One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

With his mind made up, Roger began to look for an opportunity, hoping to find a reason to send Rayleigh away. He trusted Rayleigh's efficiency in handling matters. But before he could come up with a suitable excuse, Daifuku, who had gone out earlier, came rushing back in a panic, shouting:

"Mom! Something terrible has happened on the Island that Oven was guarding!"

His outburst made the entire area go silent. Linlin lowered her head, her face shadowed.

As usual, it was Linlin who spoke up first, "Calm down. What exactly happened with Oven?"

Daifuku swallowed nervously and replied, "They said Oven's ship is docked at the shore, but neither Oven nor his men are anywhere to be found. There's only… only…"

"Only what?"

"Only blood! The shore and the ship are covered in blood! Oven and his men must have been ambushed!"

"Nani?!"

Hearing this, the Big Mom Pirates stood up with furious expressions. Only Katakuri remained calm, speaking in a deep voice,

"Daifuku, did you try calling Oven with a Den Den Mushi first?"

Daifuku nodded. "Yes, but he didn't answer. So I called his quarters, and that's when I was told what they found on the shore."

"So, no one heard anything? That means the enemy's strength far exceeded Oven's. He must have been taken down in an instant, otherwise, we would have received the news sooner."

Katakuri paused, narrowing his gaze on Roger and his crew, then said coldly,

"Roger, did you pass by this Island on your way here?"

The implication was clear: Katakuri suspected Roger's crew of being responsible.

Katakuri commanded a high level of respect among his siblings, and at his suggestion, the others turned hostile gazes toward Roger and his crew. Buggy, indignant, stood up and shouted angrily,

"Oi, oi, oi! We don't even know where your Island is! We didn't stop on any islands on the way here!"

Beside him, Shanks gave a thumbs-up, admiring Buggy's spirited response.

Crack! The sound of breaking glass echoed as Linlin's teacup shattered into tiny fragments, her fury barely contained. Seeing her about to explode, Roger frowned and said in a low voice,

"Linlin, we came directly to Cake Island. We didn't stop anywhere or meet anyone along the way."

Despite Roger's words, suspicion lingered among the Big Mom Pirates. Shanks couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "We didn't do it! Stop pointing fingers!"

Katakuri glared at Shanks, his eyes narrowing as he released his Conqueror's Haki. However, it had no effect on Shanks, who withstood it without any difficulty. Even Buggy held his ground.

Roger, his patience worn thin, released a wave of his own Conqueror's Haki, infused with red and black lightning, pushing back against Katakuri's aura. Katakuri staggered, his face paling as he was forced several steps back, eventually stabilized by his brother Perospero.

The next moment, Linlin flipped the table and, without another word, swung her sword at Roger. This time, Roger didn't hold back. He countered with a swift strike of his own.

In an instant, the entire garden was devastated by the shockwaves from their clash. The weaker Shanks and Buggy were sent flying by the impact.

Linlin grabbed Prometheus and pressed it into Napoleon, then swung again at Roger, shouting.

Roger parried and, in a flash, moved behind her, slashing several times. Linlin's body was instantly covered in Armament Haki, allowing her to withstand the attacks with sheer toughness. Her skin boasted nearly unparalleled defense, prompting Roger to look at her with an expression of amazement.

At that moment, a massive purple lightning bolt struck down from the sky, targeting Roger. Thankfully, Roger had anticipated it with his Observation Haki. He turned and slashed, dispersing the lightning with a single stroke.

Zeus hovered in the sky, ready to strike again, but Roger quickly vanished from his spot, reappearing beside Rayleigh and whispering something urgently to him. As Linlin charged forward once more, Roger pushed Rayleigh aside and faced her head-on.

Meanwhile, the Big Mom Pirates, led by Katakuri, charged at Rayleigh and the others.

Bullet roared and transformed into his demonic form, launching a punch at Katakuri, who was at the front. However, his fist passed straight through Katakuri's body.

Katakuri, using his Observation Haki and Devil Fruit abilities, evaded Barrett's attack. His arm swelled, growing spikes covered in Armament Haki, resembling a massive mace as he swung it at Barrett.

"Cleave Mochi!"

Bullet scoffed, easily blocking the blow with one hand while his other hand launched a relentless series of punches. Katakuri attempted to shift his form repeatedly, but Barrett's speed overwhelmed his Observation Haki's predictive abilities, and Katakuri soon took several hits, spitting blood.

Seeing Katakuri struggling, Perospero quickly formed a thick candy wall and rushed over to support him, casting a stream of purple syrup at Barrett to trap him.

But Bullet shrugged off the syrup with a single movement, scattering it effortlessly.

Perospero seized the moment to regroup with Katakuri, preparing another attempt to restrain Bullet with his candy, while Katakuri, wielding his trident, charged forward once more. Even against both brothers' combined strength, Bullet continued to fight with ease, only beginning to feel pressured when Charlotte Daifuku joined the fray.

Elsewhere, Shanks and Buggy were facing off against a hulking warrior clad in armor made of solid biscuits. Even with Armament Haki, Shanks struggled to break through the formidable biscuit armor.

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+170 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg