Haruko's gaze swept across the chaotic rooftop and immediately locked onto one person: Capone Bege.
While the rest of the guests were staring at the collapsing wedding cake in horror, Bege stood perfectly still. He was smiling—a sharp, predator's grin. It was the missing piece of the puzzle. He hadn't just defected; he had formed an alliance with the rookies.
"I see," Haruko murmured. "Straw Hat Luffy and Bege teamed up under the Big Mom Pirates' noses. No wonder they managed to infiltrate this deep into Totto Land."
The efficiency of it was startling. Only a few days had passed since the news of Doflamingo's defeat reached the papers, yet the Straw Hats were already here, actively dismantling a Yonko's wedding.
"Haruko, don't blink," Yamato said, leaning back in her chair. She was casually popping a piece of chocolate into her mouth, looking like she was enjoying a front-row seat at the theater. "The real show is just getting started."
Haruko realized then that her Young Master had anticipated this chaos all along.
The Wrath of the Queen
"It's Straw Hat Luffy!" someone screamed.
As the dust from the cake began to settle, the identity of the central intruder was impossible to ignore. Big Mom stood in the center of the clearing, her face twisting into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage. Looking at the dozens of identical Luffy clones running around, a terrifying killing intent radiated from her body.
"That bastard!" she roared. Not only had her plan to seize Germa technology been disrupted, but her precious wedding cake—the pinnacle of her culinary desires—lay in ruins on the floor.
"He's really here for Black Leg Sanji," a guest whispered. It was common knowledge that the Vinsmoke's third son was the Straw Hats' cook.
High above the venue, Sanji was already in action. Using Moonwalk, he clutched a sobbing Pudding to his chest, moving rapidly away from the center of the blast zone.
"My wedding cake... I was looking forward to it so much!" Big Mom's eyes began to glaze over as her voice took on a melodic, yet horrifying, pitch. Those who knew her recognized the signs: the Hunger Pang rampage was imminent.
"Bring me a new cake!" she screamed, her terrifying gaze falling on Head Chef Streusen.
Streusen remained silent, but his assistant stammered out a reply. "Th-that's impossible, Mama! We only prepared the one!"
"Life... or the wedding cake!"
The cold ultimatum echoed as Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit ability flared to life. The assistants were paralyzed by fear, and at that exact moment, their lifespans manifested as a visible white mist, tearing away from their bodies.
"NO!" they screamed, but it was too late. Big Mom's massive hand swept through the air, snatching the mist. The three men collapsed instantly, their eyes rolling back as they withered.
"Anyone who takes away my fun will have their life taken by me!" she cackled cruelly.
Haruko watched with a mix of academic interest and genuine wariness. "The Soul-Soul Fruit. She can extract souls, bestow them into objects, and use fear to harvest the lifespans of others. To take a Paramecia-type ability to such a conceptual level... she truly is a monster."
"Paramecia ceilings are high," Yamato noted, her tone surprisingly analytical. "Unlike Zoans, where the path is fixed, Paramecia development is limited only by the user's imagination. Only the Ancient and Mythical Zoans can truly hold their own against an awakened conceptual Paramecia."
The Foolish Response
"Straw Hat! You are unforgivable!" Big Mom screamed, looking at the swarm of clones. "Which one is the real you?! Get out here and face me!"
Deep within his own fortress, Bege snickered. Fool. This confusion tactic is perfect. Only an idiot would respond to—
"I'M RIGHT HERE!"
The real Luffy shouted back, waving his arms to catch her attention.
Bege's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "He actually responded?!"
"Pfft—Hahaha!" Yamato doubled over, slapping the table so hard the plates rattled. "Haruko, I can't! I literally can't breathe!" She quickly ducked her head under the table to hide her laughter, her shoulders shaking.
Haruko couldn't suppress a smile herself. "Is he a comedian? Or just a monkey?"
Luffy's logic defied the laws of the New World. Big Mom called, and he answered like they were old friends meeting for a spar. Haruko glanced at Bege, whose face had turned a sickly shade of gray.
"I bet Bege's mind is shattered right now," Haruko said, shaking her head. "I almost feel sorry for him. Having a teammate like that is a unique kind of torture."
The Betrayal of the Fishman
"Bastard! I'll crush you!" Big Mom locked onto the real Luffy, who was charging directly toward the table. His target wasn't the Yonko, but the framed photo of Mother Carmel.
Break the photo, break the Queen. That was the plan Bege had devised. But before Luffy could reach it, a blur of motion intercepted him. Katakuri kicked out, his leg turning into a sticky mass of mochi that sent Luffy tumbling backward.
"Katakuri! What are you doing?!" Big Mom snarled, glaring at her son. "Don't meddle in my fight!"
"Mama, his target wasn't you," Katakuri explained calmly, his Mogura spear at the ready. "He was aiming for the photo."
Big Mom's pupils shrank. "How could a rookie know that secret? Who told him?!"
"It was me."
Jinbe, the "First Son of the Sea," stepped forward with unwavering resolve. "I told Luffy about Mother Carmel. After staying under your command for so long, I was bound to learn your weaknesses."
"Jinbe, you traitor!" Big Mom screamed. "Why would you protect the brat who destroyed the cake?"
"Because I'm quitting your crew," Jinbe declared, his voice booming across the roof. "And I'm joining the Straw Hat Pirates. That's all."
The silence that followed was heavy with shock. A former Warlord of the Sea was declaring war on a Yonko to join a rookie crew.
"Bold move," Haruko remarked. "He's basically signing his own death warrant."
"He's a man of character," Yamato said, lighting a cigarette and leaning back. "The Straw Hat crew is about to get a serious upgrade."
"They'll never make it out of Totto Land alive," Haruko noted. "This island is an inescapable net."
"Maybe. But they're the same ones who challenged the World Government for a friend," Yamato smiled. "Besides, I need them alive. They're going to be my tools for dealing with my troublesome Idiot Old Man."
Haruko looked at her Young Master, her eye twitching. "Tools? You think these rookies can take down Lord Kaido? They just struggled with Doflamingo."
"They'll grow," Yamato said confidently. "I can't wake someone who's pretending to sleep, so I'll have to ask someone else to shake the bed. I want to leave Wano, Haruko. I want to roam the sea freely without that brute pinning me down. If I have to use a bunch of reckless rookies to rub him in the dirt, so be it."
"Young Master, you're just complaining about your curfew again," Haruko sighed.
"What's wrong with complaining?!" Yamato barked, though she was still grinning. "We're pirates! We should be camping on a different island every night, not rotting away in one corner of the world. Wano is a cage, and I'm ready to break the lock."
Haruko looked at the chaos unfolding—the screaming Yonko, the charging rookie, and the smiling traitor. Perhaps the world really was about to change.
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