Does anyone get the idea that Big Mom was originally supposed to fight with a flail or a mace?
But then Oda remember he already created Rakuyo back in Marineford.
It almost feels like a waste with Rakuyo. Big Mom's homies have all sorts of bizzare properties like transforming and combining. Rakuyo's weapon sort of just bites down on you hard because it lacks spikes on half of its body. Given all weird mechanical contraptions we've seen in the series, there shouldn't be much problem making something that replicates a bear trap and flail in one. If I were him, I would destroy this thing and consume the Zoan DF inside to boost all my physical stats, then just buy a regular spiked ball.
Think about this. Whitebeard has his bisento, Shanks has his blade, Kaido has his club, and Big Mom also uses a sword. Dragged into the distracting WSS debate. No hate on Napoleon here, talking sword buddy is easily my favorite sword. But I think Big Mom transferring her enormous physical strength, concentrated in those big beefy arms, into swinging around and striking with a flail like she throws around Prometheus and Zeus would suit her perfectly. She doesn't block with a blade or parry attacks, she's a monster focused on offense matching her up with the flail's strengths. Regardless, the flail can free up Big Mom's second hand so can use her forearm haki defense with her diamond-like skin to block.
Imagine Big Mom altering the flail homie's properties so the chain extends her attack as long Luffy's Gomu Gomu, the flail growing spikes or remaining cannonball round to flatten, the chain compressing so it becomes a handle like a morning star, or growing in size like Prometheus or Napoleon's full extension. That's a Garp move right there, the Sunny obliterated in a single attack.
If keeping a ball and chain under a bicorn is a little weird, consult Garp's hammerspace. The best part would be the combination attacks. Flaming swords, electrics swords, we see those quite a bit in the series. Flail + Prometheus = Big Mom is swinging around a giant sun she can directly imbue with armament haki. Flail + Zeus = ball lightning,
a real life weather phenomenon for the weather witch. I could see the equivalent of this panel with Big Mom riding Zeus in the sky, swinging around her flaming flail in circles, the flail opening its mouth to shoot fire balls, and suddenly fire is raining from all directions into the battlefield.
Have you ever considered Big Mom fighting with different weapons? Her Devil Fruit power makes for many interesting thought experiments.