Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Pirate Game Begins
The Pirate Game, Davy Back Fight.
Almost everyone present knew of it.
They also understood the rules.
"All-out war or the Pirate Game—two choices," Katakuri and the others quickly pondered in their minds.
It was abundantly clear that Kuke was determined to take Smoothie and the others.
Equally clear was the fact that Big Mom had something of Kuke's she was determined to get.
The invitation to the tea party today was for precisely this purpose.
Both sides wanted something from the other.
"So what will Mama choose?"
Katakuri and his siblings were anxiously watching Big Mom.
Compared to an all-out battle, the Pirate Game Davy Back Fight was a much more advantageous option for the family.
There would be no massive casualties, no heavy losses.
They could even potentially get everything they wanted without any losses at all.
Big Mom's fierce eyes were shifting rapidly as she thought.
An all-out war?
She scrutinized Kuke and every member of the Sun and Moon Pirates.
Initially, she had underestimated Kuke, but after meeting him, his overwhelming aura had left her heart pounding. She had to admit, he was a monster on her level.
And Gion and the others weren't easy to deal with either.
Big Mom wasn't entirely confident she could win an all-out war.
"Mama... The Pirate Game, Davy Back Fight—I've never played it before. Alright, let's do it," Big Mom declared.
"How do we bet? Best of three?"
"One round for one person," Kuke replied, uninterested in dragging it out.
One round, one person.
"Fine," Big Mom agreed. "Our game doesn't need to be flashy like those other pirate games. Strength—stand to win, fall to lose."
The Pirate Game, Davy Back Fight, had many forms.
Races, swimming, all kinds of competitions.
But those were games for lower-level pirates.
For Emperors of the Sea, there was no place for such mundane games.
"Of course," Kuke replied, looking back at Gion and the others.
One-on-one.
Easily outmatching Big Mom's children.
"Then let's begin. Who do you want if you win?" Big Mom asked eagerly.
Kuke looked over at Smoothie and the others, his gaze settling on Galette first.
Galette felt both touched and dejected.
Touched, because Kuke chose her first every time, proving that she held the most weight in his heart among the four of them.
She had made dishes from her hometown with great care, which had touched Kuke deeply.
It had given her an edge over Smoothie's combat prowess, making Kuke want her most.
Her dejection stemmed from the fact that Kuke didn't intend to marry her—at most, she would become his crew member. The gap in status left her feeling low.
And then there was Mama.
She was treating her as nothing more than a bargaining chip in a gamble.
Galette was, after all, a pirate with a bounty over 100 million berries.
A core member of the Big Mom Pirates.
Now reduced to a bargaining chip.
It was hard to accept.
"Alright," Big Mom agreed.
Galette's sense of loss deepened.
Pudding softly comforted her.
"If I win, I want..." Big Mom's eyes burned as she stared at Kuke.
What she wanted most was Kuke himself.
But even Big Mom found it difficult to say aloud that she wanted to exchange Galette for Kuke himself—she knew it was too much.
No one would agree to that.
"I want the bearer of the Op-Op Fruit," Big Mom said instead, opting for her second choice.
Belo Betty furrowed her brow, glaring at Big Mom.
She dared target me?
But Belo Betty stayed quiet, her gaze turning toward Kuke.
Would my captain, my man, agree to this?
"No," Kuke refused.
Big Mom's eyes widened with rage. "What did you say? I agreed, but you're not willing? How is this Pirate Game supposed to continue?!"
"My crew members are not bargaining chips. I will never agree to wager them," Kuke replied.
Big Mom laughed in anger.
"Are you messing with me?!"
Her face flushed red with rage, veins bulging.
Did he think she was a fool?
Did he take her for an idiot?
"No crew members, but I have other things—the Road Poneglyphs, including myself," Kuke continued, his words instantly extinguishing Big Mom's wrath.
Big Mom's breathing grew rapid.
Of everything within the Sun and Moon Pirates, there were three things Big Mom desired most: Kuke himself, the Op-Op Fruit, and the Road Poneglyphs.
Kuke represented powerful genes.
The Op-Op Fruit represented eternal youth.
The Road Poneglyphs were treasures crucial for becoming the Pirate King.
She wanted each of them.
Now Kuke was putting the Road Poneglyphs, and even himself, on the betting table...
Big Mom couldn't contain her grin.
In her heart, no family member—not even Galette or Smoothie—weighed more than the Road Poneglyphs or Kuke himself.
There were only four Road Poneglyphs in existence.
Kuke was one of the Four Emperors.
She was going to make a fortune.
A huge one.
Big Mom had no reason to refuse.
Her face couldn't hide her smile.
Big Mom mocked Kuke in her heart, laughing at how highly he valued his crew. How naïve, how easy to manipulate.
"Alright then, if I win the first round, I want the Road Poneglyph," Big Mom said, her voice filled with excitement she couldn't completely hide.
"Agreed," Kuke nodded.
"Captain~~~" Belo Betty, usually brash and bold, uncharacteristically showed a shy demeanor, even pouting.
"Sigh..."
Katakuri let out a long sigh.
"What's wrong? Isn't this a good thing? Trading Galette for the Road Poneglyph—totally worth it," Daifuku and Oven said, puzzled by Katakuri's reaction.
How could this not be a gain for them?
Katakuri glanced at them, then at the other family members.
They all thought the family had made a great deal.
But... Galette was their family!
Loving his family deeply, Katakuri hesitated to speak up, ultimately just sighing as he looked at Big Mom, knowing even he couldn't change her mind.
"No wonder he managed to gather so many comrades in such a short time," Katakuri silently thought as he looked at Kuke.
He finally understood why.
Following a captain like that must bring the crew a sense of security.
Galette looked around at the others in her family, seeing the smiles on their faces.
It felt as if she had become completely alone.
No one cared.
She looked over at the Sun and Moon Pirates.
The worst part was the comparison.
"Maybe joining the Sun and Moon Pirates wouldn't be so bad after all," Galette thought. Just moments ago, she didn't know which side to support, but now her heart had begun to lean.
"Who will you send?" Big Mom asked Kuke. "The participants at least have to be of equal rank, right?"
Big Mom might not know the story of the Trojan Horse, but she knew well enough to avoid such a situation.
The entire sea knew that Kuke was cunning, even managing to kill the likes of Sengoku the Buddha.
Big Mom wouldn't dare to play games with Kuke, nor would she allow Kuke to play games with her.
"Fine."
One captain against another.
Kuke wasn't afraid in the slightest.
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DONT FORGET POWER STONE
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