The Lamb's House.
The previous user of the Soul-Soul Fruit, Sister Carmello, founded an orphanage on the giant island of Elbaf, dedicated to sheltering homeless children regardless of race or status.
In reality, her outward benevolence was a facade. Her true identity was that of an infamous human trafficker with fifty years of criminal history.
She collaborated with the World Government, periodically selling promising children she took in to the Marines or Cipher Pol.
As for those with lesser talents, the original text offers no details.
However, one could surmise their fate was likely grim.
Sixty years ago, this very individual took in Charlotte Linlin, abandoned by her parents. Yet, a year later, during Charlotte Linlin's birthday celebration, she mysteriously vanished.
All evidence pointed to Charlotte Linlin having devoured the Sister, for Linlin had acquired the Sister's Soul-Soul Fruit.
While lacking scientific basis, this was the reason everyone believed.
The scene Kong Tai was witnessing was Charlotte Linlin's sixth birthday party, in its final, most joyous phase.
Just as everyone was about to approach the cake, the scene rewound, returning to what Kong Tai had first seen.
"She refuses to eat, or perhaps refuses to recall that memory."
Kong Tai gazed at the young Charlotte Linlin in the crowd, his eyes filled with contemplation.
He then shook his head.
"Your past has nothing to do with me. Everyone has memories they'd rather forget, and even the most optimistic individuals have moments of sorrow."
"As a human, I sympathize with your childhood experiences. However, this does not justify your evil deeds. As an enemy, I can only send you to hell, and I shall grant you a dignified end."
With a final glance at the innocent-looking young Charlotte Linlin, Kong Tai turned and vanished into the deepest recesses of Charlotte Linlin's memories.
Outside, the crimson glow in Kong Tai's eyes subsided. He had awakened from the depths of Charlotte Linlin's soul.
Whether it was his Observation Haki or his soul that was peculiar, he could, at will, peer into a person's deepest memories.
This, of course, was possible when the individual offered little resistance.
The last time, on the Island of Lights, he had used this method to access the memories of the red-clad nun.
Looking down at Charlotte Linlin, Kong Tai produced a spatial sphere, designed to seal the Space-Space Blade, from his spatial bag.
Then, he opened his palm, and a black blade, spinning rapidly, materialized above his hand.
Kong Tai gripped the hilt of the Space-Space Blade, retracted his right foot, and allowed Charlotte Linlin to ascend.
"Food, food, food."
Indeed, the moment Kong Tai released his hold, Charlotte Linlin lunged forward without hesitation.
She stared at Kong Tai and the other person as if they were actual food, her blood-red eyes filled with excitement and greed.
Approaching them, she did not draw her sword but instead extended a massive hand, swiftly reaching out to seize them.
"It's over."
Facing the rapidly approaching hand, neither Kong Tai nor Kuina showed any change in their expressions.
Kong Tai casually swung his sword.
*Shing—!*
Blood sprayed into the air. The colossal hand, dripping with blood, grazed past Kong Tai and fell downwards.
"Ah—!"
The excruciating pain caused Charlotte Linlin to involuntarily cry out.
For the first time, a flicker of reason appeared in her blood-red pupils.
"You little brat."
As the crimson receded, Charlotte Linlin, clutching her continuously bleeding severed arm, stared at Kong Tai in shock, her gaze fixed on the pitch-black sword in his hand.
Then, as if recalling something, she abruptly turned her head, looking down at the battlefield where Kaido had first landed on the island.
"What is that?"
"How could Kaido be dead?"
At this moment, Charlotte Linlin's face was filled with disbelief.
She was aware of her gluttony, and this was the first time her own body's functions had roused her from it.
"Did she sense a life-or-death crisis?"
However, despite being awakened, she had no recollection of what had transpired during her bout of gluttony.
Thus, her memory was still fixed on the moment she was knocked unconscious by Kuina's magnetic storm attack.
At that time, although Kaido was suppressed, it was impossible for him to have been killed so quickly!
"It's this brat. It's this brat. It's his strange black sword."
Flipping her head up sharply, Charlotte Linlin's eyes, wide as bronze basins, locked onto Kong Tai, then onto the Space-Space Blade in his hand.
"Brat, what is that?"
She could feel the danger emanating from the sword. It was this sword that had severed her left arm!
"The dying do not need to know so much."
Kong Tai gazed at Charlotte Linlin, his eyes filled with cold indifference.
"Alright, Kaido has been dead for a day. If you go down now, you can still catch up to his footsteps. Then you can be siblings again in the underworld."
"Oh... right."
Suddenly remembering something, Kong Tai spoke again, "Your sons and daughters also departed around that time. If you go down now, you can catch up to them as well."
"Brat, you are too arrogant."
"Arrogant?"
Kong Tai tilted his head. "I don't think so."
Charlotte Linlin stared at Kong Tai, the orange-yellow of her pupils gradually being covered by bloodshot veins.
Who was she?
She was Charlotte Linlin! When had she ever been looked down upon like this?
Releasing her left hand, letting the blood flow freely.
"Napoleon!"
"Coming, Mama!"
The large sword floating beside her immediately flew to her front upon hearing Charlotte Linlin's call, and she grasped it firmly.
"Not enough."
Charlotte Linlin stared at the pitch-black sword in Kong Tai's hand. It had been able to sever her arm, and she knew this sword could not be simple.
Moreover, Kaido's corpse served as a reminder that she could not afford to be careless.
This would be the most formidable opponent she had ever faced in her life, a matter of life and death.
"Zeus!"
"Coming, Mama!"
Beneath Charlotte Linlin's feet, upon hearing her call, the thundercloud suddenly grew a mouth, eyes, and nose, responding to her command before flying up from beneath her. It then coiled around the tip of the sword in Charlotte Linlin's hand.
Without Zeus, Charlotte Linlin's body did not fall.
At their level, brief hovering was a simple matter.
Without hesitation, Charlotte Linlin, wielding the sword formed by her three strongest Homies, drew back her right arm and then lunged towards Kong Tai.
"Thunderclap Sword: Will of the Nation!"
A colossal shockwave, entwined with lightning and flames, tore through the air, leaving a massive, distorted channel in its wake. It hurtled towards Kong Tai and Kuina.
Observing the rapidly approaching shockwave, Kong Tai's expression remained calm. He held his sword vertically before him, neither dodging nor evading.
*Shing—!*
The shockwave reached them, striking the Space-Space Blade. It was as if it had struck an indestructible edge, whereupon the shockwave was automatically split in two, passing by them and vanishing behind them.
And beyond that Space-Space Blade,
The two stood unharmed.