After hearing the news, the women of the Radiant Eclipse crew were furious.
Even the youngest, Kuina, knew that showing disrespect at someone's grave was the highest form of insult, an act of deep contempt for the dead.
And this wasn't just any simple act of disrespect.
Although Kuke hadn't truly died, the first island of Sabaody Archipelago had become widely accepted as his grave. If they allowed this to go unchallenged, the women knew that even if Kuke were to resurface in the future, the stain of humiliation would be impossible to remove.
They all looked at Kuke in unison.
Their eyes conveyed one clear message: they would never allow the Navy or the World Government to succeed.
They couldn't allow their captain to suffer such disgrace.
"The Navy and the World Government think they've set the stage perfectly, ready to play their little one-man show," Kuke said coldly, his eyes flashing with anger.
He had been waiting for an opportunity to strike back at the Navy.
And now, it had presented itself.
"Kuke, this time, I'm going with you," Gion declared resolutely.
The other crew members nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I'll take you," Kuke said, selecting a few members.
Gion, Hancock, Stussy, Shakky, and Belo Betty—five in total.
They were all strong fighters.
The remaining crew members, whose combat abilities were lacking, wouldn't be joining this mission.
"There are only a hundred days. I still need to grow stronger," Gion and the others immediately began intensive training. Shakky worked hard to regain her lost combat experience, and she looked forward to mastering the Mythical Zoan: Vampire Fruit, which would help her become an even more valuable asset to Kuke.
"Let's move," Kuke commanded as the Radiant Eclipse sped toward their next destination.
A hundred days.
Not too long, not too short.
On the vast sea, a hundred days wasn't enough to accomplish much. Kuke estimated that by the time they retrieved the Mythical Zoan Vampire Fruit, they would have just enough time to return and prepare.
...
As Kuke and his crew arrived at Fish-Man Island, receiving a warm welcome, the news of Kuke's death spread like wildfire across the sea.
The world was in an uproar.
Many ordinary people, reading the headlines, were left in shock, their hands trembling as they held the newspapers, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Even the powerful figures across the seas were shaken.
"He's dead?" Charlotte Linlin, better known as Big Mom, exuded a terrifying aura as she seethed with anger. "He's really dead? Damn Navy! They've robbed me of his perfect genes!"
For so long, she had craved his powerful genes.
And now, they were gone.
His body had been reduced to ashes.
"Four Admirals joined forces to kill Kuke. Such flawless genes, gone, completely wasted," Big Mom growled, her rage growing with every passing second.
That damned Navy.
Couldn't they have waited until she got his genes before killing him?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
"It was unexpected, but also inevitable," Katakuri remarked. "Dying at the hands of four Admirals is an honor like no other."
If Katakuri were ever to die in battle, he hoped it would be as glorious as Kuke's demise.
Smoothing and a few of Big Mom's other powerful daughters—those who had yet to marry—stared longingly at the photos in the papers.
They had hoped for a chance to stand out in the family, perhaps even marry Kuke.
But now...
They received only the news of his death.
"No wonder I was drawn to him. Even in death, he made the world tremble," Smoothie said wistfully, her disappointment palpable.
She couldn't help but step forward and speak to Big Mom. "Mama, let me go and retrieve Kuke's remains. A man like him doesn't deserve to be left without a proper resting place."
It would be her final way to honor him.
"Mama mama... Smoothie, he's just a dead man. What's the point of wasting your time on him?" Big Mom snapped, still fuming with rage.
While Kuke had been alive, she might have valued him.
But now?
In Big Mom's eyes, he was less than a dog—not worth a second thought.
Smoothie bit her lip but didn't dare defy her mother's wishes.
"Smoothie, just give it up," Katakuri advised, pointing to the bottom of the newspaper.
Smoothie's expression darkened, her eyes brimming with anger.
Indeed, all the pirates across the seas were outraged when they read that the World Government planned to establish the Warlord system on Kuke's supposed grave in a hundred days' time.
Pirates already held little affection for the Warlords.
To them, they were traitors—pirates who had allied with the World Government and Navy to turn against their own kind.
And now, they were going to establish their system on Kuke's grave, a man who many pirates had come to admire.
Some of the more hot-headed pirates had already started cursing the Warlords and the Navy.
"Many people will want to pay their respects and recover Kuke's body, but no one will dare go. Especially pirates. Anyone who goes will be walking into a trap," Katakuri said as he stared at the photo of Kuke in his final moments.
The thought of enduring such humiliation in death strengthened his resolve.
He could never allow himself to be defeated.
"mama... these matters don't concern me. I only care about one thing: where is Stussy?" Big Mom asked, her voice dripping with murderous intent.
Stussy had defied her, ignored her invitations.
And no one, absolutely no one, ignored Big Mom's tea parties.
If Kuke had lived, she would have let the matter slide.
But now that he was dead, Big Mom's long-buried fury reignited.
"Katakuri, go and bring Stussy to me. I'll make sure the world knows what happens when someone refuses my tea party invitation!" Big Mom commanded, her voice thunderous.
Katakuri, Big Mom's most trusted son, nodded. "Yes, Mama!"
Big Mom's orders were absolute. No one could refuse.
"Also, Mama," the eldest son, Perospero, interjected, "The Sun and Moon Pirates have more than just Stussy. Rumors are spreading that they possess the Ope Ope no Mi, which grants immortality, and Gion, who has the Phoenix Fruit that Kaido is after."
These two Devil Fruits had once caused massive turmoil in the world.
And now, thanks to Doflamingo's secret machinations, the rumors of the Ope Ope no Mi granting eternal life were circulating across the Grand Line, catching the attention of many powerful figures.
"Immortality?" Big Mom's eyes widened with greed.
As one of the Four Emperors, there weren't many things left in the world that piqued her interest.
But immortality was a temptation no one could resist.
"Mama... Katakuri, bring me the Ope Ope no Mi. As for Gion, if you can bring her back, great. If not, kill her. Don't let Kaido get her so easily," Big Mom ordered.
Katakuri's brow furrowed in concern.
He hesitated.
"What's the matter?" Big Mom asked sharply, her glare piercing.
Why wasn't he acting?
"Mama, Gion is strong. Stussy is also powerful," Katakuri explained. While he was confident in his own strength, he wasn't certain he could defeat Gion alone.
"Smoothie, you'll go too," Big Mom decided, turning to her strongest daughter.
Katakuri was the strongest of her sons, and Smoothie was the strongest of her daughters.
"Yes, Mama!" Smoothie stepped forward, though her expression was conflicted.
The Sun and Moon Pirates should have been their allies.
Now, she had to fight against them.
Smoothie hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 144+ at patreon.com/Emik01.
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