A New War

For weeks, Gaku and Lili hunted down members of Big Mom's crew, systematically dismantling her network and weakening her grip on smaller territories. They started with low-ranking pirates operating under her flag, rogue smugglers, and enforcers stationed in vulnerable territories. Each confrontation ended the same way—with bodies strewn on the ground and Big Mom's banner torn down.

To Gaku's surprise, many of these skirmishes were almost too easy. The infamous reputation of Big Mom's crew seemed to falter at the edges of her empire. It was as though their confidence in her name alone made them careless. Gaku, armed with his refined strength, new techniques, and relentless resolve, dispatched his enemies with unnerving precision.

"These guys are supposed to be under Big Mom?" Gaku scoffed one evening after cutting down a group of pirates near a coastal village. He wiped blood from his new mace, its surface gleaming with the last rays of the setting sun. "They're nothing but insects."

Lili, perched on a nearby rock, narrowed his eyes. "Don't let it go to your head, boss. These are small fry. Her real crew? They'd eat you alive if you're not careful."

Gaku ignored him, his lips twitching into a satisfied grin. Each victory fed his ego and strengthened his resolve to continue the assault.

Then came the day Gaku crossed an unspoken line. On a remote island that had once been an outpost for Big Mom's operations, they encountered Charlotte Primelle, one of Big Mom's daughters and a respected officer in her crew. Unlike the others, she put up a fight, her mastery over her Devil Fruit abilities pushing Gaku harder than any of the previous opponents.

"Finally," Gaku muttered, his red eyes gleaming as he dodged a barrage of attacks. "Someone worth the effort."

Despite her strength, Primelle couldn't withstand Gaku's relentless ferocity. With a brutal swing of his mace, he ended the battle, leaving her lifeless body crumpled on the ground.

Lili approached cautiously, his ears flattened. "You realize what you've just done, right? Killing one of her kids? Big Mom's going to notice this."

"She'll notice?" Gaku shrugged, already turning away from the body. "Good. Let her."

"It's not just about her noticing," Lili pressed. "You've just painted a massive target on our backs. And she won't send small fry anymore."

Gaku waved him off. "It's been a week since I killed her. Nothing's happened. Maybe Big Mom's not as protective as people say."

Lili shook his head, muttering under his breath. "You're going to get us both killed..."

Their hunts abruptly came to a halt. Big Mom's network seemed to have tightened, her crew retreating to the safety of Whole Cake Island. It left Gaku frustrated and aimless, prowling the shoreline of a remote island as he debated his next move.

"We can't find anyone else," Gaku grumbled, sitting on a fallen log. "It's like they've all vanished."

Lili, sprawled lazily on the sand, yawned. "That's probably a sign that we should stop poking the hornet's nest, don't you think?"

Before Gaku could respond, his expression darkened. His sharp senses picked up on a powerful presence heading straight for them. Rising to his feet, he grabbed his mace and turned toward the forest.

"Someone's coming," Gaku said, his voice low.

Lili jumped up, confused. "What? Who?"

The trees parted, revealing none other than Charlotte Daifuku, one of Big Mom's top-ranking sons. His expression was twisted with fury, and his genie-like Devil Fruit ability flickered ominously at his side.

"You're the bastard who killed my sister," Daifuku growled, stepping forward. "You're dead."

Lili's fur bristled. "Oh, great. Just who we needed. I told you this would happen!"

Daifuku wasted no time, summoning his massive genie-like apparition to launch a devastating attack. The air around them crackled with power as the genie swung its enormous blade, cutting through trees and rocks like paper.

Gaku smirked, dodging the swing with ease. "Finally, someone worth my time again."

The battle was fierce, with Daifuku unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks. His genie moved with incredible speed and precision, each swing of its blade creating shockwaves that shook the ground. But Gaku was faster, weaving through the attacks with uncanny agility. He swung his mace with brutal efficiency, deflecting blows and countering with bone-crushing force.

Daifuku's frustration grew as the fight dragged on. "Stop dodging, you coward!"

"I'm not dodging," Gaku taunted, landing a solid blow to Daifuku's side that sent him crashing into a tree. "You're just too slow."

Within minutes, Daifuku's movements grew sluggish, his attacks more desperate. Gaku took advantage, shattering the genie's blade with a perfectly timed strike before slamming his mace into Daifuku's chest. The impact sent the Big Mom pirate sprawling to the ground, coughing up blood.

Daifuku glared up at Gaku, his voice weak but defiant. "Kill me if you want. But know this—Big Mom will crush you for what you've done."

Gaku raised his mace for the finishing blow but hesitated. An idea flickered in his mind.

"No," he said, lowering the weapon slightly. "You're more useful alive."

Gaku knocked Daifuku unconscious, tying him up with makeshift restraints. Lili watched from a safe distance, his tail flicking nervously.

"What's the plan now?" Lili asked. "You gonna drag him around like a trophy?"

Gaku smirked. "Not quite. I have something bigger in mind."

He turned to Lili, his red eyes glinting. "Big Mom cares about her family, right?"

Lili nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, it's common knowledge. Why?"

Gaku's grin widened. "Then we're going to make some chaos. If she cares so much, let's see how far she'll go to protect one of her precious sons."

Lili tilted his head, his unease growing. "What kind of chaos are we talking about?"

Gaku didn't answer, his grin only growing wider. Instead, he looked out at the horizon, his thoughts already forming a dangerous plan.

"Hey, Lili," he said after a moment. "Do you know the nearest kingdom?"

__________________________________

It was a cold and gloomy morning when Gaku marched into the heart of a nearby kingdom, his hostage, Charlotte Daifuku, slung limply over his shoulder. Lili trotted behind, his expression one of mixed disbelief and annoyance as they entered the gates. The kingdom's guards had attempted to stop them, but Gaku's overwhelming strength and speed left a trail of broken weapons and bodies in his wake.

The king's palace was grand but eerily silent now. Every guard had been incapacitated or fled, leaving the royal family cornered in their luxurious throne room. The king, a portly man draped in silk robes, sat trembling in his throne. His wife and young son clung to him, their eyes wide with terror as Gaku approached.

The imposing figure stopped before the throne, tossing Daifuku's unconscious body onto the ground. The thud echoed through the hall. Lili hopped onto a nearby table, licking his paw nonchalantly, though his eyes betrayed his concern.

The king stammered, trying to compose himself. "W-what do you want from us? W-we have nothing to do with you or this man!"

Gaku's crimson eyes gleamed as he leaned forward, resting his mace on his shoulder. "Relax. I'm not here for your wealth or your power." His voice was calm but carried an edge of menace. "I'm here because I need to be entertained."

The king's face contorted with confusion. "Entertained? What does that mean?"

Lili sighed, sitting up. "It means you're in for a nightmare, Your Highness."

For the last four days, Daifuku had been enduring Gaku's madness. The wounds from their fight hadn't fully healed, and the humiliation of being paraded around like a trophy stung deeper than the bruises.

Lili, in stark contrast, seemed perpetually unimpressed. "You know, boss, I don't think you've thought this through," the cat said on their second day of travel. "What exactly are you going to do with him?"

Gaku had smirked. "You'll see."

Daifuku had gritted his teeth. "You're insane. My family will come for me."

"Your family," Gaku had replied with a laugh, "is about to be very busy with something else."

Back in the throne room, Gaku raised his voice, addressing the trembling king. "Here's what you're going to do. You'll send out journals across the world—every kingdom, every port, every outpost." He leaned closer, his crimson eyes narrowing. "The news will be simple: Blackbeard has captured both me and this pathetic excuse for a fighter."

The room fell into a stunned silence. The king blinked, trying to process the words. "Blackbeard? What... why? Why fake such a story?"

Gaku's grin widened, sharp and predatory. "Because if Big Mom truly loves her children like our dear Daifuku here claims, she'll come running. She'll come to save her son from the clutches of another emperor. And when she finds his corpse, guess who she'll blame?"

The realization dawned on the king, and his face turned ashen. "Blackbeard..."

"Exactly." Gaku straightened, twirling his mace lazily. "It's been too long since the world has seen a war between emperors. Don't you think it's time we changed that?"

Daifuku, still weak but conscious enough to hear the exchange, growled in protest. "You bastard... you think this will work? My family will know it's a trick!"

Gaku turned to him with a cold smile. "Will they? I don't think Big Mom will stop to question anything when she sees her son's body mutilated in another emperor's territory."

The king hesitated, his hands trembling as he clutched his throne's armrests. "And... if I refuse?"

In a single fluid motion, Gaku turned and drove his mace into Daifuku's torso. The sound of cracking ribs filled the room as Daifuku let out a strangled cry before slumping unconscious again. Gaku pointed the bloodstained weapon at the king.

"Do it," Gaku said, his voice low and menacing. "Unless you want your wife and son to join him."

The king swallowed hard, his resistance crumbling under the weight of Gaku's threat. "A-alright... I'll do it. Just... spare them."

Over the next day, the king followed Gaku's instructions, sending out news that quickly spread like wildfire. The message was clear: the infamous Reaper of the New World, Gaku, and Charlotte Daifuku had been captured by Blackbeard and were being held in the kingdom.

Lili watched the process unfold with a mixture of disbelief and irritation. "Where do you even come up with these ideas?" he asked as they rested in the king's mansion.

Gaku reclined in a plush chair, sipping wine he'd claimed from the royal cellar. "Marineford. It had... an impact."

Lili sighed. "You're insane, you know that?"

Gaku simply smirked.

Two days later, Gaku ended the charade. Under the cover of night, he killed the king, his family, and the remaining royal guards. Their bodies were dumped into the sea, leaving the palace eerily empty. Daifuku's corpse was placed on the throne, positioned as if still alive, his broken body a grotesque centerpiece.

Gaku took a step back, admiring his work. "Theatre, my friend," he said to Lili. "It's all about presentation."

"You're sick," Lili muttered, hopping onto a nearby table.

The duo left the kingdom before dawn, retreating to a distant island where they could observe the aftermath.

A few days later, Gaku and Lili sat on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea, a freshly delivered journal in hand. The headline was bold and dramatic: BIG MOM DECLARES WAR ON BLACKBEARD!

Gaku laughed as he read the details, which described Big Mom's outrage upon finding her son's body and her immediate declaration of war against Blackbeard.

"This is beautiful," Gaku said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Two emperors at each other's throats, and all because of me."

Lili shook his head. "You're the devil."

Gaku grinned. "Maybe. But I'm an entertained devil."

Lili narrowed his eyes. "So, what now? Are you going to take advantage of the chaos and go after Big Mom?"

Gaku's expression turned serious, his crimson eyes reflecting the distant horizon. "No. Not yet."

"Why not?" Lili asked, genuinely curious.

"Because," Gaku said, standing and stretching, "there's something more interesting on the horizon. The Straw Hats will be reuniting soon, and I'd rather deal with them than chase after Big Mom's crumbs."

Lili tilted his head. "You're obsessed, you know that?"

Gaku smirked. "Maybe. But they're worth it."