Chapter 191: Cooperation with Kid

The next morning.

On a desolate island at the border of Totto Land, Onoki sat cross-legged on a reef with eyes closed, regulating his breathing; the Tea Party was about to begin, and this might be their only chance.

Brulee's intelligence mentioned that today's Tea Party would gather Totto Land's main combat forces in one place. Although this was a good opportunity, it also meant they would face multiple powerful opponents.

"Still a bit of a stretch," Onoki sighed lightly, opening his eyes to gaze into the distance. "If the Kid Pirates coordinated, the plan's success rate would be much higher."

"If the intelligence isn't wrong, they will indeed enter Totto Land waters from this direction." Yagura was kneeling on a protruding reef, both hands pressed on the sea surface.

Ripples spread slowly with him as the center, the sea water rising and falling slightly with his breathing.

"Sensed anything?" Onoki asked.

He hadn't finished speaking when Yagura suddenly opened his eyes: "Found it! Southwest direction, a large ship sailing at high speed."

A sharp glint flashed in Onoki's eyes: "Go!"

Yagura leaped up, landing on the sea surface. Chakra gathered beneath his feet, and he walked on the waves like this, each step stirring a ring of water ripples, yet his speed was astonishingly fast.

At the same time, Onoki had already soared into the air, shooting toward the southwest like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

One walking on water, one soaring through the air, both vanished into the morning mist in an instant.

…………

In the border waters of Totto Land, the Kid Pirates' flagship was advancing through the waves, gradually entering Totto Land waters.

"Captain!" A lookout slid down from the mast, ran quickly to Kid's side, "The waters ahead are too strange!"

"What?" Kid turned around.

"They're chocolate-colored! The entire stretch of sea has turned chocolate-colored!" The lookout pointed ahead, his voice carrying a hint of surprise.

Kid stood at the bow, facing the sea breeze as he gazed into the distance.

Sure enough, the color of the waters ahead was indeed gradually changing; the dark brown sea water was like melted chocolate, emitting a cloyingly sweet scent.

"Finally arrived," Kid grinned, revealing snow-white teeth. "Big Mom's territory, one of the Four Emperors. This time I'll definitely take back what belongs to me."

"Totto Land." Kira walked to Kid's side: "Supposedly the Guard Army alone numbers a hundred thousand."

"Hmph." The corner of Kid's mouth curled into a ferocious grin. "No matter how many? Before sufficient power, numbers are just a joke!"

"But..." Kira had just started to speak when his pupils suddenly shrank, his gaze fixed dead on the sky above: "Kid, there's someone up there—"

"Hm?" Kid frowned.

Before his voice fell, a small-statured old man appeared out of thin air in front of the ship, floating eerily in mid-air.

Almost at the same moment, a water column suddenly surged up from the sea at the edge of the deck and fell onto the ship; a petite figure walked out from within it.

"Enemy attack!" The lookout shouted.

"Click, click." The sound of swords leaving sheaths rose and fell. The pirates on deck instantly formed a circle, blades pointed at the two uninvited guests.

"Interesting." Onoki's gaze swept across the deck, finally landing on Kid: "So this is the Kid Pirates?"

"Bastard!" A ruthless glint flashed in Kid's eyes; he violently raised his right hand: "Since you know who I am, you dare jump straight onto my ship? Looking for death!"

"Clang clang clang!"

The weapons on the deck trembled violently, iron chains rattled, scattered metal fragments danced in the air. Kid's ability activated, metal fragments rapidly coalescing.

"Wait." Yagura suddenly spoke, his voice calm with a hint of warning. "We didn't come to fight."

"Wait, Kid!" Kira reached out to restrain the enraged captain, eyes locked dead on the two uninvited guests. "They give me a very dangerous feeling."

Kira then said in a low voice: "Let's hear what they want to say first?"

Kid stared dead at the two uninvited guests; the mechanical arm in the air slowly retracted but did not fully disperse: "Speak. What do you want?"

"You're headed for Whole Cake Island, right?" Onoki floated in mid-air, eyes sharp. "Planning to attack during the Tea Party."

"What!" The crew stirred. Kira's pupils violently contracted, his right hand already on his weapon.

"You..." Kid's face darkened; the metal weapons around him began to vibrate violently. "How did you know."

"That's not important." Yagura shook his head lightly. "What's important is, we're also very interested in Big Mom's Tea Party. How about... cooperation?"

"Hehe!" Kid suddenly burst into laughter. "Cooperation? Then let me see if you have the qualifications!"

Before his voice fell, Kid violently swung his right hand. The metal objects on the deck instantly flew up, rapidly coalescing in mid-air; in the blink of an eye they formed a massive mechanical arm.

"Die!

Kid roared; the mechanical giant arm whistled out. The air was torn, emitting a piercing shriek. A huge shadow instantly enveloped the two.

"Tsk, young people just can't stay calm." Onoki sighed, ten fingers flying, forming hand seals at a speed where only afterimages could be seen; light points gathered in his palm, turning into a white beam in an instant.

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"

"Hum!

A white light flashed past, like a sharp blade sweeping across.

The mechanical giant arm's forward trajectory suddenly stalled; the places the white light swept simply vanished into thin air, as if erased by some invisible force. The giant arm instantly shattered into countless fragments falling onto the deck.

"What?!" Kid's pupils violently contracted, staring in disbelief at the neatly severed mechanical arm: "What ability is this?"

"Looks like you need to calm down." Yagura likewise formed hand seals at flying speed. "Water Release: Five Dragon Strangulation!"

"Boom!

The entire sea area suddenly boiled; the sea water surged violently, a huge whirlpool appearing out of thin air beneath the ship.

Immediately after, five thick water columns shot into the sky, each as thick as a house; the water columns like five flood dragons surrounded the entire pirate ship.

"Th-this... what ability." A pirate pointed a trembling finger overhead, unconsciously stepping back.

"Damn, these water columns are bigger than the ship!" Another pirate crashed into the ship's side, face ashen.

Kid stared dead at the two, blue veins bulging on his forehead; he could feel the power contained in those five water dragons was enough to tear his ship to shreds in an instant.

Sea water can actually be controlled so easily by someone? Kid was shocked speechless at this moment; as a Devil Fruit user, he knew better than anyone the consequences of falling into the sea. That was no different from death.

"How about it?" Onoki floated in mid-air, looking down at Kid from above. "Now, are you qualified to talk cooperation with me?"

"Tsk, interesting." Kid raised his hand in a loose grip; the metal weapons floating in the air slowly fell with his movement, clattering onto the deck. "Fine, I admit you do have a couple of tricks."

He crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two: "Speak. How do you want to cooperate?"

"Simple. You follow the original plan and attack from the front, 'launch a surprise assault when the tea party begins.'" Onoki slowly landed on the deck.

"And we," Yagura took over, "will take advantage of the chaos to act from the inside."

Kid narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of danger: "You mean, let us be bait to draw fire?"

"Rest assured, the two of us will go together." Yagura shook his head, tone calm, "Besides, we each have our own objectives. You want to challenge a Four Emperor, prove your own strength. As for us."

He paused: "We only need to get one thing. That's enough." "What thing?" Kid pressed.

"Big Mom's Life Card." Onoki said directly.

"Life Card?" Kira frowned tightly, asking doubtfully: "You went to all this trouble just for a Life Card?"

"Hahaha!" Kid suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter full of mockery, "Interesting! Truly too interesting! You're planning to challenge a Four Emperor just for that kind of thing?"

Kid's laughter gradually stopped. He stared at the two for a long while, then suddenly grinned: "Good! I agree to cooperate with you. Anyway I was already planning to go meet that crazy woman; having you two as extra help doesn't matter."

"However." Kid narrowed his eyes, "How do you plan to enter? That's a Four Emperor's territory, heavily guarded."

"Regarding this point," Onoki floated into mid-air, looking down at everyone, "I happen to have an interesting idea."

"What do you think," Onoki suddenly asked, "if a pirate ship fell from the sky, how much chaos would it cause?"

Kid froze, then revealed a ferocious grin: "Fell from the sky? What do you mean?"

Kira looked thoughtful: "You have a way?"

Voice not yet fallen, Onoki had already reached the ship's side, hands forming Hand Seals: "Super Light Weight Rock Technique!"

"Crack!"

The entire pirate ship suddenly shuddered, the hull emitting faint creaking sounds.

"What's going on?" Kid frowned.

"The ship the ship is moving!" The Lookout pointed at the ship's side, voice trembling.

Only to see the pirate ship originally floating calmly on the sea surface, actually under everyone's dumbstruck gazes, slowly rise up! "Splash!"

Sea water flowed down from the ship's bottom, forming curtains of crystalline water, refracting seven-colored light in the sunlight.

"Impossible!" Kira widened his eyes, "The whole ship was lifted up?"

Crew members looked in horror at the gradually receding sea surface, some subconsciously grabbing the mast, afraid they would fall off.

"Captain. We're really flying!" A crew member lay on the ship's side, staring dumbfounded at below.

"Hahaha!" Kid laughed loudly, eyes flashing with excitement, "Interesting! This is going to be a good show!"

Yagura said: "This is only the beginning. Since we're after Big Mom, we have to use a method she wouldn't expect."

……………………

In Cake City at this moment: "The tea party is about to start! Hurry up!" The Sous Chef directed while urging everyone on.

Minato and Rasa pushed a dining cart, passing through the lavishly decorated corridor. As they gradually approached the venue, the cloyingly sweet scent in the air grew increasingly thick.

The moment they pushed open the door, the scene before them made both involuntarily freeze.

In the center of the vast venue, a dining table like a small mountain stretched to the end of sight. The table was already covered with all kinds of pastries.

Minato and Rasa pushed the dining cart, placing tray after tray of exquisitely decorated desserts onto the table. The two sized up their surroundings without showing anything.

The countless decorations all around seemed alive, growing eyes and mouths; even the door grew eyes, occasionally turning to size up passing guests.

"The oppressive feeling is really strong." Rasa's hand holding the tray tightened slightly. The entire hall was filled with an intangible pressure, the aura coming from the strong.

Merely standing here gave a suffocating feeling, feeling many people's strength was not beneath his.

Minato likewise sized up the figures present without showing anything.

Suddenly, the venue's atmosphere changed subtly.

The crowd automatically parted, making way for a passage. A man nearly five meters tall walked over slowly, draped in a fur coat, a scarf covering most of his face, but those sharp eyes were exceptionally striking.

"It's Katakuri-sama!" Someone exclaimed in a low voice.

Even those menacing strong ones around couldn't help but restrain their aura a few degrees.

Katakuri's gaze swept the venue, suddenly frowning: "Where are Brulee and Cracker? Why don't I see them?"

"Reporting to Katakuri-sama!" A soldier wearing Biscuit Armor hurried over, whispering in his ear, "The seabed devices suddenly can't detect the Kid Pirates' traces!"

Katakuri's eyes flashed: "When did this happen?"

"Just ten minutes ago! Their ship just vanished into thin air!" The soldier's voice trembled a bit.

Minato and Rasa exchanged a glance, continuing to pretend to focus on placing desserts, but both their nerves were tense to the extreme.

"The Kid Pirates disappeared?" Katakuri murmured lowly.

Katakuri's gaze turned sharp. As an Observation Haki master, he vaguely sensed something was off, but what exactly, he couldn't put his finger on.

"Strengthen the alert." Katakuri ordered in a deep voice, "Send people to search the place they disappeared, see what happened. Also, go find Brulee and Cracker. I have a bad premonition."

Just then, heavy footsteps came from the end of the corridor, thump, thump, the ground trembling slightly with each step.

"Thump thump. Thump."

The venue suddenly fell silent. Everyone's gazes were drawn by the footsteps. Minato and Rasa exchanged a glance, sensing an unprecedented oppressive feeling approaching.

The footsteps drew closer. Suddenly, the venue's Homies all turned their heads simultaneously, opened their mouths, and sang:

"Mama's coming, Mama's coming"

"The Queen of Cake Island arrives"

"Mama's favorite tea party"

"Bringing endless sweetness"

Decorations on walls, teapots on tables, even serving trays swayed gently along, singing a cheerful song. The entire venue seemed to have become a giant choir.

These things are all alive?

Rasa thought inwardly. At this moment his hand gripping the serving tray tightened slightly. He had seen many bizarre Ninjutsu, but this scene still made him feel uncomfortable.

Minato said nothing, merely watching the venue entrance with a solemn gaze.

Footsteps drew nearer, finally stopping outside the great door. With a creak, that massive door slowly turned on.

A towering figure eight meters tall appeared at the entrance, that oppressive feeling instantly reaching its peak.

BigMom, Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors.

She walked slowly into the hall, her height nearly reaching the ceiling. Her pink hair was fluffy and messy, and a strange smile hung on her face.

"Yohohoho~" BigMom made her unique laugh, "Today's snacks look quite good! I can't wait to taste the new desserts!"

She sat down on the great master seat, the whole chair groaning under the weight. The surrounding Homies danced cheerfully, their singing growing more fervent.

(Chapter End)