OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#204+205: Powerhouses Converge on Totto Land! A Clash with Big Mom—And She's Losing Her Cool!

"Waiting for you? No, just a happy coincidence..."

Du Feld took a drag from his cigar, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"You're an old fox," Tesoro shot back. "You waited here on purpose. You're after something."

Casinos and loan sharks—they were a pair of thieves who were never far apart. Tesoro and Du Feld had their dealings in private, of course, but as for their relationship, it was anything but friendly.

Men like them were the center of their own universes. Everything was measured in money and profit.

When it was profitable, they came together.

When it wasn't, they scattered.

"Just spit it out," Tesoro said. "Why beat around the bush?"

"It's a bit windy out here," Du Feld said. "How about we find somewhere quiet to talk? About... that king."

Tesoro raised an eyebrow.

"Alright."

——————————

In another part of the sea.

Mille-Feuille Island.

Smoothie and the Minister of Meringue, Broyé, who was stationed in the town, were entertaining Stussy.

When she heard that Jin had arrived, Stussy breathed a sigh of relief.

The battle between Jin and Whitebeard had drawn too much attention, including the forces of G-1, G-14, and G-5. That night, Punk Hazard had been at its most vulnerable. She had found an excuse to go back and had managed to see Vegapunk.

Flames licked at the air.

A small boat, powered by fire, was speeding toward the strange, syrupy sea up ahead.

Ace stood at the prow, one hand holding his hat down, gazing into the distance. The wind whipped at his face, as restless as his own heart.

He, too, had been invited to the tea party.

At the time, the Spade Pirates had been on the verge of attacking Whitebeard. To avoid wasting their strength on Big Mom's subordinates, Deuce and Skull had advised Ace to temporarily accept the invitation. And so, a conflict had been avoided.

After that, Ace had completely forgotten about it.

Until...

They had been desperately searching for a doctor for Pops.

And then he remembered.

Fortunately, Skull, a bit of a collector, had kept the invitation.

Of course, Ace had no intention of attending the tea party. He was here to find Jin, to ask if he could borrow his ship's doctor.

And so, with their own agendas, the various players made their way to Totto Land.

——————————

Whole Cake Island.

An island made of giant cakes and cream, shaped like a multi-layered mille-feuille cake.

In the center stood a towering, cake-shaped chateau—the home of Big Mom and her children.

Surrounding the chateau was a city called "Sweet City."

Humans, Fish-Men, Dwarves, Minks, Snake-Necks, Long-Arms, and Long-Legs all lived here.

The only race not to be seen was the one with the strongest warriors in the world: the Giants.

Because of what Big Mom had done to their village all those years ago, the Giants held a deep-seated grudge against her.

Big Mom wanted to resolve the conflict and bring the Giants of Elbaf under her banner.

To that end, she had arranged for Lola to marry the Giant prince, Loki, who had fallen in love with her. But Lola had run away.

And don't ask why Loki, who was even larger than a normal giant, had fallen for the diminutive Lola...

One could only assume that love, like a tornado, had come on fast and strong.

Or that, like Gaban, he had... unique tastes.

Furious and at her wit's end, Big Mom had tried to pass off Lola's twin sister, Chiffon, as her, but Loki had seen through the ruse.

Their relationship had only grown worse.

And the more she couldn't have something, the more she wanted it.

Her obsession with giants was what had led her to team up with Kaido and capture Caesar Clown to develop the "gigantification" drug.

——————————

At the port.

Hearing that Jin was about to arrive, the residents had come out to welcome him, forming a wall of people. But they were all orderly, not daring to step out of line.

"The citizens of Totto Land are certainly... enthusiastic."

At the prow of the ship, Law gazed at the shore, surprised by the scene.

Even from this distance, he could hear people shouting things like, "King Jin, I love you!"

It was like an idol had arrived.

"Hmph," Perospero grumbled. Had they ever welcomed him with such enthusiasm?

The Empress sailed into the port.

"Woooooooooom..."

A long, soul-piercing cry echoed across the island.

In an instant, every single Homie trembled, their scalps tingling, as an indescribable pressure, a presence that towered over all others, washed over them.

"Huh?"

In the Seducing Woods, the rabbit Homie, Randolph, felt a great terror descend upon him, as if something were falling from the sky. "What is that??"

The Homies that always surrounded Big Mom—Napoleon, Zeus, and Prometheus—all turned to look toward the port.

In that moment, the demonic carrier had revealed a sliver of its true aura. And in the eyes of the countless Homies, it was a Lovecraftian monster.

It had suddenly appeared, a twisted, multi-colored canvas of a thing, surrounded by a brilliant halo, a collage of countless monsters.

It was bizarre, terrifying, a thing that could not be looked upon directly...

Although all Homies were anthropomorphic creations, they had a clear hierarchy.

At the lowest level were the ordinary, everyday Homies scattered throughout Totto Land.

At a higher level were the combatants, like Kingbaum, Randolph, and the crane.

And at the very top were the ones created from Big Mom's own soul: the sun, Prometheus; the thundercloud, Zeus; and the bicorne hat, Napoleon.

And even they were terrified.

The fear came from the very depths of their souls.

The reason was simple: the demonic carrier could devour souls. It had even devoured the soul of the Seven Stars Sword.

In the eyes of these soul-based creations, it was a butcher, a mass murderer, reeking of blood. Its mere presence, the sound of its cry... it was all terrifying.

The sudden unrest among the Homies was unexpected.

Katakuri and the others quickly moved to quell the disturbance.

Fortunately, Jin noticed what was happening. He used the power of the Calm-Calm Fruit to make the carrier's aura transparent, to reduce its presence.

After a moment, the chaos subsided.

"What's wrong?"

Big Mom, awakened from her nap by the collective panic of her Homies, was confused.

"Mama! A monster!" Napoleon cried.

"A monster... it's close!" Zeus wailed.

"A very scary monster!" Prometheus added.

"A monster??"

Big Mom unleashed her Observation Haki. She "saw" the situation at the port and assumed they were talking about Jin.

"A monster, is he?" she mused. "Could he really have fought Whitebeard to a standstill?"

Big Mom and Whitebeard had once been on the same crew. She had never doubted his strength.

So when she had first heard that Whitebeard had been defeated, her first reaction had been: Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

But now, thinking about it rationally, it wasn't so impossible.

Katakuri and the others had also been defeated. And while it wasn't a direct comparison, it still proved that this newcomer was no pushover.

"You're getting old, Newgate," she cackled. "To think you'd lose to a young punk like that. Mamamama! I wonder... would a young man like that be willing to become my family?"

<><><><><><><><>

Under the sun, Jin was a dazzling figure. His handsome face, his confident and easy-going manner... he was met with a chorus of screams.

"He's so handsome!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Aaaah... I'm in love!"

Watching the women go crazy over him, including some of his own sisters, Perospero felt a pang of jealousy.

'Damn you, fate! You're so unfair! After creating me, why did you have to go and create such a perfect man? If I exist, why must he?'

In that moment, Perospero felt as if he were completely overshadowed by Jin's radiance.

He was furious.

But there was nothing he could do.

He might even have to call Jin "father" one day...

And that was the most infuriating part.

He would just have to wait for Mama to get tired of him...

Big Mom had never considered any of her non-blood-related, powerless husbands as family. They were like a little girl's dolls, cast aside the moment the novelty wore off.

But the chances of Jin becoming his "father" were close to zero. He wouldn't agree to it, would he?

But what if he did?

As the ship docked, Jin disembarked. He was wearing a formal suit, and he cut a dashing, brilliant figure, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

The crowd at the docks fell silent for a moment.

Then, an even louder cheer erupted.

——————————

"Fuffuffuffuffu! Quite the welcome he's getting."

Nearby, a blonde man in a pink feather coat was watching the scene, a wide, mocking grin on his face.

He was also a guest of Big Mom's, but his arrival had been quiet, with far fewer people to greet him.

And now Jin's arrival was such a spectacle.

It pissed him off.

Donquixote Doflamingo.

Former Celestial Dragon.

King of Dressrosa.

One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

In terms of status, position, and strength, how was he any less than Jin?

Of course, the real source of Doflamingo's irritation was his defeat at Mock Town and the incident at the G-5 base, both of which had seriously damaged his interests.

Most of the turmoil in the world, when you got down to it, was a matter of "dividing the cake."

And the cake was only so big. Jin's rise meant he was taking a piece of someone else's share.

"Joker! He's Mama's guest!" the biscuit-man, Charlotte Cracker, said, his voice flat.

"So am I," Doflamingo shot back.

"If you're thinking of starting something here, of ruining Mama's tea party... you can try."

"Don't think that just because you're a Warlord, I won't kill you," Cracker said, his voice cold.

Doflamingo's brow furrowed for a moment, then relaxed. "How could I dare to offend Big Mom?" he said with a laugh. "Fuffuffuffu..."

Back in the North Blue, he had been a madman, destroying towns on a whim.

But after coming to the New World, he had been soundly beaten by one of the Four Emperors, Kaido.

He knew just how powerful they were. The gap was insurmountable.

He hadn't been invited to the tea party. He was here to discuss a business deal concerning Punk Hazard...

With his interests suffering one blow after another, Doflamingo couldn't just sit back. He had to find a new "product" to maintain his position in the underworld.

And because of his special status, and Vergo's internal investigation, he knew some of the secrets of Punk Hazard.

——————————

A magnificent, open-topped carriage carried Jin, Law, and Stussy toward the cake chateau.

Along the way, they saw patrols of biscuit soldiers, strangely shaped residents, and all sorts of Homies. And, of course, people of all races.

The day-to-day management of Totto Land's various islands was mostly handled by her children, who held positions as ministers.

All citizens were required to give up one month of their lifespan every six months as payment for Big Mom's protection.

Otherwise, they had to leave.

But the truth was, Big Mom wouldn't allow anyone to leave. Anyone who tried would be sentenced to death.

It sounded harsh, but the benefits of living in Totto Land were actually quite good. No one would attack you, and you'd never have to worry about food or clothing.

It was the equivalent of a person who lived to be 60 giving up 10 years of their life in exchange for 50 years of a carefree existence.

Whether it was a good deal or not was a matter of opinion.

——————————

The chateau was heavily guarded. A massive army of chess soldiers made it all but impenetrable.

Jin's eyes narrowed, taking in the layout.

He had another objective for attending this tea party.

Big Mom's Road Poneglyph.

He had already instructed Maya and Robin to carry out the operation in secret, to make a rubbing of its contents.

Following Perospero and Galette, Jin and his entourage entered the chateau.

As honored guests, they were shown to the reception hall.

There, Jin finally saw Big Mom, as well as some of her children, including Katakuri and Daifuku.

"Mamamama! Let's give a warm welcome to our guest from afar, King Jin of the Winter Blossom Kingdom!" Big Mom boomed from her high-backed chair.

She wore a pirate hat, her long, pink hair in curls. She had on thick lipstick and light purple eyeshadow, and she was wearing a large, pink dress.

She had a smile on her face and her arms spread wide in a welcoming gesture.

Her massive body was like a mountain, radiating an oppressive aura.

The numerous Homies cheered.

"It is an honor to attend your tea party, Ms. Charlotte Linlin," Jin said with a calm smile.

Faced with one of the Four Emperors, he was composed, calm, without a trace of fear or nervousness.

"Mamamama..." Big Mom laughed, looking down at him. "I hear you defeated Whitebeard a short while ago. Is that true?" she asked directly.

Katakuri and the others all turned their heads slightly, also curious about the matter.

"Defeated him?" Jin said. "Not quite. Let's call it a draw. I couldn't bring myself to bully an old man."

Katakuri and the others were all stunned.

The implication was clear.

Jin had won, but he was calling it a draw.

The young are always a match for the old.

Jin wasn't bragging. It was the truth.

Whitebeard was old. Although his technique and his fruit were still at their peak, his body was failing him. He couldn't last in a prolonged battle.

Jin, on the other hand, was in his prime, and he still had aces up his sleeve.

In Whitebeard's condition, if the fight had continued, all Jin would have had to do was wear him down. Once his old wounds had been aggravated, he would have been finished.

"You've got a big mouth, kid!" Big Mom's eyes widened, her massive form casting a huge shadow in the firelight. A tangible pressure, a powerful, domineering, violent Conqueror's Haki, erupted from her, and the entire chateau began to tremble.

The flames flickered, the wind died down, and the air grew heavy, crackling with red sparks.

The weaker ones, like Galette, felt their scalps tingle, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

"Kid, kid... why do you old-timers always like to pull rank?" Jin said, a golden glint flashing in his eyes as he faced her. "Granny?"

An invisible pressure radiated out from him.

The two Conqueror's Haki clashed.

The chateau fell silent.

The fire, the wind, everything seemed to freeze, as if time had stopped.

Galette and some of the weaker Homies' minds went blank.

Thud.

One by one, they collapsed.

Granny??

Katakuri and the others, including Big Mom herself, were all stunned.

"Granny??" Big Mom's voice cracked, a shriek like a howling storm.

"Are you calling me GRANNY??" she roared.

"Well, aren't you?" Jin said, feigning surprise. "You're over sixty. You're my grandmother's age. You think you're still some young fairy? Besides, you called me a kid. I called you granny. Seems fair, doesn't it? And look at you, getting all worked up. You must know you're old, otherwise you wouldn't be so angry, would you?"

Katakuri and the other children's eyes were wide with disbelief.

Holy shit!

Is this guy for real?

Dude, you should probably stop talking now.

Can't you see Mama's about to blow?

They were all terrified.