Whole Cake Island

Part Four

"Can't we just stop here and go to sleep for a while?" Luffy asked.

"Are you nuts? What are we going to do if those ants start attacking us again?" Nami asked.

Neo glanced over the side of the ship. The ants continued to follow the floating ship. "They shouldn't be able to get up here. Still, I won't be able to carry the Sunny for much longer. Guard ants. Who would have known?"

"Don't push yourself, Neo," Chopper said.

"I won't. But we need a plan," Neo said, eyeing the thick creme that had replaced the sea. It had stalled them in their tracks. Or it would have if she didn't fly them over it. "That thick creme will be impossible to sail through." She yawned. "I'm getting tired too."

"See? We should sleep," Luffy said crossing his arms.

"We don't have time." Nami pinched Luffy's cheek. "If we stop then will be over run by those ants."

"That's it. I can't hold it anymore." Neo lowered the ship then slumped to her knees. "Sorry."

"You did fine." Law rubbed her back. "Rest now."

"They're coming!" Pedro said.

"We can't keep running like this. Time to fight." Law warped off the ship.

Neo watched as the rest of them followed Law's lead. She pushed herself to her feet and watched them fight off the ants.

"Can we sleep now?" Luffy asked as they returned to the ship.

"Sounds good to be." Brook dropped to the deck. "I'm exhausted."

"Me too." Chopper fell next to the skeleton.

"Might as well get some sleep now that the ship is safe." Nami covered a yawn then headed for her room. "Neo. Carrot. Would you two like to sleep with me in my room?"

"I would!" Carrot rushed after the navigator.

"No, thanks. I'm going to stay out here with Law," Neo said.

"I figured." Nami smiled and entered her room.

"I'll get you all some pillows and blankets." Chopper stood and disappeared into the men's quarters. An minute later he emerged in his human form with a pile of pillows and blankets.

"Thanks, Chopper." Neo took a couple for herself and Law. Laying one blanket down she put the pillows on top then laid down with the other over her. "You going to sleep?"
"I'm going to stay up for a while longer," Law said.

"Okay." With a pout Neo pulled the cover over her shoulders and fell asleep.

...

"Hey! Wake up, everyone!"

Neo jolted from Luffy's voice. With a whimper she reached for Law's chest and snuggled into him. "No. More sleep."

"But it's Whole Cake Island! And it's an actual cake!" Luffy said.

"Huh?" Neo sat up to the cooing of the crew. Rubbing sleep from her eyes she and Law joined the others. A large cake rose up on the island. "Wow. There's junk food everywhere on these islands. I wonder how many cavities the people here have. I'd be sick all the time if I lived here. Just looking at all the sweets makes me want to..." She turned away and placed a hand over her mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick again."

Law rubbed her back.

"Hey! I see Sanji!" Luffy screamed.

"Where?!" Chopper and Carrot rushed to the side of the ship.

"There! Up there on the cliff!" Luffy pointed.

"I don't see anyone," Brook said.

"Are you sure, Luffy?" Nami asked.

"I'm sure! I saw him!" Luffy huffed.

"Okay. We should split up here," Nami said. "Pedro. Brook. Take the shark submerge and get to it."

The two nodded and headed for the soldier dock system.

Nami turned her attention to the ship. She sailed it right up to the island and dropped the anchor.

"Yahoo!" Luffy jumped to the island. "All right, we're ashore! We're finally on the island Big Mom lives on! Smells like an adventure to me!"

Law warped himself and Neo to the island.

Neo looked around. They were at the edge of a forest. The towns were some distance from their location. Meaning Sanji was close. She swallowed, ready to get him and get back to the crew. Concern for her family flooded her. Were they safe? Were they almost to Wano yet? Did they run into trouble?

"They're fine. They made it to Zou without any problems," Law said upon feeling her concern.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "I know."

"So which way should we go?" Nami asked.

"Hey! Sanji! Pudding! We're here as promised!" Luffy cupped his mouth as he called out.

"If Sanji was here then where did he go?" Neo looked around. The forest appeared to be quiet. But within that quietness she could feel something odd. The forest was shifting, somehow.

"We are a tad late, though. Are you sure you saw them, Luffy?" Nami placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm positive! I saw both of them clearly from where I was!" Luffy stomped his feet. "Pudding and Sanji were here!"

"When we all looked, they were already gone, though," Nami said.

"Nami, check out the ground. It's made of hardened whipped cream! Delicious!" Chopper said.

Neo looked to the hard white surface they were walking on. "Is there anything here that's not made from sweets?"

"You're right! This must be meringue! I wonder if this entire island is also made out of sweets?" Carrot said.

"Right around here! I saw Sanji and Pudding standing right here!" Luffy waved from a cliff. "And when I looked away for one second and looked back they were just gone!"

Neo lifted herself and Law upon the cliff with a wind crystal.

"I wonder why he would be here in the first place." Law tightened his hand on his sword.

"Well, Pudding said she would bring him here." Neo rubbed her chin. "If she was telling the truth."

Law hummed.

"Hey! There he is!" Luffy pointed into the forest.

Neo followed Luffy's point. Her eyes widened as she spotted Sanji leaning against a tree. "Sanji!" She bolted for the cook. Reaching the tree she found him gone. "That's weird. He was just here. I saw him."

"Wow! It's all made of candy!" Carrot bent down to a patch of lollipops.

"I love how it smells here!" Chopper drooled.

"Hey! Sanji! Come out!" Luffy called.

"Maybe he moved farther into the forest so no one sees us," Carrot said.

"Might as well look." Nami walked forward.

Something's not right here. But what is it? Neo glanced around the seemingly normal forest. Suddenly she was swept up in Law's arms. The present of a giant crocodile entered her senses. Glancing over Law's shoulder she watched the creature's jaws clamp down a bridge made of donuts.

"Luffy, should we fight it?" Carrot asked.

"No need." Luffy adjusted his hat.

"Oh, you're just humans." The crocodile looked at them and walked on.

"He was trying to eat us?" Neo tilted her head. "But decided not because you all are human?"

"Hey! You were almost eaten too!" Nami said.

Neo giggled. "I'm an elemental. No animal would ever eat me."

"Yeah. That's true." Nami's shoulders sagged. "You're so lucky. I've been almost eaten by several animals before."

"Are you saying we're not good enough to eat?!" Luffy snapped.

Nami slapped him. "That's not the problem here! An animal, a crocodile no less, dressed like a human spoke to us!"

"And what do you call this?" Law lifted Carrot and Chopper up by the back of their shirts.

"Hello!" Carrot waved with a smile.

"Well... yeah... but..." Nami sighed. "Never mind."

"Hm?" Neo glanced around when she felt the forest move. Why do I keep feeling the forest moving? Her eyebrows knitted when she couldn't find the path they had taken. "Guys, something's not right."

"Oh. Right." Nami chuckled. "Never mind. Anyway, I think we should just trust Pudding and wait near the coast for now. Just look! We've already lost the path back to our starting point."

A twig snapped. Neo turned, hoping it was Sanji. Instead of the blonde cook a second Luffy appeared.

"What the?" Nami gasped

"Why are there two Luffys?" Chopper asked.

"Who the heck are you?!" The two Luffys faced off against each other.

"No!" Neo wrapped her winds around the fake Luffy. "You're not Luffy!"

"What?! Of course I am!" the fake Luffy said.

"You are not! Clearly you can make yourself look like Luffy, but you don't have his rubberiness." Neo tapped her left cheek. "You've got Luffy's scar on the wrong side."

The fake Luffy twitched.

"Who are you?" Law unsheathed his sword.

"You've got this taken care of," Nami said as she rushed into the forest. "We're going to go ahead and look for Sanji."

Chopper and Carrot follow after her.

"Wait! Don't go into the forest!" Neo called but it was too late. The three vanished from her sight. "Just great."

"Let me go!" Fake Luffy struggled against Neo's winds.

"I will not. You will tell us-" Neo's crystals vanished. "No! Not now!"

"I've got him!" Law threw out his hand, forming his Room.

The fake Luffy smiled before several more Luffys, along with copies of Carrot, Nami, and Chopper stampeded onto the scene.

"We're not so easily fooled like the Straw Hats are," Law said.

"We shall see," Luffy's voice said.

That one who spoke wasn't the real Luffy. Neo scanned the clones for her friend. But she couldn't see him among the mini sea of his clones. "Blast it. If only my magic didn't go out. I can't find Luffy."

"I don't see him either. Focus now. He'll be fine," Law said.

"Right." Neo lifted her fists. The clones charged them, each making a different animal sound. "Huh? Why are they acting like animals?"

"Why indeed. Neo, don't fight them." Law put up his sword.

Neo lowered her fists and waited. All of the clones curled up next to her, rubbing against her. She giggled. "No way. Are all of these clones animals?"

"I bet this is a devil fruit user's doing," Law said. "They made clones to distract us. They probably figured the Straw Hats would come after their cook, but had no idea we would be with them. If they did then they would have known this wouldn't have worked. The Sanji we saw is probably an animal as well."

Neo huffed. "Oh, right. The forest is also moving."

"Moving?"
"I'm not sure how, but I can feel it, when my magic works. I didn't notice what it was at first. I can see it now. The forest moved and blocked our path. That's why we couldn't see it." A small rage building inside of her as her magic came back. "I have had enough of this. I don't attack nature but you, forest, are keeping me from my friends. I won't tolerate that." Neo summoned her fire crystals. The lookalikes gather around her. "Unless you want to burn I suggest you show yourselves."

The trees, bushes, and flowers jumped. Turning to the pirates, they revealed their faces.

"That's... not what I was expecting." Law stared at the forest.

"Where did our friends go?" Neo's royal tone rose in her voice.

"That way!" The forest pointed and parted for them.

They walked fifty yards before finally coming upon Luffy, tied up clones, and a man with wavy pinkish hair planted in the ground.

"Uh, what's with all the clones?" Luffy asked.

"They're animals." Neo patted a Carrot clone's head when it rubbed her arm.

"It's someone's devil fruit powers," Law said. "Probably someone on Big Mom's crew."

"Who's the man in the ground?" Neo pointed to the guy.

"My name is Pound," he said.

"Untie me now!" Nami snapped from the clone pile.

"You tied up one of your own?" Law asked.

"I did? But they all look alike!" Luffy gasped.

Neo untied Nami. "There."

"Thanks, Neo. Who do you think has this kind of power?" Nami straightened her dress as she looking at one of her clones. She turned to the man in the ground. "You should have an inkling as to what's going on. You were just sitting back and watching us as this ambush unfolded."

"I have a good excuse though. I can't move." Pound wiggled his fingers.

"Attacked? Did something happened?" Luffy asked.

"We were attacked by you, Luffy," Nami said.

"Me?" Luffy blinked.

"You were attacked by another Luffy?" Neo asked. "How many are out there?"

"Well, to be exact, it was an impostor impersonating you who tagged along with us as we repeatedly made futile attempts to escape from this forest. Then, out of the blue, the impostor transformed into this huge woman named Brulee. She also told us that she was sent here to keep us from getting to Sanji. She's a devil fruit user who pulled Carrot and Chopper into a mirror. "

"What?!" Neo gasped, noticing the missing two animals of their group.

"Well, we are in an emperor's territory. You should have expected this," Law said.

"You're not help!" Nami snapped.

"I'm glad you found me. Now we should hurry up and go save Chopper and Carrot. Where are they?" Luffy said.

"I don't know. All of that happened right here. That's why I was interrogating the big guy over here." Nami pointed at the man. "You must have been watching the whole time. Where are Chopper and Carrot? Care to explain why neither that woman or her weird tree henchmen didn't harm a single hair on your head? The only logical explanation is that you're their accomplice."

"Me? Their ally? Well, I guess I wouldn't exactly call them my enemies," the man said. "I'll gladly tell you all I know. But first walk over in that direction to your left and grab me some of that sweet, sweet apple juice."

"Sweet apple juice. That sounds good." Neo hummed.

"We don't have time for that!" Luffy said. "But if you actually tell us something useful, I'll be happy to get you all the juice your heart desires!"

"You mean that?" Pound asked.

"Of course! Besides, you've been talking about it so much that I kind of want to try drinking it too." Luffy grinned.

"By the way, you seem pretty strong." Pound looked at Luffy then at Nami. "But you not so much."

"Hey! I am strong! Very much so! Why did you even say that?!" Nami demanded.

"I see, I see." Pound held up his fingers. "I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover. That reindeer guy was obscenely strong too. But those trees still pounced on him without the slightest bit of hesitation. Those guys really never stop until they've accomplished their mission."

"Now that you mention it... What made those guys decide to stop pursuing me after a while?" Nami glanced around.

"In my case, after I beat the living crap out of them they stopped harassing me! How is it that they're able to move in the first place?" Luffy looked at Neo.

"I don't have a clue. Could be a devil fruit." Neo shrugged.

"Well, here in Totto Land every six months each citizen is required to pay a toll," Pound said. "A month's worth of their soul given to the nation, in exchange for safety and protection."

"Soul?" Luffy asked.

Pound moved his fingers this way and that as he spoke. "Ah, well basically, they have to give up part of their lifespan. Everyone who lives here loses two months of their lives in a single year. And a years worth in six."

"How's that even possible?!" Nami gasped.

"That's terrible," Neo said. "She's killing her own people."

Law placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Well, you see, Linlin, ah, I mean Big Mom is an ability user who ate the soul soul fruit," Pound said. "She's able to freely interact with people's souls. With that power, she takes some time out of the citizens' lifespans. And sprinkles those human souls all throughout the island. Once this is done, the souls settle into random objects or things they end up getting humanized. Just to be clear, the souls cannot enter a corpse or the body of someone else." He pointed to the trees. "So those guys standing over there are just some of the things that those souls I mentioned earlier decided to settle inside. They're called homies. As for the collection and assignment of these pieces of soul. That's all handled by the incarnations made out of Linlin. I mean Big Mom's own soul. That's the secret behind the reality here."

"That chocolate town we visited earlier also had lots of living things that had no business being alive. Now it's all starting to make sense," Nami said. "What an outrageous ability. Is that why we came across a talking crocodile? And that humanoid rabbit too?"

"Yes, that is correct. Nothing stops souls from settling into animals," Pound said.

"Wait! So is that what's going on with these guys?!" Luffy pointed at the clones.

"That's an entirely different story." Pound looked at the clones. "Those are just some animals that were transformed by Brulee's ability."

Luffy grabbed the man by his cheek. "You could have said so earlier! I mean, you were right here the whole time!"

"Yeah but I really didn't want to get involved."

"If you actually don't want to be involved, why did you bury yourself here?" Nami asked.

"Why? Who are you anyway?!" Luffy demanded. "Just spit it out and I'll get you some juice!"

"Well, long ago way, way, way in the past... I was once the husband of Charlotte Linlin otherwise known as Big Mom. But once I gave her two daughters she threw me to the curb. As for the reason no one attacks me is because they don't care about me."

"Hey..." A man with a long beard, horned helmet, wearing cracker shaped armor, grabbed Pound's hair and yanked him out of the ground with one fluid motion. "Have you lost your mind?"

Guest: I'm not doing story requests. So no.