...
There was a pause as the snail on my palm rapidly went through a myriad of expressions before, to my own surprise, abruptly changing completely as someone else quickly took over from the other side.
"Katakuri!" Big Mom's voice reverberated through the background, though oddly enough her son evidently didn't seem to give a damn.
"What the hell did you do!?" The first Sweet-commander's voice snarled, immediately silencing the noise from the man's side, including his mother.
I blinked.
"You're going to have-"
"The war!" The man to my own affront interrupted me, earning a twitch.
"What about the war?" I questioned calmly, earning another pause as the voice on the other side seemed to consider my words, an irritated sigh coming out.
"... What do you know of the ability to see-"
I'll admit, the moment I realised what he was about to ask, I snorted.
"Fufufu..." Doflamingo's signature laugh came out as the snails expression morphed into a thoughtful, if narrow-eyed expression.
"... What did you do?" Katakuri's voice quickly toned down at my reaction.
I couldn't help it, I laughed.
The poor bastard had probably been looking into the future when I'd popped into this world.
I grinned towards the snail, the den den mushi no doubt mimicking my expression if the narrowed one I received in return meant anything. "Did Mr. Slamjam Charlotte "Charles Barkley" Katakuri fall on his back? In front of his siblings?" The snail minutely stared at me for a moment, and though I wasn't sure, I could've sworn I'd seen its eyes gleam red for a moment causing a chill to creep up my spine. I was almost certain he couldn't do that in canon...
"Regardless. It seems I have you to thank for this unexpected gift." The mans words only seemed to confirm my words as a smiling expression appeared on the snail in my hand.
I take it that wasn't part of the plan?
It speaks! Doffy? Oh come on! Don't Aizen me!
"... Congratulations," I started, a deadpan expression likely appearing on the other side. "You want a D-" I was about to finish before Katakuri proved he'd seen the future as he promptly cut me off.
'Clack'
"-onut..."
... Damn Psychics.
Doflamingo agreed.
I kept my gaze on the Den Den Mushi for a moment before turning towards the petrified Sugar and asking her to call the Emperor back.
Her whimper was adorable.
I insisted.
...
-Elsewhere in the New World, on an island made of cake-
A certain pissed Yonko demanded her son explain the disrespect he'd so brazenly shown, in front of the entire family no less. Even Snack, the resident idiot had never done such a thing.
Katakuri however levelled his mother with an even stare, his hands firmly clasped on the ringing snail in hand.
"Katakuri!" His mother fumed, "Hand that over this instant!"
Katakuri simply shook his head. "We will gain nothing out of entertaining Joker," He stated passively. "The bastard has nothing but disrespect prepared."
Big Mom's expression seemed to straighten, though the clear anger hadn't subsided one bit as she took a step towards him. "You dare presume to make decisions for me-"
"I've seen it!" Katakuri remarked, a shaken expression on his face. Startling his siblings, even his own mother for but a moment though the Yonko merely took another step towards him.
"You're only making this worse for yourself. Son of mine..." The woman snarled, her eyes narrowed as she stopped, towering over him by quite a bit. Her left hand gripped the cutlass, the steel gleaming in the light.
Katakuri stood his ground as he fixed his mother with a stare.
"He intends to start another war."
Big mom didn't so much as blink.
"One for the title of Pirate King."
A flicker of something passed through the woman eyes before anger completely filled her face. "You give him too much credit... And even then. Do you not think me capable?" She questioned dangerously.
Katakuri's answer however came akin to a frozen shower as he stared back.
"He cares not for the title mother, it is naught but a hook for him to sow chaos with, the man simply wants to set the world on fire. Dressrosa is to turn into a pirate Graveyard soon."
Big Mom blinked once as she stared at him, before a sickeningly sweet smile appeared on her face. "Dressrosa huh?" The woman questioned, a gleam in her eye. "I must say, this new improvement of yours is proving rather handy!" The woman stated, her mood swing taking over as she started bellowing out orders to prepare the ships.
Katakuri wasn't entirely surprised, given he'd practically seen all of that coming. Though it hadn't been easy to hide his usage of the advanced ability.
Beside him Pudding poked an arm, a questioning look on her face. "You had to know mama would've reacted like that! What gives? If you didn't want to go why tell her?"
He eyed his sister's face for a moment contemplating how to best answer before deciding honesty was the best route.
"I did see the throne." He stated calmly, his sisters eyebrow rising. "I wasn't a fan of the man sitting on it."
Pudding blinked once, her eyes widening the slightest as she realised he was completely serious. "So you-"
"If Joker doesn't go down... There's a very good chance he might truly become Pirate King."
"... You're not just mad he called you Mr Slamjam right?" Pudding questioned him, an amused expression on her face.
Katakuri glared.
"You so are!"
Katakuri contemplated whether he actually needed this many sisters.
"Wow... You look like you're plotting my murder!" Pudding mock gasped, a hand over her mouth.
"..." Katakuri twitched, for a moment truly considering at the very least... Doing something?
Pudding's grin caused him to sigh.
Katakuri firmly believed that, out of everything he'd come across in his stint as a pirate, nothing quite prepared him nor gave him the ability to actually deal with his little sisters. At least his brothers he could just beatdown for being rowdy...
"Here!" Pudding grinned at him, her hair practically jumping as the girl brought out and offered him a donut.
He stared at the donut contemplatively, his earlier ire long forgotten, before promptly taking it, ignoring Pudding's mischievous smile in the process.
He supposed there were some benefits after all as he ate the donut and started on his way, Pudding flanking him immediately as she followed.
She'd been practically glued to his side ever since his sudden incapacitation and three-day coma. The ending result of having peeked at the wrong time. The result of having his very world shatter as Joker flipped the future on it's axis. And it had to be him. He wasn't sure why he was so certain, nor how he seemed to recognise the man from his vision. It's not like he remembered ever meeting the damn... pirate?
Still, his musings aside, he supposed he ought to prepare for his families journey. His mother was rather determined to make her way, which likely meant he'd probably overdone it... Though he supposed it wouldn't matter as long as they reached Dressrosa.
...
-Dressrosa port-
I walked across towards the beached area, an irritated expression on my face. Big Mom hadn't bothered to pick up... No matter how many times I'd had Sugar call.
I hoped I'd managed to piss the woman off enough to come after me, preferably sooner rather then later. I sighed, my foot automatically kicking a nearby pebble as I raised my gaze. I could make out hundreds of ships, formerly belonging to Slavers, on the other side as I walked further in. Empty ships for that matter. My crew had already stripped every beli they could.
Stealing from slavers was something I was surprisingly okay with.
Needless to say, I drew the line at selling and/or dismantling the ships themselves. I figured given there were people who knew how the Hobi-hobi no mi worked likely making their way here, I might as well let them think I had thousands of pirates hidden away.
Given I'd cut off the head while the victims attacked the body, Slavers weren't going to be at the forefront of... Most of the world's mind.
Well, any place without any surprise revolutions-
Wonder what Dragon's doing right now... My attention shifted elsewhere as my body finally arrived. I'd passed by a majority of the ships docked at the port, reaching the end of the line, and entrance to said port, where an enormouswarship slowly etched towards me, towering above every other ship in the area. Unlike the rest, this one contained a geniune Pirate flag- Slavers pretended to be Pirates in this world. Go figure-. One featuring a skull, with two horns sticking out ontop, in the middle of a pair of intersected crossbones.
"..." A deep voice hummed from the ship as it reached the port, a shadow filling up the helm, unblinking eyes pinpointed towards me as soon as they found my position. The shadow immediately taking off from his ship in a giant leap.
I ignored the crash as the towering Yonko stood just before me, one eyebrow raised as he took in my form.
Kaido snorted, spitting to the side as he raised his weapon, leaning it on one of his shoulders as the other hand raised the drink in hand. "I expected you to be bigger."
I raised an eyebrow at him, just behind the man I could make out hundreds of his crewmates jumping down onto the floor, bemused expressions on their faces as they stared towards me, whispering amongst themselves.
"That a challenge?" I questioned, a raised eyebrow.
Kaido made the mistake of thinking it was.
The man, in response, sent a wave of Conquerors haki.
I reciporcated. The two forces of nature clashing as red arcs of lightning clashed together before resulting in a sonic boom as my wave cut through the pirate's before me like a knife through butter before crashing into and snapping the mans head back.
"Fufufu... Don't fuck with a Shinigami, Yonko-kun." I remarked, turning around, showing the man my back and promptly walked back towards the city.
Kaido slowly lowered his head back, a baffled look to his face as he felt the itch of pain on his forehead. Dropping the sake, he quickly raised a finger towards his head and touched the spot I'd hit. The moment he winced in pain, the attack, whatever it was, having cracked something, he disappeared in a blur, his body creating a powerful backdraft in response. His club, fully clad in haki, raised to the sky, though he made sure to slow down enough, if only to give me a chance.
I didn't so much as twitch as the attack landed on my head, crushing through without a hint of blood as I turned, eyeing the shocked Yonko before me as he watched my disfigured face slowly stitch itself back up, the strings rapidly forming together in a mockery of Cell's regeneration from Dragon Ball Z.
I raised an eyebrow as the man warily removed his club, his gaze snapping between the haki covering it and me. When he made to attack again however, I simply raised a hand, awakening my devil fruit, spawning thousands of strings into existence before me as the ground around us converted.
Kaido didn't spare the ability another second as he raised his weapon for another hit. Though even he was surprised to find the strings stationary as I let him through, the club once again crashing into me, though this time hitting my chest. The strings once again merely breaking apart from the massive blow, exploding out the back of my chest like a piñata.
When my body reformed without a scratch, Kaido gave me a deadpan stare as he straightened up his posture and questioned me, rather eloquently for that matter.
"What the hell are you?"
I smiled in response, throwing another small wave of Conqueroers haki, though unlikely before, Kaido swiftly turned his head to the side, avoiding the extremelydense, albeit, weak attack.
To put it simply, Haki itself, while considered willpower was truly another extension of ones soul.
And I had a Shinigami's one. Needless to say, while in terms of quantity they might've had me outmatched... When it came to quality? I had them out-leagued.
I grinned at the Yonko before me and raised a single hand. The thousand haki-covered strings surrounding me immediately latching onto Kaido, earning a snort from him.
You might be wondering what that really meant? Simple. Having higher quality Haki was akin to having piercing damage as a Gamer.
Ie, armour? Means shit all against me.
Half the reason Doflamingo's so... Okay with me taking control was because of that fact. He knew he didn't have a chance. It irked him considerably, at first anyway. Seeing the chaos I've caused and have planned really lightened him up to me. I dare say he's even enjoying the shit-show for what it is.
"Friction." I stated calmly as every string covering Kaido reverberated, rapidly vibrating on the man's skin. His earlier look of indifference twisting as painravaged his body. Scars no doubt rapidly building up as he grit his teeth, his wide eyes a glorious sight that had Doflamingo himself practically drooling in delight.
Though, of course, while the Yonko definitely felt it... It was still Kaido-
He promptly smashed his club into my face, his speed taking me by surprise and earning a sigh from me.
"You'll make a good punching bag. Show me the factory." The man snorted and demanded respectively as he started walking past me, keeping his red tinted chest out of sight of everyone else, while my head slowly reformed. I resisted the urge to sigh again and considered the benefits of having the early bastard sugar'd until the rest of the players showed themselves... Seriously he wasn't supposed to be here for another week at the very least!
How the hell does one even host a Yonko anyway!?
...
Katakuri and The SI had the same plans in terms of getting Big Mom to Dressrosa, only Kata Knew believed that SI!Mingo would only manage to convince her to send in her underlings first, something that resulted in very sugary endings. Particularly one involving Pudding.