"No Haki... he caught my mother's attack with just his bare hand!"
"What's going on with this [Wuma]?"
"Incredible…"
The members of the Charlotte family were in shock, their disbelief etched on their faces. It was well-known that their mother, Charlotte Linlin, was a physical powerhouse, often referred to as a "steel balloon"—impervious to bullets and blades alike. Yet, here was this Wuma, catching her attack with nothing more than his flesh and bone.
Even Charlotte Linlin, who had faced countless enemies, was taken aback. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. "What are you?"
Wuma remained silent, his grip tightening on the blade to prevent her from pulling away. He had two objectives: first, to collect the blood of Charlotte Linlin; second, to deliver a message—the Three Emperors were missing one, and this was an invitation to join them at the Hive and meet the Heavenly Father.
"I'll handle this," Wuma said calmly to his companion. In the next instant, he clenched his right fist, pulling his arm back as Haki concentrated into a single powerful punch aimed at Charlotte Linlin's chest and abdomen.
Before the fist even made contact, the sheer force of the collision was palpable. Charlotte Linlin quickly focused her Conqueror's Haki on the area, resulting in a fierce clash of wills.
A thunderous explosion echoed through the hall.
"Such powerful Haki...!" Charlotte Linlin's expression shifted, her mind clearing as the intensity of the situation sank in.
But before she could fully process it, her Conqueror's Haki was shattered. The enormous impact sent her hurtling backward like a cannonball, blasting her out of the castle and hundreds of meters into the distance. The baby she had been cradling slipped from her grasp, tumbling towards the ground.
"Interesting," Wuma murmured, his interest piqued. His wings unfurled, and he immediately flew after her.
"Mom!" Charlotte Katakuri sprang to his feet, ready to act.
"Don't move."
In an instant, a wave of Conqueror's Haki, heavy as a mountain, descended upon everyone in the hall. The sheer pressure caused many at the banquet—those with weaker wills—to collapse unconscious. Weiyang, Wuma's companion, stretched out his arms, catching the falling baby with ease. He sighed, "Even a pirate protects her child in a moment like this."
The previous clash of Conqueror's Haki had seen Charlotte Linlin divert much of her strength to shield the baby, leaving her vulnerable and allowing Wuma's punch to land with devastating effect.
"It's Conqueror's Haki again!" The Charlotte family members were stunned, their disbelief growing.
"Take the child...!" Charlotte Oven, the fourth son of the family, charged forward in anger. Ignoring the immense pressure of Weiyang's Haki, he closed the distance in an instant, his right fist aimed squarely at Weiyang's face.
"Hot Wind Fist!"
Oven, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user, wielded the power of the Reheat Fruit. His fist glowed red with intense heat, and the scorching wind from his punch blasted straight toward Weiyang.
"They told you not to move, and yet you disobey," Weiyang said with a sigh, his tone almost regretful. Holding the baby in one arm, he extended the other, a faint golden light gathering in his palm.
Shockwave!
The blast of energy erupted from his hand, instantly dissipating Oven's heated attack. The shockwave struck first, driving deep into Oven's stomach with brutal force. The impact sent him flying backward, his body crumpling as he hit the ground.
Oven's mouth gaped open, blood spurting out as his consciousness faded. The light in his eyes dimmed—knocked out in an instant.
Witnessing the scene unfold, several high-ranking members of the Charlotte family felt a cold sweat break out across their skin. It was as if they were facing their mother—what kind of monster was this?
"You said your name is Weiyang? What exactly do you want? What is your master's goal?" Charlotte Katakuri demanded, rising to his feet, his voice tense.
"Master? Heavenly Father is not a master," Weiyang responded with a displeased expression that even the mask couldn't hide, a sentiment Katakuri could keenly sense.
"For someone as strong as you, there's no need to threaten a baby. Just put the child down, and I will be your opponent!" Katakuri declared, his tone resolute.
Weiyang sighed, "I only caught the child out of kindness to prevent it from falling to its death. I have no intention of threatening it." He gently placed the baby beside a fallen cream cake, patting the child's head affectionately. "As for being a threat, do you think you're worthy?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Charlotte Perospero launched a surprise attack. With a flick of his candy cane, a layer of purple syrup, as thick as liquid, enveloped Weiyang's body.
"Katakuri!" Perospero yelled in warning.
Katakuri, ever the tactician, swiftly transformed his arms into mochi and stretched them out, snatching the baby back to safety.
"The child is safe, Brulee. Take the others and escape into the mirror world. This place is about to become a battlefield," Katakuri said urgently, handing the baby to a woman with the appearance of an old witch. "Those who stay behind, fight with me!"
"Yes, brother," Brulee replied, her hands coming together to create a mirror that expanded as she spread them apart.
The conscious family members quickly leaped into the mirror, carrying their unconscious kin.
"Brother Katakuri, be careful. The enemy is incredibly strong!" Brulee called out, her face full of worry.
Despite there being only two enemies, their strength was beyond belief.
"Don't worry, I won't lose!" Katakuri said firmly, his back turned to his sisters.
Brulee took one last look at her brother before disappearing into the mirror world with the baby.
As soon as they left, the hard candy coating Weiyang had been encased in began to crack, finally shattering with a loud bang.
"It couldn't hold him..." Perospero muttered, his long tongue flicking out nervously. "Even after I reinforced it several times. How terrifying..."
Katakuri's expression grew increasingly grim. "Everyone, stay focused. Could this person be on the same level as Mom?"
Before he could finish his sentence, the remaining family members were horrified to find that Weiyang, whose presence had been locked onto by their Observation Haki, had suddenly vanished.
"Gone?"
A golden light shone from above.
Everyone's gaze snapped upward.
They saw a massive golden Buddha descending from the sky, its gigantic hand poised to strike.
"Shockwave."
Boom!
A hemispherical shockwave engulfed the entire area, and within its range, every combatant from the Charlotte family felt the indiscriminate, overwhelming force. The shockwave penetrated even their Haki defenses.
In an instant, the roof collapsed, and half of the cake castle was obliterated by the single blow.
Katakuri coughed up blood, his vision fading as the light in his eyes dimmed. "Impossible... this is Admiral Sengoku's power..."
The earth shook violently for several moments, and when everything finally settled, the area was nothing more than a vast field of ruins.
The golden Buddha landed on the ground, its massive form shrinking rapidly until it reverted to a human figure.
"Did I go too far? I hope Heavenly Father won't scold me..." Weiyang muttered to himself.
Amidst the rubble, the remaining combatants of the Charlotte family lay scattered, utterly defeated.
Meanwhile, in the forest outside the castle, another intense confrontation was underway.
Boom!
Two fists, both imbued with Conqueror's Haki, clashed mid-air.
"Mama~mama" Charlotte Linlin's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a wide grin. "I see now, the rumors are true! The Twelve Earthly Branches are all Lunarians!"
No wonder he had blocked her sword with his bare hands, without even using Haki. That was the innate talent of the Lunarian race—the mysterious flames that burned around them greatly enhanced their defense.
"Hey, what's your name?" Linlin asked, her voice dripping with excitement.
"Wuma," he replied.
"My dream is to create a nation where all races live equally. There are still a few rare races missing, especially the Lunarians, who have all but vanished from history!" Charlotte Linlin's eyes gleamed with a fierce possessiveness as she looked at Wuma.
She had thought King under Kaido was the only one left of the Lunarians.
"That guy King refuses to leave Kaido, but what about you? Why not join me, marry me, and bring a Lunarian child into this world?" she proposed, her tone almost teasing.
Wuma hesitated, not knowing how to respond. He suddenly recalled Zishu, who often spoke of "purebloods" and half bloods in Wano. But Wuma found such notions boring.
Nevertheless, he said, "King is a mixed-blood Lunarian."
"Ah?" Linlin was taken aback.
"The pure-blooded Lunarians are different from the half-bloods," Wuma explained, finding a convenient excuse. "To avoid tainting the bloodline, you understand, Charlotte Linlin?"
Linlin was stunned. Did this nearly extinct race still care about blood purity?
"Hah, that just makes me want you more. I'll capture you by force if I have to!" she shouted, calling out to the sky, "Zeus!"
"Yes, Mom!" A white cloud floated over, and Charlotte Linlin seized it in her hand.
At the same time, a flame ignited in her other hand, forming a face with a wicked grin—Prometheus!
Thunder in her left hand, flames in her right.
Paramecia-type Soul-Soul Fruit Power!
Wuma watched calmly, strategizing how to complete his mission. He didn't wish to kill her—Heavenly Father had forbidden it. His task was simply to collect her blood.
But it wouldn't be easy.
Suddenly, both Wuma and Charlotte Linlin were startled by a golden light that appeared atop the distant castle, followed by a deafening roar.
Charlotte Linlin's expression darkened.
Wuma smirked. "It seems all your children have been wiped out. What a pity."
His right hand glowed white as he made a fist and punched the air.
Crack!
The atmosphere itself cracked, and the shockwave tore through the earth, racing towards Charlotte Linlin's feet.
"Whitebeard's Shock Fruit...!?" Linlin exclaimed in disbelief. "Who are you, Wuma!?"