123 Chapter 123: Flying Big Mom & Stupid Zeus

"Didn't you invite me here for Tea Party? I have no interest in becoming your son-in-law, but declining an invitation for tea is quite bothersome according to your customs.

Personally, I find dealing with such bothersome situations tedious. Therefore, I'll simply eliminate the source of the trouble – you. It seems much simpler that way."

Luo Ning spoke calmly. Others might be terrified by Big Mom, but he wasn't.

"Nami, be mindful and avoid overindulging in sweets. This woman was quite the beauty in her youth. Look how she appears now!"

Luo Ning used Big Mom as a cautionary tale for Nami and the others. Witnessing Big Mom's current, overweight, and unattractive appearance, Nami and the others simply shook their heads. They had no desire to resemble such a haggard figure in the future.

The current Big Mom is in her sixties, so this drastic change won't happen to her. With proper self-care, she could maintain a decent appearance, though perhaps not her youthful beauty. Becoming a grotesque caricature of her former self is avoidable.

The One Piece world is notorious for its fleeting beauty. As the saying goes, 'time is a pig-killing knife,' applying twenty-one cuts. While these rules exist in many worlds, Pirate World takes it to an extreme. Everyone is stunning in their youth, only to become shockingly unattractive later in life.

"Insolent child! You've sealed your fate!"

Big Mom's eyes burned with fury. Regardless, she was indeed beautiful in her youth, a stark contrast to her current ghostly appearance.

Enraged by Luo Ning's words, Big Mom lunged at him, one hand fiercely grasping the small sun Prometheus.

"This isn't the place for your rampage!"

Luo Ning completely disregarded the flames and delivered a swift kick to Big Mom. Her body, launched like a missile, careened into the forest within Cake Island's no man's land.

"Mama!"

Big Mom, with the bicorne hat perched on her head, flew off alongside Prometheus clutched in her hand. Only Zeus, still in a daze, remained. By the time he comprehended the situation, Big Mom had vanished.

"This guy doesn't seem very intelligent!"

Nami glanced at the cloud and unleashed a bolt of lightning, which crackled into Zeus's form.

"Delicious, delicious! Is there more?"

After a taste of the delightful thunderbolt, Zeus abandoned all thoughts of Big Mom and zoomed straight towards Nami.

This scene left everyone bewildered, Katakuri most of all. Now, utter confusion clouded his judgment. This was the mighty Thundercloud Zeus, birthed from Big Mom's own soul.

He was also Big Mom's crucial mode of aerial transportation. Typically, Big Mom relied on Thundercloud Zeus for airborne battles.

However, this Zeus appeared to have inherited Big Mom's gluttonous nature, as he now made a beeline for Nami.

"As expected of the twenty-five-year storm, Zeus!"

Luo Ning remained unsurprised by this turn of events. After all, in the original story, Nami used a weather stick to attract Zeus, a notorious foodie.

Now that Nami possessed the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, wielding thunder and lightning came more naturally, thus rekindling Zeus's attraction.

However, Big Mom's demise would inevitably lead to Zeus's immediate disappearance. Of course, that wasn't a major concern. The true challenge lay in retrieving the Soul-Soul Fruit, finding a suitable eater, and ultimately granting Nami a new Thundercloud Zeus.

The soul requirement wouldn't be an issue. Remember, Luo Ning wields Reiatsu, which has a connection to souls.

"Is this guy seriously ignoring his master?"

The sight of Zeus happily munching left Robin speechless. Such blatant disregard was simply outrageous.

"Yes, I still want to find my mama!"

Zeus, having overindulged, momentarily forgot about his previous mission.

"But if you leave, you won't get to enjoy these delicious treats anymore!"

Nami, recognizing Zeus's limited intelligence, made a bold declaration. Her words sent shivers down Zeus's spine as he contemplated his next move: stay or leave.

"Listen closely," Nami continued, her tone suddenly stern. "By consuming my power, you become mine. Attempt to flee, and you'll face oblivion!"

This sudden shift in Nami's demeanor shocked Zeus into outright rebellion.

"As expected of the Straw Hats' most formidable fighter," Luo Ning remarked, impressed by Nami's series of maneuvers. Nami's claim about their combat prowess isn't mere bravado. That ability to switch characters is truly remarkable.

Now, Zeus was too terrified to even consider leaving.

"Alright, I'll leave you two to it. I'm taking my leave first!" With those words, Luo Ning created a clone and departed. Despite Katakuri's presence, several others remained conscious and were closing in.

While Katakuri boasts impressive strength, he likely wouldn't fare well in a one-against-many situation.

As for Nami and Robin, while their abilities have seen some improvement during this time, they still paled in comparison to these opponents.

Therefore, Luo Ning left a clone behind, more than enough to easily subdue these individuals.

On the other side of the forest, Luo Ning's powerful kick sent Big Mom crashing into the ground, creating a massive crater. Even Big Mom herself was left disoriented by the impact.

Smoothie, who was searching the forest for Brûlée, stumbled upon Big Mom.

"Mama? Has the battle with Luo Ning begun already? Not good! We need to find Brûlée as soon as possible!"

Smoothie was acutely aware that Big Mom wasn't Luo Ning's match. However, locating Brûlée in this vast forest proved to be a difficult task.

After being abandoned by Big Mom, Brûlée was tasked with guarding the forest. It housed numerous Homies, making it impossible for Smoothie, with her limited knowledge, to pinpoint Brûlée's exact location. Her search efforts were further hampered by the now-comatose Homies.

Smoothie remained oblivious to the fact that her search would ultimately be in vain.

She mistakenly believed Brûlée was also incapacitated.

"Quite a sturdy skeleton, but the brain seems rather deficient," Luo Ning remarked, dumbfounded by Big Mom's dazed state. In the original story, it was indeed perplexing how Queen managed to knock out Big Mom with a simple headbutt.

Granted, Big Mom was out of shape at the time, but wouldn't a lethal blow have sufficed if Queen intended to kill her?

Kaido's reluctance to directly kill Big Mom likely stemmed from her past kindness towards him. Otherwise, a different opponent might have faced immediate death.

As a reminder, Kaido received his Devil Fruit from Big Mom, which ultimately allowed him to transform into his current dragon form. Therefore, he owed Big Mom a debt of gratitude.