Chapter 358: Sanji's Tenderness and Resolve!
Totto Land · Whole Cake Island · Wedding Plaza
High in the sky, the clash between Roy and Big Mom felt as if it were tearing the very fabric of heaven and earth apart.
The collision of spatial manipulation and soul power created shockwaves that struck like apocalyptic meteors. The resulting thunderous roars made the entire island tremble, and the air itself seemed to fracture with every strike.
"ZZZT—BOOM!!!"
Lightning tore through the firmament while an ocean of fire swallowed the clouds. Whole Cake Island rocked on its foundations, looking as if it might sink into the depths of the sea at any moment.
On the Ground
Charlotte Perospero, sweating profusely, crouched behind a pile of charred candy ruins. His long tongue flicked frantically across his lips, his face contorted in a mask of pure terror.
"We can't interfere in Mama's fight—focus on controlling the Vinsmokes!!!" he shrieked, his voice cracking with desperation.
He locked his gaze onto Pudding and screamed, "Pudding!! Control Sanji, now!! DO IT!!!"
Before his voice even faded—
"HIKEN (FIRE FIST)!!!"
A blast of white-hot flames, like a falling sun, roared toward Perospero!
"CANDY WALL!!!"
In a panic, he thrust his candy cane forward, instantly stacking several layers of thick, reinforced candy.
"BOOM!!!"
Under the solar heat of the flames, the candy charred instantly. The walls melted into a boiling, molten syrup that let out a piercing hiss as it hit the ground. Perospero staggered back, his face deathly pale and his eyes bloodshot.
"This fire... it's even more terrifying than the rumors!!!"
In the Shadows
Deep within the ruins, Sanji held Pudding in his arms, her slender frame shaking uncontrollably. Hearing Perospero's roar, her Third Eye slowly opened, and the glow of the Memory-Memory Fruit began to coalesce in her palm.
"Control him... if I just modify his memories..."
"Everything can end..."
She raised her hand, but froze in the next heartbeat.
Sanji gently set her down. His back was straight as a mountain, his steps steady as he walked toward the heat of the battlefield.
Pudding's pupils shrank. Tears spilled over as her voice broke from the trembling: "Why?! Why won't you just knock me out?!! If you did, I could... I could..."
Sanji paused to light a new cigarette, the flame flickering amidst the smoke and ash. Standing proud against the backdrop of fire and dust, his voice was low but unshakable:
"I will never lay a hand on a woman."
In the next instant, his Diable Jambe ignited into a fierce blaze. He lunged forward, his golden leather shoes shattering the scorched earth as he took flight! He blurred across the battlefield like a falling star, landing firmly beside Usopp and the Vinsmoke family.
The Plaza Center
Niji crossed his arms and let out a cold snort. "Hmph. So the 'failure' actually had the guts to come back?"
Yonji puckered his lips in disdain. "Just don't drag us down."
Ichiji remained silent, but his Germa Raid Suit was already humming, his gaze fixed on the approaching army of Homies.
Reiju spoke softly, her gaze complex. "Sanji... what about that girl?"
Sanji exhaled a plume of smoke, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "She is an enemy—but she is also a woman."
The fire at his feet exploded. His voice carried the weight of a sacred vow:
"Protecting a lady is the creed of a knight."
Usopp, crouching behind a tattered wall, gripped his sniper rifle until his knuckles turned white. "Sanji! Three o'clock—a swarm of Syrup Puppets!!!"
A black tide of puppets roared forward, their footsteps sounding like war drums, the syrup dripping with a sickening squelch.
"Hah!"
Sanji's eyes turned cold. He leapt into the air, and white-hot flames erupted from his foot, illuminating the dark sky.
"Diable Jambe: GRILL SHOT!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The flames struck like a meteorite, detonating in the dead center of the puppet swarm! The heatwave surged, causing the syrup to boil violently before vaporizing into a thick mist. The once-dense army of syrup monsters was incinerated instantly, leaving behind nothing but scorched, blackened goo.
The air grew thick with the acrid scent of burnt caramel, turning the battlefield into a literal inferno.
"Nice shot, Curly-brows!"
On the other side, Ace was a whirlwind of fire. He threw his hands wide. "I'll take the left—FIRE NET!!!"
A massive web of white-hot flames fell from the sky, swallowing the charging candy soldiers. They shrieked as they were reduced to ash, the fire forming an impassable barrier on the ground.
In the corner of the ruins, Pudding collapsed amidst the charred debris, her hands clutching her skirt. Tears blurred her vision, but that one silhouette remained crystal clear.
Amidst the flames and the gunpowder, Sanji stood like a god of war. He kicked a lunging enemy into the distance, let the flames recede, and calmly lit another cigarette. The smoke drifted away in the wind, but his resolve remained as steady as the earth itself.
"Why..." Pudding whispered, her voice cracking. "Why would you protect me...?"
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gritted her teeth, her chest heaving.
"I lied to you..."
"I wanted to kill you with my own hands..."
Her hands trembled as she raised them. Her Third Eye, washed in tears, opened fully. The radiance of the Memory-Memory Fruit pulsed in her palm, a flickering, restless light.
But this time, the light wasn't cold or piercing. As her heart fluttered, it emitted a faint, yet genuine warmth. As the light shimmered, she stared blankly at her palm, feeling as if her heart had finally been torn open.
"Perhaps... this is what a real 'soul' feels like..."
While Ace and Usopp assisted the Vinsmokes in holding back the pirate army, another battlefield had ignited into a terrifying display of power.
The Three Sweet Commanders—Katakuri, Cracker, and Smoothie—stood side-by-side like three immovable mountains. Their killing intent was so heavy that even the surrounding Homies were silenced by fear.
High in the air, Enel floated amidst a storm of lightning, his golden staff tapping his shoulder. Arcs of electricity danced across his skin with sharp cracks. He scanned the three before locking onto Katakuri, a wild, predatory grin spreading across his face.
"I can feel it... you're strong."
Cracker roared in fury, his biscuit armor clacking and crunching. "You bastard! Who do you think you're looking at?!!"
Smoothie slowly drew her longsword, the blade shimmering with a lethal light as the aura of the Shizu Shizu no Mi distorted the air around her. "A mere Marine... dares to act arrogant in Totto Land?"
But Katakuri raised a hand to stop them, his crimson scarf fluttering in the absence of wind. His eyes were cold.
"Stand down... he is the Marine 'Raijin,' Enel."
Enel laughed loudly, lightning exploding in his pupils. "Come then! It's been ages since I've had a decent fight... I've been holding back for two whole years!!!"
"SWISH!!!"
He transformed into a streak of blinding golden lightning, shooting straight for Katakuri!
"KAKUMOCHI (SQUARE MOCHI)!!!"
Katakuri's right arm instantly transformed into mochi, coated in Armament Haki as hard as black steel. A massive block of mochi smashed forward!
"BOOM!!!"
Thunder collided with Haki-clad mochi, sending a shockwave through the entire battlefield. The very ground beneath them groaned and cracked.
Cracker and Smoothie moved to support him, but a chilling, low command stopped them:
"ROOM—!"
A pale blue spherical domain expanded instantly, forcibly trapping the two of them within. Law stepped forward, his nodachi Kikoku held across his chest. His eyes were indifferent, his voice like the decree of a reaper:
"Your opponent is me."
Cracker sneered, slamming his hands together as a tide of biscuit soldiers rose from the ground. "The 'Surgeon of Death'? A pity... you can't stop a thousand-man army!!!"
Smoothie's blade elongated like a snake, her powers fully unleashed. A bloody, oppressive aura rushed toward Law. "I'll squeeze you into a withered corpse, Marine!"
The corner of Law's mouth lifted, his gaze turning freezing cold.
"Try it."
With the Marines and the Sweet Commanders finally clashing, who do you think will gain the upper hand first—the "Marine Raijin" Enel against the foresight of Katakuri, or Law against the overwhelming numbers of Cracker and Smoothie?
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