Chapter 76 : Life And Death

The Abyss stopped its relentless artillery fire, but the castle on Whole Cake Island was left full of holes, with gunpowder smoke lingering in the air.

Through the thick smoke, Katakuri's sharp trident, Earth Dragon, pierced into Big Mom's back.

Although the wound on her back was shallow, the pain enraged Big Mom. She turned around furiously, her expression ferocious, saliva dripping from her bloody mouth.

Big Mom's eyes glowed a strange red as she swung her Emperor's Sword, Napoleon, without hesitation, slashing fiercely at Katakuri.

Katakuri frowned and dodged just in time. But as he looked at his mother, who had completely lost control, his heart sank deeply.

"Mom! What are you doing?"

"Please, stop this!"

Nearby, Perospero and the others, whose souls were being drained from their bodies, pleaded with Big Mom in fear.

First, Mother Carmel's photo was destroyed. Then, her heart was shaken, and to make matters worse, many of Big Mom's souls were wiped out by Gangplank's ghostly powers.

These repeated blows to her mind, body, and soul had pushed Big Mom completely over the edge. She was now utterly out of control.

"It's no use," Katakuri said, his voice heavy.

"She's no longer the mother we knew."

As his brothers and sisters wailed in despair, Katakuri lowered his head for a moment before looking straight into Big Mom's glowing red eyes. With firm resolve, he declared:

"We have to stop her here and now—no matter the cost!"

With those words, Katakuri ignored Gangplank, who stood nearby, and launched another fierce attack on Big Mom, this time aiming directly for her heart instead of her back.

Big Mom was no longer just their mother. She had become the greatest threat to the Charlotte family.

The weaker members of the family were already reaching their limits. If Big Mom wasn't stopped soon, her soul powers would destroy them all.

Katakuri pressed forward with his assault, pouring everything he had into stopping her.

The Shipping King, Umit, and the Warehouse King, Jibotson, who had also witnessed Big Mom's descent into madness, joined the fight without a word.

Both activated their Armament Haki and attacked Big Mom with all their strength.

But even they knew the truth—neither the Charlotte family nor their allies could hold out much longer.

Big Mom needed to be defeated immediately.

Katakuri, Umit, and the others worked together, launching relentless attacks against her. Perospero and Smoothie, after exchanging glances, gritted their teeth and joined the fight, directing their attacks at Big Mom as well.

Katakuri's trident, Earth Dragon, struck again and again, while the attacks from Shipping King Umit and Warehouse King Kibotson aimed mercilessly at Big Mom's vital points.

By taking the initiative to attack their own mother, they knew there was no turning back. Whether or not Big Mom regained her sanity, they had already crossed the line.

For them, the best option was to deal with her here and now.

As the intense battle unfolded, Gangplank stood by, watching quietly for a moment. However, he soon decided not to sit idly by. If Big Mom was allowed to continue her rampage, she could destroy nearly the entire Charlotte family.

Katakuri, Umit, and the others managed to land blow after blow on the berserk Big Mom, leaving noticeable scars. In her crazed state, Big Mom was easier to fight than when she was fully aware.

But killing her outright was another matter.

Even if Katakuri and the others had ten days, they wouldn't be able to defeat Big Mom. Her body, tough as steel, was like an unbreakable shield.

And time wasn't on their side.

At most, they had ten minutes before everyone in the Cake Castle, consumed by fear, would meet their end at Big Mom's hands.

Gangplank grinned as the scimitar in his hand burst into eerie flames. He jumped into the fray, slashing deeply into Big Mom and leaving a wound so severe that bone was visible. At the same time, his scimitar poured ghostly energy into her body.

Gangplank had no intention of wiping out the entire Big Mom Pirates.

To rise as a true Emperor of the Sea, he needed more than just a small crew.

Gangplank wasn't aiming to become like Shanks, wandering aimlessly across the seas as a Yonko.

Though he claimed to have come to integrate into Totto Land, Gangplank had no intention of serving under anyone.

His goal was clear—he wanted to take the helm of Totto Land himself.

Everything was going according to Gangplank's plan.

Thanks to Duke's information, Gangplank already knew all of Big Mom's weaknesses.

The strange fire burned her flesh, while the ghostly energy drove out her souls. With Gangplank continuously injecting ghostly power into Big Mom's body, the souls she had absorbed from others began escaping through the wound he had inflicted.

As more and more souls fled, Big Mom's once-overwhelming aura started to weaken.

The souls that had been drained from others began to return. Seeing this, the Sea Transport King Umit and the others grew emboldened. Their attacks became fiercer and more determined.

Under Gangplank's relentless assault, Big Mom let out deafening screams of pain.

Katakuri, Perospero, and the other Charlotte siblings looked conflicted, their expressions filled with anguish. Yet, their attacks did not falter.

However, even as souls fled from Big Mom's body, the fear radiating from everyone in the Cake Castle continued to feed her. New souls flowed into her, creating a dangerous balance.

This was a battle of life and death.

The only way to end this cruel cycle was for one side to fall.

Katakuri and the others had already made their choice. It was their lives or Big Mom's death.

They had no other options.

Gangplank, observing Katakuri and the others as they attacked with all their might, had a glint of calculation in his eyes.

Their best option was never the same as his.

Realizing that Gangplank's attacks caused the most damage, Katakuri and the others began coordinating their efforts with his.

Katakuri's Mochi-Mochi Fruit and Perospero's Candy-Candy Fruit might lack raw destructive power, but their abilities to bind and suppress were unparalleled.

Katakuri gathered his full strength and unleashed a powerful mochi wave, binding Big Mom's legs.

At the same time, Perospero manipulated his syrupy candy, wrapping it tightly around Big Mom's arms.

Seeing his moment, Gangplank leapt into the air. His scimitar, glowing with a translucent blue light, pierced directly into Big Mom's head.

This was the finishing blow.

Countless ghosts surged into Big Mom's mind all at once. She let out a final, agonized scream before collapsing helplessly to the ground.