The mirror world entrance destroyed! Snack, one of the top four Sweet Commanders, KIA!
The sudden, terrifying news hit like a bolt from the blue. Perospero, Mont-d'Or, Saint-Marc, and a host of other Big Mom Pirates officers and subordinates were left completely stunned, struggling to even process the reality of it.
But no matter how much they wished it weren't true, they couldn't deny the facts or the authenticity of the report, because the man who had contacted Perospero was no mere grunt, but an officer-level member: "The Sweeper," Bobbin.
"Such a massive appetite..."
Mont-d'Or's eyes bulged as he glared at Dimitri, his teeth grinding as he snarled, "Aren't you afraid of choking to death?"
"You think you can swallow the Big Mom Pirates? You're lacking a solid set of teeth, don't come crying to us when you break them!" Perospero's expression was venomous, his tone dripping with sinister rage.
The other members of the Big Mom Pirates reacted in turn, their faces contorted with rage, disbelief, or sheer horror.
If it were only Snack's death, they might not have been so rattled. But the fact that Mama and Golden Ring Aeridar had fought their way into the Mirror World had effectively severed the passage between Totto Land and the Clifford Kingdom.
With the eight landing mirrors along the coast now shattered, the Big Mom Pirates' retreat was entirely cut off. The enemy's ambition was now blindingly obvious.
"Hehehehe, fortune favors the bold, and the timid starve. Taking down a Yonko? That's a hell of a profit!"
Before Dimitri could speak, Vito couldn't contain his excitement. He bared his sharp teeth in a cold, manic grin, arcs of electricity dancing violently around his body as if reflecting the thrill surging through him.
Once upon a time, those great pirates who dominated the Grand Line were figures he couldn't even dare to provoke, let alone an "Emperor of the Sea" on the level of a Yonko.
Now, he was about to participate in a grand operation to topple one of them from her throne. The sheer adrenaline made him tremble with excitement.
"Whether or not we have a 'solid set of teeth,' you're welcome to test us right now!" Dimitri's gaze turned frigid. He drew the beast-fang dagger at his waist, its blade as white as pressed bone.
"More-More: 10x!!!"
As soon as he spoke, Dimitri let out a cold shout. The foot-long dagger in his hand suddenly elongated and thickened, transforming in the blink of an eye into a massive, three-meter-long fanged blade.
He surged forward in a sprint, swinging the giant blade toward Perospero's head. The force of the strike was ferocious, emitting a shrill whistle as it tore through the air.
Feeling the violent rush of wind, Perospero waved his hand to scatter a massive amount of liquid purple candy, instantly forming a thick, five-meter-tall and three-meter-wide barrier in front of him, standing firm like a wall.
Candy Wall!
BOOM—
The fanged blade struck the thick candy barrier with a thunderous roar, carving a deep, narrow fissure into it. The impact sent a visible shockwave of pressure rolling outward.
Seeing that his first strike failed to shatter the wall, Dimitri was taken aback. He immediately leaped into mid-air, pulled an exquisite ivory flintlock pistol from his left hand, and pulled the trigger.
"More-More: 100x Gun!!!"
BANG!
With a flash of fire from the muzzle, the three-ounce lead bullet expanded rapidly the moment it left the barrel, transforming almost instantly into a pitch-black cannonball as it shrieked through the air.
BOOM!
The shell detonated against the Candy Wall, scorching flames instantly engulfing the barrier.
"Candy Wave!!!"
Perospero's expression remained unchanged as he retreated rapidly. The candy cane in his hand released a massive deluge of purple syrup. It surged into the air like a tidal wave, covering a radius of dozens of meters as if to drown Dimitri in its wake.
Seeing this, Dimitri's expression shifted, and he shouted, "Geppo!"
He stomped against the air, a ring of compressed gas exploding beneath his feet as if he were treading on solid ground, allowing him to dodge skyward. He had learned Geppo and adapted his usage of the More-More Fruit to mimic Byrnndi World's style.
At that moment, Vito's eyes glinted with malice. His body began to expand rapidly, tearing through his clothes as he transformed into a hideous, ink-blue beast. Wrapped in coils of lightning, he let out a colossal roar.
"ROAARR—"
The surrounding air shuddered under the sheer force of the roar, sending invisible shockwaves rippling outward.
Vito stomped, shattering the ground beneath him, and shot forward like a lightning bolt, leaving behind nothing but deep, cratered paw prints and a web of cracks across the street.
"Oh no!"
Perospero's pupils contracted violently. His left hand conjured a massive amount of syrup, quickly hardening into a thick, oval candy shield reinforced with Armament Haki, which he shoved in front of him.
At the same instant, Vito struck like a bolt of lightning, his beastly claws tearing into the candy shield.
CLANG—
A sound like metal colliding rang out. The candy shield, which was harder than steel, was instantly shredded by Vito's claws, leaving five bloody gashes across Perospero's chest.
"AARGH—"
Perospero screamed in agony, blood spraying into the air as he staggered back several steps.
"Perospero-nii!"
"Don't get cocky! We'll cut you down!"
Seeing Perospero wounded, Mascarpone and Joscarpone flew into a rage. Brandishing their naginatas, they charged, swinging toward Vito from both sides.
CLANG! CLANG!
The two naginatas struck Vito's neck one after the other, but they only succeeded in sparking against his hide.
"You two... are you trying to tickle me?"
Vito turned his head. His yellow-black beast eyes radiated terrifying killing intent mixed with pure disdain.
"How is that possible?"
Mascarpone and Joscarpone's hands vibrated from the impact. They stared in horror at the faint white marks on Vito's scales, unable to believe that their full-powered strikes hadn't even managed to chip a single one.
"Even Big Mom's children have such pathetic weaklings?" Vito sneered dismissively. He barked, "Go to hell!"
In an instant, intense lightning erupted from Vito's body. The surging current traveled through the metal handles of their swords, instantly conducting through to Mascarpone and Joscarpone.
"AAAAHH—"
Both let out piercing screams, their entire bodies engulfed in blinding electricity.
"Mascarpone!"
"Joscarpone!"
Perospero, Mont-d'Or, and the others cried out in alarm at the sight.
"Damn you!"
Mont-d'Or snatched up a flamethrower in a rage and, riding his floating books, dove toward them.
"Think you can get past me? Not a chance!"
Seeing Mont-d'Or move, Rock's arms melted and reformed into two thick, heavy cannons. "Boom-boom-boom!" he fired relentlessly at the airborne officer.
Mont-d'Or was forced to scramble for cover, desperately dodging the incoming shells while firing his flamethrower back at Rook.
WHOOSH—
A torrent of searing flame erupted from the flamethrower, scorching the earth below.
By then, the dazzling lightning had faded. The electricity dissipating from Mascarpone and Joscarpone revealed only two charred, lifeless corpses lying motionless on the ground.
"Vito! I'm going to kill you!"
Saint-Marc roared, charging forward through the sky.
"Don't you dare get in my Captain's way!"
Marcus, wielding his great ringed blade, intercepted Saint-Marc with a savage look.
"Get out of my way!"
Saint-Marc threw a punch, his anger manifest.
"Keep dreaming!"
Marcus sneered, lunging forward with a brutal swing of his blade.
SHING—
A brilliant flash of steel flickered through the air. The two figures passed each other, standing back-to-back.
"H-how... i-is... th-this..."
Saint-Marc's jaw went slack. He stared in disbelief at the deep, long gash across his chest that had nearly gutted him. He vomited a mouthful of blood onto the ground and then, swaying unsteadily, collapsed to his knees.