Whole Cake Chateau stretched outward like a sugary cathedral. Pillars of twisted peppermint supported a ceiling painted with frosting clouds. Biscuit soldiers lined the grand entryway. The icing-coated guards snapped to attention, gripping their candy-cane spears tightly. They offered no resistance. The golden invitations held by the guests granted absolute clearance into the heart of the Emperor's stronghold.
Marching past the guards, the Straw Hat procession entered the grand venue. They moved with the synchronized swagger of a professional heist crew.
Sunny dragged the Bluetooth suitcase speaker along with him. The avatar wore his crisp white suit and blue sunglasses. Pushing a button on the side of the device, he switched the track just as they crossed the threshold into the main banquet hall.
A bright, funky synthesizer beat bounced off the candy-coated walls.
Tonight
I just want to take you higher
Throw your hands up in the sky
Let's set this party off right
Players, put yo' pinky rings up to the moon
Girls, what y'all trying to do?
24 karat magic in the air
Head to toe so player
Uh, look out!
Sitting upon a plush throne carved from solid nougat at the head of the room, Charlotte Linlin ate her breakfast.
The Emperor of the Sea shoved an entire platter of cream puffs into her massive mouth. Sweet cream exploded across her cheeks. Swallowing the pastries without chewing, she reached for a barrel of hot caramel.
The upbeat music drifted across the elegant dining tables. It cut through the ambient chatter of the early-arriving underworld bosses. Catching the rhythm, Big Mom subconsciously began tapping her giant, pink-heeled foot against the floorboards.
Thud. Thud. Thud. The heavy impacts matched the funky bassline perfectly. Teacups rattled on their saucers across the room.
Pausing her meal, she looked down at her moving foot. A rumble of amusement vibrated in her chest. She had never heard music like this. It lacked the operatic flair of her usual entertainment, but the groove felt undeniable. Looking up to find the source of the catchy rhythm, her eyes locked onto the entrance.
The Straw Hat Pirates stood in the doorway.
A terrifying, wide smile stretched across Big Mom's face. Mamamama! She assumed the young pirate had come to bow. Without the bitter history of Fishman Island clouding her judgment, the Emperor believed this rising star had arrived to submit and join her grand family. The music was simply a tribute.
"Monkey D. Luffy!" Big Mom boomed. Sugar dust sprinkled down onto the tables. "You actually came to my Tea Party!"
"Where is the cake?" Luffy asked bluntly.
Blinking in surprise, Big Mom's smile froze. Then, she threw her head back and laughed even harder.
"Mamamama! The cake comes after the vows!" Wiping a tear of mirth from her eye, the Emperor grinned down at the boy in the red suit. "You must wait for the wedding to finish! The masterpiece takes time to assemble!"
Stepping out from behind the captain, Bonney adjusted her dark sunglasses. She ignored the overwhelming, terrifying aura of the Yonko.
"I heard rumors in town," Bonney called out. She licked her lips, her eyes scanning the room for the kitchen doors. "Is it true the wedding cake has mountains of fresh strawberries? Triple-layered chocolate ganache? And a vanilla cream frosting made from the legendary milk of the Cocoa Island cows?"
Pride swelled in Big Mom's chest. "It is my ultimate masterpiece! The greatest cake ever baked in Totto Land! It is as tall as a mountain! My head chef has worked for a week to perfect the sponge!"
Saliva instantly flooded Luffy's mouth. A thick string of drool pooled at Chopper's hooves. Wiping her chin with the back of her sleeve, Bonney braced herself like a sprinter at a starting line. Sunny bounced on his heels, vibrating with intense sugar anticipation. Quacking loudly, Carue flapped his wings, preparing to stampede the empty dining tables.
Smacking her forehead with her palm, Nami groaned loudly.
Grabbing the back of Luffy's suit collar, Vivi yanked him backward just as his feet left the floor. Nami grabbed Bonney's suit jacket.
"Control yourselves!" Vivi hissed quietly. She chopped Luffy lightly on the back of the neck. "We are guests! Remember!"
"Take your seats!" Big Mom gestured toward a grand table positioned near the front of the hall, completely misinterpreting the altercation as pre-wedding jitters. "The ceremony will begin shortly! Eat the appetizers while you wait!"
Scrambling over each other like feral animals, the gluttons rushed the table.
Luffy, Bonney, Chopper, and Sunny immediately attacked the platters. Luffy unhinged his jaw and inhaled a three-tiered chocolate fountain, swallowing the metal pump mechanism along with the liquid cocoa. Bonney grabbed a platter of finger sandwiches, folded the silver tray like a taco, and took a massive bite. Chopper shoved cotton candy into his mouth with both hooves. Sunny drank a pitcher of maple syrup straight from the spout.
Taking their seats gracefully beside the carnage, Nami and Vivi kept watchful eyes on their surroundings. They smiled politely at the underworld bosses staring at their table.
Sitting quietly at the end of the table, the clone of Ben sipped a cup of black tea. It ignored the destruction happening inches from its elbow.
"Pass the sugar," the clone requested in a deadpan voice.
Luffy handed the clone an empty bowl, having already eaten the sugar cubes.
"Thank you," the clone said. It poured the empty bowl into its tea and took another sip. It radiated an aura of boredom, playing the part of a disinterested guest flawlessly.
Deep inside the labyrinth of the chateau.
The real Ben moved in silence. He had cast a simple illusion over himself to look like a standard chess piece rook guard. Plaid suspenders, a heavy helmet, and a decorative spear completed the look.
Layered over the illusion, Ben cast a Disillusionment Charm.
He moved like a ghost through the bizarre hallways, leaving no footprints on the plush rugs.
But surveillance in Whole Cake Chateau was not limited to guards. The castle itself was alive.
Passing a long corridor, the wallpaper shifted.
The framed portraits turned their heads. A painting of a stormy sea leaned out of its frame to whisper to a painting of a bowl of fruit.
"Did you feel a draft?" the stormy sea painting whispered. Its painted waves splashed against the wooden frame.
"I don't feel wind," the fruit bowl replied. A painted apple shifted near the top of the pile. "But someone is walking here. A rook."
A candy sconce bolted to the wall hissed, twisting its brass neck to look down the hallway. "Who's that? Have you seen him before?"
"Maybe," a velvet rug mumbled from the floor. "He steps very lightly for a rook. Rooks usually stomp."
Ben froze. He raside his wand quietly, and stepped closer to the wall. He did not want to trigger a castle-wide alarm. He needed this quiet.
He tapped the frame of the talking fruit bowl painting with the tip of his wand.
Obliviate.
A flash of magic washed over the animated canvas. The memory erased instantly.
The painting blinked. The apples settled.
"...What was I saying?" the fruit bowl muttered, looking around confused.
The stormy sea painting shrugged its painted waves. "You were complaining about the dust on our frames again."
The candy sconce sighed, turning its brass neck back toward the ceiling. "Always complaining. I forgot what we were even looking at."
Lowering his wand, Ben walked away. He stepped carefully over the velvet rug, leaving the confused Homies to argue about housekeeping.
Turning the next corner, heavy footsteps echoed down the adjacent hallway.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The floorboards groaned. Two massive figures walked shoulder-to-shoulder, blocking the entire width of the corridor.
Charlotte Daifuku rubbed his golden belt, speaking in low, rumbling tones to his brother, Charlotte Opera.
Ben stopped dead in his tracks. His Disillusionment Charm held, blending him perfectly into a wall decorated with frosted flowers. But visual camouflage meant nothing against high-level observation. Daifuku was a seasoned commander. His Haki would pierce the illusion the moment Ben stepped too close.
Flicking his wrist, Ben opened a tear in space directly behind him. The air folded inward silently. He stepped backward into his spatial dimension just as the two brothers turned the corner.
The portal snapped shut.
Ben stood in the silence of his pocket dimension. A few feet away, Kanjuro lay bound and unconscious on a simple cot. A wooden crate holding his extracted Devil Fruits sat nearby.
Ben checked his watch. He leaned against an invisible wall. He waited for five minutes.
Back in the hallway, Daifuku suddenly stopped walking.
"..."
The burly commander narrowed his eyes. He scanned the empty corridor. The air felt undisturbed, but a faint prickle of instinct crawled up his spine.
"What is it?" Opera asked. The massive, cream-covered man bumped into his brother's shoulder.
"I thought I sensed somebody," Daifuku growled. His hand hovered over his golden belt buckle.
Opera let out a booming, wet laugh. Whipped cream dripped from his arms and splattered onto the carpet. "Probably another Homie gossiping in the walls. Mama gave life to too many teacups this week. Keep walking. The guests are arriving."
Daifuku grunted. He dismissed the feeling, attributing it to the chaotic energy of the castle. They continued their patrol, their heavy footsteps fading down the grand staircase at the end of the hall.
After fice minutes, opening the tear in space again, Ben stepped back into the hallway.
Resuming his search, the magician approached a T-intersection. A lone chess knight patrolled the crossway. The guard held a spear tightly, marching back and forth in a strict, repetitive pattern.
Dropping the Disillusionment Charm for a split second, Ben stepped out of the shadows.
Startled by the sudden appearance of another rook, the guard turned. The knight raised his spear, opening his mouth to demand identification.
Locking eyes with the knight, Ben drove his magic directly into the man's mind.
Legilimens.
A chaotic mess of thoughts flooded Ben's vision. The spell bypasses defenses entirely, ripping through the guard's consciousness like a hurricane tearing through a paper house.
Ben sifted through the noise, searching for a mental map of the Chateau.
Instead, he found a montage of a minion's daily life.
I hope they serve chocolate éclairs in the mess hall today. Yesterday's jellybeans were stale.Commander Cracker scares me. He always leaves crumbs everywhere. Who has to sweep that up? Me.My boots are too tight. Why do we have to wear these stupid plastic uniforms? I sweat constantly.
Oh no. I left the syrup boiling. My wife is going to kill me. Speaking of my wife... I forgot our anniversary. I am a dead man.
Sighing internally, Ben pushed past the useless, mundane chatter. He dug deeper into the man's memories, tearing past the anxiety over forgotten anniversaries and strict commanders. He found the patrol routes. He found the restricted zones. Finally, he found the image he needed.
A heavy iron door at the bottom of a glass staircase. The Emperor's treasure vault.
Breaking eye contact, Ben pulled his magic back. The guard staggered disoriented by the sudden mental invasion.
Ben tapped the guard lightly on the forehead with two fingers.
The knight slumped backward against the wall, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep before he even hit the floor.
Grabbing the guard by the collar, Ben dragged him into a small alcove. He propped the man up against the wall, crossing the guard's arms over his chest. He wedged a large candy cane under the guard's chin, keeping his head upright so he appeared to be standing at attention from a distance.
Reapplying his camouflage, the magician turned left.
Following the mental map flawlessly, he descended a spiral staircase made of hardened sugar glass. The translucent steps spiraled deep into the foundation of the chateau.
At the bottom of the spiral staircase sat the massive treasure vault.
Twenty Chess Soldiers guarded the entrance.
They stood in two perfect rows before the iron door. Gleaming armor covered their bodies. Halberds rested firmly against the polished stone floor. The Homies neither blinked nor spoke. Fragments of stolen souls burned quietly behind glowing eyes.
Ben stopped ten feet away.
He studied the formation for several seconds.
Destroying the guards would leave evidence.
Slipping between twenty pairs of eyes was impossible.
He chose a different approach.
Drawing his wand, Ben pointed it toward the corridor.
"Mimetic Veil."
A wave of silver magic spread silently through the hallway before disappearing.
The illusion settled over every Homie in the passage.
To the Chess Soldiers, nothing changed.
The corridor remained empty.
The vault stayed closed.
Their fellow guards stood exactly where they had always stood.
Even as Ben stepped directly between them, the spell quietly replaced reality with the scene they expected to see.
Not a single guard reacted.
They continued staring straight ahead.
Walking calmly through the middle of their formation, Ben stopped before the enormous iron vault door.
The lock itself presented another problem.
Alohomora would open it.
The grinding gears inside the mechanism would echo through the underground corridors.
Ben raised his wand once more.
"Quietus Circum."
Invisible magic spread across the surrounding walls.
The air shimmered for the briefest moment before becoming perfectly still.
A dome of silence enclosed the corridor.
Every sound created within it would remain trapped.
No footsteps.
No voices.
No grinding steel.
Nothing would escape.
Satisfied, Ben pointed his wand at the center of the vault door.
"Alohomora."
Magic flared.
Inside the massive door, heavy steel tumblers rotated into place.
Combination dials spun rapidly.
Thick iron deadbolts slid free from their reinforced sockets.
The ancient mechanism completed its work in absolute silence.
Not even a single click escaped the enchanted barrier.
Placing one hand against the iron door, Ben pushed gently.
The massive vault swung inward without making a sound.
Behind him, the Chess Soldiers remained still.
To them, the vault was still sealed.
The corridor was still empty.
Nothing had changed.
Ben stepped inside.
The vault held enough wealth to purchase entire kingdoms.
Mountains of gold coins spilled across the floor, forming glittering dunes beneath enchanted lanterns. Glass display cases lined the walls, protecting ancient Devil Fruit encyclopedias bound in Sea King leather. Jeweled crowns from conquered kingdoms rested beside velvet cushions displaying legendary blades. Chests overflowing with pearls, emeralds, and rubies filled every corner of the chamber.
Ben barely glanced at any of it.
He walked past piles of flawless diamonds.
He ignored stacks of gold bars.
He paid no attention to a sword resting inside an ornate, jewel-encrusted scabbard.
His eyes settled upon the massive crimson stone standing at the center of the vault.
The Road Poneglyph.
Ben stopped.
Eight hundred years of forgotten history stood before him.
The crimson stone absorbed the dim light of the vault. Weathered symbols covered every side, carved by hands lost to time. Entire civilizations had vanished trying to protect the truth etched into its surface.
This stone had endured them all.
Pulling a small digital camera from his pocket, Ben approached the monument.
He framed the first face carefully.
Click.
Flash.
He circled the massive stone slowly.
Click.
Flash.
Every side.
Every symbol.
Every carving.
Every weathered groove.
Nothing was missed.
Checking the display on the back of the camera, Ben zoomed in on several photographs.
The images were perfectly sharp.
Robin would have no trouble reading them.
Satisfied, Ben slipped the camera back into his pocket.
Turning around, he walked out of the vault.
The heavy iron door swung shut behind him.
The deadbolts slid back into place.
The tumblers locked.
The illusion still held.
Twenty Chess Soldiers continued guarding a vault they never realized had been opened.
Ben tapped his wand lightly against the air.
The Mimetic Veil dissolved without a trace.
Then, opening a tear in space before him, Ben stepped through.
The portal closed silently behind him.