Chapter 93: Charlotte Cracker
"To think Iâd skip work and nap in some random shipâs hold, only for it to turn out to be Lord Jackâs shipâand then, of all times, get dragged along on an expedition to a place like this⊠Ah, Iâm tired, so Iâll read the room and shut up now."
"IF YOUâRE READING THE ROOM, THEN TALK PROPERLY!!"
"J-Jack-sama⊠What should we do?"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
The moment they set foot on the uninhabited island, Jack and his crew discovered Sono, one of the Tobiroppo of the Beasts Pirates, fast asleep in the shipâs hold. According to her, sheâd been sleeping in the bottom of the ship the whole time⊠but staying asleep through such a rough voyage was beyond carefree.
As his subordinates stared in disbelief, Jack was asked for his decision. After a moment of thought, he gave his answer.
"Sono. Youâre coming with us to explore the island."
"Ehhâ"
"I donât wanna!!"
Jackâs crew broke into a cold sweat at Sonoâs blatant refusal. It wouldnât be strange for Jack to crush a disobedient subordinate and force them to obey.
But something bothered Jack. Even after seeing her reluctant reaction, he didnât get angryâinstead, he calmly asked:
"âŠâŠDid you come here⊠under Nueâs orders?"
"HmmâŠ? Nope, pure slacking off. Might be hard to believe, but⊠my motto isââIf you work, you lose.â"
"ITâS NOT HARD TO BELIEVE, ITâS JUST STUPID!!!"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠWhatever. But youâre coming with us."
"Sigh⊠Fine, fine. Iâll obey, even though I really donât feel like it."
And so, in the end, Sono agreed to follow Jack as usual.
âŠâŠBut Jack couldnât shake his suspicion. Despite her tendency to slack off, Sono usually worked closely with Nue as a manager or secretary. Would she really leave Nueâs side and board his ship without reason?
Still, even if that were the case, she wouldnât talk, and he couldnât just ask Nue directly.
âAnd on top of that, Jack sensed something troublesome emanating from the island.
"CAPTAIN JACK~~~!!!"
"! What is it?"
Just then, the scouts heâd sent ahead came rushing backâwith a report far worse than expected.
"Th-the opposite side of the island⊠has a Big Mom Pirates ship!!!"
"!!"
And of all possible enemies, this was among the worst.
The ship belonged to one of the Four Emperors, a great pirate on the same level as their own captainâBig Mom.
"Ehhh~~~!?"
"B-Big Momâs shipâŠ!?"
"This is badâŠ!! Jack-san, we should retreat nowâŠ!!"
Their panic was understandable.
But that fearâwas only justified if Big Mom herself was present.
"âŠâŠIs Big Mom here?"
"N-no! She doesnât seem to be aboard, but we overheard talk of a âSweet Commanderâ, so one of them must be thereâŠ!!"
âGood. Jack nodded inwardly. Then there was no problem.
"Then why are you scared?"
"Huh?"
His subordinates gaped at him, dumbfounded. Suppressing his irritation, Jack calmly issued his orders.
"Weâre searching the island. Gear up and follow me."
"WHAAAT!? SERIOUSLY!?"
"But Jack-san!! The enemyâs a Sweet Commander! Theyâre Big Momâs top officers, on par with our All-StarsâŠ!!"
"So what? If Big Mom herself isnât here, thereâs nothing to fear⊠If they get in our wayâweâll just erase themâŠ!!!"
"!!"
"My, my, looks like weâre really doing this⊠As expected of Lord Jack."
Jackâs unwavering glare and overwhelming presence made his crewâs faces twitch for a moment.
But deep down, they shared Sonoâs mix of exasperation and aweâalong with a spark of admiration.
"Thatâs rightâŠ!! Thereâs no need to fear!! At worst, theyâre our equals!!"
"Who cares about Big Mom!? If theyâre âBig Mom,â then weâre the âBeastsâ!!"
The fiery spirit of his crew reignited.
The title of the most combat-focused among the Four Emperors wasnât for show. And with Jack hereâone of the Tobi Roppo, the strongest of the All-Stars, said to outmatch even the Disasters in sheer madnessâthey werenât lacking in strength. They had weapons and firepower to spare.
"Letâs moveâŠ!! Crush anyone in our way and push forwardâŠ!!!"
"OOH!!!"
At Jackâs command, the Beasts Pirates charged into the jungle.
At the Same Time⊠A Similar Scene Unfolds on the Opposite Side of the Island.
"A Beasts Pirates ship on the other side of the island!?"
"Th-the same as Mama⊠one of the Four Emperors is hereâŠ!?"
"This is bad, Cracker-sama!! We should consult Mamaâs judgmentâ"
The Big Mom Pirates crew and the Homiesâliving chess soldiers born from Mamaâs Soru-Soru no Mi powersâreacted with shock to the report.
After all, their opponent was the Beasts Pirates, led by none other than "Kaido of the Beasts."
There wasnât a soul on these seas unaware of their madness, and as fellow Emperor subordinates, they knew all too well how troublesome a fight with them could be. It was only natural for the rank-and-file crew and Homies to hesitate.
"Calm yourselves!! âŠWhat are your orders, Cracker-sama?"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
Tamago Baron silenced the crew before turning to Cracker, the highest-ranking officer present, for instructions.
Cracker remained silent for a long moment. His stern face betrayed no emotionâthough what went on inside his head was anyoneâs guess.
"âŠâŠYouâre sure Kaido and Nue arenât on that ship?"
"Y-yes!! Most likelyâ"
"Most likely isnât good enough!! Are they there or not!? Which is it!?"
"Y-Y-YES, SIR!! Theyâre not there!! From what we saw, they werenât aboard!!"
Cracker glared at the scout, his tone bordering on desperate.
For him, this was a crew that housed demonic figuresâones tied to past traumas. Even with confirmation they werenât present, an uneasy itch lingered in his chest.
"âŠâŠYouâre absolutely sure?"
"Y-yes!"
"Really? You didnât see⊠say, a UFO?"
"N-no. Nothing like that."
"âŠâŠâŠâŠI see."
Cracker pressed the scout repeatedly, then craned his neck to scan the sky himself. Logically, he knew it was pointlessâbut he had to check.
Tamago Baron observed Crackerâs unusual behavior and sensed his unease. While he didnât know the details of Crackerâs past, working closely with the Charlotte siblings had given him some insight.
"Cracker-sama. Perhaps we should still seek Mamaâsâ"
"âŠNo. Itâs fine!! If Kaido and Nue arenât here⊠I can handle this alone!!"
"! Thenâ"
Tamago Baron nodded in understanding. The meaning was clear:
"Move out, everyone!! Weâll finish Mamaâs errand!! Crush anyone who gets in our way!!"
ââAs one of Big Momâs elite "Sweet Commanders," retreat was never an option.
With Cracker at the helm, the Big Mom Pirates advanced into the jungleâwary of the beasts lurking ahead.
Meanwhile⊠Onigashima.
"GRRROOOOAAAAAHHHâ!!!"
"SHUT UP!!! Just die already, damn itâŠ!!!"
Deep in the underground prison, the battle still raged on.
Hiyori, her kimono in tatters and drenched in blood beyond recognition, clashed with Ulti, who bore no visible injuries. Yet once again, the brutal exchange ended with a clear victor.
ââ"Ulti Head Cannon Barrage: METEOR!!!"
"!!"
A storm of Haki-infused headbuttsâeach said to rival cannon fireâhammered into Hiyori. The relentless assault was too much for her exhausted body, and she collapsed to the ground.
In a real fight, this wouldâve been the endâbut under the current rules, finishing blows were forbidden. Ulti reverted to her human form, turning her back on Hiyori with a dismissive flick of her hair.
"Hmph⊠ââPeeeeee-taaaaaan~⥠Iâm tiiiiired~ Someone bring me teeeea~!"
"Shut up, Sis!! Get it yourself!!"
"SHUT. UPPPPâ!!?"
Ultiâs battle-ready scowl instantly melted into childish whining directed at her brother, Page One. The scene had played out at least ten times already, amusing the girl lounging on a makeshift chair outside the cell.
"Alrighty~! Thatâs another loss for Hiyori-chan!! But since youâre not dead, you get one hour to rest!!"
"âŠSheâs holding out surprisingly well."
Nue, the Beasts Piratesâ Vice Captain, cheerfully announced the break, while King, one of the All-Stars, muttered begrudging admiration at Hiyoriâs endurance.
"Even for a Zoan user, toughness like this is⊠But for a human to last four days without food or waterâ"
"Sheâs growing nicely, isnât she~? âŠThough itâs not just endurance. Sheâs got plansâlook."
"!"
Nue pointed at Hiyori, drawing Kingâs attention. Though barely conscious, Hiyori wasâ
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ!"
"âŠI see. Eating bugs crawling up from the ground."
"Ahaha~, well, duh! If thereâs food, you eat it. Thatâs just survival!"
"And youâre allowing it?"
"Sure am. I mean, câmonâa sheltered princess willingly eating bugs? Thatâs true desperation right there~! Watching a girl transform into a demon is fun, yâknow? âĄ"
"âŠExperience talking?"
King hesitated briefly before asking. Nue, however, wasnât botheredâif anything, not asking wouldâve been ruder. At the question, Nueâs lips curled into a sly grin.
"Fufufu~, who knows~? ââBut if it were me? After killing an opponent, Iâd probably eat them to survive⊠âȘ"
"âŠI see."
King accepted the answer. For those fighting to live, no method was off-limitsâthough few humans could stomach it. Only beasts could.
"So⊠Hiyori has potential?"
"Obviously!! Sheâs Odenâs daughter, after all~ With the right motivation and environment, she might even surpass Yamato or Musashi~"
"âŠNue. About Yamato and Musashiâ"
"Oops, my bad~! Forgot youâve been stuck here for days! Ahaha, youâre totally fed up, huh~?"
"âŠIf you know, then you handle their training."
King exhaled sharply. Honestly, babysitting those two was his most annoying duty right now.
Not that heâd refuseâas Kaido and Nueâs most loyal subordinate, he took pride in his work. But that didnât mean he couldnât complain⊠or at least mutter about it. (Not that theyâd careâNue would probably just laugh.)
As King stewed, Nue picked at a plate of pufferfish sashimi before a Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
"Ehhh~⊠I guess I could cook for them, but training? Yamato hates me, soâ Oh! A call. Helloooo~?"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
King didnât press further, sighing as he listened in.
ăAhemâSono here. Weâre about to engage the Big Mom Pirates. Just thought Iâd⊠yâknowâŠă
"âYâknowâ what!? âActually, whatever."
ăCan I go home, then?ă
"No. Youâre strong when you bother to fight, so do your damn job."
ăSigh⊠Fine. Maybe, probably, possibly, if I feel like it⊠Iâll fight.ă
"Not a single word of that was convincing!! âBut whatever, good luck~!"
ăYaaay⊠Later.ă
The call ended with Sonoâs usual lazy defiance, leaving King to mutter under his breath.
"âŠJokerâs intel was correct, it seems."
"Now this looks like a properly tense exam!!"
Seeing Nue happily eating pufferfish, as if his concerns had been resolved, King couldnât help but reflect on the nature of the test.
Even if they wanted the examinees to experience something close to real combat, pitting them against top officers of another Emperorâs crew⊠Thatâs just insane, he thought.
A deserted island, overgrown with dense forests and inhabited by countless ferocious wild beasts.
Two pirate crews had arrived on this island in search of ingredients.
Given the islandâs relatively small size, it was inevitable that their paths would cross as they ventured deeper inside.
"âItâs the Big Mom PiratesâŠ!!"
"âThe Beasts Pirates are hereâŠ!!"
On one side, rough-and-tumble pirates flying the flag of the Beasts Pirates, exuding the air of a delinquent gang. On the other, sharply dressed pirates under Big Momâs banner, resembling a mafia more than traditional buccaneers. The two groups faced off across a riverside clearing.
At the forefront of each crew stood a towering figure, both nearly eight meters tall.
"That guy isâŠ"
"One of the Big Mom Piratesâ 'Sweet Four Generals'â'Thousand Arms' Cracker."
"And that oneâŠ"
"One of the Beasts Piratesâ 'Tobiroppo'âJack, I believe, Bon."
The mass of pirates parted, leaving the twoâJack of the Beasts Pirates and Cracker of the Big Mom Piratesâstanding opposite each other.
As their respective seconds-in-command whispered their opponentâs identities, the two giants locked eyes.
"...Hey, you."
"!"
Cracker was the first to speak, sparking a verbal exchange.
"Weâre just here to grab ingredients for Mamaâs tea party. If you clear out right now, I might let you walk away."
"Let us walk away�"
The condescending tone made Jackâs response drip with disbelief. After a brief pause, he answered.
"âDenied."
"!!"
His reply came in the form of a slash from his already-drawn scimitar. Negotiation? Such a concept didnât exist in Jackâs mind.
In the world of pirates, showing weakness meant death. Even if the opponent was another Emperorâs crew, if there was something he couldnât yield, retreat was never an option.
The Beasts Pirates were infamous for their refusal to reason. If someone talked down to them, they wouldnât back downâtheyâd take it as an excuse to attack. And destroy everything in their path. Few could withstand the assault of a monster like Jack.
"...!! Hmph!!"
"!!"
Butâhis opponent was also a monster.
Cracker blocked Jackâs strike with his sword, deflecting it before coating his blade in Haki and speaking.
"Damn brat⊠At least let me greet you before we fight."
"âTo someone Iâm about to kill?"
"âYeah. Consider it a mercy, letting you know the name of the man whoâs about to kill youâŠ!!"
Their words stoked their bloodlust, each declaring their intent to slaughter the other. Their crews, sensing the inevitability of battle, raised their weapons.
"Tap once, and two become oneâ"
"!"
At that momentâ
Cracker lightly tapped his own shoulderâand his arms multiplied.
"Tap again, and three become one."
"W-What the hell?!"
"His arms increased! And his swords too?!"
With another tap, more arms appeared. While the Beasts Piratesâ crew gasped in shock, Jack observed coldly and reached the obvious conclusionâa Devil Fruit user.
"I am Cracker, the Biscuit Knight! My sword is 'Pretzel'âa peerless blade unmatched in this world!"
"Quit yappinâ⊠Iâll crush you here and now!! âCharge, you bastards!!!"
"RAAAAAAHHH!!!"
"You brainless bruteâŠ!! Donât think you can win!! âMen, engage!!!"
"YES, SIR!!!"
The Beasts Pirates roared as they surged forward, while the Big Mom Pirates, though composed, met them with equal ferocity.
A skirmish between two Emperorsâ forces. In numbers and skill, they were evenly matched.
Thus, the outcome would hinge on the battle between their commanders.
"'Roll'!!"
"!"
Cracker, one of Big Momâs Generals, swung his tripled blades, infused with Haki.
"'Pretzel'!!!"
"!!?"
"Lord Jack!!?"
"Hah!! As expected of Cracker!!"
Jack took the full force of the slash and was sent flying.
Trees were mowed down as Jack crashed. The Beasts Pirates reeled in shock, while the Big Mom crew cheered.
Yet Cracker remained composed. Watching his opponent riseânow transformed into something far largerâhe muttered.
"Tough bastard⊠A Mammoth Zoan, huh?"
"âDie!!"
"...!!"
A colossal mammothâJack, now an ancient beastâstood and swung his trunk down at Cracker.
Cracker blocked with his six arms and six swords, but the overwhelming force made him grimace.
"As expected of an Ancient ZoanâŠ!!"
"Hmph⊠Is that all�"
"!!?"
Just as Cracker thought heâd withstood the blow, Jack violently wrenched his sword aside and smashed his trunk into Crackerâs side with even greater force.
"Lord Cracker!!"
The power was enough to shatter the biscuit shields Cracker had raised with his remaining arms. This was the might of an Ancient Zoanâno ordinary Devil Fruitâand Jackâs own monstrous strength.
"Tch⊠'Roll'âŠ!!"
"...!!"
Spitting blood but still forcing himself up, Cracker assumed another lethal stance.
Jack charged again, this time with even greater power, intent on crushing him outright.
"'Pretzel'!!!"
"'Trampling Timber'!!!"
A clash of Armament Haki-imbued strikes.
Crackerâs strength was worthy of a General⊠but in raw power, Jack had the edge.
"!!?"
"Ah!! Lord Cracker isâ!?"
"WOOOOOH!! Thatâs our Jack!!!"
And thenâhe shattered.
Not metaphorically. Crackerâs body literally split apart at the middle, crumbling into pieces. The Big Mom Pirates stared in shock.
"Jack of the Beasts Pirates⊠To destroy Lord Crackerâs armor this quickly⊠A formidable foe, I must admit, BonâŠ!!"
Eggman Baron muttered calmly, though clearly startled.
But his surprise wasnât due to Crackerâs defeat.
"Quite the strength⊠Iâll give you that."
"! Ghuhâ!!"
"Lord Jack!?"
Jack, who had just shattered Cracker to pieces, was now coughing up bloodâslashed by an unseen attacker.
Forced back into his human form, he clutched his chest and glared at his opponent.
"You bastardâŠ!!"
"Fufu⊠So youâre Jack, huh? Some low-tier grunt. I couldnât be bothered to remember your name before⊠but Iâll make an exception now, since youâve proven yourself as one of the Beasts Piratesâ Flying Six. Consider it a privilege."
"...That body of yours⊠a Devil Fruit power?!"
"Despair yet? I can create and control infinite biscuits! The Biscuit-Biscuit Fruitâs Biscuit Human!!"
ăBIG MOM PIRATES "SWEET FOUR GENERALS" â "THOUSAND-ARMS" CRACKER: BOUNTY 660,000,000 BERRIESă
Emerging from the wreckage of the shattered armor was a man about three meters tall, a scar running down the right side of his faceâthe real Charlotte Cracker.
"I hate pain, you see⊠so I fight in armor!! Iâll give you credit for figuring that out⊠even the World Government hasnât caught on! They just slapped my armorâs image on the wanted posters like idiots!!"
"Tch⊠Hiding behind armor that breaks in one hit? Pathetic. Youâre not even fit to lick Nueâs boots."
"...!! Shut your mouth!! Donât you dare compare me to that hag!!"
Cracker, who had been oozing confidence moments ago, suddenly twisted in rage at the mention of Nueâs name. Jack smirked and pressed further.
"Seems like youâre real scared of herâŠ"
"I said SHUT IT!! Donât get cocky, you Kaido/Nue lackeyâŠ!!"
Veins bulged on Crackerâs forehead as he spawned more Biscuit Soldiersâreplicas of the armor heâd just worn.
"You got lucky breaking one of my soldiersâŠ!! Now Iâll make you pay for pissing me off!! Iâll give you double the pain that hag once gave me!!!"
"L-Lord Jack!! Heâs making moreâ!!"
"An ability to create infinite biscuits�!"
"What do we do, SonĆ-sama!?"
Even SonĆ, usually unflappable, covered her mouth in shock as Cracker clapped his hands, summoning more soldiers. A crewmate desperately asked for orders, but SonĆâs eyes sparkled instead.
"With that power, weâd never have to worry about food costs againâŠ! No, waitâwe could mass-produce biscuits and sell them for infinite profitâ"
"SONĆ-SAMA!?"
"Ah, my bad. My laziness addiction flared up again."
The crew groaned as SonĆ fantasized about exploiting the Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit. Meanwhile, Cracker finished amassing his army.
"Relax!! Iâll beat you all black and blue and send you crawling home!! âADVANCE!!"
"...!!"
"UWAAHHâ!? The soldiers are charging!!"
The Biscuit Soldiers raised their shields and marched. The Beasts Pirates falteredâbut not Jack. He barreled straight into the horde.
"Iâll smash you into crumbs like your damn biscuitsâŠ!!"
"Quit running your mouth, brat!! Time to teach you there are foes you canât beat!!"
Jack collided with the Biscuit Soldiers.
His raw power surpassed theirs, and each soldier could only endure a few hits.
But their numbers were infinite. No matter how many Jack destroyed, Cracker simply clapped his hands and spawned moreâall while closing in to fight himself.
"Honey WaveâPretzel!!!"
"!!!"
"OHHH!! GO, CRACKER-SAMA!!"
"Weâre right behind you!!"
Crackerâs blade sliced into Jackâs flesh, rallying the Big Mom Pirates. The tide of battle was turning in their favor.
"RAAAAHHH!!"
"At this rate, itâs just bullying, no~? Letâs wipe out their crew before Cracker-sama finishes Jack, Bon~!!"
"Guhâ!?"
Among them, the one achieving particularly notable results was a combatant of the Big Mom Piratesânone other than Baron Tamago, who held the highest rank as a "Knight." With his abnormally long legsâa hallmark of the Longleg Tribeâhe effortlessly sent the Beast Pirates' fighters flying one after another.
"Leg Benedict!!!"
"Gwaaaaahâ!!?"
"DammitâŠ!! That long-legged bastardâs strong!!"
"Itâs not that weâre weak, SoufflĂ©. We just need someone with more backboneâhuh?"
"Gyaaaaahâ!!?"
As Baron Tamago mowed down the Beast Piratesâ combatants with ease, a different scene unfolded in another directionâBig Mom Piratesâ own fighters were being hurled aside, clearing a path. Tamago took a few steps forward, glancing toward where his allies had been sent flying.
"Thatâs⊠a mermaid?!"
"Baron!! That mermaidâs ridiculously strong⊠we canât get close!!"
Indeedâthe one responsible was a mermaid.
A young female mermaid with languid, half-lidded eyes let out a sigh as she watched the approaching Big Mom Piratesâ crew.
"What a bother⊠Iâd really like to clock out on time, you knowâŠ"
"Raaah!! Quit daydreaminâ!!"
"Sheâs wide open!!"
"âHonestly."
The moment the sword-wielding Big Mom Piratesâ crew attacked, the mermaid fluidly moved her hand.
"Water Surface Drop."
"Whoaâ!?"
"Huh?"
It happened in an instant.
Just before their blades could strikeâbefore her hand even seemed to touch themâthe attacking Big Mom Piratesâ fighters were violently flung into the air.
"Gyaaaaahâ!!?"
"Wooooahâ!!?"
They were then unceremoniously dumped into a nearby river. Witnessing this, Baron Tamagoâs eyes sharpened with intensity.
"That technique⊠a masterâs work. Sheâs no half-baked amateur⊠Who is she?"
"âŠSigh⊠Somehow⊠dealing with reckless, overenthusiastic amateurs like thisâŠ"
Her identity was Sonoâa top-tier fighter of the Beast Pirates.
But she held another title beyond that. Though she had since retired from it, she was, as Baron Tamago had surmised, a true master.
ăBeast Pirates "Tobiroppo" & Former Merman Combat Instructor â "Still Water" Sono â Bounty: 264,900,000 Berriesă
"It just reminds me of certain princes and thugs⊠and frankly, itâs exhausting."
Despite still being a single-tailed mermaid, her strength on land was enough to repel even the fiercest piratesâa Ryugu Kingdom mermaid of extraordinary skill.
Realizing that ordinary combatants and Homies stood no chance, Baron Tamago stepped forward.
"Bonjour. You appear to be quite the master⊠but I canât have you taking out any more of our fighters, bon. Youâll be falling here, soir."
"No, itâs just an old trick of mineânothing impressive. But since dragging this out would be tedious⊠Iâll get serious for a little while. Do be careful."
"!!"
And so, the Longleg pirate and the mermaid pirate clashedâescalating the battle between the Big Mom Pirates and the Beast Pirates to even greater heights.
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