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Chapter 179: Big Mom? She's a Total Catch!
🕑 Added 2025-09-09 12:44:25 +0000 UTCChapter 179: Big Mom? She's a Total Catch!
Shane was blissfully oblivious to the shockwaves his battle had sent across the world.
Right now, he was on the deck of the Queen Mama Chanter, sitting at a grand dining table and absolutely obliterating a mountain of sweets. With cream smeared all over his face, he didn't have a single care in the world.
Hey, a man's gotta eat!
He'd skipped dinner last night, and his last real meal was that Elephant Tuna at noon yesterday. Add a high-octane brawl with Admiral Akainu to the mix, and after more than a dozen hours, his stomach was roaring louder than a hungry Sea King.
Across the table, Sweet Commanders Katakuri and Smoothie stood watching him, their expressions a strange mix of awe and bewilderment.
Behind them, several other children of the Charlotte Family were staring, their jaws practically on the deck. They couldn't help but start whispering to one another.
"Whoa, look at him go."
"That appetite... it's gotta be at least half of Mama's!"
"It's a shame. He's kinda cute, but his table manners are atrocious. Doesn't he care about his image at all?"
"I know, right? He's no match for our perfect Brother Katakuri..."
"Hush! Sister Smoothie will hear you, and you know she won't be happy!"
...
Standing amidst the crowd was a hulking man with a fiery red pompadour and a cloak, his massive arms crossed over his chest. He let out a cold snort. This was Charlotte Oven, user of the Heat-Heat Fruit, the fourth son of the Charlotte Family, Katakuri's triplet brother, and the Minister of Browned Food.
On the official "Most Popular Big Brother" rankings in Totto Land, he was a solid number two.
And as a big brother, he had to say... these younger siblings of his were clueless!
Table manners? Who cares about that nonsense? For a real man, strength is the only thing that matters!
And the guy in front of them was living proof, wasn't he?
He'd literally dropped out of the sky onto their ship, apparently looking for Mama. When he couldn't find her, his eyes lit up at the sight of the dessert spread, and he just sat down and started stuffing his face without a shred of hesitation.
Dammit!
This was a Yonko's flagship! To act so brazenly, without a care in the world... the sheer arrogance was infuriating!
And yet...
Oven's fists clenched so hard they cracked. He desperately wanted to march over there and teach the guy a lesson, to defend the honor of the Charlotte Family.
But after a long internal struggle, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Just a little while ago, he'd watched through the ship's high-powered spyglass as this very same guy fought Admiral Akainu to a dead standstill.
A guy with that kind of power could probably knock him unconscious with a single punch. It was probably best to keep his mouth shut.
Besides, Katakuri was in charge. If he wasn't worried, why should Oven be?
Oven glanced at his brother, but just then, Katakuri finally decided he couldn't wait any longer. He took a step forward, his voice deep and resonant. "Shane."
"Hm?" Shane mumbled, shoving a massive corn tart into his mouth. He looked up, his expression blank.
"You've had your fill, I presume..." Katakuri said, a vein pulsing on his forehead. "Offering you dessert was our duty as hosts, of course... but perhaps you could pause for a moment and allow me to state our purpose for being here?"
"Your purpose? I think I can guess," Shane said, taking a sip of water to wash everything down. He grinned. "Caused too much of a ruckus, did I? Don't worry, I'm not planning on invading Totto Land... yet."
Invading Totto Land?
This bastard has some nerve!
Oven's face darkened, his fists tightened again, but he held himself back.
"Shane, I suggest you refrain from such jokes," Katakuri said, his brow furrowed. "If we were only drawn here by the commotion of your fight with the Admiral, we wouldn't have had enough time to arrive. To be frank, this is a complete coincidence. We've been searching this stretch of sea for your crew, the Curtain Call Adventurers, for several days. It just so happens that today, we stumbled upon your war..."
"You've been looking for me for days?" Shane asked, surprised. "What for?"
"We're here on Mama's orders," Smoothie cut in, "to propose a marriage alliance."
She lit a slim cigarette, eyeing the dark-haired young man with keen interest. This handsome kid could actually go toe-to-toe with that Akainu?
The more she looked, the more impressed she was. If only he were a little taller, he'd be perfect.
She shot Katakuri a look that clearly said, "This is the one," then pulled out a chair and sat down, smiling charmingly at Shane.
"So, what do you think, handsome? Marriage is a big step in life, so you don't have to answer right away. We can give you some time to think it over."
"Marriage alliance? Getting married?"
Shane was so shocked he sprayed a mouthful of water everywhere. His eyes bulged. "HUH?! BIG MOM WANTS TO MARRY ME?!"
How did she even set her sights on me? This is so out of left field!
Shane sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.
Hsssss...
He did a quick mental calculation. Big Mom had to be... what? Over sixty? He pictured her immense, blubbery frame, her voracious, soul-stealing appetite...
Who the hell could handle THAT?!
Even if they brought in a legendary powerhouse... no, the specs were all wrong! Nobody has experience piloting a heavy tank like that!
"Uhhh..." Shane was at a loss for words.
Now, if you turned back the clock forty years... back when Charlotte Linlin was in her prime, a devastatingly beautiful powerhouse... that would be a different story. She'd be a total catch.
But now... it was probably better to...
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME, PUNK!" Oven finally exploded, his face beet red. "Why would Mama marry you?! Are you trying to climb over all of us and become our step-father?!"
"Silence, Oven." Katakuri took a deep breath and turned back to Shane. "My apologies, my sister's words were ambiguous. Rest assured, it's nothing like that. The marriage candidate we have in mind is someone I guarantee you'll be satisfied with. It is..."
He glanced at Smoothie and offered a slight smile. "...one of the finest unmarried children of the Charlotte Family."
"Huh?" Shane's expression became even more bewildered.
He sized up Katakuri from head to toe, a slow, mischievous grin spreading across his face. "So, it's you then? You know... you've got a certain charm. I could be convinced."
"?!?"
Katakuri's visible eye widened as he instinctively took a step back. "...Shane, I'm a man."
"Pffft—AHAHAHAHA!" Shane slammed his hand on the table and roared with laughter, tears welling in his eyes. "Sorry, sorry! It was just a joke! Don't be so serious!"
He wiped a tear from his eye and turned his gaze to Smoothie, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "So, the marriage candidate is you?"
"What, not satisfied?" Smoothie chuckled, exhaling a perfect smoke ring. Her lips curled into a smirk.
"Before I met you, I felt pretty much the same way. But your strength and your looks... I'll admit, I'm intrigued. Especially your strength. The biggest reason I'm still single after all these years is that I can't stand men who are weaker than me."
"Well, what a coincidence," Shane said with a cheerful smile. "I feel the same way. I have no interest in women who are weaker than me."
THWACK!
Before his words even finished echoing, Shane's leg shot out in a vicious kick aimed straight at Smoothie.
The kick was impossibly fast. Smoothie had no time to react; the blow was about to land.
But...
Before Shane's foot had even fully extended, a crimson flash flared in Katakuri's eye. He moved like a phantom, appearing in front of Smoothie in an instant and crossing his arms to block.
CLANG!
The sound was like steel striking steel. Sweat beaded on Katakuri's forehead, but he stood his ground, unmoving, having completely neutralized the attack.
"This marriage proposal may be abrupt for a first meeting, but we have treated you with courtesy and respect. If you do not wish to accept, you could have simply refused. Why attack my sister?" Katakuri stared at Shane, his eye narrowed. "Or... were you just trying to test me?"
He was almost certain it was the latter.
After all, there was barely any force behind Shane's kick.
If there had been, he would have been sent flying hundreds of meters. There was no way he'd be standing here unscathed.
"It's so much easier talking to smart people," Shane grinned, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up.
He was physically shorter than everyone else at the table, but the terrifying aura radiating from him made every single person present feel as if they were the ones looking up.
A man like this...
Perhaps only Mama could truly tame him.
Katakuri, being the closest, felt the immense pressure most acutely. A cold sweat trickled down his temple, and a pang of regret hit him.
I shouldn't have brought my sister here to meet him...
But back then, who could have predicted this?
When they were first arranging this political marriage, Shane's most glorious achievement was defeating the "Dark King" Rayleigh and successfully escaping from an Admiral.
Rayleigh hadn't been active on the seas for years; he was old, and his strength had surely declined. As for escaping an Admiral... Katakuri was confident he could do the same.
So, in their original assessment, Shane was, at best, a little stronger than himself—still in the same tier.
But now?
After witnessing his clash with Akainu firsthand, that childish, laughable notion had been utterly shattered.
In his mind, Shane's status had skyrocketed, elevating him to a level that was dangerously close to Mama's own.
To protect the interests of the Charlotte Family, this was a man they absolutely could not afford to offend.
"My Observation Haki is my weak link," Shane said, his knuckles tapping a rhythm on the table as he stared intently at Katakuri. "And you... you're world-famous for an Observation Haki that can see into the future."
"Since we've crossed paths, I can't just let you leave. Before you return to Totto Land, spar with me for a while. Help me sharpen my Haki. How about it?"
He'd always had a certain respect for this guy.
Setting aside their conflicting positions, Katakuri was a genuinely good brother and a respectable man. His strength was formidable, and his Observation Haki was in a class of its own—probably superior to even some of the Yonko.
Katakuri was silent for a moment, clearly not expecting such a request.
"I can," he finally said after a short pause. "However, I have one condition."
"Oh?" Shane raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it."
"If you were to marry Smoothie, I would gladly be your training partner for a lifetime, not just a few days. But... since you have no intention of marrying my sister, you are an outsider. I don't have the spare time to help an outsider get stronger."
Katakuri produced an envelope from his coat and placed it on the table, his gaze sharp.
"So that you don't remain a complete outsider, I ask that you at least come to Whole Cake Island to meet Mama. Attend her Tea Party two months from now."
Shane's eyes fell on the letter.
—A VIP invitation to the Tea Party.
He was familiar with these.
Every so often, Big Mom would host a massive Tea Party. Attendees included her children, their political spouses, and various allied forces from the underworld. It was a way to network and maintain relationships while also flexing the might of the Big Mom Pirates.
Accepting this invitation would mean accepting an olive branch from the Charlotte Family. It wouldn't make them allies, not by a long shot, but it would establish them as friendly acquaintances who wouldn't be hostile to each other—for now.
After a moment's consideration, Shane picked up the invitation.
"Alright." He smiled. "For the sake of these delicious desserts, I accept. Just remember to give me a call on the Transponder Snail to remind me beforehand. I'll be there."
The desserts, of course, were just an excuse.
The real reason was something he'd already said jokingly.
—He truly had no plans to make an enemy of Big Mom yet.
For one, his crew wasn't ready. The Curtain Call Adventurers were strong, but the overall power of the Charlotte Family, with its vast and well-structured officer corps, was immense. His friends couldn't yet handle the likes of the Sweet Commanders.
As for Big Mom herself?
Shane wasn't afraid of her. Before his fight with Akainu, he might have had doubts, but now, he was fully confident in his own strength.
The other reason was that among the Four Emperors, Totto Land's thirty-six islands were, relatively speaking, the most harmonious and stable territory.
The residents there had to pay a price in their lifespan and live with the occasional fear of Big Mom's hunger pangs, but it was a place where all races could coexist peacefully, with no shortage of food and a decent quality of life.
Big Mom was a complicated old woman. She was tyrannical and cruel, but you had to admit, she had a vision and the ability to back it up, running her territory with surprising order.
Compared to Kaido's brutal oppression and Shanks's mysterious non-interference, Totto Land's order was actually closer to Shane's own ideal for a domain—stable, prosperous... the spitting image of a true nation.
Therefore, until he had the overwhelming power to effortlessly crush the Big Mom Pirates, there was no need to subject the people of Totto Land to the horrors of war.
"Then it's settled," Katakuri said gravely. "Rest assured, with your power, Mama will show you the respect you deserve. You will be treated as the most honored guest in the history of our Tea Parties."
"Sounds good to me."
Shane stood up, stretched languidly, and beckoned to Katakuri with a playful grin. "Well then, for the next few days, you're my sparring partner. It's going to be hard work, you know. You'd better be ready."
Katakuri gave a slight nod, then turned to Smoothie, Oven, and the others. "You all return to Whole Cake Island and report to Mama. I will remain here to assist Lord Shane with his training for a few days."
