Whole Cake Château — Grand Hall
Music echoed through the halls.
Lively.
Chaotic.
Sweet.
Homies danced across the floor. Plates spinning, teacups hopping, forks clinking rhythmically as they sang in cheerful, exaggerated tones.
"♪ Eat, eat, eat~! Mama must eat~! ♪"
"♪ Sweet treats, more sweets, bring Mama her feasts~! ♪"
Tables stretched endlessly across the grand hall, piled high with cakes, pastries, meats, towers of chocolate, rivers of syrup. An overwhelming display of indulgence.
At the center of it all—
A throne.
And upon it—
Charlotte Linlin.
Big Mom.
"MAMAMAMAMA!!"
Her laughter boomed through the hall as she grabbed an entire cake bigger than a man and shoved it into her mouth in one bite.
"Delicious!!"
Crumbs scattered everywhere as she licked her fingers, eyes gleaming with delight.
"More!! Bring me more!!"
"YES, MAMA!!"
Homies scrambled, singing louder, faster, their voices overlapping in chaotic harmony as more dishes were brought forward.
Her children stood nearby.
Watching.
Some calm.
Some amused.
Some tense.
Perospero leaned on his candy cane staff, licking at a swirl of syrup.
"Perorin~ Mama's in a good mood today."
Smoothie stood tall, silent, arms folded as she observed.
Cracker leaned back against a pillar, unimpressed but relaxed.
Oven scoffed lightly.
"Of course she is. There's food."
The atmosphere was… normal.
For Totto Land.
Controlled chaos.
Pleasure masking danger.
At one side of the hall—
Charlotte Katakuri sat.
Composed.
Still.
A towering presence among monsters.
A cup of tea rested in his hand, untouched.
His scarf covered the lower half of his face, eyes calm but observant as he watched everything unfold.
Nothing escaped him.
Nothing ever did.
Then—
Purururururu…
A Den Den Mushi rang.
Soft.
But sharp enough to cut through the noise.
Katakuri's eyes shifted slightly.
The call wasn't meant for Mama.
He knew that immediately.
Without a word, he stood.
No one stopped him.
No one questioned him.
He simply turned and walked away from the hall.
The noise faded behind him.
Replaced by wind.
By silence.
Katakuri stepped onto the balcony, closing the doors behind him.
The Den Den Mushi continued to ring.
He picked it up.
"Katakuri."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
But the moment the other side answered—
It shattered.
"C-Commander Katakuri!!"
Panic.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Katakuri's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What is it."
The soldier's voice trembled.
"I-It's—! We, we have an emergency—!!"
A pause.
"Speak clearly."
A shaky breath came through the line.
"T-The Hero of the Marines—!!"
Katakuri's gaze sharpened.
"Monkey D. Garp…!!"
Silence.
"…has invaded Totto Land!!"
The wind stilled.
Even the sea below seemed to quiet.
Katakuri didn't speak.
Didn't react.
For a second.
"…Where."
His voice dropped.
Colder now.
"He's, he's already broken through the outer patrol units! Thirty-five Tart ships destroyed in a single attack!!"
Katakuri's eyes flickered.
"…And his heading—"
The soldier swallowed.
"—He's heading straight for Whole Cake Island!!"
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Katakuri stared out toward the horizon.
Unmoving.
"…Garp."
The name left his lips slowly.
Measured.
Then—
A thought.
Sharp and precise.
'The Marine…'
His mind connected it instantly.
"…Tenjin."
His gaze darkened slightly.
'So that boy…'
A pause.
'Is worth this much?'
For a legend like Garp to move personally…
To invade an Emperor's territory without hesitation…
Katakuri's eyes narrowed.
'Interesting.'
But the thought didn't linger.
Didn't matter.
What mattered was—
Mama.
His gaze shifted slightly toward the hall behind him.
The music.
The laughter.
The fragile balance.
If she heard this—
Chaos.
Uncontrolled.
Disastrous chaos.
Katakuri exhaled slowly.
Decision made.
"Do not alert Mama."
The soldier froze on the other side.
"B-But Commander—!!"
"That is an order."
His tone left no room for argument.
"I will handle this."
Silence.
Then—
"…Y-Yes, Commander Katakuri!"
The line clicked off.
Katakuri lowered the Den Den Mushi slowly.
His eyes remained fixed on the horizon.
'Garp…'
A legend.
A monster.
A man who stood at the top of the Marines without ever taking the throne.
And now—
He was coming here.
Katakuri turned.
The doors behind him creaked open as the music spilled out once more.
But his presence—
Had changed.
He stepped back inside.
Perospero noticed immediately.
"Perorin~? Something wrong, Katakuri?"
Katakuri didn't answer.
He walked past him.
Past Smoothie.
Past Cracker.
Each of them watching.
Sensing it.
The shift.
Then—
He stopped.
Just slightly.
His voice came out calm.
Controlled.
But carrying weight.
"Prepare yourselves."
The room didn't go silent.
But the commanders did.
Perospero's grin faded slightly.
"…What's going on?"
Katakuri's eyes remained forward.
"An enemy has entered our territory."
A pause.
"Someone… worth handling personally."
Cracker smirked faintly.
"Who?"
Katakuri's gaze sharpened.
"…Monkey D. Garp."
Silence.
Even the air felt heavier.
Perospero's eyes widened slightly.
"…That old monster?"
Smoothie's grip tightened just a bit.
Cracker's smirk grew.
"Finally… something interesting."
Katakuri turned slightly.
Looking at them.
All of them.
His voice remained steady.
"We will intercept him."
A pause.
"Before he reaches Mama."
--'
Totto Land — Ruined Waters
Smoke still rose from the sea.
Fragments of Tart ships floated aimlessly, broken masts creaking as waves carried the wreckage away. The once neat patrol formation had been reduced to splinters and silence.
And yet—
Three figures stood untouched upon the water's edge.
Watching.
Observing.
Figarland Shamrock stood at the front, hands tucked casually into his coat pockets. His red hair swayed slightly in the wind, sharp eyes scanning the aftermath with quiet interest.
Behind him—
Gunko stood upright, composed, her gaze cold and analytical.
Sommers, on the other hand, looked far more entertained than concerned.
He whistled.
"Well… that's one way to make an entrance."
His eyes sparkled as he looked at the destroyed fleet.
"Thirty-five ships… gone just like that."
A pause.
"He's living up to the title, isn't he?"
Shamrock didn't respond immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the horizon.
Where one ship—
A single Marine warship—
continued sailing forward as if nothing had happened.
"…Garp."
The name left his lips quietly.
Measured.
Then—
A faint smile.
"Good."
Gunko's eyes shifted slightly.
"…Good?"
Shamrock turned, the smile still lingering.
"Yes."
He gestured lightly toward the destruction.
"All eyes will be on him now."
Sommers tilted his head, catching on instantly.
"Ahh…"
His grin widened.
"A distraction."
Shamrock nodded.
"An excellent one."
He began walking forward, stepping onto a broken fragment of wood as if it were solid ground.
"With the Hero of the Marines rampaging through Totto Land…"
His voice remained calm.
"Security will tighten where it matters most."
A pause.
"…And loosen everywhere else."
Gunko followed without question.
"Meaning…"
Shamrock's eyes gleamed faintly.
"We walk straight in."
Sommers chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head.
"I like this already."
He stepped forward as well.
"Less work for us."
Shamrock's expression sharpened slightly.
"Don't get careless."
A brief glance back.
"This is still an Emperor's territory."
Sommers raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Yeah, yeah."
But his grin didn't fade.
The three moved.
Slipping deeper into Totto Land as chaos brewed ahead.
---
Whole Cake Château — Inner Hallways
The atmosphere had shifted.
Subtly.
But noticeably.
The laughter from the grand hall still echoed faintly, but here—
It was quieter.
Sharper.
More focused.
Charlotte Katakuri stood at the center of a small gathering.
Around him—
His siblings.
Perospero leaned against the wall, expression serious now.
Smoothie stood tall, composed but alert.
Cracker cracked his knuckles, a grin tugging at his lips.
Snack stood nearby, silent but ready.
Katakuri's gaze moved across them.
Calm.
Controlled.
But heavy with intent.
"We do not have time."
His voice cut cleanly through the air.
"Garp is already within our territory."
Perospero clicked his tongue.
"Perorin… that old monster really came all this way?"
Cracker smirked.
"He's got guts, I'll give him that."
Smoothie spoke next, voice even.
"…His objective?"
Katakuri didn't hesitate.
"…A Marine."
A pause.
"One currently held within the château."
Snack's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So he's here to retrieve him."
Katakuri nodded.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Then—
Cracker laughed.
"HAHA! So what? We just crush him when he gets here."
Katakuri's gaze shifted to him.
"Under normal circumstances… yes."
A beat.
"But not here."
His tone hardened slightly.
"Not in front of Mama."
That wiped the grin off Cracker's face, just a little.
Perospero nodded slowly.
"Perorin… if Mama gets involved…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Katakuri turned slightly.
"Which is why we intercept him before he reaches the château."
He looked directly at them now.
"All of you."
A pause.
Then—
"Smoothie. Cracker. Snack."
Their attention sharpened instantly.
"You will move to the rear of the island."
Smoothie's eyes flickered.
"…The rear?"
Katakuri nodded.
"If Garp has already broken through the front…"
A brief pause.
"…Then any other intruders will attempt to use the chaos to slip through elsewhere."
Cracker's grin returned.
"Trying to be sneaky, huh?"
Snack crossed his arms.
"…Understood."
Smoothie gave a small nod.
"We'll handle it."
Perospero tilted his head.
"Perorin… and you?"
Katakuri turned.
His scarf shifted slightly as his eyes sharpened.
"I will confront Garp."
Silence fell.
Even among monsters—
That name carried weight.
Cracker let out a low whistle.
"Going straight for the big one, huh?"
Katakuri didn't respond.
Didn't need to.
He began walking.
The others moved as well.
Orders given.
Decisions made.
The Sweet Commanders split.
Each heading toward their roles.
Because the storm—
Was already here.
---
Whole Cake Island — Rear Coast
The sea was calm.
Unlike the chaos at the front, this side of the island remained quiet.
Undisturbed.
Unwatched.
Perfect.
Three figures stepped onto the shore.
Unchallenged.
Unnoticed.
Shamrock's boots touched the ground first.
He paused.
Taking in the island.
The towering château in the distance.
The scent of sweets thick in the air.
"…So this is an Emperor's territory."
His voice was quiet.
Observant.
Gunko stepped beside him.
"Security is lighter here."
Sommers stretched lazily.
"Told you. Everyone's busy dealing with the old man."
A faint chuckle.
"Honestly, I almost feel bad."
Shamrock didn't reply.
His gaze was fixed ahead.
Calculating.
Then—
Voices.
Multiple.
Approaching fast.
"…Hm?"
Sommers tilted his head.
"Well… that didn't take long."
From the treeline ahead—
Figures emerged.
Three powerfull and commanding figures.
Smoothie.
Cracker.
Snack.
Their presence alone shifted the air.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Cracker stepped forward, sword resting on his shoulder, a wide grin on his face.
"Well, well…"
Smoothie's eyes narrowed slightly, observing carefully.
"…Intruders."
Snack cracked his neck.
"Looks like Katakuri was right."
Cracker's grin widened further.
"Yeah."
He pointed his sword forward.
"Seems our brother was right."
A pause.
Then—
"The idiots delivered themselves straight to us."
---
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