Chapter 358: Vinsmoke—The Tank's Flames

"This is another big headline!" 

Morgans was practically trembling with excitement. One shocking story after another—today's news was simply too good to stop! 

"N-No... Tell me this isn't real..." 

Judge was in complete despair, his dreams shattered. He even started to cry. But the response he got was— 

"At this point, isn't this a bit embarrassing, Father?" 

"Our weapons were taken at the entrance, and we didn't bring our battle suits." 

"We really got played this time, haha~~" 

Sanji's two older brothers and younger brother remained completely calm despite facing death. It wasn't because they had some kind of fearless "admiral spirit"—it was because— 

"You're still laughing?!" 

Judge, filled with anger and desperation, glared at them. 

Reiju, the only one among them who still had a shred of normal emotion, let out a sigh. 

Father, it's because you took away our emotions that we don't feel anything, even in the face of death... 

"Hahaha, what 'evil army' Germa 66? What a joke!" 

"Crying? That's just pathetic." 

"Who would care about the cries of a cow that's about to be slaughtered? Lick~~" 

Perospero, holding his oversized candy cane, smirked coldly. 

"Just quietly become nourishment for our Big Mom Pirates, Germa 66. Lick, lick, lick~~" 

"Why... I gave everything in my life for this—" 

As the Charlotte family officers prepared to pull the trigger, ready to wipe out the infamous "Germa 66" once and for all— 

"Discharge—90 million volts: Thunder Dragon!" 

At that very moment, the sky exploded with blinding lightning, followed by a deafening roar of thunder! 

From the storm clouds above, a massive lightning dragon came crashing down with earth-shaking force, striking right at the Vinsmoke family's table. 

Crackle! Sizzle! 

"Aaahhh!!!" 

In an instant, the Charlotte officers who had been ready to fire were all convulsing uncontrollably, their bodies jerking from the electric shock. 

The powerful current surged in two directions— 

Upward to the brain, making their hair stand on end and their vision blur with sparks— 

Downward to their legs, causing their muscles to spasm and making them tremble uncontrollably! 

Even without considering the damage, just a brief moment of full-body paralysis was enough to change the course of battle. 

"Diable Jambe—Round Table Kick!" 

A white figure flashed into action, following the lightning strike. 

A powerful, Haki-infused kick swept out like a circular blade of light, instantly blasting away the paralyzed Charlotte officers! 

Thud! 

The figure landed on the table. Smooth golden hair fluttered in the air, his eyes firm and unwavering. A neatly trimmed beard gave him a mature look, while his crisp white suit made him appear tall and elegant. Beneath the same white dress pants, his legs shimmered with the black metallic sheen of Armament Haki! 

To the Vinsmoke family members, he looked like— 

An angel. 

"Black Leg..." 

"Vinsmoke Sanji..." 

Click. Click. Click! 

That last kick didn't just send the Charlotte officers flying—it also sent shockwaves through the Vinsmokes, who had also been struck by the lightning. 

But this was where their superhuman genes kicked in. Unlike the Charlotte officers, they recovered much faster, barely affected by the electric attack. 

Well, except for one thing— 

The Vinsmokes' hairstyles were already "unique" enough that even after being struck by lightning, they still looked exactly the same.

As the thunder dragon and Sanji's kick caused the sugar bonds to explode, Vinsmoke Judge stood up with a complicated expression. At this critical moment, the third son, whom he had always considered a useless failure, ignored by him and mistreated by his brothers, had saved them... "Why?"

Facing Vinsmoke Judge's question, Sanji silently took a puff from his cigarette.

"Old man is going to be heartbroken."

?! Vinsmoke Judge certainly knew that the "old man" Sanji was referring to couldn't be himself, so... was it the old man from East Blue who ran a restaurant?

"If you stay indifferent and act like a petty man watching from the sidelines—"

"Then the old man will probably go crazy, right?"

"My Pops has only one, and it's not you!"

"Vinsmoke_Sanji died at sea 13 years ago. The man standing here now is Straw Hat Crew's chef, 'Black Leg' Sanji!"

Is that so? Was I wrong...

No, at this point, right or wrong doesn't matter anymore!

As Sanji declared his Haki, a white dove flew over, dropping cylinders with numbers like 0, 1, 2 written on them.

"Everyone, I think you'll need this now."

The dove spoke and handed a piece of paper with 'mouth,' 'ears,' and 'eyes' drawn on it to Vinsmoke_Judge.

"Commander, is it really you...?"

"It's me,"

The familiar voice from across made Vinsmoke_Judge equip the cylinder with the 'J' letter on his belt and immediately give an order.

"Jerma 66 soldiers, listen up!"

"We've been ambushed by the BIG MOM Pirates! Attack the Cake Tower immediately! Anyone who isn't from the Straw Hat Pirates is an enemy, kill without mercy!"

"Understood!!"

?! "What is the Charlotte family up to—"

Pfft!!

Before the nearest guest could finish speaking, a hand pierced through his chest! Blood and flames erupted from his back.

"Anyone who's not from the Straw Hat Crew is an enemy."

In his fiery red battle suit, Vinsmoke_Ichiji calmly repeated.

"Let's make this a real kill! Hahaha~~"

With a flash of lightning, Vinsmoke_Niji, dressed in blue, grabbed the faces of two young Charlotte women with one hand each, slamming their heads into the floor. Only their twitching bodies remained on the shattered floor.

"Nice, I've been pretty annoyed too!"

In his green battle suit, Vinsmoke_Yonji reached out and grabbed Charlotte's thirty-fifth son, Charlotte Yuen, by the neck with his suddenly extended gloves, then violently swung him around like a meteor hammer.

"Spinning force decapitation!"

"Thank you, Sanji." In her pink battle suit, Vinsmoke_Reiju first thanked Sanji, then looked helplessly at her three brothers who had immediately dived into the fight.

"Ugh, you guys are always so fired up~~"

Nearby, several Charlotte soldiers were gasping for breath, clutching their throats, and falling down.

"Before the Straw Hat Crew leaves, no one is allowed to retreat a single step!"

With Vinsmoke_Judge's command while swinging his battle spear, the soldiers responded in unison.

"Yes, Father!" X4 Jerma 66 joined the battle!

——————

"Hmph, the spotlight's all stolen by the Straw Hat Crew."

As the one responsible for the banquet security in the "castle," Capone_Bege, dressed like a mafia godfather and smoking a cigar, walked through the door leading to the lower level, causing Katakuri, who had just seen the Vinsmoke family escape, to furrow his brow.

Boom!!

In the clash of Armament Haki, his trident weapon, 'Earth Dragon,' skillfully spun around and deflected Luffy's punch, instantly stabbing him while in his bouncing state.

"Ugh——!"

Even in Gear Fourth, Luffy couldn't withstand Katakuri's attack. After all, as the second-in-command of the Charlotte family, Katakuri's three types of Haki were all top-tier! They were even above Luffy's level.

"Capone Bege, take down the Straw Hat Crew."

Facing the unbothered Katakuri, Capone Bege replied:

Boom, boom, boom! "I refuse."

Bullets shot toward Katakuri's back first, but they couldn't harm him, as he instantly turned into his elemental form. Instead, they startled Luffy, who was standing in front of him. After all, Capone Bege wasn't using ordinary firearms; being hit by them would hurt!

"Katakuri, you can only see a small part of the 'future.'"

The 'future sight' from Observation Haki might sound magical, but just like regular sight, it still has a range. Otherwise, if you were seeing the future of hundreds or thousands of people—or even an entire city—such overwhelming information would be impossible for anyone to handle.

Although Capone Bege didn't know how 'wide' a future Katakuri could see, it was clear that in the battle with Luffy, he had no time to look at other parts of the future.

"Even if you can't 'see' it, the power to change the future!"

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—

In an instant, countless bullets and cannons flew from Capone Bege's body, targeting the Charlotte family's officers!! "It's equal for everyone!"

"Capone Bege, are you crazy!?"

"Say whatever you want, I was planning to 'assassinate' Big Mom today anyway. But it looks like the 'Four Emperors' really live up to their name. Not even The White Knight's shocking sword could kill this monster."

"You're finished!! The Big Mom Pirates won't let you go! And your family, your subordinates—"

"Hahaha, what a pointless bark."

Capone Bege faced the 'Cream Minister' Charlotte Opera, who was covered in cream, and soldiers shot out from his body, continuously pouring bullets on the Charlotte family.

"My dear subordinates, wife, and son, are all in my body! And also:"

"This is payback for the suffering my dear wife endured! Big Mom nearly killed my son, Chiffon, several times—surely you all know about that?"

...Charlotte Linlin, suffering from a eating disorder, would occasionally go into a frenzy when it flared up, causing her to go wild and destroy everything in sight. During these episodes, she would become unrecognizable, even to her own children, and would kill anyone who tried to intervene.

Even when she was sober, she was an absolute 'tyrant.' Beating and scolding her children was a normal 'educational' method, and she had once nearly killed her twin sister Chiffon when she tried to escape marriage.

"Straw Hat kid, we, the Flame Tank Pirates, also want to join the fun!"

Confidently smiling, Capone Bege shouted on the battlefield, "You wouldn't mind, right?"

"Hehehe, the more comrades, the better!"

The Flame Tank Pirates joined the battle!————

"Big news, big news!!"

Morgan's whole body was shaking with excitement as he began to come up with mind-blowing headlines for the world.

The Straw Hat Crew had secretly planted an undercover agent within Big Mom's Pirates, turning former Shichibukai Jinbe against them, clearly exposing Big Mom's weaknesses, and using a series of strategies to confuse the mighty Four Emperors.

Then, they took advantage of Big Mom's eagerness to swallow 'Germa 66,' rescuing the Vinsmoke family and using Vinsmoke Sanji as a bridge to bring Germa under their control!

The Straw Hat Grand Fleet had once again absorbed a former Shichibukai, an 'Emperors of the Sea,' and the evil army Germa...

Amazing, amazing! As long as the Straw Hat Crew manages to escape, the rise of the 'Fifth Emperor' is unstoppable!

For a moment, Morgan felt a jolt of electricity surge through him. His assistant, Stacy, stepped aside in disgust. However, the beautiful yet pure-eyed Queen of Happy Street glanced over at Roman without realizing it: this man... why mix with these outlaws?

Can't understand it.

(End of Chapter)

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