We catch up with Ace, and we find out where Sabo went.

It's Whole Cake Island. The Big Mom Pirates get jumped like they are in JJK, and Nami gets a tiara.

There is violence, murder, threats of murder, and there's Garp. Those are your warnings.

Chapter Eight

Ace knew he was supposed to wait, he honestly tried to wait, but when he learned what had befallen his friend, Ace knew he couldn't wait for Luffy before he headed to Wano.

Ace was officially a Revolutionary, and he was Sabo's partner, much to the chagrin of Koala, who couldn't keep up with the brothers' teamwork. Much to the surprise of the R.A., Sabo had calmed down and was more focused now that he wasn't worried about his little family. But he was still a roughneck when fighting the good fight. Ace had the experience of being both a captain and then a division commander on his resume. Both were a tad insane, but they denied they were good at what they did.

Ace had been sent to Wano to get a lay of the land and prepare for his brothers' arrival with the Oden's son. He had been there for almost a year, and it had been a wild nine months.

Ace was in the Flower Capital. He had infiltrated the yakuza and was doing all right as a low-level thug in the Kyoshiro Family.

He had bleached his hair to a sunny yellow blond that looked like Sabo's, and he had a cut under his right eye like Luffy. A giant silverback ape in a jungle-covered his Whitebeard marker. Aside from his freckles, Ace didn't look like the former Whitebeard's Second commander.

He wore traditional clothing and carried a sword as he roamed the capital with his bewitching kunoichi, who acted as his runner and spy. As far as everyone was concerned, Otama was his baby sister. When his family left Wano, Ace knew Otama would be coming with him. Since she called him big brother and Ace told her about his brothers and their eldest sister, why not add to the family?

One day, while Ace and Otama were out having breakfast, he heard something that froze his blood.

The Ogre Princess was coming to the Flower Capital.

When Ace met him almost five years ago, Yamato had been a prisoner to his father.

The person Ace saw in the Flower Capital looked nothing like the warrior Ace had battled and befriended that long night all those years ago.

The shackles were gone, for starters, and Yamato was wearing a woman's kimono, and some weirdo in a cat mask walked with him into the Shogun's palace. The masked man seemed to hover over Yamato, but what got Ace was seeing the pair hold hands.

Throughout the banquet, Ace learned that weirdo was one of the Beast Pirates' lead performers and commander of the Topi Robi, Whose-Who.

"You would do well to remember that not only is the Ogre Princess Kaidou's daughter and his heir, Orochi, but she is also my wife," the man growled as the Shogun tried to touch Yamato.

Ace didn't know what to think of the display, but he immediately cast aside his doubts about Yamato as he noted the minute tightening along Yamato's jaw as if he was restraining himself from lashing out.

Orochi, well into his cups now, snorted, "She may be yours for now, but the longer she remains with the child, the more precarious your position becomes. It seems you are not man enough to do, eh."

Ace almost blew his cover right then and there.

Yamato had been married off because Kaidou wanted grandchildren. There had to be more to it, judging by the tense expressions on both Yamato and his husband.

"Don't worry, beautiful Princess," Orochi crooned, "I will petition your father for your hand—"

Suddenly Yamato's husband and all the beast pirates were on their feet with weapons drawn.

"You go too far with your jokes, Orochi," Yamato said coldly. "You have insulted me, and if my father allowed it, I would demand satisfaction by taking your head."

There was a tense moment that had everyone reaching for their weapons. Yamato looked brave and defiant, just as Ace remembered.

Despite the fancy kimono and makeup, Ace saw his friend.

The tension broke as Orochi laughed. "We are all friends here, Princess! Come drink, and tell me about your father's plans for the Flower Festival?"

Yamato, not his husband, took the cup of sake from a trembling servant, his intimating gaze on the Shogun, suddenly realizing he had more to fear from the Kaidou's heir than the pirates surrounding them.

Ace learned a few days after the banquet that Orochi had become obsessed with Kaidou's heir after a visit to Onigashima. He returned to the Capitol ranting about how Kaidou had misled him as he raved about the beauty Kaidou had sold to a worthless pirate. Not even the oiran, Komurasaki, could compare to the beauty of Princess Yamato.

Orochi was dissatisfied with his harem and no longer called for Komurasaki because he was fixated on Yamato.

Ace and his fellows laughed heartily about the Shogun's woes as he pined for Yamato. Ace tried not to think about it, but something about Kaidou bothered him.

The old pirate had sent one of the lead performers off to aid one of his allies, but when news of Jack's defeat reached Onigashima and the fall of King of Dressrosa, Kaidou seemed to go on a rampage that even saw him raging the countryside. When Kaidou left his base, Yamato managed to flee his father's palace and Onigashima.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Ace asked Yamato while the old tengu man finished wrapping Yamato's ribs. Yamato looked like hell. He and Kaidou had fought before Kaidou left his palace.

"The twenty years Toki-sama prophesized is almost upon us," Yamato said with a vicious smile, "I intend to be there, and I am going defeat Kaidou. Kaidou will be defeated, and Wano Kuni will open her borders."

Dangerous

Two years ago, West Blue Sea

"Luffy, I may not like it, but I need the Raid Suit," Sanji told Luffy.

With a frown, Luffy looked away from the books Robin had him inspecting for damage. "You want to go after your family?"

They had come to Ohara to look for books or documents about the Void century. Robin hadn't wanted to come at first, but Nami had convinced her it would be good for Robin to return to her homeland even though nothing remained on the off chance she would find something useful for her studies.

What they found in the burnt-out husk of land was nothing except giant footprints where the Tree of Knowledge once stood, but nothing else.

It was a mystery.

Robin had explored the entire island as she searched for clues to what had happened to her home after she was gone. She explained that she had been looking for the remains of her friend, a giant named Saul. But nothing remained.

There was nothing.

Luffy noticed a melancholy air that seemed to fall over Sanji, but Luffy figured his cook would talk when he was ready, so Luffy chose not to pursue it and let Sanji be.

Three days after they left the ruined island, Luffy was in the kitchen having a snack when Sanji finally cracked. While he was speaking, Nami, Robin, Zoro, and Franky wandered into the kitchen. Nami called for Jimbei to take them into the air and set the autopilot.

The framework of a plan began to take shape while they ate lunch of sandwiches and a fruit salad. Plans were boring, so Luffy went off to play after lunch.

This plan, Luffy realized, was bigger than everything they would do after the Straw Hats returned to the New World, and it would change everything again.

"If we do this, we are going to take down the Big Mom Pirates," Nami said from her place beside Luffy.

"We can do it," Zoro said, "We have no choice if we want to take down Kaidou. Without Kid, we won't have the strength to face both Yonko on Onigashima. The decision is yours, Captain, but I support claiming Totto Land as your territory."

From beneath the shadow of his hat, Luffy grinned. He raised his head, his eyes shining with determination and a wild glee that his crew knew meant Luffy had made his decision. "Sanji, this is your mission. You take down the evil army and get your suit. We will take on Big Mom. Zoro, Nami, Jinbei, and Brook, you figure out the best way to take down Big Mom."

Sanji grinned, and Luffy laughed. He would do anything for his crew. They were the most important people in his life.

"We will follow your lead, Captain," Jinbei chortled. "Totto Land will be yours."

Present

Whole Cake Island fell under the barrage of well-aimed shots from Nika's guns. The land assault was nothing short of a masterstroke that caught both the Big Mom Pirates and Germa off guard.

No one expected Sanji to shoot Charlotte Pudding in the middle of her third eye moments after the couple arrived at the wedding cake altar. With a vicious kick, Pudding's dead body flew off the wedding cake altar, followed closely by the priest's dead body; then Sanji, or the person who looked like Sanji, jumped down from the altar. The person reached up, removing the wig to reveal vivid pink hair.

Vinsmoke Judge had started to his feet only to collapse back in his chair as he stared at his daughter in stunned disbelief.

Reiju drew another side arm and charged forward.

"And you trust me?" Reiju asked, her tone skeptical. "Why?" she looked at Sanji, who stood on her balcony overlooking the sea. They were three days out from Totto Land and four days away from what was supposed to have been their father's greatest triumph. Yet if Sanji were to be believed, it would be Germa's greatest failure.

What was she to do?

What could she do?

When she saw Sanji again for the first time and thirteen years, Reiju didn't know what to expect, but the man who walked into her father's throne room with an air of nonchalance that infuriated their father, who expected to see a weak and sniveling man. Someone who could be intimidated by a threat to his loved ones.

Sanji scoffed and reminded their father that he was the cook for the Yonko, Straw Hat Luffy, and Sanji was one of the top commanders of the Straw Hat crew. He would do nothing if it upset his captain.

Reiju just understood what Sanji was about now.

"Reiju," Sanji said in the calm yet firm manner that he must have learned from the man he now called his father. "I know you are ashamed of being part of this family. You are ashamed of what you had to do and what you have become, but I am offering you a way out and a place where you will be welcomed and with a family that loves you." He held a hand as he beamed at her, "If you say yes, Captain Luffy will welcome you on the board the Nika for as long as you want to stay."

With a war cry, Reiju leaped into the air and fired upon the Big Mom pirates as they rushed toward her.

And for a moment, Reiju was alone, and then the massive wedding cake exploded, and all hell broke loose as wave after wave of Straw Hat Luffy came rushing out of the wreckage.

Dangerous

Totto Land fell within a day of intense fighting. In the end, Germa fell along with the Big Mom pirates. Luffy had a garden filled with Devil Fruits, a collection of named swords, and three poneglyphs, one of which was Rio Poneglyphs.

Nami passed out in sheer joy when she realized how much money and treasure Luffy possessed. Robin wanted to inspect the library but decided that the Rio Poneglyph was more important. Usopp was helping Brook and Zoro negotiate with Luffy for the swords.

Luffy was exhausted and hungry from his battle but wasn't injured. For two years, Luffy trained with seastone wrist and leg irons. He worked out with Zoro, trained with his grandfather when the old codger found them, along with his brothers, and worked on his haki until he pushed himself to be beyond where he was physically and mentally when he first faced Kaidou. This fight with Big Mom had been Luffy's and the crew's final test before their biggest battle. And Sanji was happy to say that they all passed.

Even though he was tired from fighting, Sanji would not allow anyone else to feed his captain and crew. He put a platter of grilled fish beside a large rice bowl on the overfilled table. Luffy lay with his head resting on a pillow in Perona's lap listening to Koby's report. Marimo was at his usual place, half a step away from their captain. He had the pleasure of fighting Katakuri while Sanji fought Oven. Jinbei easily dispatched Smoothie, and Koby crushed Cracker. The rest of the Big Mom's children fell easily to the crew, and then with the death of their Queen, Totto Land surrendered to the Straw Hat pirates.

People were rejoicing throughout the country because one of the side effects of Big Mom's death was that all the trapped souls she had taken were freed.

Even Pedro, who had lost fifty years of his lifespan to Big Mom's Soul Pocus, had his soul returned to him.

Whole Cake chateau had been cleared out of all Big Mom's servants, and all the younger children under the age of fourteen were gone with Bege and Chiffon. All others were executed. Reiju made that her final act as a member of Germa 66.

Nami interrupted Koby's report to tell Luffy how rich he was now that he had Big Mom's treasury.

She jumped onto Koby's back and hugged him around his shoulders. Sanji was livid, he made to intervene and rescue Nami-swan from that masher, but the beauty was dancing off with a pretty ruby tiara in her copper hair.

Usopp and Franky were helping Reiju move some of her things to Nika. There was more than enough room for Reiji to have her own space.

"Sanji, meat!" Luffy called.

When Sanji returned with several roasted large beef joints, Luffy spoke to a white den-den that Koby must have been carrying.

"…three days," Luffy pouted, "but why did he go?"

Then Sanji heard the melodic voice of the lovely Koala-chan on the other end reply, "We received a tip that Sabo wanted to check out himself, but Sabo promises that he will join you and Ace in Wano."

Perona grabbed Luffy's hand, holding the receiver, and held it near her face, "Koala, how far are you all from Totto Land?"

There was a momentary pause before the other woman replied, "We just entered the first line of Islands, so we should arrive at the palace by dawn." Then in a whisper, she added, "Tell Sanji that Garp-Jiji is expecting at least two dozen of his best doughnuts."

Perona looked over at Sanji and smiled, "I will tell him. Anything else?"

"If he has time, I would like some petit fours," Koala pouted, "Sabo ate all of the ones Sanji made for me on our last visit."

Sanji shook his head with a laugh. Doughnuts for Garp, and a variety of cakes for Koala, Sanji knew he would be having a busy night.

The next morning was filled with Luffy and Koby's cries of pain.

Sanji strolled out of the kitchens to see Monkey D. Garp bullying his grandson and former apprentice. Sanji removed his cigarette and said, "Breakfast is ready, Captain."

Luffy let out a joyous whoop as he pulled free of his grandfather and ran past Sanji, following his nose to the grand dining room that Luffy liked. Sanji had to give it to Big Mom; when looking past the candy theme, the woman had good taste in her place settings and flatware.

Luffy was enjoying the novelty of supping off gold plates and drinking his fruit juice from jewel-encrusted goblets. He was snickering with Usopp about something. Chopper was cowering behind the Marimo as Garp-san made another swipe at the little reindeer.

Sanji placed a bowl of rice with egg, salmon roe, and pickled vegetables before Nami-san with a small bow. She smiled at him before she turned back to her conversation with Koby, who had a small book that contained their accounts and general expenses.

Sanji continued serving Robin and the other ladies at the table while the men helped themselves. Sanji sat near his sister when all the food was on the table and everyone was eating.

He smiled and offered a quiet thanks as she passed him a plate of rice omelets with crispy salmon and pickled vegetables.

"This is very good, Sanji," Reiju said softly. "Your cooking has come a long way from the stews you made for our mother."

At the head of the table, Luffy was fighting his grandfather. Sanji smiled, so much had changed, but with his crew by his side, Sanji knew nothing was impossible.

The Revery

When the Dark King told them that Sabo's grandfather had killed Kuma, Sabo didn't want to believe it. Kuma was a brave and good man who sacrificed everything for the freedom of this world, including his humanity.

Sabo didn't want to believe the man was dead.

Sometimes all it took was faith in those you trusted the most.

Since Saint Rosward and his children had been killed by Luffy, and most recently, Doflamingo of the Donquixote family had fallen to Luffy, the Tenryubito were a bit more cautious in their most public vulgarities. They were afraid and overly cautious when they ventured outside of Mariejois; however, behind their gilded walls with the Navy, Marines, and their slaves, it was as if nothing had changed for the disgusting despots.

Sabo managed to avoid the ceremonies and steered clear of places that led to him being caught last time. If his intel was correct, one of the founding members of the Revolutionary Army was still alive but enslaved to these filthy Tenryubito.

Sabo would hate to leave before he found him, but Sabo had made promises to his family that he had to keep and that he would keep them.

But he did get a message to the Princess of Alabasta and her guardians warning them of a possible assassination attempt against the King. Princess Vivi had been a spy and a pirate, and Sabo knew the girl would fight to protect her father, so he left it at that while he continued his search.

Time was not on his side. Three days in, Sabo still hadn't seen either hair or hide of his friend, and time was running short. Damnit, he didn't want to leave, but Sabo had to be in Wano for Luffy.

Fire burning in his veins, Sabo made his decision to abandon this fool's errand on the fifth day, but a girl with long pink hair and a dark brown coat scampered across the empty courtyard of another palace. Sabo knew her; of course, he gave chase immediately.

Of all the people, Sabo had not expected to see a member of the Worst Generation of Pirates in Mariejois.

Jewelry Bonney had infiltrated Mariejois.

That could only mean that Kuma was still alive.