— — — — — —
Crash!
The fox-masked man (Fox) stood up from the rubble.
However—It was obvious to anyone watching.
His fury was blazing.
Normally, as a member of CP0, he should remain absolutely calm. But right now, his eyes were burning with rage.
This man was utterly furious.
And it wasn't surprising.
He might not be the most famous on the seas, but his strength was undeniable.
Yet now?
He had just been sent flying and coughing up blood—by some brat.
It was an utter humiliation.
A disgrace no strong warrior could ever accept.
No matter how terrifying a fighter may be—Every true warrior has their pride.
How could he possibly accept such an outcome?
Unlike Fox, who was burning with anger, Katakuri took a deep breath, regaining his usual composure.
Joey had taught him well—Rage Could make one stronger.
But—One must never be controlled by rage. Rage itself was a sin, and true strength lay in mastering it.
The Seven Deadly Sins represented human weaknesses, and only by controlling them could one attain true power.
Whoosh!
In the next moment—Katakuri and Fox moved at the same time.
But—The instant they clashed—Katakuri felt an overwhelming pressure.
Now, Fox was showing his full power.
The weight pressing down on him was immense.
Flawless technique. Terrifying Haki. Vast battle experience.
The combination of these three made the Fox-masked man a formidable opponent, even without a powerful Devil Fruit.
As they crossed paths, Katakuri narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Everything about him is near perfection. And… his rage hasn't affected him at all. He's completely in control of it."
Hmph!
Fox snorted coldly, gripping his eerie, flexible sword.
Rage?
Yes, he was angry.
But he would never let it control him—that was the most basic requirement of CP0.
Otherwise, as the shields of the Celestial Dragons, what if CP0 members lost control in battle and ended up killing the very nobles they were meant to protect?
"Mochi Bullet!"
Katakuri didn't rush into close combat.
Instead, he raised his arm—As if firing a gun.
A bullet, infused with Armament Haki, shot forward at lightning speed.
Clang!
Fox blocked it effortlessly and advanced.
"Unstoppable Mochi Bullet!"
Katakuri decided to keep his distance for now, strategizing how to win.
His arm transformed into a Gatling gun.
Tat-tat-tat!
A storm of Haki-coated bullets rained down furiously.
— — —
The Mochi-Mochi Fruit.
A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, yet almost Logia-like in nature.
Why was it considered a top-tier fruit?
First, it could mimic Logia-like abilities such as elementization.
Second, its versatility was unparalleled.
With enough mastery, its power could reach terrifying levels.
Faced with Katakuri's barrage—Fox Face found himself in a frustrating predicament.
Damn it!
Katakuri's Armament Haki wasn't weak. It might not be the absolute best, but it was definitely far from weak.
Taking the attacks head-on would be suicidal.
As the bullets kept him at bay, Katakuri murmured, "How can I win? Armament Haki? Observation Haki? Physical strength? Combat experience? In every way, I'm at a disadvantage…"
Smack!
At that moment—Katakuri felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
For an instant—If it had been an enemy, he would've already been dead.
But—The touch instantly calmed his heart.
Because he knew whose hand it was.
Wrapped in the power of the Clear-Clear Fruit, Joey patted Katakuri's shoulder and grinned.
"Oi, brat! What the hell are you thinking about? Your Armament Haki isn't strong enough? Your Observation Haki isn't sharp enough? Your experience isn't enough? Your physical abilities aren't enough? Or are you just not strong enough overall?"
Katakuri opened his mouth to reply—then closed it again. He couldn't afford to let his brother's presence be known.
"Heh…"
Joey chuckled lightly.
"Kid, stop overthinking. He's stronger than you because he's lived longer. But does that mean you can't beat him? Show your will! Use your full strength! Don't be afraid! Don't hesitate! Everything can be overcome—crush him!"
With that—Joey disappeared again.
Smack!
Katakuri felt the last reassuring pat on his shoulder.
In that instant—A realization surged through him.
"That's right! I might be weaker in every way… but so what? I'll just have to make myself strong enough!"
His eyes gleamed with determination.
Without hesitation—
Boom!
Katakuri stomped the ground and charged forward.
"Burning Mochi!"
His arm heated up, covered in searing steam and infused with Armament Haki, launching forward like a rocket.
"What the—?!"
Fox was momentarily stunned.
But he quickly reacted, preparing to defend himself.
Still—He was a fraction of a second too slow.
And that was all it took.
"Burning Mochi!"
"Unstoppable Mochi Bullet!"
Boom!
Under the watchful eyes of many—Katakuri unleashed an absolutely shameless fighting style.
Seriously.
Nobody expected this.
Left hand—rocket launcher.
Right hand—Gatling gun.
Katakuri had basically turned into a walking weapons arsenal, bombarding the battlefield relentlessly.
At that moment—Fox was beyond frustrated.
What kind of nonsense was this?!
And The worst part? As time passed, Katakuri's attacks became sharper. More powerful.
Fox wanted to curse out loud.
You've got to be kidding me!
Who the hell improves their Armament Haki mid-battle?!
But it was happening.
As the fight dragged on—Katakuri's Armament Haki was growing stronger.
Not just that—His Observation Haki was refining itself, allowing him to anticipate every one of Fox's movements.
His attacks kept getting fiercer.
At this moment—Everyone watching noticed it.
"That brat is getting stronger!"
"Is he a monster?"
"He's improving while fighting?!"
People couldn't help but voice their shock.
"AHHH!!!"
Suddenly, Katakuri let out a terrifying roar.
A strange sensation filled the air.
"Not good!"
Fox's expression changed instantly.
But—He was already a step too late.
BOOM!
Katakuri's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, pressing down on Fox.
But—It lasted only for a fleeting moment.
The next instant, the Haki retracted, condensing entirely onto Katakuri himself.
Edward, Shiki, and the others paused in shock.
"What… was that?!"
Even though it was still just a rough form—
There was no mistaking it.
Conqueror's Haki.
And that wasn't all.
Katakuri's eyes gleamed red—this was just the beginning, but he was starting to see more.
Then—
BAM! BAM!
Two massive fists erupted from the ground, slamming straight into Fox.
In that brief instant—
"Rainfall Mochi!"
Katakuri launched another attack.
His arm, now shaped like a giant spiked club, crashed down brutally.
BOOM!
Like a watermelon splitting apart, Fox was instantly crushed to death.
"Huh???"
Katakuri panted heavily.
Though everything seemed to play out over a long period, in reality, it had all happened in a flash.
His eyes gleamed sharply.
His presence—absolutely terrifying.
"Heh heh heh—"
"Did I… succeed?"
With those final words, Katakuri collapsed unconscious.
He had pushed his potential to the absolute limit, unleashing everything.
Even though he had grown immensely—The strain was just as immense.
And then—something strange happened.
The moment Katakuri fell, his body vanished.
Those who had sinister intentions lurking in their hearts suddenly lost their target.
Edward muttered, "Did that brat just use Conqueror's Haki?"
Shiki added seriously, "It wasn't just that. In that instant, his Observation Haki must have glimpsed into the future."
Silver Axe continued, "And his final attack… that was Devil Fruit Awakening!"
Wang Zhi spoke calmly, "Even his Armament Haki advanced rapidly."
The four exchanged glances and fell into silence.
Because—This was terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying.
Katakuri—just ten years old—And he had already touched the point of Awakening.
His Armament Haki—reaching a higher level.
His Observation Haki—seeing the future?
His Conqueror's Haki—infusing into his attacks?
Honestly—What Katakuri had grasped in this single battle was something that would take most people a lifetime to achieve.
Yet—In just one battle, he had already formed the foundations.
Even if it was just the beginning—If he continued down this path, he was bound to become one of the strongest in the world.
In the original story, Luffy had similarly terrifying talent.
Internal Destruction Armament Haki. Future Sight Observation Haki. Conqueror's Haki. Awakening his Devil Fruit—Luffy had mastered the full set.
— — —
Inside the Mirror World—Joey's lips curled into a grin.
Joey chuckled, "That brat… he really is something else!"
Custard smiled, "Big Brother Katakuri always makes everyone feel safe!"
Joey laughed, "Of course! He's Katakuri! He's the pillar of the family!"
Then—Joey had people carry Katakuri to a bed.
In the Mirror World—Joey had arranged for a castle to be built.
A hidden trump card.
The Mirror World was their last line of defense.
Here—It functioned almost like a separate dimension, or even a parallel universe.
Meanwhile, outside—Mondée carefully moved across the battlefield using the Clear-Clear Fruit.
Of course—With her level of strength, she would normally be detected.
But—Joey had purchased a special artifact that completely erased all presence and fluctuations that he used before.
This artifact lasted only five hours, but that was more than enough for this battlefield.
At the same time—Compote and Cracker had arrived beside Linlin.
"Mama!"
"What about Katakuri?"
Compote shook her head, "Don't worry! Katakuri is fine!"
Hearing that—The others weren't stupid; they immediately understood.
Katakuri had been taken away.
The combination of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit and the Clear-Clear Fruit was unbelievably powerful.
Everyone relaxed.
Then—Compote continued, "Let's keep fighting. Use this chance to hone your skills."
"Yeah!"
Everyone nodded and jumped back into action.
No one hesitated anymore.
Even if they weren't as strong as Katakuri, they definitely weren't weak either.
Besides—If their big brother was already making his move, they had to create an even fiercer battlefield.
No way were they letting CP agents escape.
"Ikoku!"
Linlin swung Napoleon, her left hand crackling with lightning, her hair ablaze like fire.
Her eyes gleamed with fury.
"You bastards dare lay a hand on my children?! I'll slaughter you all!"
"Thunder Bolt!"
"Heavenly Fire!"
Her attacks were absolute devastation.
Against the advancing CP agents, heaven's lightning and hell's flames erupted in a relentless storm.
.
.
.