章節 28: Chapter 37: Big Mom vs. Elbaf II
Chapter 37: Big Mom vs. Elbaf II
As I trekked through the crushed roses of Love Island, I reflected on my decision to leave instead of confronting Loki and his wicked sister, Hela. Just thinking about her made the veins in my head throb as I recalled the gruesome ordeal with the sharks.
I should have killed her. Hell, I still wanted to, but I had several things to consider.
Firstly, if the giants had intended to ambush and kill us all, Loki wouldn't have saved me from drowning. However, I kept an open mind about his intentions, especially when it came to saving my siblings and Big Mom, until I could see them clearly through the mist.
Secondly, the way Loki had explained Hela's situation with genuine emotion troubled me. Her story had backed me into a corner, making me question if I was about to react the same way Elbaf did to Linlin.
Finally, if I captured the prince of Elbaf and his sister and brought them before Big Mom, I'd likely end up as the culprit in her eyes. Her desperation for giants would cloud her judgment, nullifying my claims. Not to mention, I had already received a warning from her after defying her three years ago during Kaidou's attack. While I wasn't afraid of her, Ares was still her pet.
This left me with two options: hope Big Mom would be angered enough to turn the tides against the giants during the Davy Back Fight; or play ruthlessly during the fight, ensuring Hela's death. Death during a Davy Back Fight was permitted, with no consequences, making the latter option more appealing.
Love Island was mostly a gentle plain, but as I walked, my mind clouded with anger and the mist obscuring my view, I stumbled on a raised ground and struggled to keep my balance.
"Whoa-Whoa!" I caught myself just in time, planting a foot on the opposite ridge of a gaping hole in front of me.
I scanned the ridges, tracing the path of the crack now running through Love Island since Compote's fight. It was both narrow and shallow.
An activity on the northern side, closer to the coast, caught my attention as the commentator's microphone crackled to life.
"The mist is clearing, and the vessels are coming into view!" he exclaimed. "The Royalty Barrels is crashed on the coastline, but the Underdogs Wagon, though mostly destroyed, is still in the race with Cracker rowing fiercely through the bloody waters!"
"Cracker looks determined to win, just a few more strokes to cross the finish line!" the commentator declared. "Keki's vessel is a wreck, and it seems Cracker's victory is inevitable. Is this the end of Keki's reign?"
"Shite!" I sprang into action, rushing through the quartz to reach the wrecked vessel on the coast. Despite everything, I didn't want to lose my title so easily.
The crack running through the middle of the island marked the finish line.
"Word just came in— the pool of blood in the sea is mostly from the sharks, and all participants have only minor injuries," the commentator revealed, easing my mind as I crashed onto the shoreline next to the Royalty Barrels.
"Keki has just appeared out of nowhere and is gathering what remains of his vessel to get back into the race!" the commentator's voice surged with anticipation.
"Cracker increases his speed!"
"Keki throws the oars overboard and plows through the bloody waters with his hands," the commentator's voice rushed urgently.
"Cracker desperately attacks with his hard biscuits…"
"Keki plows through them too…"
"Siblings engage in support fire against the current participants and each other…"
"The distractions push Keki into a freeze. The sea is swallowing him…"
"Basskarte uses his fire to save his little brother from sinking, but Cracker is on the verge of crossing the crack!"
"He's rowing faster and faster…"
"Keki is far behind him. There's no way he can beat Cracker at this point!"
"Cracker uses his sword to slash back at Keki and keep him occupied!"
"Keki's struggling to keep up, but the distance between them says it all…"
"Keki will lose his title!"
"Cracker is crossing the finish line. Everyone holds their breath!"
"Cracker is about to cover the entire crack and earn a new title…"
"Cracker wiiii—"
The commentator halted his victorious announcement as the situation changed, suddenly.
"Who could have seen that coming!?" the commentator exclaimed. "Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon are standing in Cracker's way!"
"Big Mom herself interferes, halting Cracker in his tracks!" the commentator announced.
"The judges sanction this. The interference is not against the rules…"
A few moments later…
"Keki crosses the finish line with ease, leaving Cracker with a disgruntled look on his face!"
…
"The final Pirate Points determine the Royalties as the winners. Keki retains his title!"
"The final event is already set, but first, let's talk about that mysterious mist. What are your thoughts, Jerry?"
"I don't care what the hell that was, Jeff, but my barbecue stand has gone missing-…" Jerry complained worriedly.
—
The Big Mom-Giant's contest involved three love-themed games: Cupid's Quill, Heartbreaker's Duel, and the Love Festival. Seven participants from each group were split across the games: three in the first, one in the second, and three in the final.
For the giants, two treasures were up for grabs: The Proposal and The Consent. The Consent was crucial, as it would decide if Lola became Loki's. If it made it to the final round, the Love Festival would be a wedding; otherwise, it would just be a festival of harmony.
As night cleared from the mist, the island lit up with colorful Homies, turning the night almost to day. I noticed Hela and Loki among the giants, acting as if nothing sinister had happened. The smirk on Hela's face made me grit my teeth, eager to start the contest and settle scores.
I was heading to Big Mom to discuss her sinister game plan when she summoned the team for final preparations. Big Mom had a way with sudden, dramatic attacks, and I hoped she would bring her full might against the giants.
Big Mom, Lola, Smoothie, Cracker, Snack, Oven, and I gathered as Big Mom laid out her strategy.
"I'm proud of you, Lola, for recognizing your worth," Big Mom began. "But now that Loki understands your value, there's no need for further games. "
"You will all fight fiercely, but make sure the giants come out on top!" Big Mom commanded, making me uneasy and uncomfortable with her decision.
Understanding she didn't know the exact details of the shark attack, I took a deep breath and asked, "What about the ambush by the giants?"
Murmurs rippled through the group, and Big Mom's face shifted.
"We're not just brushing that aside, right?" I pressed.
"What do you mean?" Oven asked. "The giants helped us with the sharks."
"Fenrik saved most of us from the Royalty Barrels," Smoothie added.
"And Hela guided Mama out of the mist," Lola confirmed, leaving me feeling cornered.
I steadied myself and explained, "Hela used her powers to summon the sharks and attack us. She didn't target Mama directly because Loki needs her to save a trapped soul. If we go after Hela alone, all the giants will retaliate. We need a strategic approach. Any ideas, Mama?"
Big Mom's gaze grew darker as she asked. "Would you have told me if any of your siblings drowned, or would you have kept it a secret, afraid of punishment?"
Despite the cold night, a bead of sweat trickled down my face. "What? Of course I would, Mama."
"Maamamaa…" Big Mom laughed.
"Hera!" Big Mom called out. A white cloud surged from a dark corner, carrying a dark figure that contrasted sharply with the cloud's bright appearance — clearly Hela.
"Mama has a new Homie!?" gasped all the present siblings, as Zeus surged toward the cloud with his usual lightning flair before recoiling in fear upon seeing Hela.
'What is she doing here?' I wondered, but my thoughts shifted when I noticed a second figure on the cloud. 'What is she doing with—'
When the cloud lowered, everyone stared in shock at the second figure lying coldly on top of it.
Cracker was the first to react. Without hesitation, he drew his blade and pointed it at Hela, his voice seething with anger. "You killed her, didn't you—"
"No!" Smoothie and Lola gasped, rushing to gather the bundle of the second figure.
I swallowed hard, unsure of how to begin explaining.
"This is a result of drowning!" Oven said after examining the bundle. "Keki was right!" He glared at Hela. "She needs to pay for this!"
"Sister!" Snack dramatically fell to his knees.
"Galette!" The cry went up from everyone as they gathered around Galette's cold, but well-preserved dead body. "Whyyyy!?"
I staggered, stunned by the unfolding scene.
Big Mom regarded me with an inscrutable expression before finally saying, "Let's find out who is truly at fault."
"Hela," Big Mom gestured with her brows, and Hela handed her something resembling a white orb. As far as I knew, Big Mom and Hela hadn't been on the same page the previous night. When had they gotten so close as to plot together?
And why were they plotting together in the first place? Was the shark attack all a ruse? Was the drowning meant to punish me?
And that white orb… I recalled the night Galette died, and how the Cotton Candy had risen to the sky instead of falling. I'd suspected then that the orbs were souls. Was this Galette's soul?
But how had Hela come into possession of it?
So many questions, so few answers.
I was already sweating like Perospero when Big Mom began explaining.
"Before she tried drowning you and your siblings, Hela attempted to kill me in my sleep," Big Mom started. "I don't like her, but she's strong, bold, and her ability is valuable to me."
"Her Shinigami ability complements mine. I can't reach the souls of the dead, but she can — because she's already dead herself!" Big Mom formed a manic grin as she lifted the orb. "Her only condition is that I fail to meet Loki's wish to revert her back to normal, in exchange for one more soul from death's plane."
"Galette's soul was just her way of proving she can do it," Big Mom continued. "I didn't even know Galette was dead until Hela begged for her life in my grasp, offering up that little, devious lie that had been kept from me by someone who knew my information channels too well."
"I'll be sure to punish the culprit — once Galette tells me what killed her." Big Mom plunged the white orb into Galette's chest. It only took seconds for it to take effect, and Galette started coughing out water and shivering from an intense cold.
Oven moved to warm her as the other siblings cried in relief, rejoicing that their sister was back to life. Meanwhile, I stood frozen in place, shivering as I realized I had underestimated Big Mom's level of cunning. She hadn't been plotting against the giants but against her own son. And I already knew Big Mom didn't take kindly to deception, whether it was a lie or a withheld truth. To her, they were one and the same.
—
The first game kicked off: The Cupid's Quill. Despite the name, this game was essentially a version of Groggy Ring, where among the three players on each team, one player served as the 'ball.' The objective was to knock the opposing team's 'ball' into the goal on their side of the field. The first team to score would be the winner. Among an entire book of rules, one was clear: no weapons were allowed.
The Sons: Cracker, Snack, and Oven played for Big Mom's team, while The Suitors: Gudrun, Torben, and Ulrik represented the giants. For efficiency, Ulrik, with a Mini Mini no Mi ability, could shrink to the size of a human, making him an easy target as the 'ball'.
Snack served as the 'ball' for The Sons.
As for the stakes, since Loki had already proposed, all that remained was Lola's consent. The Suitor's brought The Consent into the game — an agreement that would be confirmed if the giants won, or rejected if they lost. If confirmed, Lola would have agreed to be Loki's wife, but The Consent would still need to proceed to the second game for finalization.
If The Sons won, Big Mom had the right to pick a giant from Loki's crew to swear allegiance to her.
The game started with a fierce and dominant energy, given the significant size difference between the contestants. Both sides played with intense strategies, using nearly equal levels of mischief that the referee overlooked but the commentator caught.
Despite the heated competition, The Sons conveniently lost to the Suitors, and The Consent was signed by Cupid's Quill, legally binding Lola to Loki.
Amidst the cheers and confetti that followed, the commentator's voice boomed, though it trembled slightly as he announced the next game: The Heartbreaker's Duel.
"…The next game is a duel between two champions of love, determining whether there is true love between Loki and Lola. The champion from the giants' side is: Hela, and the opposing champion from Big Mom's side is: Keki..."
The commentator's hands shook as he continued, his voice wavering with the weight of what he was about to say. "The following rules have been mutually agreed to by both sides:"
"Both participants must be devil fruit users."
His voice quivered as he read the final, chilling rule. "This, being a death match, will only end if one of the champions falls from the sea arena, the love string connecting them is cut, and they drown in the sea to their death."
A noticeable pause followed, the commentator struggling to maintain his composure before finishing with a barely controlled tremor, "The body of the loser will only be fished out after the last game, which may take up to an entire hour, thus confirming their death."
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