The pink waters of Totto Land rippled gently against the hull of the Thousand Sunny. Towering in the distance, Whole Cake Island dominated the horizon.
Giant, burning candles adorned the upper tiers of the massive landmass, while waterfalls of thick white icing cascaded down its sides into the strawberry-flavored sea. Sprawling across the lowest tier, Sweet City bustled with vibrant, candy-colored life.
Luffy stared at the giant cake island and wiped a string of drool from his chin. Eager for a feast, he bent his knees and pumped his arms, preparing to launch himself entirely off the ship.
Kicking off the railing, Luffy shot toward Whole Cake Island. He traveled barely a few feet before his body jerked to a complete stop, frozen in mid-air as though the world itself had grabbed him. His arms and legs dangled uselessly over the pink ocean.
Lowering a slightly curled hand, Ben pulled the invisible grip of Ruler's Authority backward. The invisible force dragged the struggling captain through the air, dropping him heavily onto his rear on the grassy deck.
"Why did you stop me?" complaining loudly, Luffy rubbed his backside.
"Because," Ben said, "we are about to infiltrate the territory of one of the Four Emperors. What exactly is your plan?"
Tilting his head, Luffy blinked twice. "Plan? What plan?"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, the magician sighed. "How are you going to steal the Road Poneglyph? How will you get into the castle, find the stone, copy it, and get out without Big Mom noticing?"
Crossing his legs on the grass, the rubber captain raised his right hand and tapped the side of his head with an index finger.
Luffy squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that thick veins appeared on his forehead. Intense concentration contorted his features.
A low whistling sound began.
White steam hissed out of his left ear, followed immediately by his right, while his face turned beet red. His brain worked overtime, grinding imaginary gears together in a frantic attempt to formulate a strategy.
Pop.
An audible popping sound echoed from his skull. Rolling his eyes back, Luffy fell flat onto the lawn, completely exhausted by five seconds of critical thinking. "I can't do it. It hurts."
"Forget about making a plan," Ben stated, ignoring the melodramatics. "I've already made one."
Sitting back up quickly, Luffy cheered, "You have? Awesome!"
Gathering the crew closer, the magician laid out the strategy. Nami, Vivi, Chopper, Bonney, Carrot, and the avatars formed a tight circle on the deck. "We are going to the wedding. All of you will attend the Tea Party, eat the food, and mingle with the guests."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "What about you?"
"I will not be at the party," Ben explained. "I am going to sneak into Big Mom's vault to find the Poneglyph. But since I cannot leave you without supervision, I will send a clone to the party in my place."
"A clone?" Chopper asked, tilting his furry head.
"Yes. I will create a replica of myself." Looking directly at Nami and Vivi, Ben's expression turned deadly serious. "It thinks the way I do. It knows how I would answer. But it cannot fight. One solid hit will disperse it. It is up to you two to protect the clone."
Gripping her spear tightly, Vivi looked around. "Us? What about Luffy and Chopper?"
Pointing at the captain, Ben shook his head. "He will get distracted by food within ten seconds." Gesturing to Bonney next, he added, "She will fight Luffy for the food." Shifting his finger to the reindeer, he sighed, "Chopper will get distracted by the sweets." Glancing at the mink, he added, "Carrot will bounce away the moment she sees something interesting."
Putting her hands on her hips, Nami groaned. "So, we are the bodyguards."
"Keep him safe and blend in," Ben commanded. "Play the part."
"Yosha! The plan is set!" Pumping a fist in the air, Luffy cheered. "Let's go eat cake!"
"Play the part, Luffy," Ben interrupted sharply. "We are going to a wedding. You cannot show up in an open shirt and sandals. We must dress appropriately. Everyone go inside and get ready. We leave in thirty minutes."
Scattering across the deck, the crew rushed into their respective cabins. Heavy wooden doors slammed shut. Silence descended over the Thousand Sunny, leaving Ben to walk calmly to his own quarters and pull out his formal attire.
Half an hour later, the door to the men's quarters swung wide open.
Stepping out first, Luffy wore a tailored red suit jacket over a crisp black dress shirt, paired with matching red dress shorts and black shoes. A bright red tie hung around his neck, while his signature straw hat, which now had a black hat around it, remained firmly planted on his head. Pulling uncomfortably at his collar, he complained about feeling choked.
The women's door opened next. Stepping onto the lawn, Nami dazzled in a floor-length, shimmering red gown paired with tall heels and a small gold clutch purse.
Next to her, Vivi sported a completely different look. She wore a flowing, dark green dress which complemented her red hair (in disguise) and carried a silver purse(spatial) which held her Vibranium spear.
Following closely, Bonney bypassed dresses entirely for a sharp, burgundy women's suit over a black silk shirt. Fitted trousers, black boots, and dark sunglasses gave her the aura of a formidable mafia boss.
Carrot bounded out right after, wearing a short, ruffled orange dress with matching white gloves and a neat little bow tied on her left ear.
Trotting happily onto the deck, Chopper sported a tiny, perfect black tuxedo with a red bow tie. Carue quacked proudly beside him, a massive red bow tie fastened around his feathery neck.
Sunny bounded onto the grass wearing a white suit jacket, a light blue inner shirt, and a white tie, completing the look with blue dress shorts, white shoes, and blue-tinted sunglasses.
Stepping out last, Ben perfectly matched Sunny's color scheme. A tailored white suit jacket and light blue dress shirt contrasted cleanly with his crisp white trousers and dress shoes. Adjusting his cuffs, the magician surveyed the crew. They looked like royalty.
"Everyone ready?"
Before anyone could answer, the speakers cracked to life.
Sunny pulled out a rectangular object. It was a custom Bluetooth speaker Ben had crafted to look exactly like a small vintage suitcase. Setting the suitcase down on a barrel, he pushed a glowing button and cranked the volume dial to the maximum.
A heavy, synthesized bassline exploded across the deck.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down, down
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down, down
Hey, walk out that house with my swagger
You're flow like a feather, better stick like glue
Footprints, they can't step like I do
So steady, rockin' like I'm heavy metal
Ben looked toward Sunny in disbelief. "Absolutely not," the magician groaned, walking toward the pulsing suitcase speaker. "Turn that off."
Blocking his path, Sunny crossed his arms defiantly. "I don't even know what the lyrics mean!" he argued loudly over the pounding bass. "The beat is amazing! We are going to a party! We need party music!"
Bouncing on his heels, Luffy threw his arms out. "Yeah! I like this song! It makes me want to spin!"
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down, down
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down, down
Throwing his arms wide, the rubber captain started spinning in a rapid circle on the grassy deck. Inspired by the movement, Chopper jumped up and down in his tiny tuxedo, twirling frantically to copy his captain. Carrot cheered, joining them immediately as she bounced in time with the heavy beat.
Tapping her black boot against the floor, Bonney adjusted her sunglasses and smirked. "It's a good song. Let it play."
"Ben... they're listening to the beat, not the lyrics," Nami reasoned, siding with Sunny.
Stopping his pursuit of the speaker, Ben sighed heavily.
Dropping his hands into his pockets, the overprotective father-figure relented. "Fine. Play your music."
Cheering loudly, Sunny spun around in joyous circles while the heavy bass blasted across the ocean.
Hey, walk out that house with my swagger
You're flow like a feather, better stick like glue
Footprints, they can't step like I do
So steady, rockin' like I'm heavy metal
"We need to go," Nami called out, shouting over the singing. "We cannot be late. Otherwise Sanji will really get married after seeing Pudding."
Nodding in agreement, Ben motioned toward the gangplank. The music continued blasting from the suitcase speaker as the crew disembarked. Walking down the wooden ramp, their dress shoes and boots clicked against the chocolate-covered pier.
Sunny dragged the Bluetooth suitcase along with him, refusing to turn down the volume.
Reaching the bottom of the gangplank, Ben turned around to face the Thousand Sunny. The massive ship bobbed gently in the pink water.
Raising his right hand, the magician waved it dismissively through the air. Space warped instantly. The entire galleon vanished completely, sucked safely into his spatial dimension. A small whirlpool formed briefly where the hull had been, quickly smoothing out into calm strawberry juice.
"Alright. Time for the clone," Ben announced.
Ben closed his eyes for a brief moment. Spatial mana gathered around his fingertips, humming with a faint blue light. Concentrating on the physical projection, he mixed it with an illusion overlay. Snapping his fingers sharply, a cloud of thick white smoke erupted beside him.
As the smoke cleared, a second Ben stood perfectly still on the chocolate dock. The replica wore the same white suit, blue shirt, and white tie. Its posture and facial expression mirrored the original flawlessly.
"Hello," the clone stated, its voice flat and unenthusiastic.
Luffy walked around both Bens. He squinted his eyes. He scratched his cheek, leaning incredibly close to the replica's face. He walked around the replica three times, looking for a tag. "Which one's real?"
Rolling his eyes, the real Ben pointed to himself. "I am the one standing on the left. The one on the right is the clone."
Turning back to Nami and Vivi, the original magician offered his final instructions. "Remember. Smile. Eat. Blend in." He shifted his gaze toward the rubber captain. "Preferably in that order."
"No promises," Luffy grinned widely.
Stepping backward, the real Ben allowed the space around his body to fold. Without another word, he vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
Standing casually with its hands in its pockets, the clone looked at Luffy. "Let's go,"
Pumping a fist triumphantly into the air, the captain cheered. "To the wedding!"
Reaching over, Sunny turned the volume dial on the suitcase speaker up one final notch.
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down, down
The candy citizens stopped what they were doing. Children pointed in awe. Biscuit soldiers frowned in confusion. The loud music echoed through Sweet City as the bizarre, impeccably dressed procession walked straight toward the Emperor's castle.
It was the least discreet infiltration in pirate history.