On the other side of Whole Cake Island's port, shielded by the landmass, the seawater in this area hadn't frozen over like the vast icy expanse before.
Katakuri carried Zephyr at incredible speed, quickly arriving at the shoreline.
Numerous ships remained docked here.
Having detected Aokiji's scheme through Ain's information days earlier, Pudding had secretly arranged for the evacuation of key figures from the island.
Yet many subordinate pirates of the Big Mom Pirates still perished in the frozen wasteland created by Aokiji during the battle.
Katakuri randomly selected a mid-sized vessel and tossed Zephyr aboard.
"Can't spare time to find provisions now. You've got the ship—whether you live or die depends on your fate."
As Katakuri prepared to push the vessel out to sea—
"Wait!" Zephyr struggled, his eyes burning with humiliation and fury.
With countless broken bones and his life flickering like a candle in the wind, he gasped.
"Katakuri, isn't it? Heh... I hear you can see the future. Tell me—do you foresee what's coming for your wicked father?"
Katakuri stared down silently, his expression icy.
"Hahaha! Your father's strong indeed, but don't be naive enough to think no one in this world can oppose him. The Marines and Revolutionary Army both have figures who rival him. And in Holy Land Mariejois—" Zephyr's bloodied face twisted into a manic grin, "—the World Government already controls one of the ancient weapons capable of destroying the world!"
"Ancient weapons?" Katakuri's eyes flickered.
Every major power in the New World secretly gathered intelligence about these so called legendary weapon, yet none had produced even a prototype after all these years.
Since the scholar's paradise Ohara was destroyed, those who could decipher ancient texts were limited to members of certain ancient families and that demon child Nico Robin.
The writings about ancient weapons and the Void Century were said to be inscribed on cubic Poneglyphs scattered across the world in various factions' possession.
No one had ever collected them all.
Legend stated that finding the final island Laugh Tale—which didn't exist on any map—required assembling four red Poneglyphs.
The intersection point of their four coordinates would reveal the island's location.
Katakuri's mind flashed to the massive red Poneglyph hidden in Totto Land.
Decades ago, even Pirate King Gol D. Roger had secretly come to study its inscriptions.
Unfortunately, Totto Land lacked scholars versed in ancient languages.
After all these years, they still couldn't decipher its contents.
"Perhaps someone in Wano Country understands these texts. I should discuss this with Father soon. Whether the Poneglyph contains clues about ancient weapons or not, we must secure this knowledge for ourselves."
Lost in these thoughts, Katakuri watched the frenzied Zephyr before suddenly unleashing his Observation Haki—far surpassing ordinary people—to its fullest extent, enveloping Zephyr completely.
He was targeting Zephyr, trying to foresee something.
A moment later, a glint flashed in Katakuri's eyes as he abruptly asked.
"What is Dyna Stone?"
Zephyr's previously manic expression froze instantly, his madness fading into silence.
Katakuri stepped forward, grabbing Zephyr's body and lifting him eye-level, his voice cold.
"Tell me, what is Dyna Stone? Why does your mind keep repeating this word? Does it give you hope? What hope? Hope for revenge?"
Katakuri's towering frame shuddered slightly.
Revenge? Against whom?
As he pondered, his gaze grew colder.
"Zephyr, Father was even planning to spare you. Why must you be so ungrateful? Don't worry—I won't kill you. I'll interrogate you thoroughly until you reveal everything about this Dyna Stone you're obsessed with."
"Never! Hahaha! Dyna Stone will destroy the New World, destroy Totto Land, destroy all pirates! I've already set everything up! Hahaha!" Zephyr laughed wildly, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes as he suddenly twisted his deformed right arm, fingers clenched together, raising it as if to strike Katakuri's face.
Instinctively, Katakuri turned his head away, but his foresight immediately revealed Zephyr's true intent.
Yet before he could react—
Squelch!
Zephyr's right hand plunged like lightning into his own chest.
Blood sprayed as his fingers, wrapped in the remnants of Armament Haki, pierced his heart effortlessly.
Zephyr's eyes dimmed, his breath fading.
"My wife... my students... I'm coming."
He was dead.
Katakuri stared at Zephyr's corpse for a long moment before encasing it in mochi and tossing it into the sea.
A ferocious fish, mistaking it for food, leaped up and swallowed Zephyr and the mochi whole, vanishing into the vast ocean.
****
Meanwhile, in the shattered crater, King descended with Pudding and Ain, his wings flapping as they landed.
"Papa! Mama! Uncle Kaido!" Ain cheered excitedly, skipping towards Caesar.
Caesar arched an eyebrow, exchanging a bemused glance with Linlin.
They already knew about Ain—how her memories had been altered by Pudding to become their youngest daughter.
Forcing a smile, Caesar moved to embrace his "daughter."
But unexpectedly, a large hand intercepted Ain, lifting her away.
Caesar blinked as Kaido—now fully human again—cradled the girl with an uncharacteristically tender smile, clearly fond of her.
"If I'd known Kaido liked daughters this much, we should've had Pudding tweak Ain's memories to make her his instead," Caesar whispered to Linlin.
Linlin chuckled softly, her red lips parting.
"No, he's just remembering Yamato as a child. Speaking of which, didn't you plan to alter Yamato's memories too? Why the hesitation? Let me guess—did Kaido have a change of heart?"
Caesar chuckled slyly, "You guessed it. That fool Kaido went soft the moment Yamato called him 'father'. Pathetic."
Not far away, Yamato watched as Kaido played cheerfully with little Ain, lowering her head with unreadable thoughts.
Queen, lurking nearby, kept shifting his gaze between Kaido and Yamato, drawing an angry glare from the latter.
"Young Master Yamato, stop acting like a child. Why not reconcile with Kaido-sama? Look how prosperous the Barbarossa Family has become. What's the point of your rebellion? What did that deadbeat Kozuki Oden ever have over Kaido? Speaking of which... where's that notebook of yours? Mind letting Uncle Queen take a peek? Who knows, maybe I'll start wanting to become a deadbeat Oden too after reading it?"
"Piss off!"
------------------------------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator