Chapter 201

**Chapter 201: Clash of Emperors**

Roger had made up his mind. He just needed an excuse to send Rayleigh away, trusting his first mate to get the job done quickly. But before he could act, a sudden commotion interrupted the tea party.

Daifuku stormed in, panic evident on his face.

"Mom! Something terrible has happened on the island Oven was guarding!"

His outburst silenced the entire room. The once-cheerful atmosphere turned tense as all eyes turned to Linlin.

She remained still for a moment, then slowly lowered her head. Her voice was eerily calm.

"Calm down. What exactly happened with Oven?"

Daifuku swallowed hard before answering, "They said Oven's ship is still docked at the shore, but neither he nor his men are anywhere to be found. There's only… only…"

"Only what?"

"Only blood! The shore and the ship are covered in blood! Oven and his men must have been ambushed!"

"Nani?!"

The Big Mom Pirates erupted in fury, their expressions darkening. Only Katakuri remained composed. He spoke in a deep voice, "Daifuku, did you try calling Oven on the Den Den Mushi?"

Daifuku nodded. "Yes, but he didn't answer. So I contacted his quarters, and that's when I got the report about what they found."

"No signs of a struggle? No reports until now? That means the enemy was far stronger than Oven. He must have been defeated instantly; otherwise, we would've heard about it sooner."

Katakuri's sharp gaze turned toward Roger and his crew. His voice was cold.

"Roger, did you pass by this island on your way here?"

It wasn't a question—it was an accusation.

Katakuri's words carried weight, and immediately, the surrounding Big Mom Pirates turned hostile. Tension thickened.

Buggy, unable to hold back his indignation, jumped to his feet. "Oi, oi, oi! We don't even know where your island is! We didn't stop anywhere on the way here!"

Beside him, Shanks gave a thumbs-up, impressed by Buggy's boldness.

CRACK!

Linlin's teacup shattered in her grip, shards falling to the table. The air around her grew heavy with malice. Roger frowned, sensing her rising fury.

"Linlin, we came straight to Cake Island. We didn't stop anywhere or meet anyone along the way."

Despite Roger's calm demeanor, suspicion lingered. Shanks, irritated by the accusations, shouted, "We didn't do it! Stop pointing fingers!"

Katakuri narrowed his eyes, releasing a wave of Conqueror's Haki. The sheer pressure was enough to make weaker individuals collapse. However, Shanks stood firm, completely unaffected. Even Buggy, though trembling, held his ground.

Roger, his patience worn thin, unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki. Red and black lightning crackled through the air, colliding against Katakuri's aura. Katakuri staggered backward, his face paling as he struggled to withstand Roger's overwhelming presence. Perospero rushed to support him.

And then—BOOM!

Linlin flipped the table in rage, sending plates and teapots flying. Without another word, she swung Napoleon at Roger.

This time, Roger didn't hold back. He met her strike head-on.

**A Clash of Emperors.**

The force of their clash sent shockwaves across the garden, uprooting trees and shattering windows. The ground split beneath them. The weaker members of both crews—Shanks and Buggy included—were sent flying by the impact.

Linlin grabbed Prometheus and pressed him into Napoleon, transforming her sword into a blazing inferno. With another mighty swing, she roared, "I'll burn you to ashes, Roger!"

Roger parried, his blade slicing through the flames. In a flash, he vanished from her sight, reappearing behind her with a flurry of slashes. But Linlin's body was encased in Armament Haki, her skin tough as steel. She barely flinched.

Roger clicked his tongue in amazement.

At that moment, a massive bolt of purple lightning shot down from the sky, aiming for him.

**Zeus.**

Roger sensed it coming. With a single swing of his sword, he split the lightning apart, dispersing it into harmless sparks.

Zeus hovered above, preparing to strike again. But Roger moved before he could. He flickered next to Rayleigh and whispered something quickly. Then, before Linlin could close the distance, Roger shoved Rayleigh aside and met her charge head-on.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted around them.

The Big Mom Pirates, led by Katakuri, rushed toward Rayleigh and the others.

Bullet roared, his body swelling into his monstrous demonic form. He lunged at Katakuri, throwing a devastating punch. But his fist passed straight through Katakuri's mochi-like body.

Katakuri countered, his arm swelling and sprouting spiked Haki-covered protrusions—like a massive mace.

"Cleave Mochi!"

Bullet smirked. He blocked the attack effortlessly with one hand and retaliated with a relentless barrage of punches. Katakuri dodged repeatedly, using his Observation Haki to predict the attacks, but Bullet was too fast. He landed several heavy blows, sending Katakuri staggering back, coughing blood.

Perospero quickly intervened, conjuring a thick wall of candy to protect Katakuri. He then unleashed a stream of purple syrup, hoping to trap Bullet.

But Bullet merely flexed, shattering the candy like glass.

Perospero hurried to Katakuri's side, preparing another technique to restrain Bullet. Meanwhile, Daifuku summoned his genie, adding to the assault. Against all three, Bullet finally started feeling pressure.

On another side of the battlefield, Shanks and Buggy found themselves facing a massive, armored warrior.

**Cracker.**

His entire body was encased in hardened biscuit armor, reinforced with Armament Haki. Shanks gritted his teeth as his sword barely left a scratch on the unyielding armor.

Buggy, on the other hand, had already turned pale.

"This guy's a monster!"

The battle was in full swing.

And amidst the chaos, Roger's eyes gleamed.

Everything was going exactly as planned.