"What's going on?"
"Where did that explosion come from?"
"Look! Someone's in the sky!"
"Who is that? An intruder?"
"And Perospero-sama's candy!"
The massive roar echoed through the entirety of Whole Cake Chateau, rousing the Chess Soldiers below into a frenzy.
High above, Aeridar had just shattered Perospero's candy Iron Maiden with a single punch and prepared to rocket further into the sky. However, the candy shards scattered in the air suddenly liquefied into a violet-red syrup. They surged together like a suspended ocean of slime, cutting off Aeridar's path once more.
"You're not going anywhere! Perorin~"
A tall, spindly, eccentric man wearing a top hat leaned halfway off the roof of the chateau. He gazed at Aeridar with a feminine, cunning smile, his long tongue flicking out to lick his candy cane wand.
Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte Family, Minister of Candy of Totto Land. He held a bounty of 700 million berries and was a user of the Paramecia-type Lick-Lick Fruit.
The brief delay was all Cracker needed. He had already encased himself in his biscuit armor, transforming into a towering Biscuit Knight. Clutching his broadsword, he lunged into the air, bringing the blade down toward Aeridar in a heavy arc.
Sensing the gale at his back, Aeridar spun and threw a punch, meeting the edge of the greatsword head-on.
CLANG—!
The screech of metal on "fist" rang out as the air shuddered. A powerful shockwave rippled outward like a localized hurricane.
BOOM!
A second later, Cracker's body stiffened. His massive frame was sent hurtling backward, smashing through the fifth-floor balcony and deep into the interior of the chateau, leaving a gaping hole shrouded in dust.
The commotion had reached a fever pitch.
"Genie-uine Rage Split!!!"
A sudden roar erupted from below. Aeridar looked down to see a pink-haired, blue-skinned genie charging upward. The spirit clutched a massive halberd, its lower half trailing off into a stream of pale blue smoke.
"Tsk, trouble!"
Aeridar cursed under his breath. He tightened his left arm around Pudding's waist to keep her secure and raised his right arm, coating it in a sheen of black Armament Haki.
CLANG—!
In the blink of an eye, the Lamp Genie reached Aeridar, its blade slamming into his forearm with savage force. The impact generated a blast of wind that physically knocked Aeridar out of the air.
CRASH—!
Aeridar hit the fifth-floor balcony with a heavy roll. The sheer force of his landing shattered the manicured lawn beneath his feet, sending spider-web cracks racing across the stone. Dust and debris swirled into the sky.
A moment later, Aeridar swept his arm out, the gust of wind clearing the haze.
Suspended in the air on a platform of violet-red candy was a tall, muscular man with short blonde hair and gold earrings. He wore a blue padded coat with shoulder pads shaped like mochi and a belt featuring a lamp insignia, the very source of the smoke trail leading to the genie.
Charlotte Daifuku, the 3rd son of the Charlotte Family, Minister of Beans, and user of the Paramecia-type Puff-Puff Fruit.
"Pudding, you okay?" Aeridar asked, glancing at the girl in his arms before looking back up at Daifuku.
"I'm fine... it's Daifuku-nii!" Pudding shook her head, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at her brother.
By now, Perospero and Daifuku had recognized the pair. Their expressions shifted from confusion to sheer shock.
BOOM!
The floor of the balcony exploded as a massive silhouette lunged out of the wreckage. It was Cracker, once again hidden within his biscuit shell.
"Stop Golden Ring Aeridar! Pudding has betrayed us!" Cracker roared, pointing his sword at Aeridar in a fit of rage.
At his words, Perospero and Daifuku's faces darkened with shock. The news rippled through the officers and Chess Soldiers who had just reached the floor.
"What? Pudding betrayed us?!"
"What the hell is Golden Ring Aeridar doing here?"
"Dammit! When did we go to war with the Chris Pirates?"
The news spread like wildfire. The gathered officers of the Big Mom Pirates were stunned. Since the plan to steal the Chris Pirates' technology was a top-secret mission known only to a few, most of the crew had no idea why this was happening. To them, it looked as though the Big Mom Pirates and the Chris Pirates had suddenly entered a state of total war!
"Heh..."
Seeing the growing swarm of enemies, Aeridar spat on the ground, his gaze turning sharp. He wasn't like that madman Kaido; he had no interest in trying to solo an entire Yonko crew and their headquarters.
"To think you'd dare infiltrate our stronghold alone..." A tall, thin man with a bulbous nose hovered a few feet off the ground on two floating books. He waved a pistol frantically, shouting, "Everyone, together! Take down this arrogant bastard!"
Charlotte Mont-d'Or, nicknamed "The Scribe." He was the 19th son of the Charlotte Family, Minister of Cheese, and user of the Paramecia-type Book-Book Fruit.
Mont-d'Or was one of the few strategic minds in the family and an architect of the original plan. Hearing Cracker's warning, he had quickly pieced together the truth.
"That's right! You underestimate the Big Mom Pirates!"
"Pin him down! Mama will be here any second!"
"Charge! Once Mama arrives, he's a dead man!"
Mont-d'Or's words galvanized the crowd. Many had witnessed Aeridar's previous clash with Big Mom and knew that no one here could take him one-on-one.
They had only one choice: swarm him, stall him, and wait for Mama.
"Go! Genie!" Daifuku roared, commanding his spirit.
"Genie-uine Rage Split!!!" The Genie bellowed, its halberd whistling through the air toward Aeridar's head.
"Give me a break! Who do you think you're talking to?"
A cold glint flashed in Aeridar's eyes. He threw a punch into the empty air, unleashing a terrifying concussive force.
HUMMM—!RUMBLE!
A massive, pale-white ring of force exploded outward. Like a sweeping gale, the Impact Wave tore through the Genie, dispersing its smoke form instantly, and sent Daifuku tumbling through the air behind it.
Hiss—!
The sound of collective gasps filled the balcony. Seeing Daifuku blasted hundreds of meters away by a single shockwave chilled the officers to the bone.
"You bastard, take this! Heat Fist!!!"
Before the crowd could recover, a man with fire-like hair charged forward. His face was twisted in rage, and his gloved fists glowed a molten red. This was Oven, Daifuku's triplet brother, who couldn't stand to see his sibling disgraced.
"So it's Oven... Rankyaku!"
Aeridar smirked. He lashed out with a horizontal kick, sending a massive vacuum blade screaming toward Oven.
Oven skidded to a halt and crossed his arms to block, but the sheer power of the slash sent him flying dozens of meters. He crashed through the wall of Pudding's room, disappearing into the rubble.
"Go! My warriors!"
At that moment, several identical Biscuit Soldiers materialized around Cracker. They brandished their greatswords and converged on Aeridar from all sides. The blades glinted with a cold light as they swung with bone-crushing force.
"Shatter!!!"
Aeridar roared, slamming his fist against the air in front of him. With a distinct crack, the atmosphere itself seemed to fracture.
RUMBLE!
Dozens of fissures spider-webbed across the air. An invisible vibration rippled out, instantly disintegrating the Biscuit Soldiers into crumbs. The force continued forward, collapsing the balcony floor and the adjacent rooms into ruin.
"Not good! Hard Biscuit!"
Cracker sensed the invisible force tearing through the ground toward him. He desperately raised his wide biscuit shield, coating it in a dense layer of black Armament Haki.
But it was futile. The overwhelming vibration was unstoppable. It shattered the reinforced shield like glass and tore through Cracker's biscuit armor in an instant.
Amidst a cloud of flying crumbs, Cracker himself was thrown back, coughing up blood as he smashed through the interior walls of the chateau.