Chapter 178: Thunder Queen Stussy - Another Victory

In the afternoon.

Both sides gathered once again on the shattered battlefield.

Everything continued.

Big Mom's eyes stared directly at Kuke, her strange gaze making everyone feel uneasy.

"Another bet, you want Amande?"

Big Mom was eager to get started.

Kuke nodded, "I'm betting the Road Poneglyph again."

Big Mom nodded, no reason to disagree.

Then she looked at Katakuri.

"Katakuri, it's up to you."

Katakuri had been prepared.

After Cracker's defeat,

Katakuri knew it would be his turn next.

He stepped forward, his pace neither fast nor slow.

"Brother Katakuri, good luck!" Behind him, a chorus of cheers erupted.

In the family, the respect Katakuri received was no less than Big Mom, perhaps even greater.

Especially from the younger siblings like Flampe,

who shouted desperately.

"Brother Katakuri will definitely win and keep winning," Flampe cheered, her small fists in the air.

"Of course! Brother Katakuri has never lost," Pudding echoed, fully confident.

But Katakuri himself wasn't as confident as his younger siblings.

The pressure was immense.

He glanced warily at Gion and the others.

"I need to win at least three rounds."

One round, Katakuri was confident.

But he wanted to win three in a row, to make up for the ground lost when Yamato had won three straight.

Three consecutive wins.

Katakuri knew it was difficult, almost impossible.

But even if it was impossible,

He had to try.

For his family, for Galette and the others they had lost, he had to win.

"This time, I don't want to fight until one of us is defeated. Instead, let's see who gets hit first," Katakuri announced the way of the match.

He wanted to use his greatest strength.

If it were a match to the end,

it would mean an all-out battle, and while Katakuri might win one round, he feared he wouldn't have the energy left for the second.

So he chose a different approach.

A method that would require less energy.

"Whoever lands a hit on the other first wins," Katakuri stated once again.

He was confident.

He possessed all three types of Haki and excelled at them, but his greatest strength lay in his Observation Haki, which had reached the level of seeing into the future. In the entire sea, it was considered top-tier.

In addition, he had a special Paramecia ability,

that allowed his body to turn into mochi, similar to the Logia ability to transform into elements.

Top-tier Observation Haki and a unique Paramecia power.

Katakuri was confident in his ability to avoid attacks.

"Anyone can step up for this match," Katakuri looked towards Kuke.

Since he had changed the rules,

Katakuri didn't want it to be too unfair. He was allowing Kuke to take the field if he wanted.

"Whoever lands a hit wins."

Kuke saw through Katakuri's plan.

His abilities, his confidence, all were clear.

"Stussy."

Kuke looked at Stussy.

Katakuri had a special Paramecia power that was similar to Logia transformation.

But Stussy had a true top-tier Logia power, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

Representing extreme speed of movement, and extreme attack speed.

Moreover, Stussy herself possessed strong Observation Haki and was particularly skilled in it. Combined with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's electromagnetic abilities, her Observation Haki had reached a top-tier level.

The special ability she gained with her Observation Haki was not foresight,

but an extraordinary range of perception.

When it came to sheer range of perception, even Kuke could not match Stussy. Her perception covered what Kuke estimated to be the widest in the sea.

"Aye, captain."

Stussy put down her handbag.

She stepped forward with elegance.

...

Neither spoke a word.

The next moment, they both made their moves.

A bolt of lightning fell instantly.

Katakuri's eyes emitted the red glow of activated Observation Haki. His body transformed into mochi in an instant, evading the lightning as he leapt forward, delivering a sweeping kick.

Mochi tendrils split into dozens.

Blocking all the space around Stussy.

"Too slow."

Stussy transformed into lightning, disappearing, the electricity darting through the tiniest of gaps.

As she moved,

Ten mochi rings appeared around her out of thin air, from which haki-covered mochi fists emerged, attacking Stussy in all directions.

"All I need is to land a single hit."

Katakuri continuously manipulated his attacks.

His Observation Haki was fully activated,

to predict Stussy's next move and attack in advance.

But each time, Stussy's lightning speed allowed her to easily evade.

"Ten Million Volts."

Stussy, transformed into lightning, jumped high into the air, her fingers spread wide.

Countless threads of electricity shot out from her fingers,

spreading and splitting repeatedly.

In an instant, millions of tiny lightning threads attacked every corner of the battlefield indiscriminately.

Big Mom held her breath in tension.

Katakuri's body turned into mochi, opening up holes to avoid bolt after bolt of lightning.

"Rainfall Mochi!"

Katakuri used his awakened ability, turning the ground into countless mochi tendrils, just as numerous as the lightning threads that covered the field.

Stussy became lightning once again,

leaping and dodging.

······

Both sides were evading each other's attacks, maintaining full Observation Haki while attacking with all their strength.

It seemed like neither could get the upper hand,

yet it was extremely dangerous.

Victory could be decided in an instant.

It was a battle of speed and Observation Haki.

Big Mom's eyes were wide as she watched the battlefield filled with mochi and lightning, her fists slowly clenching without her even realizing it.

Time passed.

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

For three full hours, neither side had managed to hit the other.

Stussy's lightning speed, lightning-fast attacks, and all-encompassing Observation Haki,

Katakuri's awakened devil fruit abilities, his ability to use the environment, and his future sight Observation Haki allowed him to avoid attacks in advance.

They were both among the hardest targets to hit in the entire sea.

But as time went on,

Sweat began to bead on Katakuri's forehead.

Maintaining future sight Observation Haki continuously was draining his mental energy. With each passing moment, the pressure on him increased.

The determination not to lose

could lead to greater power in a battle.

But in such a high-speed contest, it only added pressure.

On the other hand, Stussy remained relaxed. She was only maintaining a limited range of Observation Haki, consuming much less energy, and without the pressure of winning. She knew that even if she lost,

Kuke wouldn't blame her.

The fight continued.

More lightning filled the sky.

More mochi tendrils covered the ground.

The mochi and lightning spread like threads, covering the entire sky and earth.

Simultaneously connecting with one another.

There weren't many who could fully appreciate the spectacle of this battle. Those without sufficient strength or Observation Haki couldn't even follow their speed.

Even Cracker, sitting in his wheelchair, stared wide-eyed but couldn't catch the details.

He thought it was

just like before.

Suddenly, everything—lightning and mochi-covered ground—became calm.

"What happened?"

"Is it over?"

Everyone stared with wide eyes.

Looking at both sides.

Both were unharmed.

It was difficult to determine who had won.

"It must be Brother Katakuri who won, right?" The Big Mom Pirates members believed in Katakuri unconditionally, unwilling to consider any other outcome.

Flampe and the others were already jumping in excitement.

Screaming in joy.

"You lost," Stussy said calmly.

Katakuri looked down, expressionless, at the back of his hand, where a tiny black dot marked the spot where a lightning bolt had struck. It was a minor injury, negligible.

But a hit

meant defeat.

"Captain, I won," Stussy said as she approached Kuke.

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DONT FORGET POWER STONE 

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