Super Card System

While talking to Pudding, Ian pretended to be eating with his back turned to her.

In reality, Ian wasn’t eating the chocolate pie at all! Every piece he picked up with the fork, just as he brought it close to his mouth, was swiftly removed with his other hand and incinerated into black ash by his flames, which he discreetly scattered under the table.

Then, as he continued to “eat,” Ian suddenly stopped and wobbled, standing up with an unsteady motion, pretending to feel dizzy.

He shook his head hard, said nothing, and then dramatically fell backward to the ground.

To make it look convincing, Ian completely relaxed his body, hitting the floor with a thud, even knocking over a chair on his way down, making a loud crash.

“I-Ian, what’s wrong!?” Pudding exclaimed, rushing to kneel beside him, shaking his body.

Ian remained completely still, eyes closed, letting her shake him.

“Ian! Ian!” Pudding called out in a panic, “Please… please don’t scare me like this!”

Her voice sounded anxious, and Ian, who was lying on the floor pretending to be unconscious, started to feel a bit uncertain. He wondered, could this backfire? What if there really was nothing wrong with the chocolate pie? That would be awkward…

Yes, Ian was testing Pudding. In fact, from the moment he opened the door and saw Pudding standing there, he had a vague idea of what Big Mom was trying to do, but he still let her in to confirm his suspicions.

Pudding was just a girl, and if she didn’t use a weapon—like the gun she used to injure Reiju in Ian’s memory—she likely wouldn’t pose much of a threat in a fight. Ian had already shown his strength earlier in the day, so unless she was foolish, she wouldn’t try to attack him directly. The only potential danger, Ian thought, might come from the chocolate pie she brought…

Since he hadn’t actually eaten the pie, Ian couldn’t be sure what was wrong with it. He suspected it was most likely a sleeping drug or something similar, as outright poisoning seemed unlikely.

Ian knew his acting might be a bit stiff, but he didn’t care. He figured that even if Pudding grew suspicious, she wouldn’t dare attack him. He could simply dismiss her and let her leave. But if his guess was correct, then things were about to get interesting…

“Come on, bring it on!” Ian thought, amused. “As they say, don’t hold back just because I’m a delicate flower…”

Despite Pudding shaking his body and shouting his name, Ian remained completely still. Her cries sounded genuine, filled with worry, but Ian had already noticed something was off.

After all, if she had nothing to hide, and seeing him faint like this, the first thing she should’ve done would be to call for a doctor or some help. Instead, she didn’t do that at all. She slapped Ian’s face twice, trying to wake him up…

Alright, I’ll endure it, Ian thought.

As expected, after a few more attempts, Pudding finally seemed convinced that Ian had truly passed out.

Then, she suddenly let out a cold, mocking laugh.

The shy expression she had been wearing moments earlier was completely gone, replaced by a cruel and sinister look. This was the dark side of Pudding—her blackened persona.

“Looks like he’s really out cold,” Pudding sneered under her breath. “Are all men such foolish creatures?”

Ian had guessed correctly—Pudding had indeed laced the chocolate pie with a sleeping drug. And now, seeing him unconscious, Pudding didn’t even suspect for a moment that Ian might be faking it.

The reason was simple: Pudding hadn’t appeared at all during the day. Neither her dark side nor her Memory-Memory Fruit powers had been revealed in front of anyone outside the Charlotte family. The only ones who knew her true nature were her family members. So, how could Ian, who didn’t know anything about her, have any reason to suspect her and be on guard?

In short, Pudding didn’t believe Ian had any reason to be wary of her, a seemingly delicate and harmless girl.

Modifying Ian’s memory was the task Big Mom had assigned to Pudding, and out of fear of Big Mom, she had no choice but to carry it out, even if it meant gritting her teeth. In her urgency, Pudding overlooked certain inconsistencies in Ian’s behavior, like why he insisted on eating with his back to her.

Of course, what she couldn’t have anticipated was that Ian already knew what kind of person she really was and what her abilities were!

This is why dealing with someone with hacks is such a headache…

Pudding leaned over Ian’s body, her rosy lips near his neck. If not for the fact that one of her hands was reaching for Ian’s temple, it could have been a rather intimate moment.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon…” Pudding whispered to herself as her hand was just about to pierce Ian’s head.

However, at that moment, a hand reached behind Pudding’s neck and delivered a sharp blow.

The sudden strike to the pressure points on the back of her neck caused her blood pressure to drop reflexively, and everything went black for Pudding. Without a sound, she collapsed onto Ian’s body, unconscious.

Ian propped himself up on his arms and got up from the floor. That chop to the neck? He had delivered it himself…

“Tsk tsk! Just as I thought, they wanted to mess with my memory, huh?” Ian pushed Pudding off him and looked at her now-closed third eye and the hand that had nearly penetrated his skull.

Crouching down, Ian reached out and poked the third eye on Pudding’s forehead, muttering with a bit of frustration, “Why do I get the feeling that everyone in the Big Mom Pirates thinks I’m an idiot? Seriously, what’s with that?”

As he spoke the last sentence, Ian lifted his head and glanced toward the room’s door.

With the sound of a lock turning, the door swung open, and someone walked in, saying, “It’s simple. No one has ever challenged Big Mom, so she believes that no one can beat her… It’s the mindset of the strong!”

The person who had just entered was short and stocky, wearing a suit with a coat draped over his shoulders. One hand was stuffed into his pants pocket, while the other held a cigar. His face was covered in bluish stubble, and his eyes carried a vicious, ruthless glint.

Who else could it be but Capone Bege, the captain of the Fire Tank Pirates?

“I didn’t expect you’d notice me…” After closing the door behind him, Capone Bege continued, “But don’t get the wrong idea. I mean no harm. I came here only because of Pudding.”

“So, you’re saying you came here to warn me about this girl?” Ian sat down by the chair, his interest piqued as he asked.

Capone Bege nodded and said, “That’s right. But it seems I was worrying for nothing. Someone of your caliber wouldn’t fall into a trap so easily.”

As he spoke, Capone Bege pulled up another chair and sat down in front of Ian. He then looked at Ian and said, “So, what do you think, Lord Ian? Interested in teaming up with me?”

“Team up for what?” Ian asked.

“You must have realized it by now!” Capone Bege’s face darkened as he spoke in a low voice. “Big Mom is after your pirate crew and you personally. Your Dragon Hunter Pirates are already powerful enough. If she can get you on board, Big Mom would have what she needs to defeat Kaido, Shanks, and even the Whitebeard. You would be the final piece in her puzzle to become the Pirate King!”

“I see,” Ian nodded thoughtfully. He finally understood Big Mom’s intentions. No wonder she tolerated him even after his fight with Katakuri and the destruction of her banquet hall earlier in the day.

However… Ian couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Where did she get the confidence to think I would join her and help her go against Whitebeard?

“Don’t doubt it!” Capone Bege pointed to the unconscious Pudding on the ground. “Big Mom has a lot of capable people under her, with Devil Fruit users you couldn’t even imagine. Pudding is just one example. As long as you’re still on this island, she’ll find a way to make you submit!”

“So, if you don’t want to fall under Big Mom’s control, you have two options: either escape Cake Island as soon as possible, or resist!” Capone Bege said with a sly grin. “But I heard you fought Katakuri earlier, which means you’re pretty confident in your own strength. Running away would probably feel like an insult to you!”

Ian narrowed his eyes and stared at him, saying nothing.

“You want the position of a Yonko too, don’t you?” Capone Bege said bluntly. “You accepted the invitation to the tea party and came here thinking you might team up with Big Mom’s crew to take down Kaido, but why not flip the script? Taking down Big Mom works just the same!”

“So, you’re proposing we work together to take down Big Mom?” Ian tapped the armrest of his chair and asked.

“Exactly!” Capone Bege nodded. “Although after entering the New World, I had to rely on Big Mom’s protection to avoid many enemies, it doesn’t sit well with me to go from being a boss to someone else’s lackey! Especially since, in West Blue mafia… it’s tradition to take out the boss and move up the ranks!”

Damn! This guy isn’t easy to deal with either!

“You’re about to become the groom tomorrow, and here you are talking to an outsider about taking down your own mother-in-law. Don’t you think that’s a bit over the top?” Ian chuckled and asked.

“Killing your mother-in-law is every son-in-law’s secret wish!” Capone Bege laughed heartily. “Of course, Chiffon is a good woman, and I do plan to marry her. But if possible, I’d rather do it in a traditional West Blue wedding. Whether that happens depends on whether we can pull off this partnership successfully…”

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Super Card System! the best novel in the universe If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!