Katakuri’s decision

The fight was over, and Elene came out as the winner. The world now was one evil person less.

Elene had officially now reached her dream. She became the strongest woman in the world.

Though this title was not spoken about, it was still what everyone thought of big mom to be. And now big mom was dead, and Elene became the new owner of the title.

Elene took just a few seconds before she got back to herself. Though big mom was evil and she didn't feel bad about killing her, it still left a bad taste in her mouth after.

She soon turned to the side and felt Ian and co coming near her.

She was a bit tired and injured too. So when Ian helped support her she leaned on him and started to relax.

She passed him the fruit to store and he took it gently from her hand, not asking her how she got it as he and the rest already knew that the Yami-Yami no mi had the ability to extract devil fruits.

"Good job." Ian praised her. The pride he had for her was apparent through his eyes. Though he was also a bit worried for her since she just killed someone...

She smiled in return.

Robin also congratulated her.

"Yes. You did a good job!" She hugged her.

Stella knew that she was tired so she just gave her a short hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Bert praised her power, and told her that she did well, and finally achieved her dream. Aokiji and Reiju's words were short but enough nonetheless. They just congratulated her.

Akemi hugged her too. And after that Elene looked at them all and spoke.

"I did it." She replied to them as she closed her eyes and eye-smiled.

Then they all started to walk back to their ship. Except for Ian.

"Go back first. I'll go and complete our objective here and join you!" Ian told them.

They still had to join with the others back at Wano so they shouldn't waste any time. But the Poneglyphs were a must to have so it came first.

And afterward, while they are sailing to Wano, there was no need to not celebrate right?

****

With big mom's children.

All of them who were conscious were quite sad. They looked at the last place where their mama was and just plopped on the ground in tiredness.

Though try as they might to suppress it, a small part of them was happy.

Happy that they didn't need to live in fear from now on. That they were finally free.

To big mom, her children were just bargaining tools to get more people to support her dreams.

Everyone would be married if she gained something out of it.

So they had always been prepared for the worst. But now, there was nothing to prepare for anymore.

All the officers of big mom looked at Katakuri who is the strongest among them in the crew after the now-deceased big mom.

Will he continue to lead them?

This was the question they all had.

Even the other two sweet commanders.

Katakuri himself had thought about what Ian had said earlier.

And he couldn't help but agree. Though it still pained him to watch his mother die, he knew that he would pass that with time.

She didn't deserve them. As evidenced by her trying to kill them and blame it on them.

She was not worthy of him to call her mother...

'Not worthy...'

Katakuri took a deep breath. His brothers and sisters only had him for protection.

Cracker and Smoothie were strong, but even the three of them combined would not be enough.

An emperor had died. So a lot of chaos was going to come later. And most of it would be focused on them.

Katakuri knew his strength, and if Kaido or any of the other emperors attacked them to strengthen their own pirate crew, they were done for. Though he knew that Kaido was the most likely one to do this.

As such he made a decision that he knew was the best, but he also knew that his brothers/sisters would not agree with...

'Forgive me... but this is for the best...'

He saw Ian coming towards him, and he wasted no more time.

As soon as Ian was next to him he spoke.

"Emperor Ian." He greeted him.

And then proceeded to say after a deep breath.

"I hereby announce as the strongest person in the crew after the captain, that the remaining of the big mom pirates would come under your crew." He said it all in one breath.

And it had his brothers/sisters raging in a second.

The first was Perospero.

"What the hell are you on to, Katakuri? I know that you would not do anything without planning, but to suggest we come under the people who killed mama? That's too much!" He was actually quite tame in conveying what he meant in comparison to what the others were shouting from the back.

Smoothie and Crackers gave nods of their own.

Katakuri sighed.

He looked around and glared at everyone until they shut up.

"If we don't join him, then what do you expect us to do when another emperor comes to have us join him? Would you rather join that guy instead?" Though Katakuri said another emperor, they all knew who was the most likely to attack them.

Shanks was not that sort of person. While Whitebeard was a peaceful old man caring about his family first and foremost. Which left only Kaido... whom everyone knew that he was gathering strong people under him...

And sure enough, no one wants to work under that battle maniac.

However, Ian was also quite bad in their eyes. How could someone expect them to do so when he had resulted in the killing of their mother?

"I know it is tough to swallow but it is all that we can do." Katakuri himself knew that being under Ian was actually quite good for them.

Based on what he figured out about Ian, that guy is not oppressive or anything.

But Katakuri also had his own plans...

He would get stronger. Stronger enough to no longer need to lean on Ian's name, and lead his crew and protect them...

But he won't forget if Ian does help them with this favor. No, he might have killed their mother, but he knew they were better off without her. So he won't hold a grudge against him.

"I don't mind you using my name. And if another person does indeed try to attack you while under my name I'll also come and help you. But I won't order you around, you can lead yourself. But there is just one thing. Big mom is dead. There is no reason for you to hurt innocents anymore other than you yourself being evil. If you still do so, then you will leave me no choice but to hunt you all down." Ian told them all and warned them at the end.

He didn't mind Katakuri and his plan at all.

And though he knew that some of big mom's children were quite sadistic themselves, he still didn't think they were as bad as big mom, so he will give them a chance.

Katakuri looked at his brothers and sisters. There was no better deal than this.

And they all understood this.

Seeing their expressions, Katakuri turned back to Ian and gave a nod.

And then the remaining big mom pirates officially came under the nightmare crew.

Now Ian just had to go and take the Poneglyphs before leaving.