that could overturn the entire world.

“…Go, fight to your heart’s content.”

“When that hotheaded Straw Hat and that madman Kaido fight each other to mutual destruction in Wano Country.”

“I will first use Big Mom’s remaining forces as cannon fodder to feed the enemy’s blades…”

A cruel arc curled at the corner of Blackbeard’s mouth.

“Then, in the chaos, I will personally eliminate the weakened Kaido and absorb his coveted Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon Fruit.”

“Then I’ll deal with Straw Hat and obtain that strange ability of his…”

“Finally, in the cruelest way possible, I will kill that Crimson Lotus Victor who cut off my arm, and wash away my humiliation!”

Blackbeard looked at Charlotte Perospero’s slightly desolate back ahead, his eyes mixed with greed and deep wariness.

As for why he didn’t challenge them and take Big Mom’s ability first.

He knew very well that a dying camel is still bigger than a horse, and it would naturally be unwise to launch a battle against Totto Land directly now.

“The final step…”

Blackbeard’s wild laughter in his heart grew louder.

“Kill these Totto Land cannon fodder who have lost their utility, and return directly to the defenseless Totto Land.”

“While that old hag is asleep, I’ll slit her throat and completely annex this fertile sea territory.”

“By that time, carrying all the power and Devil Fruits of these three Emperors of the Sea…”

“I will go challenge that old man who is aged and already on his last legs!”

In the heart of this cold-blooded, ruthless, one-armed hero who had endured for decades.

He already saw the crown of the Pirate King, which symbolized freedom and power, as something already in his pocket.

It’s settled!

“Zehahahaha!!!”