The thrusters cut off. The blue flames died.
Thousand Sunny dropped the last twenty feet through the air. The heavy wooden hull struck the ocean surface. Water blasted outward in massive white sheets, raining down on the deck. The ship rocked wildly, riding its own wake, before settling into a steady, rhythmic sway on the open sea.
They left the giant elephant behind and sailed toward the territory of Big Mom.
The afternoon sun warmed the grassy deck. The tension of Zou faded, and the crew relaxed into their usual routines.
Luffy sat on the head of the lion figurehead, dangling his legs over the ocean and humming a tuneless song.
Chopper sat on the lawn, grinding herbs in a small wooden bowl. Bonney lounged in a lawn chair, eating an entire roasted ham right off the bone.
Vivi stood near the main mast, practicing thrusts with her silver spear. Nami sat at a patio table, drawing lines on a large parchment map.
Sanji worked in the kitchen, the smell of baking bread drifting out the open door. Ben sat on a barrel near the stairs, reading a plain leather book. Carue the duck slept under shade.
The sea remained quiet. The wind blew steadily into the sails.
Rustle.
Ben stopped reading. He did not look up from his book.
Scrape.
The kitchen door swung open. Sanji stepped out, holding a frying pan in his right hand. He looked at the row of wooden storage barrels stacked near the side railing.
"Did someone move a barrel?" Sanji asked.
Nami looked up from her map. "No."
Vivi stopped swinging her spear and turned toward the sound.
Thump.
One of the barrels rocked back and forth.
Luffy jumped down from the figurehead and landed on the grass. He stared at the barrel. "Is it a sea monster?! Did a fish jump onto the ship?!"
Chopper hid behind Ben's legs. "A monster?!"
"Show yourself," Sanji ordered. His foot began to heat up.
The lid of the barrel popped off. It flew into the air and hit the deck.
Two long, white, furry ears poked out of the barrel. Then a head of blonde hair. Then a green dress.
A rabbit mink popped out of the barrel. She held a half-eaten carrot in her hand.
She looked at Sanji and Luffy. She looked at the weapons pointed at her.
She smiled a massive, bright smile.
"Garchu!" Carrot cheered. She took a bite of her carrot.
Silence fell over the deck. The pirates stared at the rabbit mink.
"A rabbit!" Luffy yelled. He threw his arms in the air. "We have a rabbit!"
"Carrot?!" Chopper gasped, stepping out from behind Ben. "What are you doing here?! You live on Zou! You are a Musketeer!"
Carrot jumped out of the barrel. She landed perfectly on her feet and dusted off her green dress.
"I want to see the sea!" Carrot announced proudly. "I want an adventure! I packed my bags, and I hid in the food storage!"
Nami dropped her pen. She stood up, put her hands on her hips, and looked around the deck.
"Hold on," Nami said. Her voice carried a sharp edge. "Nobody sneaks onto this ship. Our security is flawless. We have cameras. We have sensors."
Nami turned her head and looked at the main mast.
"Sunny!" Nami shouted.
Sunny wore his bright overalls and held a wrench in his hand. He looked up at the sky. He looked at the floor. He refused to look at Nami.
"Yes, Aunt Nami?" Sunny asked. His voice cracked.
"How did a Carrot sneak onto our ship?" Nami demanded.
Sunny puckered his lips. He started whistling. It was a terrible, off-key whistle. He swayed back and forth on his heels and kept his eyes locked on a cloud above the mast.
Luffy crossed his arms. "He is whistling. That means he doesn't know."
"That means he is lying!" Nami yelled, smacking Luffy on the back of the head. She stepped toward the avatar. "Sunny. Tell the truth."
Carrot raised her hand. She chewed her carrot.
"I bribed him," Carrot said cheerfully.
Sunny stopped whistling. He hung his head in shame.
"You bribed him?" Vivi asked, lowering her spear. "With what?"
Carrot reached into the barrel. She pulled out a large, heavy sack and opened the top.
"Zou chocolate," Carrot explained. "The finest, richest cocoa on the elephant. I told him I would give him the whole bag if he kept quiet."
Everyone looked at Sunny.
Sunny rubbed his stomach. He looked incredibly guilty. But he also looked very happy.
"It was really good chocolate," Sunny mumbled.
Nami sighed heavily. She rubbed her temples.
Ben closed his book. He stood up from his barrel.
"It is a minor problem," Ben stated. He looked at the rabbit mink. "I can fix this immediately."
Ben raised his right hand and aimed it toward the air next to the railing. A swirl of blue energy sparked to life. The space folded inward. A portal opened.
Through the portal, they saw the dense, green foliage of the Whale Forest and the gates of Kurou in the distance.
"Step through," Ben told Carrot. "You will be back on Zou in three seconds. Wanda and Inuarashi will not even know you left."
Carrot dropped her carrot.
Her smile vanished. Panic took over her face. Her ears dropped flat against her head.
Carrot fell to her knees. She crawled across the grassy deck and grabbed Luffy's shorts. She looked up at the captain with massive, watering eyes.
"Please!" Carrot begged. "Please don't send me back! I want to sail! I want to fight! I am strong! I can jump really high! I will eat my own food! Please let me come to the tea party!"
Luffy looked down at the crying rabbit. He looked at the portal. He looked at Ben.
"She brought her own food," Luffy noted.
"She ate half our apples while she was in the barrel," Sanji pointed out, looking inside the storage container.
Luffy laughed. He reached down and patted Carrot on the head.
"Okay!" Luffy cheered. "You can come with us!"
"Luffy!" Nami complained. "We are sneaking into an Emperor's territory! We cannot babysit a stowaway!"
"She is a Musketeer," Luffy argued. "She is strong. We need strong people to steal the rock."
Carrot stopped crying instantly. Her ears popped straight up. Her bright smile returned.
"Yay!" Carrot squealed.
She let go of Luffy. She jumped up and ran over to Sunny.
Carrot grabbed the avatar by his waist. She lifted him over her head and spun around in a rapid circle, dancing across the grass.
"We are going on an adventure!" Carrot sang.
Sunny laughed out loud, holding his arms out as she spun him. "Faster! Faster!"
Ben dropped his hand. The blue portal snapped shut. The view of Zou vanished.
"The captain decided," Ben said simply. He sat back down on his barrel and opened his book again.
The stowaway joined the crew.
For the next few days, the Thousand Sunny sailed eastward. The ocean remained calm. The slice-of-life routine settled over the ship again.
Carrot integrated perfectly. She did not sit still. She possessed boundless energy. She jumped from the deck to the crow's nest in a single bound, ignoring the rope ladders entirely. She stood watch, her keen eyesight spotting distant islands before Nami's compass registered them.
She spent hours in the kitchen with Sanji. She showed him how the minks prepared vegetables. Sanji cooked massive feasts of sea king meat and fresh greens. Luffy and Bonney held daily eating contests on the deck, clearing plates faster than Sanji could fill them.
Chopper sat on a blanket, reading notes. He had interviewed the mink doctors on Zou. He studied their Electro techniques. He tried to replicate the static charge in his own fur, rubbing his hooves together until sparks flew.
The days bled into each other. The sun rose and set. They sailed closer to their destination.
On the fifth day, the ocean changed.
The deep blue water shifted. It lightened. The color turned pink.
Luffy leaned over the railing. He stared at the water. "The sea looks funny."
Chopper sniffed the air. His blue nose twitched. "It smells sweet. Like... strawberries."
Bonney leaned over the railing. She scooped a handful of pink ocean water. She drank it. Her eyes widened.
"It's juice!" Bonney yelled. "The whole ocean is made of strawberry juice!"
Luffy immediately threw a bucket tied to a rope overboard. He hauled it up, filled with pink water, and chugged the entire thing. "Delicious!"
Nami stood near the helm. She checked her compass and her maps.
"We crossed the border," Nami announced. Her voice turned serious. She rolled up her map. "We are officially inside Totto Land. Big Mom's territory."
The sky changed.
The bright sun vanished. The clouds rolled in quickly. They were not normal clouds. They looked fluffy and textured. They began to drop precipitation.
Luffy caught a falling flake on his tongue.
"Cotton candy!" Luffy laughed, running around the deck catching the snow.
A thick mist began to rise from the juice ocean. The fog rolled over the water, blanketing the area in a dense, white haze. Visibility dropped to less than fifty feet. The air smelled strongly of spun sugar and damp fog.
The relaxed atmosphere on the deck vanished.
Vivi stopped swinging her staff. She strapped her Vibranium spear to her back. Sanji walked out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. He threw the towel aside. Chopper put his notes away. Bonney stopped drinking the ocean.
Ben closed his book. He stood up.
Sunny stopped playing a card game with Carrot on the grass.
The avatar stood up straight. His eyes lost their playful glint. They glowed with a faint, digital blue light. He stared out into the thick white mist off the port side of the ship.
"Sensors triggered," Sunny reported. His voice sounded robotic. "Massive object approaching. Port side. Closing fast."
"Everyone ready," Sanji ordered. His foot began to smoke.
The crew gathered near the port railing. They stared into the cotton candy fog. The ocean rippled. Small waves splashed against the hull of the Thousand Sunny.
A shadow broke the mist.
It was massive. It dwarfed the Sunny.
It was not a normal ship.
Two giant, living snails emerged from the fog. They carried the ship on their shells. The hulls were made of dark metal. Massive circular structures rested on the decks. It looked like a floating, militarized kingdom.
A flag snapped in the wind high above the snail ship. It was black, carrying a symbol of the number 66.
Germa 66.
The snail ship pulled alongside the Thousand Sunny. It loomed over them. The sheer scale made the Sunny look like a toy boat.
Sanji stood at the front of the railing.
He stopped moving. He did not reach for a cigarette. His hands fell loosely to his sides. His face turned completely to stone. The usual passion, the usual anger, the usual joy—everything vanished from his expression.
He looked cold. He looked grim.
Luffy climbed onto the top of the wooden railing. He balanced on the narrow edge. He stared at the giant snails.
"A moving castle!" Luffy cheered, completely ignoring the tension. "So cool!"
Footsteps echoed from the high deck of the Germa ship.
A figure walked to the edge. He looked down at the Straw Hat Pirates.
He wore a dark green raid suit. He wore a heavy white cape that flowed in the wind. He had bright green hair slicked back. He wore black boots and thick gloves.
His eyebrows curled in distinct, tight spirals.
Luffy pointed at the green-haired man.
"Sanji!" Luffy yelled cheerfully.
SMACK.
Sanji kicked Luffy in the back of the head.
The kick lacked Haki, but it carried annoyance. Luffy flew forward, hitting the grassy deck face-first. He bounced slightly on the lawn.
"I am right here, you rubber idiot!" Sanji yelled, his teeth sharpening.
Luffy rubbed the back of his head. He sat up. He looked at Sanji. He looked up at the green-haired man on the giant ship. He looked back at Sanji.
"Brothers?" Luffy asked.
"Unfortunately," Sanji growled. He glared up at the ship.
The green-haired man smirked. He rested his hands on the railing.
"You look terrible, Sanji," the man mocked. His voice sounded arrogant. "Playing pirate with this garbage crew has made you soft. You look like a peasant."
Sanji reached into his pocket. He pulled out a cigarette. He placed it in his mouth. He struck a match and lit it. He exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"Go away, Yonji," Sanji said coldly. "I have nothing to say to you."
Another set of footsteps echoed on the Germa deck.
A second figure stepped out of the shadows. A woman.
She wore a tight pink raid suit. She had short, pink hair. A dark cape resembling butterfly wings hung from her shoulders. She moved with perfect, calculated grace.
She looked down at the Thousand Sunny. She looked at Sanji.
"Hello, Sanji," the woman spoke. Her voice sounded soft, but it carried a deadly, poisonous edge. "It has been a long time. You look well."
Sanji glared. He did not greet her. He kept his hands in his pockets.
"Reiju," Sanji muttered around his cigarette.
Luffy stood up. He dusted off his shorts. He looked at the pink-haired woman. "Another sibling?"
"My sister," Sanji confirmed tightly.
Yonji laughed. He flexed his arms. The muscles in his raid suit shifted mechanically.
"The runaway prince," Yonji sneered. "Father wants you home. The wedding is arranged. The Vinsmoke family will ally with Big Mom. Come quietly, Sanji. Get on this ship."
Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette. He exhaled the smoke slowly.
"Tell Judge he can rot," Sanji stated. His voice carried zero emotion. "I am a Straw Hat Pirate. I do not take orders from Germa. Leave."
Yonji stopped smiling. His face twisted in anger.
"I thought you would say that," Yonji barked. "You always were the stubborn failure of the family. If you will not walk, I will drag you by your hair."
Yonji jumped.
He leaped from the high deck of the snail ship. He flew through the air. He aimed to land directly in the center of the Thousand Sunny's grassy deck. He pulled his right fist back, intending to punch Sanji into submission the moment his boots hit the grass.
Ben did not move. He kept his hands in his coat pockets.
Nami did not flinch. She crossed her arms.
Vivi did not raise her spear.
BONG.
A loud, echoing, metallic sound rang out over the pink ocean.
Yonji halted in mid-air.
He did not land on the grass. He stopped twenty feet above the deck.
His face flattened. His nose squished sideways. His lips mashed against an invisible surface. His hands pressed flat against thin air.
A dome of energy flared to life. It glowed a faint, translucent blue.
Yonji slid down the curve of the invisible dome. His face squeaked against the energy barrier like wet rubber on glass.
He slid all the way down the side of the shield. He fell off the edge.
Splash.
Yonji dropped into the pink strawberry juice ocean.
Luffy threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Shishishi! He hit a wall!"
Carrot clapped her hands, jumping up and down. "Do it again! Do it again!"
Chopper pointed his hoof at the water and giggled uncontrollably.
The pink ocean bubbled.
Yonji erupted from the water. The thrusters in his black boots ignited. He flew back into the air. He was soaking wet and completely furious. His face burned bright red. The veins in his neck popped.
"What is this trick?!" Yonji roared.
He flew at the ship again. He threw a heavy enhanced punch at the empty air above the deck.
Boom.
The punch hit the shield. The blue light rippled outward from the point of impact. The barrier did not break. It did not even crack.
Yonji gritted his teeth. He unleashed a barrage of rapid strikes. He kicked the shield. He slammed both fists into it. He drove his knees against the invisible wall.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
The impacts sounded like cannon fire. The Thousand Sunny rocked slightly in the water from the sheer kinetic force pushing against the barrier.
But the shield held perfectly. It absorbed every blow.
Yonji stopped punching. He hovered outside the dome. He panted heavily. He glared through the blue light at his brother.
"Fine!" Yonji shouted, his voice cracking with rage. "Hide behind your wall! Hide behind your toys! But listen to me, Sanji!"
Yonji pointed a finger at the cook.
"If you do not step onto this ship right now," Yonji threatened, his voice echoing over the quiet sea, "the Baratie burns."
Sanji froze.
"Father has a strike team stationed in the East Blue," Yonji sneered. "They are waiting outside the restaurant. They have their orders. Say no to this wedding, Sanji. Say no, and the old cook with the peg leg dies today. The entire restaurant sinks to the bottom of the sea."
Sanji's visible eye widened.
The cigarette dropped from his lips. He moved his foot. He caught the cigarette on the tip of his shoe before it hit the grass. He flicked it back into his hand.
Sanji's leg ignited.
Bright orange fire roared around his calf. The heat warped the air.
He stepped toward the edge of the deck. He looked at Yonji. The cold, grim expression vanished. Absolute, murderous fury replaced it. He wanted to kill his brother. He wanted to kick straight through the blue shield, tear Yonji's head off, and sink the snail ship himself.
A voice echoed inside Sanji's mind.
Stand down.
Sanji stopped walking. He kept his burning leg raised. He looked to his left.
Ben stood on the deck. Ben stared back at Sanji. Ben's mouth did not move.
Play the part, Ben sent the telepathic message directly into Sanji's brain.
Sanji gritted his teeth. He glared at Ben. They threatened Zeff. I will kill him. Sanji thought the words loudly, pushing them back across the mental link.
I know they threatened Zeff, Ben replied calmly in Sanji's mind. I promised you back on Zou that the Baratie is safe. Do you think I left that to chance?
Sanji breathed heavily through his nose. He kept the fire burning on his leg.
Ben expanded the telepathic link. He connected Luffy, Nami, Chopper, Bonney, Vivi, and Sunny.
Listen to me, everyone, Ben broadcasted his thoughts to the crew. Do not attack the Germa ship.
Luffy listened to the voice in his head. He tilted his head. He nodded slowly.
We have a plan, Ben continued the mental broadcast. We are stealing the Road Poneglyph. We are eating the cake. Then we leave. Sanji getting captured right now puts him directly inside Big Mom's castle. It gives us an inside man. It gives us a map of the territory.
I don't like it, Luffy thought back. They are mean to Sanji.
They are, Ben agreed. And we will deal with them later. But right now, we play the part. We stick to the infiltration.
Ben directed his thoughts back to Sanji exclusively.
I have a squad of Iron Legion drones stationed in the East Blue, Ben told the cook. They are cloaked. They are hovering above the Baratie right now. If Germa attacks, the drones will slaughter them in seconds. Zeff is safe. Lower your leg. Go with them.
Sanji stared at Ben. He looked at the magician's unwavering eyes. He knew Ben did not make empty promises. If Ben said drones watched the restaurant, then the restaurant was a fortress.
Sanji closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
He lowered his leg. The bright orange fire died out instantly.
"Sunny," Sanji ordered. His voice sounded calm again. Flat and cold. "Drop the shield."
Sunny nodded. "Dropping shield."
The blue dome flickered. It vanished entirely. The ocean breeze blew across the deck again.
Yonji smirked. He crossed his arms over his green chest. He hovered in the air, looking incredibly smug.
"A wise choice, runaway," Yonji mocked. "You finally understand your place. You are a tool for the family."
Sanji turned around. He did not look at Yonji. He looked at Luffy.
Sanji forced a harsh, uncaring expression onto his face. He played the part flawlessly.
"I am leaving," Sanji told his captain. "See you on Whole Cake Island, Luffy."
Luffy crossed his arms. He nodded. He played along.
"Okay," Luffy said simply. "See you there."
Sanji turned back toward the ocean. He kicked the air. Geppo.
Sanji flew off the deck of the Thousand Sunny. He walked on the air, heading straight toward the massive snail ship.
Yonji floated directly in his path. The green-haired brother waited for Sanji to approach. He opened his mouth, preparing another arrogant speech about Germa superiority.
"You will ride in the brig—" Yonji started to say.
Sanji ignored him completely.
Sanji did not slow down. He did not deviate his path. He flew right past Yonji. He did not look at his brother. He did not acknowledge his existence.
Sanji flew over the railing of the Germa ship. He landed heavily on the metal deck.
He walked directly toward Reiju.
"Show me my quarters," Sanji demanded coldly.
Reiju smiled. It was a sad, knowing smile. She turned around. "Follow me, little brother."
She walked into the dark corridors of the snail castle. Sanji followed her, the heavy metal doors closing behind them.
Yonji stopped talking. He hovered over the pink ocean. He turned around in mid-air. He realized he was talking to thin air. His brother had bypassed him entirely.
The smug look vanished from Yonji's face. His skin flushed bright red with embarrassment and fury. He clenched his fists. He flew back to the Germa ship, muttering loud, violent curses under his breath. He landed on the deck and stomped inside the castle.
The giant snails shifted their immense weight. They groaned deeply.
The Germa 66 ship turned around. It moved slowly back into the thick, cotton candy fog, carrying the cook away into the heart of the Emperor's territory.
The Straw Hat Pirates stood on the deck of the Thousand Sunny. They watched the massive ship disappear into the mist.
Luffy walked to the front railing. He grabbed his straw hat and pulled it down firmly over his eyes.
He looked out at the pink juice ocean.
"Let's go," Luffy ordered. "We have a wedding to crash."