Chapter 253: A Tiger's Poison Feeds on Its Own Cubs

Gao Wen's gaze fell upon Big Mom, his eyes filled with undisguised wariness.

He knew Big Mom's defensive power would be formidable; after all, she was the so-called "Steel Balloon," a monster who had debuted decades ago and had scarcely ever been injured.

Yet he had never expected her to be this strong.

Such massive energy from the earth's veins struck Big Mom, already scorching her entire body.

Had anyone else suffered such injuries, even if rescued, survival would have been unlikely.

But not only did Big Mom retain her mobility at this moment, the domineering aura she now exuded was truly astonishing!

Although Homies had blocked the vast majority of the damage for Big Mom in that instant, achieving this feat meant that, in terms of pure physical defense, Big Mom was perhaps the strongest existence on these seas.

Figures like Kaido and the Lunarians had to step aside; even Gao Wen, amplified by both his Awakened Battle Armor and Kongou to boost his defensive capabilities, fell far short.

"No normal human, not even those Lunarians once called gods, could achieve this level. Is this woman... truly a normal person?!"

"Or could she be... a monster created through certain racial experiments conducted by the World Government?"

"After all, the World Government has quietly committed no small number of vile deeds over the years; beyond that, certain underground factions are also conducting research related to gigantification."

"The human gigantification experiments Caesar conducted on Punk Hazard had Donquixote Doflamingo as one of the financial backers."

"The symptoms appearing in those modified children bear a striking resemblance to Big Mom's craving disorder."

Gao Wen couldn't help but let out a sigh of amazement, yet his pupils contracted sharply the very next instant.

Regaining awareness, Big Mom was filled with shock and terror, having even lost her sanity; within her eyes, no pupils remained, only pure white eyeballs.

Yet the desire to annihilate the threat before her, stimulated by pain, grew ever more intense!

Napoleon and Prometheus, the two major Homies, had already dissipated in the earlier explosion; at this moment, the only Homie Big Mom had left to use was the thundercloud Zeus.

These natural elements possessing self-awareness were all creations of Big Mom's Soru Soru no Mi.

By directly extracting souls from living organisms and imbuing them into non-living objects, these non-living things could give birth to self-awareness and even possess the ability to manipulate elements comparable to a Logia-type Devil Fruit.

Just as it was now.

A mass of dark thunderclouds surged forth beside Big Mom; with thunder roaring, under Big Mom's control, it transformed into a great blade wreathed in lightning.

This great blade's form bore seventy percent similarity to the great blade Napoleon transformed into, yet precisely because of the surging thunderlight enveloping it, it appeared even more domineering and unparalleled.

"Elbaf's Spear: Kokoku!"

Big Mom let out a fierce roar, slashing with all her might using the long blade in her hand; a pure white shockwave, accompanied by crimson lightning, pierced through everything in its path like a pillar of light!

At this moment, the molten lava flowing across the ground seemed dim and colorless by comparison.

The secret technique Big Mom inherited from the Giant Kingdom of Elbaf revealed its most ferocious fangs at this instant.

This strike arrived far faster than Gao Wen had anticipated, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

"Is there no time left?!"

"I can only take it head-on!"

With not a moment's hesitation, the Guanshi Zhengzong at Gao Wen's waist instantly left its sheath.

Conqueror's Haki infused into it drew forth crimson lightning, Armament Haki enhanced the slash's power, and the blade itself was coated with the pale blue glow representing a supreme grade blade!

In this instant, Gao Wen chose to exhaust the scant stamina remaining in his body to collide head-on with Big Mom; who was stronger and who weaker could only be known after fighting!

"Radiant Moon!"

An equally domineering slash erupted from the edge of the Guanshi Zhengzong, clashing mid-air against the Kokoku unleashed with full force by the sanity-lost Big Mom.

Boom!

After a single thunderous roar.

The survivors from Totto Land within the port felt a sharp pain in their ears, then heard nothing at all.

Yet the ground beneath their feet trembled continuously, and in many places, the aftermath of the collision between Gao Wen and Big Mom tore the earth apart, creating cracks several meters wide.

They struggled to steady themselves, only to be blown away the very next instant; all that met their eyes was endless pure white light, mixed with crimson lightning!

"What happened?!"

"What exactly happened?!"

Some, unable to withstand the intense light, suffered momentary blindness, yet were shocked to discover they could not emit a single sound no matter what, with only a noise like cicadas buzzing causing immense irritation.

Only then did they realize it was not that they couldn't make sound, but that their eardrums had been shredded by the earlier impact.

In the distance.

Perospero, having abandoned his younger siblings from Totto Land to flee alone to a safe zone, stared blankly at the scene before him.

The dissipating shockwave blew his hair upward, further revealing his pale complexion.

"What kind of monster have I provoked?!"

Lava flowed across the ground, water vapor rose in the air; the surrounding environment should have been incredibly humid and hot, even to the point of suffocation.

Yet at this moment, Perospero felt nothing but coldness throughout his entire body.

Knight Gao Wen truly possesses the strength to stand on the same stage as Mother!

The scene unfolding before his eyes began to shake his nearly blind trust in Big Mom, filling his heart with immense dread.

If...

If that guy finds out I was the one pulling the strings behind all this, that I made him take the fall...

I...

No!

Even if he is willing to bow his head, Mother would forget everything that happened today!

After all, Mother once said she took a fancy to that boy Kaido's bloodline and even looked forward to breeding offspring with him stronger than Katakuri; if that happens, would Totto Land truly still have a place for me?!

"Mother, you cannot let that guy go!"

"We must..."

Before he could finish speaking.

Perospero's voice cut off abruptly, like a rooster with its throat squeezed, his face flushing crimson.

The sky was clear and azure, cloudless for ten thousand li; waves rolled backward, crashing onto the harbor beach where they met the flowing lava, emitting a piercing hiss.

Where was there any trace of Gao Wen?!

"Did it succeed?!"

Perospero murmured, only to overturn his own conclusion the very next instant.

That kind of fellow...

That kind of fellow who could annihilate an entire nation's fleet with a single strike, and still have enough strength left to trade a major move with Mama—how could he possibly be defeated so easily?!

"Wait... if that attack just now can be reused, then isn't this guy essentially a walking ancient weapon?!"

"He even possesses power comparable to those capable of fighting Mama head-on!"

"A monster, an absolute monster~"

"If we let this fellow Enter the New World, I fear it will stir up turmoil beyond anyone's expectations!"

"I..."

Perospero opened his mouth, feeling his mind go completely blank.

Immediately, several shocked cries from the distance snapped his consciousness back.

"Mama!"

"Mama has lost consciousness again; her Craving Disease has flared up!"

"Damn it, where is Brother Katakuri?!"

"Ah——!"

After a tragic, miserable wail, Perospero once again witnessed a scene that made his scalp go numb.

Crimson all over, with a face like a evil spirit, Big Mom was now doing things only an evil spirit would do.

The pirate who had just screamed was grabbed by her and shoved into her mouth; after a few chews, she swallowed him alive.

Blood seeped from the corners of Big Mom's mouth; as she felt the relief of her body's pain, those crimson flesh and skin actually began to regrow at this moment.

What made Perospero's soul tremble even more was that all of this was merely the beginning...

"Ah——!"

"Mama, it's me... No, uh..."

"Save me, save me, I don't want to die, I..."

With every wail came the extinction of a life; Perospero's gaze shifted from initial shock and terror to final numbness.

It was not that Perospero hadn't thought of rushing forward to stop Big Mom's atrocities, but a cowardice stemming from his soul made his legs feel as heavy as if filled with lead, so much so that from start to finish he never took that single step!

The woman before his eyes at this moment.

That woman who was once beautiful, but now bloated and ugly.

She was no longer a mother, but a monster just like her current appearance!

By the time Big Mom finished feeding, apart from Perospero who had fled earlier, there was not a single living person left at the scene.

For the first time.

Perospero looked at the woman before him.

For the first time, he realized the gap between himself and Katakuri, and for the first time, a thought that could be called treasonous arose within him.

It doesn't matter who it is, even if I must assist Katakuri...

This country must absolutely never be handed over to this monster again!

Hundreds of li away, in the middle of a desolate island.

Gao Wen slowly descended.

Without a shred of hesitation, he bent down, knelt on one knee, placed one hand on the ground, and casually began absorbing the ley line energy within the nearby area.

Specks of dark blue ley line energy surged into his body along Gao Wen's arm, rapidly repairing the injuries sustained from overbearing the ley line energy, as well as his completely exhausted stamina.

A few minutes later.

Gao Wen slowly stood up; feeling his fully recovered body and replenished stamina, he let out a long breath.

Recalling the scene where the Red Emperor Blue Star exploded above the Totto Land fleet, nearly evaporating all the pirates in the entire harbor.

Gao Wen could not help but let out a sigh of admiration:

"This time, the explosive power of the Red Emperor Blue Star naturally cannot compare to something as out-of-spec as a nuclear bomb, but its power absolutely far surpasses that of ordinary tactical missiles."

"In terms of absolute destructive force, it might not catch up to ancient weapons, but it still possesses the terrifying power to destroy an entire city with a single strike; paired with the Red Dragon's flexible flight capabilities..."

"Why do I feel that sneaking in and bombing the opponent's main base to ruins is the correct way to open?!"

"However."

"The first time, this thing has great power; afterwards, when the opponent has specific defenses, the success rate will be lower."

"But then..."

A playful smile curled the corner of Gao Wen's mouth:

"Without legendary-level combat power, so-called defenses mean nothing to me."

"Strategic-level capabilities!"

"The only thing needing consideration is the consequence that excessive use will turn the entire nation into a desert."

"Moreover, the land in this world was never abundant to begin with."

Thinking of this.

Gao Wen nodded, a trace of anticipation arising in his heart regarding just how far the Crimson Emperor Blue Star could grow.

Perhaps it truly could reach a level comparable to ancient weapons.

"However."

"After taking that Crimson Emperor Blue Star head-on, the Big Mom Pirates are basically finished."

"Although she herself still possesses combat power, she has undoubtedly lost the qualification to compete with other major powers for the Pluto blueprint."

"Relying solely on Katakuri, their standing in the coming chaos will be far inferior."

"Moreover, that fellow is the mastermind behind injuring Roubo Luqi; if we truly meet, how could I possibly let him off easily?!"

"I just wonder how much Conqueror's Haki experience clashing with Big Mom in that single strike will bring me..."

In this battle.

What Gao Wen also realized was that, in terms of the quality of Conqueror's Haki alone, there was still a gap between himself and existences like Big Mom who had fought for decades.

But one must not forget.

Gao Wen's Conqueror's Haki had already risen to LV4; one step further to LV5 would awaken a new branch ability, while simultaneously bringing a qualitative change in both strength and quality.

"Even if this battle with Big Mom cannot gather enough Conqueror's Haki experience for me, the strong opponents Water Seven is about to face will help me achieve that step."

"LV-5 Conqueror's Haki... what branch ability will it ultimately bring?!"

Gao Wen licked his lips, unable to suppress the anticipation rising in his heart.

After resting for a few more seconds, Gao Wen leaped up, speeding toward Water Seven, vanishing at the horizon of the sky in the blink of an eye.

The vast ocean stretched endlessly.

After capturing Bingshan, Katakuri led his subordinates in a swift retreat.

Apart from encountering a few small pirate crews that Katakuri personally crushed, no other incidents occurred; the entire operation proceeded so smoothly that even Katakuri found it hard to believe.

Yet at this moment, for some reason, he felt uneasy.

Katakuri glanced at Brûlée beside him and said indifferently:

"Still haven't made contact with Mother?!"

"Not yet."

Brûlée shook her head; gazing at her elder brother, who maintained an aloof, tough-guy demeanor, a faint blush inevitably rose on her face.

As the president of the Katakuri Fan Club, she held an indescribable admiration for this second elder brother, the most outstanding among all their siblings and hailed as Totto Land's greatest masterpiece.

She admired his handsome appearance, admired his immensely powerful strength, and even more admired the glory that made him revered by thousands.

Nothing could compare to Brother Katakuri!

Absolutely nothing!

This was a rare opportunity to be alone with Brother; she truly hoped time would pass a little slower~

"Brother Katakuri, do not worry; with Mother and Brother Perospero over there, absolutely nothing unexpected will happen."

"As for you, when you were fighting that fellow earlier, you were also struck several times in the chest."

"It's nothing serious."

Katakuri's voice was indifferent:

"That fellow has some skill; even placed within a Yonko-level pirate crew, he would count as a core combatant. Pity he still lacks a bit, unable to make me feel the joy of battle."

"However."

"The will that fellow revealed is far more outstanding than his strength."

"Bearing everything alone, is he?!"

"Pathetic, admirable, and even more ridiculous!"

(End of Chapter)