Chapter 14: Repelling Katakuri, BIG MOM's Powerless Roar

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Thud! Thud! Thud!

Heavy footsteps echoed behind Drew. Sensing the approach, he turned to look—and was met with a tall, intimidating figure.

It was Charlotte Katakuri, one of the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. Not only did he possess powerful Observation Haki, but he also wielded Conqueror's Haki, making him a notoriously difficult opponent.

"Hmph. Kid, hand over the rubbing of the text!" Katakuri slammed his trident heavily into the ground, his voice cold and threatening.

Even though no one had been able to decipher the ancient writing on the indestructible stone since Big Mom took it, how could they allow someone to just walk away with it? There's no resting easy when danger lurks beside your bed. There was no way Drew would be allowed to leave so easily.

Whoosh—

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air as Katakuri launched the first strike. Unlike the still-childish Drew, Katakuri was already in his prime, with a bounty reaching 300 million Berries—a terrifying force to reckon with.

"CLANG!"

"Heavy weapons? I've got one too!" Drew smirked as he summoned his Fangtian Huaji into his hands. Veins bulged across his arms as power surged through his muscles. He swung the massive weapon hard, clashing directly with Katakuri's strike.

The intense impact and flashing figures finally alerted the Big Mom guards, who began to swarm toward Drew. But before they could act, Katakuri stopped them. Though Drew was young, Katakuri sensed the overwhelming, beast-like strength in him—far beyond an average pirate. Letting regular crew members intervene would only lead to needless deaths. As a man dedicated to protecting his family, Katakuri wouldn't allow his siblings to be hurt.

"Thunder Half-Moon Slash!"

Drew pulled his weapon back and raised it high above his head. A powerful surge of energy rapidly gathered at the tip of his Fangtian Huaji. A fierce, raging aura erupted outward. The nearby Big Mom Pirates instinctively took a step back from the pressure alone, swallowing hard. Their gazes toward Drew turned grave—some even fearful. After all, in their eyes, Katakuri was the strongest figure under Big Mom herself.

A chilling flash of light, and the slash flew out in an instant—an explosive, violent energy wave hurtled toward Katakuri.

Katakuri frowned and raised his arm to take the hit head-on. Behind him were members of his crew—he had no choice. The impact echoed like thunder. A massive explosion followed, smoke billowing everywhere. The point of impact cracked the ground with spiderweb-like fractures that stretched for hundreds of meters.

After a long moment, the smoke cleared.

At the center of the blast, Katakuri stood—his body wrapped in white, sticky mochi. As a Special Paramecia-type Mochi Mochi no Mi user, he had developed his ability to an extraordinary degree—his defense and offense fused into one.

With a wave of his right hand, Katakuri coated his trident in flowing mochi and began spinning it rapidly. His mochi-formed arms allowed him to rotate the weapon hundreds or even thousands of times with ease. The momentum that built up was terrifying.

After several exchanges, Katakuri no longer viewed Drew as a mere child—but as a formidable rival. Someone so young yet already powerful was a rare threat.

"Mochi Thrust!"

Swish!

Katakuri's figure vanished, moving at high speed. In an instant, he appeared in front of Drew—and then, with a powerful release, the mochi-coated trident shot forward like a cannon, aimed straight at Drew's head...

"Wood Style: Multi-Layered Wooden Pillar Wall!"

"Wood Style: Thorn Bind!"

Just as Katakuri's trident was about to strike Drew, several thick wooden walls suddenly appeared out of nowhere, intercepting the attack. The fierce thrust of the trident slammed into the wooden barriers. With each booming impact, the immense force shattered through three walls, but as it pierced the fourth, its momentum faded. The trident stabbed deep into the wooden wall, but became stuck, unable to be pulled free.

At the same time, while Katakuri's attack failed to land, the wooden wall erupted with a flurry of sharp, barbed branches, surging toward Katakuri in a crisscrossing pattern. Their extreme speed caused the air to hiss with slicing sounds.

Katakuri, unable to dodge in time, frowned and crossed his arms in front of him. Armament Haki instantly coated both arms. As the spiked branches relentlessly struck him, the force pushed him back step after step. Although Drew's Observation Haki wasn't yet on Katakuri's level, the strength of Wood Style made up for the difference. After all, this version of Katakuri was still in his growth stage—he had not yet reached the future level where he could glimpse a few seconds ahead.

"Flying Thunder God Technique!"

Katakuri's eyes narrowed as Drew suddenly vanished. He activated his Observation Haki to the max—but it was already too late. In less than 0.001 seconds, Drew appeared right above him, Fangtian Huaji in hand, wreathed in Armament Haki. Having drunk a strength potion earlier, Drew's power now rivaled that of a giant. What followed was a devastating normal attack.

Under the terrifying force, the halberd struck Katakuri square in the chest. Even though his body instinctively turned to mochi, it wasn't enough—he was blasted away like a cannonball. Katakuri's body smashed through two load-bearing pillars inside the palace and punched a massive hole through the wall as he crashed outside.

Seeing this, Drew smirked slightly. It seemed that in this clash, he had the upper hand. It may have involved a bit of trickery, but in the world of pirates, might makes right.

Drew once again used the Flying Thunder God Technique, locking onto a mark he'd left on the Jackson, and vanished. This was another strategic application of his space-time jutsu—besides combat, it was also an excellent means of instant travel.

"Damn it! Roger Pirates' brat—I'll remember you!"

Katakuri wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, staring furiously at the now-empty palace. This was the biggest mistake he had ever made in his entire career.

But what could he do? When a genius meets someone with cheats, Drew clearly had the edge.

Elsewhere, the battle between the two pirate crews raged on. From above, Drew's figure descended and landed on the deck of the Jackson. He looked out at the battlefield—the island had been devastated, with nearly a third of it completely gone. Drew's eyes were filled with admiration and longing.

When will I be able to reach the strength of Captain Roger?

Maybe… when my Wood Style is fused over 90%.

"Captain Roger, I've got it!"

Drew snapped out of his daydream, took a deep breath, pulled out a small loudspeaker, and shouted excitedly toward the battlefield. His booming voice echoed across the entire island.

Upon hearing it, members of the Roger Pirates—still locked in battle—broke into joyful grins, their faces blooming like sunflowers.

"Hahahahaha! Linlin, the fight ends here—!