Chapter 124: Fragile Paper

"Hey, wake up!"

Seeing that Big Mom was a little dizzy, Luo Ning was speechless. She seemed so fragile after just one kick.

Of course, this was also because his own power was too powerful. Kicking Big Mom like this with one kick could only be attributed to his rapid improvement due to his "cheats."

Fighting a Four Emperor was now a breeze.

"Emperor Blade!"

After Big Mom woke up, the first thing she did was snatch off her hat and transform it into a large knife. She then slashed at him with the flame-wreathed Prometheus.

This could be considered a powerful move in Big Mom's arsenal, but honestly, that was all it was.

The flaming blade descended, only to be caught directly in Luo Ning's palm.

"Look, you can't break my defense even if you practice for a lifetime. I've always heard that you have the body of an iron balloon and are incredibly durable. So, what would happen if you didn't have such a body?"

Luo Ning's hand touched Big Mom, and the power of his Fantasy imbued her rapidly. Aside from her inherent "Hardness," Big Mom's body could resist the blows of various weapons even without using Armament Haki. Bullets and the like were rendered useless against her.

But now, the power of Fantasy had directly transformed Big Mom's body, and it underwent rapid changes. What was once an incomparably terrifying defense had now become as fragile as paper.

The iron balloon-like defense instantly turned into extremely fragile skin, even weaker than normal human skin.

Big Mom remained unharmed and struggled to pull free the knife trapped in Luo Ning's grasp. However, Luo Ning's grip proved unyielding.

With a sickening crack, Luo Ning applied pressure, shattering the bicorne hat transformed knife in two. The force of the break reverberated through Big Mom's hand, causing a direct fracture and sending blood spilling.

Utter confusion clouded Big Mom's face. Her supposedly ironclad skin, capable of withstanding immense force, was now inexplicably breaking from a simple exertion. How was this possible?

Luo Ning's Fantasy power surged once more, wreaking havoc on Big Mom's physiology. This time, his target was her musculature.

The reliance on physical prowess in this world meant that altering her muscles effectively rendered Big Mom powerless. The explosive strength derived from a honed physique vanished.

Big Mom's once-mighty muscles became as ordinary as any person's, leaving her devoid of strength. Her massive frame, once an advantage, now burdened her considerably, though thankfully not to the point of paralysis like Onigumo.

"You who lurk in the shadows," Luo Ning declared, "reveal yourself! That hulking form is ill-suited for such covert activities!"

After overpowering Big Mom, Luo Ning addressed the woods behind him. He'd sensed someone approaching, their immense size making them a terrible shadow.

"You found me?"

A figure emerged from the trees – Smoothie. However, her question made Luo Ning grimace.

"You're 4.6 meters tall," he said. "Do you think that's conducive to lurking? If I couldn't find you, I'd be blind."

Luo Ning found her presence impossible to miss. Anyone familiar with Superhuman Micro could likely spot her – her size was simply too conspicuous. Moreover, Smoothie possessed the ability to further enlarge herself. Her Devil Fruit, the Shibo Shibo no Mi, allowed her to wring liquid from objects, making her akin to a giant sponge that could expand without sacrificing speed.

Despite her imposing stature, Smoothie remained a formidable fighter – one of the Three Sweet Commanders. While undeniably attractive, Luo Ning had already declared his disinterest in everyone he encountered. He much preferred someone like Vivi.

"Do you intend to annihilate our entire Charlotte family?" With Big Mom incapacitated, Smoothie could only draw her weapon. The odds of defeating Luo Ning were slim to none, and her monstrous visage offered no hope of swaying him with charm.

"Partially," Luo Ning admitted. "The Charlottes haven't exactly distinguished yourselves. However, I've reached an accord with Katakuri. Those who haven't committed egregious crimes will be spared."

"I plan to help them establish a legitimate nation, offering them ample protection. In exchange, Katakuri will assist me in maintaining order within Big Mom's former territory."

Luo Ning's candor surprised Smoothie. "I understand," she said. "No wonder Katakuri-oniisan brought you here directly. It's a… reasonable proposition. At least a portion of us will survive. Katakuri-oniisan would indeed make such a decision."

Smoothie reached a sudden realization. In her mind, Katakuri valued family loyalty highly. Given the choice between annihilation and sparing some of their kin, she herself would have chosen the latter.

Katakuri wasn't to blame; on the contrary, they should be grateful he'd managed to save some of them.

"So, what's next? Surrender or resist? You know you can't win against me."

Luo Ning glanced at the fuming but powerless Big Mom beside him.

"I know," she conceded. "There's no point in fighting a losing battle."

Smoothie discarded her weapon in surrender. Resistance was futile. In this situation, it was best to conserve her strength and see how things unfolded.

"Wise decision," Luo Ning acknowledged. "Head straight to the ship. Your siblings are already waiting for you there. Compared to others, your actions may earn you some leniency – at least it's better in Impel Down."

Smoothie was certain she'd be thrown into Level Six. Her bounty and strength guaranteed it. At most, Luo Ning wouldn't let the Jailer Beasts torment her – a small mercy before her inevitable demise.

"Really? Sounds like a bleak future," Smoothie sighed, shaken by the revelation of her fate. She departed immediately, understanding that with Katakuri's decision made, finding Brûlèe was out of the question.

Now aware of her future but powerless to change it, Smoothie accepted the consequences of her actions.

"Damn you, Katakuri! How could you betray us?!"

Big Mom, less composed than Smoothie, continued to hurl insults at Katakuri.