Whole Cake Island
Part Twelve
"There's no way I'll let you do that!" Sanji yelled.
"Big Mom's going to eat this cake for sure, right?!" Bege said.
"What's going on?" Neo asked as she paused brushing on icing.
"Bege wants to poison the cake," Law said. "Blackleg is refusing."
"Poison the cake, huh?" Neo pressed a finger to her chin. "That could get rid of Big Mom... but that would be such a waste of good cake."
"Blackleg agrees with you," Law said. "They've been arguing like this for five minutes already."
"Really?"
"You were daydreaming."
"I guess I was. This icing is so good." Neo smiled and licked her lips.
"Don't sneak too much of it," Law said.
"I wont."
A while later. "We did it! It's finished!" Sanji threw his fists into the air. "A supreme wedding cake capable of stopping Big Mom in her tracks!"
Neo crashed to the ground. "I didn't do much but I'm exhausted. I'm going to need a long nap after this."
"You're definitely going to get one," Law said.
"With snuggles?"
"With snuggles."
"Good." Neo smiled.
"I can see the Straw Hat's ship," Law said.
"Really?!" Neo jumped to her feet. She waved. "Hey! I'm glad. I hope everyone's okay."
"Come on, you two," Pudding said. "I'll take you all back to the ship."
They climb in the rug again and fly over to the ship.
"Neo!" Chopper runs up to Neo as Brook and Nami hug Sanji. "Are you okay?! I was so worried!"
"I was worried about you all." Neo looked around. "Where's Luffy?"
Chopper lowered his eyes.
"He's not back from his fight in the mirror world," Jinbe said. "Why were you all on Bege's ship?"
"We had a little trouble transporting the cake," Neo said. "Bege came to rescue Chiffon. So we escaped with them."
"We can talk about it in detail later," Sanji said. "Where are Pedro and Carrot?"
Neo gasped. "Where's Pedro?! He's not on the ship!"
"He sacrificed himself to help us get away." Jinbe lowered his eyes.
The world swirled. Neo's knees buckled.
Law caught her. "Neo..."
"Pedro..." Neo covered her mouth. A gag prompted her to run to the side of the ship. She threw up.
"Hey! We have another problem!" Pudding said, a transponder snail in her hand. "They're going to ambush Luffy when he exits the mirror world."
"What?! We have to do something!" Nami said.
"I'll go help him." Sanji stepped towards the flying rug.
"I'm going too!" Neo grabbed Law. Once again they boarded the rug and took off from the ship.
...
Neo eyed all the pirates on Big Mom's crew. They had gathered around a mirror that Luffy would be coming out of any minute. She tucked back into the shadows of the alley when a couple people walked toward her.
Law held his sword ready.
The people walked on by.
"Hey, Pudding, when Luffy comes out we'll have to part way here," Sanji said. "Looking back, we sure met in unusual circumstances. It's almost time for us to say goodbye. Thank you for everything."
"Shut up!" Pudding snapped.
Neo tensed, her attention fully on Sanji and Pudding.
Sanji laughed. "Right. We are enemies after all. The wedding was a trap. And although it was all a big sow put on by the Big Mom pirates I'm glad that my fiancee was you, Pudding-chan."
Pudding cried and turned away from him.
"Must he call her that?" Neo grumbled.
"Don't worry. We're almost out of here," Law said.
"Hey... Sanji... I have a request. Just one last request," Pudding blubbered.
Neo bristle upon hearing Pudding's words. She ran over to Sanji as Pudding reached for him. She placed herself between them. "If you have a request then say it. Don't come any closer to Sanji."
Pudding stepped back. She was silent for a moment before saying, "Just... don't forget me. Okay?"
"I could never forget you." Sanji smiled.
Pudding nodded and ran off.
The mirror swirled.
"Something's happening," Law said.
Neo and Sanji rushed over to him just as Pekoms and Brulee shot out from the mirror.
"It's Pekoms," Neo said. "What is he doing? Wait! Luffy's there!"
"Where?!" Sanji asked.
"Pekoms is hiding him!" Neo said.
"Let's go!" Sanji rushed forward. He kicked a sword away from Luffy.
Neo threw back several pirates with her winds.
Law formed his Room and sliced several people into pieces.
"Sanji! Neo! Tra!" Luffy grinned.
Sanji grabbed his captain.
"Luffy, you crazy jerk." Tears swell in Neo's eyes. "You have me so worried."
"Sorry!"
"So you won," Sanji said.
"Yep." Luffy nodded.
"As expected of you."
"Anyone can use something as simple as moonwalk." A man jumped towards them using Sanji's technique.
Neo slammed her wind into the guy's face. "We're not using Moonwalk!" She released a mini tornado and pushed everyone back from them. "Jerks! Don't mess with my loved ones!"
"Straw Hat," Law growled when the younger captain fell asleep.
"He deserves it, Law." Neo brushed her fingers through Luffy's hair. She summoned her solar crystal and hoovered it next to him. Her crystals flickered. She landed on a roof a second before they vanished.
"Sanji, take that wounded guy and leave the island already," Ichiji said. "You're in the way."
"We won't forgive the ones," Niji said.
"Who tricked us!" Yonji finished.
"This island is Germa 66's prey, Sanji," Reiju said as she and her brothers swirled around them.
"Shut up!" Neo puffed out her cheeks. "You have no right to tell Sanji what to do! He saved you jerks!"
"They're right, though." Sanji picked up Luffy. "We have to get out of here. I'll call the Sunny and let them know we're on our way. Neo, can you ly?"
"Yeah." Neo nodded and pulled them back in the air.
"Come back here, Straw Hat Luffy!"
"You're not going to get away!"
"No annoying." Law turned in Neo's wind. He held up his hand. "Room. Shambles."
"Ah! I've been cut! I'm going to die!"
"I don't want to die!"
"Wait... We're not dead."
"Curse you Trafalgar!"
Neo laughed. "You'd think people would learn by now what your devil fruit can do."
Law smirked.
"How dare you, Straw Hat!" Oven jumped in front of them with his sword ablaze.
"Kill him, Big Brother Over!"
"Sparkling Valkyrie! Fly, Sanji!" Niji said.
Neo felt her magic drain and faltered. "Oh no."
"What's wrong, Neo? You losing your magic again?" Sanji asked.
"Yeah. But from a pollution stone," Neo said.
Law cursed and warped them. "Who has the stone?"
"I... don't know." Neo panted. "Too many... people."
"Don't worry," Sanji said looking at his family as they still defended them. "We'll get out of here."
"You idiots. Going at that speed you're just going to be shot full of holes."
"Niji," Sanji said.
"Light Speed Sword! Henry Blazer!" Niji pushed them forward and into the hands of Ichiji brother.
"Adios, you good for nothing!" Ichiji said.
Neo growled. She kicked her feet in an attempt to kick the man. "Shut up! I'll fry you for saying that about Sanji!"
"Neo, love, your magic is out," Law said.
"I don't care! I'm still going to fry him!" Neo continued to kick.
Law sighed. "I guess it's a good thing she doesn't have access to her crystals right now."
Sanji chuckled. "I can see it now, Luffy! It's the Sunny!"
"Really?!" Neo turned towards the ship. "Hey!"
They land on the deck.
"Neo!" Chopper jumped into her arms.
"Neo!" Carrot grabbed onto her too.
"I'm glad you're all okay!" Neo said.
"I was so worried about you." Tears poured down Chopper's cheeks.
"Is he okay?" Nami looked at the unconscious captain.
"He's just tired." Sanji shoved his hands in his pockets.
Carrot bit down on Luffy's ear.
"Y... you guys... I got tired of waiting for you," Luffy said upon awakening.
"Don't lie!" Nami snapped. "Your wounds are still fresh."
"Raccoon, you better take care of Straw Hat's wounds," Law said.
"Right! Hey! I'm not a raccoon!" Chopper rushed to take care of Luffy. "Let me look at you too, Sanji. You were shot."
Cannon balls whistle through the air. The ship rocked.
Neo fell into Law's chest.
"Before we noticed they were able to catch up to us!" Brook said.
"We're not out of this yet. Do the treatment while we make our getaway," Sanji said.
More blasted. An enemy ship exploded in fire and smoke. A large Germa sailed towards them. Judge looked down at Sanji with dark eyes then at Luffy.
Neo tensed.
"Why do you care so much about that, Straw Hat Luffy?" Judge asked. "You're in a place where escape is impossible once you enter. It's the emperor Big Mom's territory. Did you really risk your life just to take back that one person? Sanji is Germa's failure! He can't use his skin as a shield! And all he does is cook! He doesn't have a shred of royal pride! He's put his life in danger in order to protect a weakling, all because of his useless emotions!"
"Shut up!" Neo growled and took a step forwards. Her crystals flickered beside her. "Don't you talk about Sanji like that! I won't-"
Sanji held up his hand to keep her from advancing.
"Sanji..."
"It's okay, Neo."
"He has a weak mind!" Judge continued. "He's unfit to be a soldier! That man is a good for nothing!"
"See ya! Thanks for the help!" Luffy waved.
"How about you answer me?! Straw Hat!"
"That was surprising," Luffy said. "Why was he listing out all the good things about you?"
"What?!" Chopper gasped.
"That's not what he was doing!" Sanji said.
Jinbe laughed. "You guys are the best!"
"Nami, look ahead! In front of us!" Carrot called from the crow's nest.
"This is bad!" Nami said. "Jinbe, the grand fleet is right in front of us!"
"Huh?"
"Ah! When did they get there?!" Brook shrieked.
"There's an unbelievable number of ships!" Sanji said.
"What should we do?! We're going to be pincered again!" Nami said. "The idle fleet was able to circle around us! We're going to be trapped!"
A cannon ball landed in front of them.
"Law!" Neo grabbed onto him. "Can you warp us?!"
"It's too far!"
"That's right!" a voice said from above. "We've surrounded you from the front and the back!"
They looked up to see the genie from before slicing at Carrot.
"Carrot!" Sanji jumped and kicked the sword away.
"How did they get this close to us so quickly?!" Nami asked.
"There's only two ways. One would be to have an engine like the sub," Law said. "The other would be paddles."
"He's right!" Brook said. "They're all paddle ships!"
"There's no way we can escape from all of them!" Chopper said.
"I guess this is it," Jinbe said. "We were able to barely survive until this point, but ..."
The surface of the ocean rises up. A large man appears.
"Who is that?!" Neo asked.
"You guys!" Jinbe said.
"We came to see you off, Captain Jinbe!" Fishmen pop up to the surface. They clashed with Big Mom's pirates.
"Look! They made a path for us!" Sanji said.
"We're going to plow right through!" Jinbe grabbed the helm.
"Go, Jinbe!"
"Thank you, everyone!" Jinbe called back.
"I see. They were also the ones who stopped the enemy trackers from working! Why didn't I realize it before?" Nami said.
"They ended up helping me to the very end," Jinbe said.
"As expected of Jinbe's crew!" Luffy smiled then threw his fist in the air. "Thanks, you guys!"
"Please take care of Jinbe, Straw Hat!"
Heat rolls off the ocean.
"It's Oven! Not good! The sea is boiling up!" Jinbe said.
A blast of gunfire and cannons go off.
A hand landed on the ship and pulled them under. Darkness engulfed them.
"What the heck is going on?!" Nami shrieked.
"So scary!" Chopper said.
"I think we're underwater," Neo said and lit up some fire crystals. Teeth surrounded them.
"Ah! We've been eaten!" Chopper said.
Light suddenly reappeared. The ship was lifted and lowered back to the ocean.
"Get out of here, you guys!" the giant said. "Straw Hat! I did bad things on Fishman Island! I'm sorry! Then I was taken in by Boss Jinbe... even though I did all those things. For that, I am so thankful!"
"Out of my way, Umibouzu!" Oven screamed.
"Hot!" Umibouzu caught on fire. "The moment we decided to come help Big Boss and Straw Hat is when we made up our minds! We would help Boss escape with you!"
"Aladdin! Everyone!" Jinbe called out.
"Run away, Jinbe! You too, Straw Hats!"
"We wish you a safe voyage!"
"The ship is full of water," Law said. "We'll never escape like this. We have to get the water out and repair the holes in the sails."
"I'll take care of the water," Neo said. "Get the sails repaired."
"Hurry and get out of here," Jinbe said. "Escape as fast as possible."
"Jinbe?" Neo asked. "What are you saying?"
"It will still take you all a few hours to get out of Big Mom's territory," Jinbe said.
"Jinbe?" Luffy said.
"Luffy," Jinbe said. "I can't leave them behind."
"All right." Luffy stood. "I understand. Then we'll also-"
"They're guarding our rear to help the ship escape," Jinbe said. "We've made it this far, but if the flagship and fleet continue to chase us we won't be able to make it out. The rear guard. Please leave it to me. We will succeed and come back alive."
Luffy glared at Jinbe. "Don't forget, Jinbe. I am your captain now! We'll escape but... we'll wait for you in Wano! You must come!"
"I can't thank you enough." Jinbe bowed his head.
"Even if you die, don't!" Luffy ordered.
Jinbe nodded then dove into the ocean.
"Will Jinbe be okay?" Neo asked.
"He'll be fine," Luffy said. "Remember he was a warlord."
"Yeah." Neo nodded and turned to Sanji. "We're finally out of there."
Sanji nodded. "Now all we have to do is get you back home."
"Home." Neo sighed, leaning into Law's embrace. "That sounds wonderful."
"But first, how about I make something to eat?" Sanji asked.
"Yes!" Luffy cheered.
"Neo, feel like helping me?" Sanji smiled.
"You bet!" Neo grinned. Grabbing his arm, she drug him to the kitchen.
...
Author's Notes: Ugh. Don't like how this ending up. Maybe I can fix it later if this burnout ever goes away.