(Back After a long hiatus, having dealt with rejected romance and graduation, the story continues...)

Chapter 4

The chocolate was delicious.

For the chess soldiers and resident buccaneers, this meant their captain was sated in her love of dark chocolate. At least until her hunger pangs rise up once more, but for now, everything was smooth sailing on the Queen Mama Chanter.

"PLEASE HAVE MERCAGH!"

NONCH!

The last screaming dark chocolate was snuffed, yet Charlotte Linlin paid little heed to the crates of chocolates murmuring or yelling to be let out mess with her conscience, in fact she was the reason the little crumbs had a conscience. Licking the last bit of chocolate from the wrapper, the empress laid back on her ship's throne as crewmembers sailed to her chateau.

"Mamamama, those were the most delectable chocolates my dear Pudding" said the queen with a relaxed smile, she was sated. "You'll be just as good as Lola if not better."

Charlotte Pudding sat on a smaller plush throne next to her mother, dressed in a regal pink sundress and matching apron; she had undertaken education on being a chocolatier this year to take the place of Lola, her older sister. Chiffon sadly could not be with her to experience this, as she was busy trying to get contacts with potential suitors for Lola, whom was rather starved of possible boyfriends. Why couldn't she put down romance to be with me? Pudding sighed and relaxed against the chair.

"Thank you Momma" yawned the child as she started to drift into a rest, the warm sea air was making her sleepy. Linlin chuckled a bit at the sight of the drowsy child, she was doing good under her classes and her mother couldn't be any more prouder; she gave her small daughter a light headpat with her pinky.

"Puru! puru! puru! puru!"

A homie then interrupted the calming cruise, Zeus had floated down with a ringing snail; the sleeping cloud had a bubble of snot deflating as he descended. "Mum you got a call from Perry."

Lilin nodded towards the cloud and took the snail. Zeus floated back up to the crows nest to nap; resting next to Napoleon and Prometheus who were equally catching z's. Flicking on the snail, she was greeted by an elated voice, the snail making a surprised face with tongue flicking out in different intervals. Oh it was Perospero, her beloved Minister of Candy and firstborn. She smiled at the voice piping on through a cheeky grin.

"Hi Momma! It's me your darling and dashing firstborn who would do anything for you on hands or fe-"

Linlin interjected the lovey dovey theatrics. "Oh out with it Perospero, I raised you to be a pirate not a poet."

"Right right sorry bout that momma….Well i've a surprise for you and it may bring some tears" She raised an eyebrow at the snail as her stomach started to rumble. "Do you remember those stories about the sky-islands that you were always fascinated about when I was five?"

"I do remember hearing tales about those sky-islands and their angel race, although if memories serve me right, those islands remained untouchable save for a few easy roads off in the uncharted lands" Her stomach started to churn once more. "Anyways why are you asking me this?"

The snail's smile raised further along with its eyes squinting. "Well we finally found one of those natives, he was rescued by Moscato two weeks ago and get this…he wants to join our crew!"

The captain jumped up from her seat, shaking the ship homie slightly.

"WHAT!" she yelped with excitement.

"And he has a logia fruit as well…"

"No need to spoil the details dearie, Mommas already feeling wonderful about this and it's not even my birthday yet."

GRRRWWWW!

"But Momma, he passed the initiation exam with Basskarte and we need your inspection-"

GRRRRWWWWWW!

Linlin felt rather starved, the chocolates were good but needed something fluffy. Something frosted and covered with sprinkles. Her head started to swirl, the homies around her started to look scared.

"Tell him to wait in the Library for me to-CAKE!" erupted the captain as her eyes turned bloodshot red. Her mouth then roared a scream that could be heard from the heavens.

"I HUNGER FOR SPONGY CAKE!"

All the homies scattered, moving away from the captain as she crushed the poor snail into a slimy metallic pulp. Pudding jolted awake in fear before her pet slime, Nitro yanked her from the plush throne and into the cabin area in a flash, not even stopping to let Momma see her. Zeus and his comrades flew down to meet the panged empress who was drooling waterfalls onto the deck. "Momma what's wrong, we came down here to GECK!" the cloud was cut off by the pirate grabbing him by the face. Napoleon and Prometheus watched in horror.

"I HUNGER FOR SPONGY CAKE NOW!"

Zeus and his friends could only listen as she then ascended into the air, atop the soulbound cloud who was rather frightened by her actions. All three then zoomed off the flagship towards the destination of Linlin's hunger pangs, the center of her operations, Whole Cake Island. Aboard the ship, the homies kicked off on a speedy chase and some chess soldiers started to turn on their extra transponder snails to relay the horrible alert.

Big Mom had cravings for cake.

-0-

"Affirmative!"

CLICK!

Charlotte Nusstorte clicked off the panicking snail and faced his platoon of chess soldiers and various pirate crew members under his command. All of the townsfolk in Sweet City had been evacuated to the safe zones provided by his sister Brulee, thank god she implemented that idea at the last gathering of siblings. With a click of heels, he sauntered off to the middle of the town square and steadied his hat which was nervously twitching.

Luckily the incarnations joined together at the hip to form a blobby wall, it wasn't big enough to halt a giant but it was just enough of a distraction to keep Momma from attacking the town. Nusstorte internally prayed that Streusen was baking that spongy cake his mother was craving out of the blue.

CRICKOOOM!

Purple energy bolted from afar, crackling down on the seducing forests below; screams of hunger surging in the distance. The Minister of Transport unsheathed his massive cutlass, before adjusting his shades at the sight of a flying ball of flaming homies rocketing at them.

"CAPTAIN!"

"Rum Cutter"

In a second, the flaming wad of burning charred homies was cut into multiple ashen wood chips by Nusstorte, barely leaving eye contact with the rampaging empress bulldozing the forest into a fire pit.

His prayers increased at the minute.

-0-

Cracker jumped out of the burning biscuit armor and ran like hell, not taking a chance to look back at the oncoming giantess munching down the last lifeless biscuit soldier like it was cheap wafers. His head had a large purple gash and goose egg over his left eye socket; medical attention had to be saved for later.

"GRAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"

Cracker fearfully increased pace, for now he had bigger reasons to keep on heading to the chateau.

And that reason was to meet up with his elder sibling and Streusen.

-0-

Warmth came over my sleeping body, everything from my toes to my head was numb, almost fluid like in its comfort. Slumber or some other effect from the battle blackout had happened, I could only feel a slight stinging sensation vibrate through my body. Yet I couldn't move out of reaction.

Then a sharp pain shot through, my form had jolted awake to see the sunny cloudscapes above. I rose up from a puddle of hard candy. "What happened?" I yawned.

Both Hans and Perospero were looking over me with concern, Hans laid a hand on my shoulder to prop me back up.

"Thank goodness you're awake" Hans muttered.

"And in good time, the initiation has extended its challenge" Perospero said under a stressed tone. "Straggler you passed the battle test but your meeting with momma will have to wait."

Oh I passed, good; the sensation of fear relaxed for a bit as the sweet winds brushed past my face. Wait.

"What do you mean it's extended? What do I have to do in order to be acceptable for the captain?" I said, the clouds afar were darkening and bolts of lightning flashed, weird considering the former sunny morning earlier. Not saying a sentence, Persopero solemnly pointed to the chaos ahead and my face turned as pale as my comrades; sans Pekoms, he was pushing onto the deflating balloon that was my opponent. Outside the palace heights was a giant pink figure rampaging through the grassy forests and hilltops, energy flashed down from heaven's rage before setting everything on fire per the screaming monster. Our other two figures joined in, minus the smell of brimstone. What is that, the giant was covered in smoke save for the pink dress and pirates hat.

"Momma's hungry again, what cravings does she have now?" Hans said dryly, as if he's used to this chaotic danger looming down. "Gingerbread?"

"Nope," Perospero clicked his tongue, "She craves spongy cake…"

Pekoms whimpered with fright. "And we just used up the last cake for the anniversary of underworld alliances, has Streusen got word of this?"

"Guys, who's Streusen and what's happen-"

"Already started on it but he needs more time" Perospero said weakly.

"Gentlemen! Can you tell me who's"

SHUNK!

Startling us with a clatter of candied floor, a massive sword embedded itself into the floor behind us, alerting us to its wheezing owner. Next to Basskarte, he was another oddly designed character from this pirate universe.

"Ah dear Cracker, it's good to see you!" Perospero smiled at the figure. "What's the current situation in Sweet City?"

The man was twice my size in length and hair, long imposing locks of purple jutted from his scalp without much sway in the wind. His face was wrinkled, right eye covered in a deep scar; and a goose egg over his left eye socket. Garbed in an armored shoulder pad, war skirt, and polka-dotted cape projected a proud but maimed warrior.

"Cut the theatrics,Perry, Nusstorte is holding the line down there and we need to help him out of there now!" The figure said gruffly, his scarred right eye turned to me. Tearing the sword from the floor as it weighed nothing, I took five steps backward into Hans as the sword-tip met a nervous Adam's apple. "Who's this slime?"

Pekoms nudged the sword upwards away from my sweating neck, matching the strength of the purple haired warrior. "Cracker meet Arkady Grey, straggler from the Sky-Islands and newest recruit to the crew's finest."

Cracker or what he preferred to be called, lifted the sword back up and sheathed it to his side, glaring at me like some lame circus animal. "Never thought those stranded laws were still in play, if he proved himself by combat and is approved by Momma, then he's okay in my book. Now though, the test continues by helping Nusstorte down below" Cracker sneered towards me, seems like he has a distrust of newbies, better stay close to the others. Eyeing Perospero and Basskarte, he pulled them aside to whisper something in private; I tried to see the conversation but the purple man's size blocked our view. Lifting back up a struggling Hans, my hands still ached and droplets of syrup secreted from my fingernails. Jeez, I wonder if Kuzan or Crocodile had this body problem? Thoughts were dashed as the three broke off and faced us with dreadful looks.

"We're gonna have to get physical to stop our mother from this rampage, it'll give Streusen an open window for time" Cracker said.

Basskarte opened his jaws, smoke erupted once more. "And, the new recruit will get to help us...if he survives…"

Looking down at the screaming monster ahead eating a hill homie, I gritted my fists and gulped down every bit of cowardice; Well there's always another chance at being isekaied I dashed that thought before answering.

"I'll go," I said, "I got nothing to lose at this point, hell, I have nothing cept this fruit power to lose in this challenge. Let's go greet your mother and see if she enjoys green syrup."

"But Arkady! Big Mom will eat you back the-" Hans attempted to protest but was cut off by the lion covering his jaws.

"Let the kid help us, besides, maybe this might not turn out dangerous" Pekoms said with a serious tone.

Perospero motioned us to the entrance we left in, Cracker led us in front with a stern, steely face. The noises of thunderbolts cracking and monstrous roars too inhuman to describe became a bell toll for our mission. To simple, it was more of a march towards my possible doom ahead. Part of me wanted to protest but there was a internal voice inside telling me to at least survive, given the fruit I ate, this empowered me a little. I had no training and my attacks were below Luffy's control, if this is to be a successful challenge and I end up living, then I'll go into training, maybe.

As the doors closed, I clutched the insides of my pilot jacket and prayed for the luck that sent me here.

-0-

"FIRE!"

KRICKOOM!

"CAAKKKKKKEEEE!"

Cannons launched rocketing homies at a gigantic ogress in the distance; she was clad all in pink with a bicorne and frizzy pink hair, the remains of an inhabited building shaped like a cupcake was being consumed plank and all by her. In this frenzy, we had arrived from the chateau walls into the connected streets of Sweet City, the capital city that Big Mom presides over as empress. Yet, as the sight of her pointed out by my nutcracker, she was not exactly sane. I followed Hans as we hobbled by the left of Cracker, avoiding crews of pirates and homies switching cannons to fire back on the rampaging captain. Our destination came ahead at the sight of a napoleonic pirate exchanging orders to crewmen through a tired snail.

"Oi Nusstorte, we came down here to aid ya before the chefs come" Cracker said, the small pirate stopped his chattering to the transponder snail to greet us with a bow. His eyes were covered by thick shades like Pekoms, gritted a pipe in his teeth between sentences and wore an all fuschia admiral's garb.

"Glad you came here Cracker but we're kinda screwed here, cannons won't distract her and those houses won't last against her strength. There is a small chance that your biscuits, Perry's candy, and Basskarte's flame would do the..who's that guy?" Nusstorte jutted a finger to me.

Hans and Pekoms pushed me out of view. "Oh he's nothing, just a straggler under our watch that's all" Pekoms said. Short dude wasn't buying it but his face then contorted into a scream, shadows formed around us. Pushing me back into a box of chattering cannonballs, I saw my possible crew move away quickly from flying debris; chunks of peppermint roofs and wafer girders cratered the makeshift defensive line we stood behind. Other pirates knocked me off with some light curses to reload and I got back up to see the captain moving towards us; eyes burning red with enraged hunger.

Then an idea came up.

"Oi Grey! Move back over here, let the grunts take the fall," Cracker shouted. "We have to plan this before we-"

Connecting my palms and opening them in a daisy shape, I ignored the screams of my allies trying to get me to hide for my life and aimed the palms to our captain. Green syrup bubbles as arms turned emerald once more, candy scent prickled my nose as Big Mom grasped a fallen cart, sniffing it before casting aside violently against the shadowy black walls. Gotta stall her for the guys, maybe show up purple rain over there I grinned at the thought, not caring if it killed me. Arms bubbled more and more, growing in size as the oozing liquid built up, hands were positioned to fire again like earlier. Cracker and Perospero yells of concern were blocked out by gunfire and artillery, I didn't heed them; my attack then released.

"SYRUP BEAAMMMMMM!" I roared as a blast the size of seven fire hoses combined jutted forward, jade ichor seared the air as it splattered over the roaring face of the captain. Thickened globes coated her mug as the giant toppled over to the ground and gave a tremendous shake of earth, her actions instead of tearing apart the city landscape was now to tear off the emerald facemask blinding her. Cannon crews halted their bombardment, grunts dropped their weapons and everyone dropped a healthy hue at my act. Wonder what's eating them? I was just holding her back as Cracker said I pondered at this as my arms disengaged and reformed to normal human flesh. Huge rumblings happened again as they did when Big Mom fell to the city pavement in her frenzy, I saw Cracker giving me a pale look as did his brother and Hans and Pekoms.

"Well, did I distract her attention or what?" I asked with a smile, the others shook their heads quickly.

Cracker raised a shivering finger to something. "Not exactly…."

"Oh come now, I managed to stick her in the face," I grinned at the poor sods fear, what cowardice at his own mother; how bad could she be now. "Come now, Cracker, how can your mom be anymore dangerou-"

"GRAAAAGGGHHH!"

My eardrums popped air as I shifted to see Big Mom tear off the last remaining scab of hardened syrup; smaller flecks still stuck to her chin and forehead. Her eyes were still bloodshot with hunger but after my little intervention, they centered on the sprat who attacked her, yours truly. God truly left me that day as a pink giant speed blitzed the defensive wall; scattering munitions and grunts aside as they were ten pins. I tried to run but the giant was faster, despite her decreasing girth; my body was scooped mid-fleeing by a Volkswagen sized hand. Vice grip kicked in and my ribs felt like they were being fused together, Big Mom growled in rage at me.

"YOU GOOPED ME!" She erupted with fury and hunger. "GIVE SPONGY CAKE OR DEATH!"

I screamed as her hands slowly squeezed tighter, bones creaking under taught fingers. No audible sound burst out as my life was flashing again, this time there was no lingering idea of being resurrected again someplace else or being recruited into something safe. However, her growling was halted by a few other voices coming towards me. "HUMBUG MASK!" I opened my tearing eyes to see Big Mom maw be splattered by a peppermint striped liquid, her head was coated and hardened by the stuff into a tough binded mask. Preoccupied, my captor dropped me to the pavement with chest pains, her hands now smacking against the mask violently to break away the mask holding her.

"Dumbass stunt you pulled out there," Perospero snarked as he lifted me up from the ground. "Streusen is coming with his chefs in four minutes."

Gritting through the pain, I huffed a few breaths to get the systems going semi-healthy and then raised my right hand towards the blinded, struggling colossus. "Then I'll prove to you and your group that I can help as a crewmember, just watch my back if you can."

Cracker jogged over with a huff and disheveled look about him, he was launched by the charge of Big Mom into the chateau walls, another goose egg made it to the back of head. "Like hell, I'll be seeing if your scrawny little ass can pull it or be squished by mamas fist."

"Then it's settled, the sweet sons and rookie in action" Perospero grinned nervously.

All three of us were fearful of this but oddly, there was a sudden fire burning in our eyes that said we could do this. Cracker unsheathed his sword and charged it with some odd black devil fruit energy or something; Perospero used a devil fruit power similar to mine as it took on a peppermint gelatinous appearance, followed by me with my dripping arms. We all charged the blinding giant, as grunts left to attend to something coming from behind, some wagon or caravan. The warrior struck first with the flat end of his broadsword, fire sparked from the blade's black hue as it swished from the air and hit the giant's knees. Cracker gave out a war whoop as he struck.

"SALTY PRETZEL!"

CROOM!

It was a direct strike, she fell back to the ground with her skirts ends seared from the fiery smack to the shins, despite a lack of visible burns on her flesh. Perospero leapt upward above his friend to drop down his assault, liquid peppermint rained atop the scrambling behemoth and it molded over her in the shape of a cast. Drying up at a speed faster than my own powers, the mold stuck Big Mom to the pavement with some struggle; liquid candy shaped into the design of an armored handcuff. Now for my turn candy cane I then added to the hindrance by excreting the same palm beam from my hands, this time to her legs.

"Will it hold her?" I inquired.

Perospero laughed with some anxiety. "Kukukukukuku- my dear grey, this will only hold for at least a few minutes at least until Streusen arrives in another minute or so."

"So we're fucked either way until this Strudel…"

"Steusen" Cracker commented.

"Whatever, until he gives her that special cake she pangs for" I was stopped by the sudden sight of a large chocolate yellow cake homie was wheeled on a wagon, Hans laid at the vehicles side with the driver being a short, squat elder man in his nineties. Pulling the cart were two gummy horses strained at the massive homies weight, the cakes scent making this harder to resist as they hungrily pulled the cart. Scent picked up towards us as my own stomach untouched by my squeezed vertebrae had started to growl. "Damn, so that is why she is always hungry" I was then cast aside with the force of a freight train, flying through the air as it happened. My last thought before the skies turned black again was seeing Big Mom free of her bonds and scattering my other aids away from her.

CRASH!

Then my head cracked against a glassy surface.

-0-

"OH DEAR GOD PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON MY BAKED SOULF!"

NONCH!NONCH!NONCH!

"Ooh you really outdid yourself Streusen," Big Mom finished the final piece of her yellow sponge cake and wiped the frosting from her lips, she then arose up from her crater of mysterious candy debris to greet her armed subjects. "Now then, I had heard from beloved firstborn that there was a new straggler that needed my attention."

All of the grunts, plus her trusted combatant Pekoms and Hans, started to tug nervously at their shirt necks.

"Oh come now, he's gotta be with you if he needed to be approved by own prescience" Big Mom smiled, though her tone was that of a demanding child. She then felt a tugging at her dress, looking down as she saw her sons; Basskarte, Perospero, and Nusstorte carrying an unconscious figure to her view. A rather battered young man; his head was bleeding from a massive cut on his scalp, greenish fluid dripped from the wound and mixed with the blood, she saw that it was the adverse shock of a logia fruit to one being injured. Nusstorte spat out a glob of blood from his mouth; "This is the straggler mother, straight from the sky island of Birka and consumer of the candy syrup fruit" He added with a small hack from his hat homie, who had lost most of its teeth in the rampage. Big Mom scooped up the knocked out youth in her hand as a child would carry a doll; she scanned every part of physical frame.

"I can't see any wings?" She muttered, all of the mooks scrambled for words until Pekoms opened to speak.

"ROWR- Please forgive him for the lack of wings, momma. Arakdy Grey hails from a culture of sky natives that lacked wings, my friend Hans can attest to this as he managed the stragglers medical treatment on Ice Island" The mink groomed his paws. "Also, pardon his rather lack of attention, Grey tried to test his powers against Cracker and your son didn't know his full strength. Poor schmuck was flung into the nearby sour shop a block over."

Cracker sweated beads as his mother raised a brow at that last sentence, he waved at her frantically to avoid being killed. She shrugged her shoulders and he sighed relief, thank ye gods.

"With some training, we can avoid further weakness like this and his fruit power seems to have minimized some of the damage," Big Mom said. She laid him back into the arms of Basskarte who struggled to hold the youth's weight. "Mamamamama-Pekoms take the youth into the chateaus medical room; let the doctors patch him up quick for his position. Then once he awakes, I place him in the Rook position on the combatants; you and Tamago will partner with him, never leave him out of your sight" Big Mom said as her brimstone scented son pulled away the youth. Pekoms straightened himself and eyed Hans who was adjusting his new leg, pretending to be invisible in all of this. Your gonna be involved in this too! You brought the kid in and you'll see him out Pekoms shuffled himself before following everyone back into the chateau, even Cracker who attained a new look of existential dread after today's events; Perospero held back a laugh until he burst into chortling. Hans followed stealthily behind the lot, trying to avoid suspicion.

Arkady's initiation was complete but there was still dangers ahead and the nutcracker felt something off about this.

-0-

Warmth, I rustled around a warm cocoon as the painful migraines dissipated.

"Hey wake up!"

Keep on sleeping, maybe you'll wake up in another universe.

"Arkady! Arise!"

Ignore the enraged cat hissing, just think about hot beaches and glorious, curvaceous beachgoers.

"GET UP FOOL!"

I sprung my eye open and rubbed my sore ears, forehead was wrapped in a thin bandage and the room around me was a sparse medical ward; empty beds were lined in order, a doctor homie peaked from behind the curtains surrounding me but left in a squeak. Next to me, fuming with annoyance was the lion, Pekoms was glaring over at me as his furry hands balled up. "Took you long enough, was starting to worry that my little excuse would've gotten you killed back there," He said in a hack. "Big Mom approved of you after broke her pang, though it took my own excuses and one targeted at Cracker to get your ass into the medical wing. Aside from that, momma likes ya. She placed you under my watch in the Combatants."

I nodded in thanks at his save until the last part. "Combatants? Under your watch? What did I?"

"You did nothing wrong, it's just that Momma wants to keep ya safe from...unnecessary measures and get stronger under somebody like me; your little power trip nearly gave you an open grave" Pekoms said as he took a seat next to me on a med stool. "Combatants like me are essentially the crew that helps broker deals with owned territories, take down opposition, and commit missions for the profit of our empress."

So essentially the mafia but for pirates Nodding again, I motioned to him to continue his explanation. He went on to describe that my place is that of a Rook in this team, literal security for Pekoms and his friends to rely on in missions; maybe even working as a middleman for the captain if I succeed for a bit. Yet, there was a problem with strength, he told me that my abilities will have to be trained on the job with additional periods taken to understand the usage of weapons or criminal knowledge. Even with the trouble of possibly dying or capture, this sounded good to me. Especially the part about getting a little pay on the side without mommas watch, hell, maybe even see what her daughters look like as Pekoms enthralled me in the discussion.

"Anywho's, you'll fit in with me and Tamago just fine kid; just remember your place…"

"Why's that?" I queried.

Pekoms tossed me a clothes bundle at my lap; a red coat with shoulder pads, white shirt, blue and yellow striped pants, and a pair of buccaneer boots. "Suit up, we got a conference at the meeting room in around fifteen minutes. If you want to see it that you stay a crew member" Pekoms inched out of the curtained med area. I promptly suited up and noticed another clothing article left unnoticed; a bicorne with a Jolly Roger unlike the one used by my new employers. Instead of the traditional lipstick skull, it was of a skull and crossbones holding a rum bottle in place of the bone nubs; atop its head were two small devil horns.

Not wanting to waste time, I finished my garb and hobbled out of the curtains to walk with my partner.