Rhett held Rati in his arms and leaned lazily against a table covered in desserts. He watched Charlotte Linlin, surrounded by Homies, walk toward the wedding platform.
"What a 'happy' wedding," Rhett said, taking a bite of a cream puff. His tone was mocking.
Tesoro piled cake onto his plate and lowered his voice. "Captain, are we really just going to watch?"
"What else?" Rhett shrugged. "You want to catch the bouquet?"
Moria clicked his tongue. His shadow quietly stole an entire chocolate fountain. "Kishishishi... This old hag's wedding is creepier than my zombie parties."
Enel snorted. Small sparks of lightning danced on his fingertips. "Boring."
Lena puffed out her cheeks. She was clearly still angry. "Then don't eat their desserts!"
Enel: "...This god is just tasting."
Everyone: "..."
The wedding march played. Linlin walked heavily, carrying the groom. She kept looking back at Rati.
Rhett watched this scene and chuckled. "Looks like Totto Land isn't full of lunatics."
Tesoro raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Rhett pointed around them. The residents of Whole Cake Island were dancing happily. Children were chasing each other. Homies played cheerful music.
Even though all of this was built on Linlin's reign of terror, there was no denying that the ordinary people here lived more stable lives than the weak in other seas.
Rhett took another bite of cake. His tone was casual. "At least here, they can live normal lives."
Rhett wasn't talking nonsense. But he had to establish the premise first. The premise was the New World. And the premise was the weak.
Living in Totto Land required paying two months of lifespan every year. That meant someone who could have lived to eighty would only live to about seventy. Sounds terrible, right? Ten years. But there was a premise. The weak in the New World didn't live to seventy in the first place. When Rhett saw Whole Cake Island, he felt a mix of emotions.
Because it really was a peaceful country. There was no cruel ruling class. There was only one mentally ill person — Big Mom.
Even though Linlin's food cravings would cause her to attack anyone without discrimination, those episodes were rare in her long life. That was still better than having a pirate stab you through the heart at any moment.
Linlin was a complex character. She was extremely naive and idealistic. Her dream was to build a country where everyone could be happy. That wasn't a bad idea. She did have some goodness in her heart.
Every character in One Piece has their own redeeming quality. Even Blackbeard, who everyone curses — when Luffy and Zoro were beaten half to death by Bellamy, he said one thing to Luffy.
"People's dreams never end!"
That one sentence made fans see Blackbeard in a new light. And then there was Linlin's line: "Even pirates need righteousness."
For the weak in the New World, Linlin's Totto Land truly deserved to be called righteous.
Not to say that Linlin was a great person. But she also couldn't be completely classified as a villain, a bad person. Many times, good and evil aren't absolute.
---
Just as the wedding reached its climax, something went wrong.
Linlin's smile suddenly froze. Her pupils contracted violently. Drool uncontrollably dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her fingers began to tremble. Her breathing became heavy and erratic.
"Caramel... caramel cream puffs..." She muttered to herself. Her voice gradually twisted. "Why... aren't there any caramel cream puffs..."
The entire wedding venue fell silent.
The Blood Dawn crew immediately went on alert. Tesoro's gold armor instantly covered his body. Moria's shadows writhed on the ground. Enel's lightning crackled.
But Rhett still held Rati. His blood mist simply stirred slightly, wrapping the baby more securely. "Oh? So this is the famous 'food craving episode'?"
Linlin's body began to swell. Her Conqueror's Haki erupted uncontrollably. The terrifying pressure made the entire island tremble.
"CARAMEL CREAM PUFFS—!!!"
She suddenly raised her hand and punched the wedding cake.
"BOOM—!!!"
The massive cake tower instantly shattered. Cream and frosting exploded like a storm. Guests screamed and ran. Homies trembled in fear.
Perospero's whole body shook. But in the next moment, he gritted his teeth. He ran to his younger siblings and spread his arms wide to stop his own mother.
"Mama! Calm down!" His voice trembled. His eyes were watery. But his body stayed firmly planted between his mother and the children. "The caramel cream puffs are coming soon! Just wait a little longer!"
Katakuri's Observation Haki screamed warnings. But he didn't retreat. He stood beside Perospero and said in a deep voice, "Mama. The caramel cream puffs are on their way."
Linlin's giant fist hung in the air. Her confused eyes stared at them. "Caramel... cream puffs..."
Perospero's back was soaked with cold sweat. But he still forced a smile. "Y-Yes! The chefs are making them! Your favorite caramel cream puffs!"
He turned and shouted at the siblings behind him. "Go get the backup desserts! Now!"
The Charlotte children finally snapped out of it and ran in every direction to find desserts.
The Blood Dawn crew stood where they were, their expressions different.
Tesoro frowned. "This guy... he's clearly scared to death. Yet he still stood in front?"
Moria clicked his tongue. "Kishishishi... Interesting."
Enel snorted. "Stupid."
Normally, things would have calmed down by now.
But.
Don't forget. Rhett was still on the scene.
Even when Linlin was normal, she had to grit her teeth when talking to Rhett. Now that she was having an episode...
Rhett suddenly handed Rati to Tesoro. The blood mist instantly exploded.
"Hey, hey, Linlin. Are you that excited to see me?" Rhett's figure flickered in and out of the blood mist. His crimson eyes gleamed dangerously. "If you want to lose your mind, why not fight me instead?"
Linlin's unfocused eyes turned to Rhett. "Mamamama... Rhett... brat..."
Rhett waved his hand without looking back. "Take Rati back."
Tesoro carried Rati to a safe distance. He wasn't worried. The captain couldn't lose.
Perospero stared at Rhett in shock. "You...?"
"Don't misunderstand." Rhett grinned. "I just think a little exercise before the hundred-day celebration isn't a bad idea. Now, make sure you prepare properly for the celebration."
Linlin's Conqueror's Haki suddenly exploded. "Die, brat!"
"Ikoku!"
The terrifying slash instantly tore the wedding venue apart. But Rhett had already turned into mist and dodged. The blood mist in the air condensed into dozens of ferocious blood dragons that lunged at Linlin.
"Mist God Style: Blood Dragon Dance!"
Katakuri immediately pulled Perospero back. "Everyone, retreat!"