Chapter 13: The Merienda Meltdown
The Final Seconds of Silence
The purple glow of the System's timer pulsed like a dying star. Across the world, the tension was so thick it felt like physical weight. In Marineford, Sengoku was sweating, his finger hovering over a "Do Not Answer" order. On Onigashima, Kaido was laughing, daring his subordinates to bet their lives on a donut song.
[Countdown: 05... 04... 03... 02... 01...]
[System: Time is up. Locking all answers.]
The Global Chat, which had been a hurricane of guesses, suddenly went dead silent. Everyone—from the lowliest cabin boy to the Five Elders—waited for the verdict.
The Reveal: The Secret Life of Mochi
The emerald screen flickered and then expanded, showing a custom-built house made entirely of hardened icing and chocolate bricks. The camera panned inside, revealing Charlotte Katakuri lying on his back, his legs kicked up in the air, surrounded by a mountain of glistening, sugary donuts.
His scarf was off. His jagged, eel-like mouth was wide open as he prepared to unhinge his jaw for a giant glazed ring. And then, it happened. A low, soulful, and surprisingly melodic hum vibrated from his throat.
[CORRECT ANSWER: C) 'Oh, Donuts!' (A Soul-Shattering Ballad of Sugar)]
The lyrics appeared in gold at the bottom of the screen:
"Oh, donuts... so sweet, so round... in your doughy embrace, I am found... No one sees me, no one knows... the sugar flows from my head to my toes..."
The Global Chat: The Sound of Breaking Hearts
The silence lasted for exactly three seconds before the Big Mom Pirates literally broke the chat.
> [Charlotte Flambe]: "NOOOO! MY BROTHER! HIS FACE! HIS MOUTH! HIS... HIS SINGING?! IT'S HORRIBLE! IT'S ADORABLE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO FEEL!"
> [Queen]: "GAHAHAHA! 'SOUL-SHATTERING BALLAD'?! HE'S A POET! A TOOTHED, SWEET-TOOTHED POET! Kaido-san, I think I'm going to die! I'm actually dying of laughter!"
> [Big Mom]: "Katakuri... my son... you really do love those donuts, don't you? MAMAMAMA! But that singing... we need to get you a better vocal coach!"
> [Gol D. Roger]: "Bwahaha! This is the best thing I've seen since Garp tried to wear a suit! Hey, Garp! You still eating those crackers? This kid's got more rhythm than you ever did!"
> [Monkey D. Garp]: "Shut up, Roger! At least I don't sing to my rice crackers! Bwahaha!"
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The One Piece Question
In the middle of the mockery, a message from a random pirate in the East Blue flashed in bright neon.
> [Random Pirate #607]: "WHO CARES ABOUT DONUTS?! ROGER! TELL US! WHERE IS THE ONE PIECE?! IS IT ON THE SCREEN?! IS IT A DONUT?!"
> [Gol D. Roger]: "Bwahaha! Every time I speak, it's the same question! Listen, kid, the One Piece is exactly where I left it. If I told you now, the System would probably turn my ghost into a toasted marshmallow.
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The Rain of "Unknown" Punishments
The screen turned a jagged, electric blue as the System began processing the four million incorrect guesses. Unlike the mass teleportation of the last trial, this was chaotic and personal.
[System: Processing Individualized Penalties...]
In Marineford, a high-ranking Commodore who guessed "A" suddenly felt his throat tighten. "I think I—SQUEAK!" Every time he tried to speak, the sound of a high-pitched rubber duck echoed through the plaza.
In Sabaody, a bounty hunter who guessed "D" found his feet suddenly glued to the ground by ten gallons of sticky, pink mochi.
But the worst hit the Big Mom Pirates.
> [Charlotte Oven]: "Wait—why is my hair turning into blue cotton candy?! IT'S STICKY! IT'S MELTING!"
> [Charlotte Smoothie]: "My sword... it's turned into a giant stick of celery. I can't even lift it without it snapping."
> [System Notice]: [Penalty for User 'Akainu': Your 'Magma' will smell like 'Fresh Strawberries' for the next 12 hours.]
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> [Kizaru]: "Oh... that's unfortunate. Though it's better than smelling like smoke, I suppose... SQUEAK!"
>
The Marines looked at their frozen Admiral. Even stuck in time, his penalty had activated. The Admiral of the Navy was now a "Squeaky Light-Man."
The Winner's Circle
Only a handful of people had guessed "C." Among them were Luffy, and Big Mom (who knew her son's appetite).
[System: Winners detected. Distributing 1 Golden Sovereign Coin to each.]
Luffy caught his second coin out of thin air. "I GOT ANOTHER ONE! NAMI! LOOK! IT'S SHINY!"
Nami jumped on it like a hawk. "That's four! We just need one more for a major reward! Robin, Chopper, Luffy... we are one coin away from greatness!"
The Next Level
The emerald light of Katakuri didn't fade; it sharpened. The "Donut House" image vanished, replaced by a shot of Katakuri standing back up, his scarf repositioned, his eyes glowing with an even more intense red.
The fun was over. The ranking was moving forward.
[System: Rank 48: Charlotte Katakuri — Status: Reward Selection...]
[Status: Preparing the Transition to Rank 47.]
The screen didn't turn green or red this time. It turned a flickering, ghostly Azure Blue, and the sound of a steady, rhythmic beating—like wings—filled the air.
> [Marco]: "That sound... and that color. It looks like the sky is finally coming for the sea."
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