Ch. 53- A Woman's Honor


One Piece © Oda

Blizzard and Monkey D. Aika © Me

Rokuji © Gakuto1991


Meanwhile, in the Juice River in Sweet City, Brook and Chopper were taking the Shark Submerge through the river's depths. However, they were having a bit of trouble steering through the current.

"What a bother," Brook said as he tried to steer the submarine, but the steering wheel was completely smothered in whipped cream. "The river was jammed with cream. We could barely get the Shark Submerge safely!"

"I don't mind it!" Chopper said, licking whipped cream off his hooves. "It was so sweet and yummy!"

"Well, I do mind it!" Brook countered as he tried to steer. "Everything's so sticky and slippery! W-whoa! I've lost control! Watch our, Mr. Sea King!"

In front of him, a Sea Tiger looked up and gasped before diving out of the way, then made an annoyed growl before swimming away.

"Oh, hey, Brook!" Chopper called as he spotted something out of his peripheral vision. "Look there! Is that a mermaid?!"

"Mermaid?!" Brook repeated before he looked around. "Where?!"

"...Oh, wait, I'm wrong," said Chopper. "It was a merman."

"Oh, bother..." Brook muttered.

"Huh...he looks like he's in a hurry," Chopper pointed out. "What's he doing? Is he fishing or something?"

"I don't care," Brook answered. "I've lost interest."

XXX

At the Southwest Coast, near the Seducing Woods, the Straw Hats were still running through the forest to get to the Sunny...leaving the charred remains of King Baum far behind them. As they ran, Jimbei explained to the group why Big Mom was acting so crazy.

"Hunger pangs?!" Luffy repeated while he and Nami rode on Blizzard's back. "What are you talking about, Jimbei?!"

"They are uncontrollable fits that will not abate until Big Mom consumes what she craves!" Jimbei explained. "During that time, she is hardly conscious!"

"Wed...ding...CAAAAAAAAAAAKE!" Big Mom's voice was heard, roaring behind them, causing Aika to shriek as she covered her eyes with her paws.

"She's a lot scarier, too!" she cried.

"And I thought Luffy got irritable when he's hungry!" Sanji added.

"So what is she hankering for?!" Luffy asked.

"It seems that she is craving a wedding cake!" answered Jimbei. "It must be because she was robbed of her chance to eat it at the wedding!"

"Dammit, Luffy, this is all your fault!" Nami shouted. "You just had to go and ruin the cake, didn't you?!"

"Not to mention you threw it up!" Blizzard added while still carrying Aika in his mouth.

"Urgh!" Luffy gagged as he covered his mouth. "Don't remind me..."

"Wait a minute!" Sanji shouted as he kicked a Tree Homey. "You mean to tell me that you were eating during the mission?! Dammit, Luffy, why do you always think with your stomach and not your head?!"

"I ate some, too!" Carrot added while she hit another Tree Homey with her Electro Claws. "It was yummy!"

"And me, too!" Aika spoke up.

"Let's just hurry!" Sanji shouted. "It shouldn't be that much farther from the ship!"

"Yikes!" Nami cried as she jumped over another Tree Homey while leaving a trail of thunderclouds behind her while Zeus ate them.

"This forest is tricky, though!" said Luffy. "You can't even tell if you're running straight!"

"Are we going the right way?!" asked Pedro.

"Oh, wait!" Carrot exclaimed as she pointed at the Donut Bridge, which had somehow gotten repaired after being eaten by Noble Croc. "It's the Melon Juice River with the Donut Bridge! But...wait. Wasn't the bridge broken?"

"If the forest is our enemy here," said Sanji, "then that means we can't trust everything we see!"

"They're trying to deceive us, remember!" Nami advised. "So that should tell you that this can't be the same place that we were attacked!" She then looked at Lola's Vivre Card. "And Lola's Vivre Card isn't working, anymore!"

"Not with Big Mom hot on our heels!" Jimbei replied. "Nami, don't stop laying bait!"

"Right!" Nami nodded as she made more thunderclouds for Zeus to eat.

"Mmm~! Yum-yum!" the giant cloud exclaimed.

"If Zeus gets back to Big Mom's side," Jimbei began, "then there's truly no escape for us!"

"Uh...guys?" Aika asked as she looked back. "Big Mom's coming this way!"

Everyone turned to see that Aika was indeed correct, for Big Mom was stomping right towards them!

"COME BACK HERE, ZEUUUUUUUUUUS!" Big Mom roared.

"Uh-oh!" Zeus cried, nervously as Prometheus flew up to him.

"Zeus, you traitor!" he barked. "How dare you turn your back on Mama like this?!"

"AAAH!" Aika screamed. "WHAT DO WE DO?!"

"Don't worry, Aika! I got this!" said Nami as she produced a Weather Egg from her Clima-Tact. "Oh, Zeus! Look what I have for you! A yummy Weather Egg, just chock full of storm clouds~!"

"Ooh~!" Zeus exclaimed, drooling.

"Hey, Sun Guy!" Luffy yelled at Prometheus. "You're gonna pay for burning Tree Guy! Now Gum-Gum HAWK GATLING!"

He proceeded to punch Prometheus with a flurry of flaming punches, but when he was finished, the Sun Homey only grinned.

"Ahh!" he sighed. "That was some good flames!"

"What the hell?!" Luffy questioned.

"Luffy!" Blizzard called while Aika sat on his back, now in her human form. "In a case like this, fighting fire with fire is a bad idea!"

"ZEUS!" Prometheus shouted as he turned into a giant fireball, again! "COME BACK TO US!"

"I will!" answered Zeus. "After I get one last fix of those tasty storm clouds!"

"What are we gonna do?!" Aika asked.

"Let me handle this!" Jimbei called as he jumped into the Melon Juice River. "Everyone, hurry across the bridge!"

"You heard Jimbei!" Luffy shouted to the others. "Get a move on!"

As the others crossed the Donut Bridge, Jimbei "grabbed" the current of juice before he thrust his palms forward!

"SPEAR WAVE: MURASAME!" he shouted as he struck Prometheus with several spears of juice, causing him to scream in pain as he felt himself getting doused.

"You did it, Jimbei!" Luffy cheered.

"Of course!" answered Jimbei as he hopped out of the river. "Think of him a giant house fire!"

"I'll get you for this, Jimbei!" yelled Prometheus. "Damn you~!"

"Hey! We've got company!" Pedro shouted as he pointed to Big Mom's encroaching forces.

"Mama!" Mobile called. "Let us go first!"

"You won't escape from us, Straw Hats!" shouted Kato as he lunged for Pedro, who easily turned and blocked his sword with his own, but as soon as they clashed, the Straw Hats were quickly surrounded!

"AAH!" Aika shrieked. "They're everywhere!"

"Aika, whatever you do, don't run off!" Nami shouted. "Stay with us, understand?!"

"Back OFF!" Blizzard yelled as he kicked a Chair Homey in the face.

"HYAH!" Carrot shouted as she clashed with Tablet.

As for Pedro, he grunted as he tried to push Kato back, but the scarecrow-like man only snickered.

"You're Pedro, aren't you?" he asked, causing Pedro to gasped before he began to furiously clash swords with him.

"Pedro, no!" Jimbei called as he ran to stop him. "Luffy! You must stop Carrot!"

"Right!" Luffy nodded as he stretched his arm and grabbed Carrot, who let out a surprised gasp.

"Keep running, everyone!" Jimbei shouted. "If we split up, we'll never be able to regroup! Focus on only defense and above all else, ESCAPE!"

"Good point!" Luffy, Nami, Sanji, and Blizzard all shouted, but while they were distracted...Zeus gobbled up the Weather Egg that Nami was holding!

"AAH!" Nami cried. "Zeus, no!"

"Mmm...Gourmet Thundercloud!" Zeus exclaimed as he swallowed it...but as he did, his eyes went wide and he began to blacken as lightning bolts began to crackle around him!

"Uh...what's happening?" Aika asked, worriedly.

"Nami? Is that supposed to happen?!" Luffy asked.

"I don't know!" Nami answered.

"Ooooh, that's so good!" Zeus exclaimed as he began to expand.

"Z-Zeus! What are you doing?!" Prometheus questioned.

"I think now is a good time to HEAD FOR THE HILLS!" Sanji yelled.

"YOU DON'T GOTTA TELL US TWICE!" Blizzard cried as the group bolted with Luffy jumping back onto the wolf-dog's back and Aika clinging to his shoulders in fear.

"Hold it!" Kato shouted as he and the rest of Big Mom's forces, as well as Big Mom, herself, continued to pursue them. "You're not getting away that easily! Just surrender!"

"Screw you!" Luffy called. "We don't know the meaning of 'surrender'!"

"My Weather Egg is contained inside of Zeus, now!" said Nami. "I wonder..." She then turned to the others. "Guys, keep running! Get as far away as you can!"

"Trust me!" said Sanji. "We're not even thinking about slowing down!"

"Now then," Nami said as she raised her Clima-Tact. "Zeus...BREEZE...TEMPOOOOOOOOO!"

As she swung the staff down, a gigantic blast of thunder and lightning struck the whole forest...and Big Mom was right in the middle of it!

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOAAA!" the Straw Hats cried as they were all sent flying from the blast.

XXX

Meanwhile...

"My, my," said Perospero. "Sounds like Zeus finished them off. Mama should be on her way here, any minute now."

Katakuri remained quiet...while Brook and Chopper stood on the Shark Submerge and stared toward the Seducing Woods in horror.

"...Oh, dear..." Brook muttered, worriedly. "I certainly hope..."

"That...they're okay...!" Chopper finished.

"Hmph!" Perospero scoffed with a smug grin on his face. "Fools. Your friends are dead. So the question for you is...what will you two do now?"

Brook and Chopper both looked up at Perospero...who was standing on the Sunny with Katakuri and several more members of the Big Mom Pirates...and there were even some on the shore.

"Even if you succeed at somehow taking back your precious ship," Perospero began, "it will be just the two of you. However...if you're going to use that puny submarine to escape from here...I might be merciful and let you go. So...what do you say?"

Brook and Chopper glanced at each other. The odds were certainly against them here. They were completely surrounded, outgunned, outmatched, and outnumbered.

There was absolutely no chance of escape.

"Well?" Perospero asked. "Have you decided?"

A pause...but then Brook and Chopper both nodded before they glared at their foe.

"Thank you," Brook began as he drew Soul Solid, "but I'm afraid that we must decline your offer!"

"Yeah!" Chopper agreed as he shifted into his Kung Fu Point. "Now get off of our ship!"

"...Very well," Perospero said. "You've sealed your fate."

XXX

Up in the skies, Pudding and Chiffon came flying in on Rabian and witnessed the giant lightning bolt that came from Zeus.

"Zeus is blasting away!" cried Chiffon. "I hope they're all okay!"

"Forgive me, Sister Chiffon!" Pudding said. "I'm sorry for pushing you into this!"

"It's fine, Pudding!" Chiffon assured. "It's been a long time since you and I made a cake, together! And besides..."

Flashback

"Remember what I told you, Bege?!" Chiffon asked as she sat with Pudding on Rabian. "They saved Lola's life!"

"But Chiffon!" Bege cried. "Please, you can't do this! It's too dangerous, honey!"

"It's easy to say 'Thank you for saving Lola'!" Chiffon said. "But the real test of character comes when the savior is in danger!"

"I...I know that!" Bege replied. "But Chiffon-"

"That's what it means to uphold my honor!" Chiffon exclaimed with a wink of her eye. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

With that, she and Pudding flew off, together.

"If anything should happen to me," Chiffon began, "please, take care of Pez!"

"No! Chiffon!" Bege cried as he reached after her. "CHIFFON~!"

Flashback end

"That's what it means," said Chiffon. "Right, Pudding?"

"Look, sister!" exclaimed Pudding as she pointed down below. "I see them!"

"Uh...were you listening?" asked Chiffon.

"It's...it's Sanji...!" Pudding whispered in a peculiarly loving voice...but then she growled as her third eye appeared. "Yes...it's that damn, detestable Sanji!"

"Wait!" Chiffon cried. "Which Pudding are you?!"


TO BE CONTINUED...


Next time on One Piece: The Whole Cake Island Arc!

Luffy: WHOA! Did you see that?! Nami, that was so awesome, babe!

Nami: Aww, Luffy! I do try!

Jimbei: It's not over yet! Stay alert!

Aika: What do you mean?

Big Mom: WEDDING CAKE!

Blizzard: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Pudding: Sanji! I need your help!

Sanji: What the...Pudding?!

Aika: What are you doing here?!

Pudding: If you don't help me, dammit, then all your friends are doomed!

Chiffon: What are you saying?!

Pudding: AHH! No! That's not me!

Luffy: Sanji! Take Aika with you!

Aika: What?! No!

Sanji: Let's go! We'll make a cake that'll completely knock Big Mom's lights out!

Next time: Pudding Coincidentally Appears!


Finally updated this, again. This is gonna be my main focus, for now, especially since volume 90 comes out next month.

Review, please!