Chapter 28: A Mother's Invitation
The days on Zou were a whirlwind of healing, alliance-forging, and grim planning. The revelation of the Road Poneglyph and the true scope of their enemy—the alliance between Kaido and Big Mom—hung over them like a executioner's axe. The need for a plan was desperate, and it was Sanji, not an enemy, who became the epicenter of the next crisis.
The arrival of the Big Mom Pirates' envoy, led by the smooth-talking and dangerous Pez, sent a chill through the assembled warriors. The Vinsmoke family, a royal lineage of assassins, had arranged a political marriage between Sanji and Big Mom's daughter, Charlotte Pudding. It was not a request; it was a summons, backed by the unspoken threat to Zeff's life.
The crew was outraged. Luffy's refusal was immediate and absolute. But Sanji, the chivalrous cook, was trapped between his loyalty to his crew and his need to protect the man who was his true father. The confrontation between Luffy and Sanji on the barren, wintry outskirts of Mokomo Dukedom was one of the most painful things any of them had ever witnessed—a brutal, heartfelt battle where neither fighter wanted to win, but both were compelled by love to fight.
Arata watched from a distance, his heart heavy. This was a storm he could not quell with lightning. This was a tempest of the human spirit, a conflict of duty and love that had to be resolved by the individuals involved. He saw Sanji's kicks, fueled by self-loathing and desperation, connect with Luffy, who refused to fight back, taking the punishment as if it were his own. He heard Luffy's desperate shout, "I CAN'T BECOME THE PIRATE KING WITHOUT YOU!" and felt the seismic shift in Sanji's resolve finally break.
When it was over, and Sanji lay sobbing in the snow, defeated not by Luffy's fists but by his captain's unwavering faith, the decision was made. They would go to Whole Cake Island. Not to surrender, but to crash a wedding.
In the strategy session that followed, the atmosphere was tense. They were planning to invade the territory of a Yonko, a feat considered suicidal.
"We'll go in, get Sanji, and get out," Luffy declared, his face still bruised but his will iron-clad.
"It will not be that simple, Luffy," Jinbe cautioned, his voice grave. "Whole Cake Island is the heart of Big Mom's empire. Her children are her army, each one a powerful Devil Fruit user. The very land is alive with her will."
"It's a trap," Nami said, her voice trembling slightly. "We all know it's a trap."
"It is," Arata spoke for the first time, his voice cutting through the anxiety. All eyes turned to him. "But it is a trap we now see clearly. And we have a advantage they have not accounted for." He looked at Luffy. "They are expecting the Straw Hat Pirates. They are not expecting me."
He laid out his plan. He would not go with the main team to Whole Cake Island. His presence, like in Dressrosa, would be too obvious, too destabilizing. Big Mom would sense his Haki the moment he entered her territory, and the entire element of surprise would be lost.
"Instead," Arata explained, "I will be your shadow in the sky. The Raiju will remain high above Totto Land, beyond the range of their Homies' perception. I will be your eyes and ears. I can track your movements, monitor Big Mom's forces, and, if necessary, create a diversion from above."
He then turned to a separate matter. "There is another issue that requires attention. The Reverie is convening soon. The kings and queens of the World Government will be gathered at Mary Geoise. And among them will be King Neptune and Princess Shirahoshi."
Robin's eyes widened in understanding. "Shirahoshi... Poseidon. The World Government would give anything to control her."
"Precisely," Arata said, his expression turning grim. "Doflamingo's fall has created a power vacuum. The Celestial Dragons will be nervous, looking for new assets to secure their power. An invitation to the Reverie is also a summons to the slaughterhouse for a secret as vast as Shirahoshi's. I cannot be in two places at once, but my speed can bridge the gap."
He made a decision. "I will accompany the main team to the vicinity of Whole Cake Island. Once you have infiltrated and the situation is stable, I will depart for the Red Line. I will ensure the safety of our friends from Fish-Man Island during the Reverie. Once that is done, I will return to Whole Cake Island before the wedding ceremony. I will be your cavalry, arriving precisely when and where you need me most."
It was an audacious plan, relying on his impossible speed and the precise timing of events across the globe. But the conviction in his voice was absolute.
Luffy, for once, was completely serious. He looked at Arata, his captain's gaze weighing the man before him. "You'll save the fish-people?"
"I will protect them with my life," Arata vowed.
"And you'll come back to get Sanji and us?"
"Nothing in this world could prevent me," Arata promised, his eyes flicking to Robin for a fraction of a second.
Luffy nodded, a slow, confident grin spreading across his face. "Okay. Then let's go."
The plan was set. They would split their forces, facing two existential threats simultaneously. The journey to Totto Land was a somber one, the cheerful, pastel-colored seas a stark contrast to the darkness of their mission. As the terrifying, candy-coated archipelagos of Big Mom's territory came into view, the Raiju ascended, vanishing into the clouds, a hidden sword of Damocles. The Straw Hats were walking into the belly of the beast, but high above, their guardian was watching, his power a silent promise that even in the realm of a Emperor, they were not without a storm of their own.