Dust drifted lazily through the shattered expanse of the Mirro-World. The aftermath of a battle that shook the foundations of resolve and pride lay in broken tiles, shattered mirrors, and pools of sweat and blood. In the center of it all, Charlotte Katakuri—once the unshakable pillar of the Big Mom Pirates—lay crumpled on the cold, fractured ground.

He didn’t move.

His powerful arms, once driven by unmatched precision, now sprawled at his sides, fingers curled weakly as if still grasping at the fight long passed. His mochi-coated body bore bruises and wounds in places once thought untouchable. And over his mouth… a small, black hat.

It sat awkwardly, tilted just enough to reveal a sliver of his exposed fangs, but purposefully placed to conceal the part of him he’d long kept hidden. A quiet respect. A wordless message. Luffy had left it, to give Katakuri what he had once denied himself: dignity.

The silence was thick, the kind born after storms. No echo of footsteps. Luffy was gone.

For the first time in years, Katakuri lay vulnerable, not in control, not towering above—but still proud. Even in unconsciousness, his jaw had relaxed, the tension gone, as if something within him had been shattered and reformed in the crucible of their clash.

Around him, the remnants of mochi clung to broken ground, softening like snow in the sun.

And though he was still, his breathing was steady.

The hat remained, undisturbed, sheltering the scars both visible and buried. Even in defeat, Katakuri didn’t seem lost. He seemed… free.