The wands stopped glowing.
Nami lowered her arm. Her shoulders slumped. She tucked the wooden stick into her belt. She walked over to a stone bench and sat down heavily. She wiped sweat from her forehead.
Robin stood near a repaired fountain. She leaned her back against the stone rim. She breathed in and out, her chest rising and falling steadily.
Vivi dropped to her knees on the cobblestones. She rested her hands on her thighs.
Chopper lay completely flat on the grass. His tongue hung out of his mouth. He panted like a dog in the summer heat.
Bonney sat on a wooden crate. She held a massive leg of roasted meat, tore into it, chewing rapidly and swallowing. She needed food to replace the energy she spent.
They had worked for hours.
They walked through the streets of Kurou. They pointed their wands. They said the word. They rebuilt the houses. They fixed the bridges. They restored the watchtowers.
They finished three-quarters of the city.
The residential districts stood whole. The medical wards looked brand new. The central courtyards showed no signs of Jack's destruction.
But the gates remained in ruins.
The massive stone archway leading into the city lay in a pile of jagged rocks and splintered timber. They simply lacked the magic to finish the final quarter. Their reserves were depleted.
"We stop here," Nami said. She massaged her right wrist. "We will finish the walls tomorrow. I cannot cast another spell today."
Robin nodded. "Agreed. Rest is necessary."
Chopper gave a weak thumbs-up from the ground.
They sat in the quiet afternoon air. The minks walked past them, carrying supplies and organizing their restored homes. The atmosphere felt peaceful.
Then, shouting broke the peace.
The noise came from the ruined gates.
Nami groaned. She let her head fall back against the wall. "What now?"
Vivi stood up slowly. "We should check."
Bonney swallowed a chunk of meat. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She stood up.
Chopper forced himself onto his hooves. Robin pushed away from the fountain.
The five of them walked toward the front of the city.
They navigated the piles of rubble near the entrance. A crowd of monkey and dog minks stood near the broken stone archway. They held spears and swords. They acted as guards.
Two figures stood opposite the guards.
One was a mink. A lion mink. He walked on two legs. He wore a dark pink suit, a black shirt, and dark sunglasses. He carried a sword strapped to his hip. He looked fierce.
The other figure was human. He wore a black, pinstriped suit. He wore a heavy, dark green coat draped over his shoulders like a cape. He wore a fedora pulled low over his eyes. He chewed on a lit cigar. Smoke drifted from his mouth. He looked like a mafia boss.
Nami stopped walking. She recognized the mafia boss from the newspapers.
"Capone Bege," Nami whispered. "A Supernova. Worst Generation."
Bonney stepped forward. She looked at Bege.
Bege looked at Bonney.
They did not speak. Bonney simply raised her chin in greeting. Bege gave a single, short nod. He puffed his cigar.
The lion mink ignored the pirates. He stepped toward the mink guards.
"What happened here?!" the lion mink yelled. His voice shook. He pointed at the ruined gates. He pointed at the shattered trees outside the city. "I left my homeland in peace! I return to find the gates destroyed! The forest crushed! Speak!"
A dog mink stepped forward. He lowered his spear.
"Pekoms," the dog mink said. "We suffered an attack. Jack the Drought came."
Pekoms froze. The lion mink gripped the lapels of his pink suit. "Jack? Kaido's man? Why?!"
"He sought the ninja," the guard explained. "We denied him. He fought Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi for five days and five nights. Then... he used the poison gas."
Pekoms gasped. He took a step back. His legs trembled.
"Poison gas?" Pekoms repeated. His voice cracked. "Everyone... my family... are they...?"
"They are alive," the guard smiled. "We are all alive. The Straw Hat Pirates arrived and cleared the gas. They healed our wounds and rebuilt the city behind these gates."
The guard turned around. He pointed his spear toward Nami, Robin, Vivi, Chopper, and Bonney.
"These women," the guard said, his voice filling with deep respect. "They used magic. They restored our homes from the rubble. They saved the Mokomo Dukedom."
Pekoms turned his head. He looked at the four women and a reindeer standing in the rubble.
The fierce, angry demeanor vanished from the lion mink's face.
Pekoms dropped to his knees. The rocks crunched under his weight. He ripped his dark sunglasses off his face.
Tears streamed down his furry cheeks. His eyes were small and completely round. He sobbed loudly.
He placed his hands on the dirt. He bowed his head until his forehead touched the ground.
"Thank you!" Pekoms wailed. He cried openly, completely ignoring his tough exterior. "Thank you for saving my family! Thank you for saving my home! I will forever be in your debt! You are my saviors!"
Nami blinked. She waved her hand awkwardly. "Oh. Never mind. It was nothing."
"It was not nothing!" Pekoms sobbed, hitting the ground with his fists. "You saved Zou!"
Capone Bege stood behind Pekoms. He kept his hands in his pockets. He chewed his cigar. He watched the women. He scanned the ruins. He analyzed the situation.
"Where is Straw Hat?" Bege asked. His voice sounded like grinding gravel.
Nami frowned. She crossed her arms. "Wandering around the forest somewhere. What do you want with him?"
Pekoms sniffled. He wiped his eyes and put his sunglasses back on. He stood up, dusting off his suit. He tried to regain his composure.
"We did not come here to fight," Pekoms said, his voice steadying. "We came on behalf of Mama. Big Mom. We have a message for your captain. We have an invitation."
Nami tensed. Chopper hid behind Robin's legs.
Big Mom. An Emperor of the Sea.
"An invitation?" Robin asked calmly.
"A tea party," Pekoms confirmed. "Mama is hosting a tea party. We were going to find you down after we visited Zou. Finding you here saves us a lot of time."
Voices echoed from the forest behind the gates.
Luffy walked out of the trees. He held a giant beetle by its horn. He laughed.
Usopp walked next to him, telling a story with wild hand gestures. Merry and Sunny skipped ahead of them.
Sanji walked behind them, lighting a cigarette. Zoro carried a large barrel of ale on his shoulder. Franky struck a pose as he walked. Brook hummed a tune.
Dorry, Brogy, Oimo, and Kashii marched heavily. Kin'emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, and Momonosuke followed the giants. Ben walked at the back of the group, his hands in his coat pockets.
They saw the commotion.
Luffy dropped the beetle. He walked forward. The rest of the crew fanned out behind him.
Luffy stopped in front of the lion mink. He tilted his head. He stuck his pinky finger deep into his right nostril.
"Who are you?" Luffy asked.
Pekoms straightened his tie. He pulled a thick, gold-trimmed envelope from his inside pocket.
"I am Pekoms of the Big Mom Pirates," the lion mink declared. "I carry an invitation from the Emperor herself. Monkey D. Luffy. You are invited to attend Mama's Tea Party on Whole Cake Island."
Pekoms held the envelope out.
Luffy kept his finger in his nose. He didn't take the envelope.
"Not interested," Luffy said bluntly.
Pekoms blinked. "Excuse me?"
Luffy pulled his finger out. He wiped it on his shorts. "I said I'm not interested in a tea party. I'm busy. I have to go kick Kaido first. Maybe I'll come after that."
Pekoms stared at Luffy. He looked at the boy in the straw hat.
Then, Pekoms laughed.
"Gahahaha!" Pekoms roared. He slapped his knee. "Kick Kaido?! You?! A rookie thinks he can just walk up and kick Kaido?! Do you hear this, Bege? He thinks he can beat the strongest creature in the world!"
Pekoms laughed harder. He wiped a tear from behind his sunglasses.
He expected the Straw Hat Pirates to laugh with him. He expected them to act scared of the Emperor's name.
Pekoms stopped laughing.
He looked at the crew.
Nobody laughed. Nobody looked scared.
Zoro drank from his barrel, ignoring the conversation. Sanji exhaled a cloud of smoke, his eyes focused forward. Franky checked a hinge on his arm. The four giants stood like statues, radiating overwhelming battle intent. Robin read a book. Nami examined her nails.
Ben stood quietly, his eyes locked on Bege.
They showed zero reaction to Kaido's name and to the concept of fighting an Emperor. It was not arrogance. It was certainty.
Pekoms felt a cold sweat break out on his neck. He swallowed hard. His laughter died in his throat.
Capone Bege stood behind Pekoms, chewing his cigar.
Bege remembered Thriller Bark. He knew their strength.
Bege calculated their strength two years ago.
Bege realized the truth. The Straw Hat Pirates were monsters.
Bege stayed entirely quiet. He did not provoke them.
Pekoms cleared his throat. He put the gold envelope back into his pocket. He reached into another pocket.
"Very well," Pekoms said nervously. "If the captain refuses the invitation, then I have a direct message for one of your crew members."
Pekoms pulled out a small Den Den Mushi. The snail wore a tiny crown and had blond hair shaped like a swoop over its right eye.
Pekoms threw the snail through the air.
"Black Leg Sanji," Pekoms called out. "This is for you. From your family."
Sanji caught the snail with one hand on instinct.
Sanji frowned. He looked at the blonde swoop on the snail's shell. He knew that symbol.
He pressed the button on the top of the shell.
The snail's eyes narrowed. Its mouth twisted into a harsh, cruel scowl.
A voice played from the snail. It was a pre-recorded audio message. It sounded deep, commanding, and utterly devoid of warmth.
Sanji. The voice belonged to Vinsmoke Judge.
You have played pirate long enough. Your silly little games are over. You are a Vinsmoke. You have a duty to Germa 66.
Sanji's grip on the snail tightened. The shell cracked slightly under his fingers.
I have arranged a wedding for you, Judge's voice continued. You will marry the thirty-fifth daughter of the Charlotte Family. Pudding. This alliance will secure Germa's future.
Luffy tilted his head. "A wedding?"
You will leave your crew quietly, Judge ordered through the speaker. You will travel to Whole Cake Island immediately. If you refuse. If you run. If you fight.
The voice paused.
I know where you grew up, Sanji. I know the old man with the peg leg. I know the floating restaurant in the East Blue. I have men stationed nearby. Refuse me, and the Baratie burns. Everyone inside it will die.
The recording ended. The snail closed its eyes and went to sleep.
The silence returned to the ruined gates.
Nami covered her mouth. Usopp stepped back. They didn't know much about Sanji's past, but they knew what the Baratie meant to him. They knew who Zeff was.
Sanji stood perfectly still. He held the sleeping snail.
He lowered his head. His blonde hair covered his eyes completely. The cigarette in his mouth burned down to the filter.
The air around Sanji changed.
It grew heavy. It grew thick.
A wave of dark, crushing pressure erupted from Sanji's body. He did not do it on purpose. It leaked out of him unconsciously, fueled by absolute, murderous rage.
Conqueror's Haki.
The cobblestones beneath Sanji's shoes cracked. The dust blew outward in a circle. The air vibrated with the intensity of his will.
Pekoms gasped. He took a step backward. His knees knocked together. He felt the weight of a King pressing down on his chest.
Bege narrowed his eyes. He took the cigar out of his mouth. He stepped back as well, keeping his distance from the epicenter of the pressure.
Luffy watched Sanji. He did not smile.
"Hey," Pekoms stammered, holding his hands up defensively. "Hey! I am just a messenger! I didn't make the threat! If you have something to say, say it to your father!"
Sanji slowly raised his head. His visible eye burned with a cold, terrifying fire.
He dropped the snail. He crushed it under his heel.
"He is not my father," Sanji growled.
Sanji forced himself to breathe. He reeled the Haki back in. The pressure vanished from the air. The dust settled.
But the worry remained. Sanji's hands shook slightly. He thought about Zeff. He thought about Patty and Carne. The Baratie was defenseless against Germa assassins. If he didn't go, they would die.
Ben walked forward. He stopped next to Sanji.
Ben placed his hand on Sanji's shoulder.
"Sanji," Ben said quietly.
Sanji looked at the magician.
"Do not worry about the people at the Baratie," Ben stated. His voice carried absolute certainty. "I will make sure they are fine. They will not be touched."
Sanji searched Ben's face. He knew Ben's capabilities. If Ben promised to protect the restaurant, the restaurant was safe.
Sanji exhaled a long breath of smoke. His shoulders dropped. The tension left his body.
"Thank you, Ben," Sanji whispered. He felt a massive weight lift off his chest.
Sanji turned his attention back to Pekoms. He crossed his arms.
"Tell the Vinsmokes I am not coming," Sanji declared firmly. "Tell them I reject the wedding. I sail with the Straw Hat Pirates."
Pekoms shook his head. He adjusted his sunglasses.
"You don't understand, Black Leg," Pekoms warned. "This isn't just about your family. The invitation comes from Mama. Declining a Tea Party invitation means you cross an Emperor of the Sea. She will send a box to your ship. Inside the box will be the severed head of someone you love. You cannot say no to Big Mom."
Silence fell over the group again.
Luffy stepped forward. He pulled his straw hat down. He opened his mouth to yell at the lion mink. He opened his mouth to declare war on Big Mom right then and there.
Pop.
Ben Apparated. He vanished from Sanji's side and reappeared directly in front of Luffy.
Ben clamped his hand firmly over Luffy's mouth.
"Mmph!" Luffy mumbled against Ben's palm.
Ben grabbed Luffy's collar with his other hand. He looked at the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. He jerked his head toward the forest.
"Huddle," Ben commanded. "Right now."
Zoro walked over. Sanji walked over. The rest of the Straw Hats gathered around their captain and the magician. They formed a tight circle on the dirt, turning their backs to Pekoms and Bege.
Ben kept his hand over Luffy's mouth.
Ben cast the privacy charm around them.
Muffliato.
An invisible buzzing sound filled the air around them. It created a perfect acoustic barrier. Anyone standing outside the circle would only hear a faint, unidentifiable humming noise.
Ben removed his hand from Luffy's mouth.
"Hey!" Luffy complained. "I was going to tell him we will kick Big Mom's ass too!"
"I know," Ben said flatly. "That is why I stopped you."
"Why?!" Zoro asked, resting his hands on his swords. "We have to fight her eventually."
"We do," Ben agreed. He looked at the circle of faces. "But we don't have to fight her today. Think about what we just learned in the cavern."
Nami's eyes widened. She caught on instantly.
"The Road Poneglyph," Nami whispered.
"Exactly," Ben nodded. "Big Mom has one of the four red stones. We need it to reach Laugh Tale. We were going to have to find her territory, break through her defenses, and steal it."
Ben pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward Pekoms.
"But right now," Ben smiled slyly, "she just handed us a VIP invitation to walk right through her front door. She is opening her gates for us."
Zoro grinned. His single eye shone with excitement. "A heist."
"An infiltration," Robin corrected softly. "We use the wedding as a cover. We enter Whole Cake Island as guests. We locate the Poneglyph and make a copy, and we leave before she realizes what happened."
Luffy crossed his arms. He nodded seriously. "I see. We sneak in. We steal the rock."
"Yes," Ben said.
"We eat the cake," Luffy added.
Ben blinked. "Yes. If there is a wedding, there will be cake. We can eat the cake."
"And we get out," Luffy finished.
"Exactly," Ben agreed.
Usopp waved his arms wildly. He sweated profusely. "Are you guys crazy?! You want to walk into an Emperor's main base?! Voluntarily?! She eats people! She is a monster!"
Everyone ignored Usopp.
Luffy turned to Sanji. He slammed his hand onto Sanji's shoulder.
"Alright, Sanji!" Luffy cheered. "Get ready to be married!"
Sanji stared at his captain. Thick, jagged black lines appeared across Sanji's forehead. His eye twitched.
"I am not getting married, you rubber idiot!" Sanji yelled, hitting Luffy on the top of his head. "The whole point of the plan is to fake it! We are stealing the rock, not exchanging vows!"
Luffy rubbed his head. "But if you don't get married, we don't get the wedding cake."
Sanji grabbed Luffy by the collar. He shook him back and forth. "If you want to eat cake, tell me! I will bake you the biggest, best cake in the world! You don't need to sell me to a Yonko just for dessert!"
Luffy stopped shaking. He looked at Sanji with a deeply serious expression.
"But Sanji," Luffy argued logically. "It won't be a wedding cake."
Nami giggled behind her hand. Robin smiled. Chopper snickered.
Sanji dropped Luffy. He rubbed his temples. "I am surrounded by morons."
Ben waved his wand. He cancelled the Muffliato charm. The buzzing sound vanished. The acoustic barrier dropped.
The crew broke the huddle. They turned around and faced Pekoms and Bege again.
Luffy walked to the front of the group. He put his hands on his hips.
"Alright, lion guy!" Luffy announced loudly. "We accept!"
Pekoms blinked. He adjusted his sunglasses. "You accept? You will attend the Tea Party?"
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded. "We will be attending the wedding cake. I mean, the wedding."
Pekoms narrowed his eyes. He crossed his arms over his pink suit. He looked at Luffy. He looked at the grinning swordsman. He looked at the smiling navigator.
"There is no monkey business here, right?" Pekoms asked suspiciously. "You are not planning to cause trouble at Mama's party, are you?"
Luffy stiffened.
"Nope, I just want to eat the wedding cake."
He looked to the left. He puckered his lips. He started whistling.
It was a terrible, out-of-tune whistle. He sweated visibly. He refused to make eye contact with the lion mink. He swayed back and forth, the universal sign of a terrible liar attempting to act casual.
Pekoms stared at the whistling captain.
Pekoms wanted to ask more questions. He wanted to demand a vow of peace. He wanted to search their ship.
But Pekoms looked past Luffy. He saw Ben staring at him. He saw Zoro resting his hand on his sword. He saw the massive silhouettes of the Elbaf giants standing.
Pekoms remembered the absolute absence of fear he saw earlier. He remembered Sanji's Haki. If the cook is that powerful, how strong are others?
Pekoms decided he did not want to push the issue. He was a messenger, not a martyr.
"Fine," Pekoms sighed. He turned around. "Be at Whole Cake Island in three weeks. Do not be late."
Pekoms walked away, heading toward the residential district to find his family. Bege turned and followed him, chewing his cigar, remaining entirely silent the entire time.
The Straw Hat Pirates watched them leave.
Luffy stopped whistling. He grinned. He looked at Ben.
"So," Luffy said. "Wano or Whole Cake Island?"
Ben put his wand back in his pocket. He looked at the ruined gates of Zou.
"Both," Ben said. "We split the crew. We divide and conquer."