One Piece Emperors New Clothes

By: FunahoMisaki

(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)

Oven was far from the only one staring in surprise and disbelief and shock at the scene in front of them as the Charlottes and Jimbe stepped out from where they had ducked behind some walls and buildings for shelter. Perospero had set up a candy wall in front of them all and he and Katakuri both had managed to set up a candy/mochi safe area for the nearby civilians who Brulee had located and the Charlottes had moved away from the danger zone.

Straw Hat was still standing. He was still standing and they all saw Mama's body hit the sea she so loved and begin to sink within it and Oven was sure that more than a few of the islanders were already spreading the word in hushed and awed rumors of how this Rookie had beaten Mama.

Sure Straw Hat was bruised to all hell, one eye was swollen shut pretty hard and if he wasn't made of rubber Oven was sure that the boy would have every bone in his body broken. There were bleeding cuts and wounds and some burns and his suit top was in tatters now as it blew in a small breeze that ruffled his hair. He was swaying a bit back and forth, as if he was about to drop at this very moment but he adjusted his feet slightly and the swaying stopped.

"Luffy!" His crew on their ship were yelling for him, the little racoon (?) thing looking half a second from running on shore.

"I told you to believe in him didn't I?" The busty orange haired woman was smiling smugly at a jaw dropped Pedro while Zeus, the cowardly (or maybe not cowardly considering the stunt he pulled) traitor was hiding behind her shoulder and moving towards the baton that she was holding.

Oven noticed with half a thought how the homies around him were losing their faces and spirits and the lights of their spirits were just fading into nothingness but each one looked relieved and happy. He was still focused however on how Straw Hat was still standing and the fact that Mama wasn't.

How the fading Homies were undeniable proof that Mama had lost. The fading Homies and the way that Oven saw the slips of Mama's Vivre card in Smoothie and Amande's hands fade into nothingness spoke the truth. Mama had lost. She was gone.

"Luffy get over here so I can look at you! You're injured and look worse than any of the dismemberments I've seen in my life and Doctrine made sure of that!" The racoon (?) was apparently a doctor or something by his words and his features were pale and worried as he looked at the bruised and bleeding boy who likely had multiple internal injuries.

"Yohohohoho! Luffy-san let's go home! Our nakama are waiting for us!" The skeleton, Dead Bones Brook Oven recognized him from his concert fliers that his younger brothers collected, said waving his arms to catch Luffy's attention but it looked like the boy might have some brain damage since he didn't react. Still standing there and panting a bit, somehow still being alive instead of it being Ma-Big Mom.

If Oven moved now, made it to the boy faster than his crew could stop him then he coul-

"Don't." Katakuri grabbed his shoulder and stopped him, earning a startled and confused 'what' from the orange haired brother.

While his brothers hand on his shoulder is what stopped him initially, what pinned him in place was the look in Luffy's brown eyes that was heavier than gravity itself. Somehow the boy had managed to crack open his swollen eye as if it was proof of how serious he was.

"'his place…Fi'hman 'sland…" The words were nearly slurred out to start with but everyone seemed to know what the boy, the captain, was going to say next.

"They're mine now." Those words were crystal clear and there was a hush that fell over the area. It was completely silent and the ones nearby had no clue how to explain it but they just knew that they were witnessing something rare and important. And Oven remembered this kind of hush once before. Where everything felt unnaturally silent as if something important had happened but you had no clue what just yet. He hadn't known what caused that previous hush but this one…he had a feeling he knew what it meant.

"What?!" Katakuri's choked out and strangled word drew his siblings attention as Luffy pointed at him.

"Him too." Luffy said and Oven wondered for a long moment how Luffy meant that. Was he taking Katakuri with him to punish them? Was he taking Katakuri as proof that he had bested Big Mom and had her strongest child under his thumb and heel?

"I can't…" Katakuri answers and his voice had his siblings turning to stare at him. He looked and sounded so small and sad that Oven can't believe that he didn't see this. Didn't see the longing and sheer want that Katakuri's eyes held as he watched Strawhat fight and breathe as if he was God's word come to life.

"I-" Katakuri cuts off as Straw Hat opened his mouth.

"I…" Straw Hat had to take a breath but his eyes were determined, the same determination that had brought Big Mom down with his bare fists and pure fight.

"Are you happy?" Straw Hat managed to ask without slurring or pausing to suck in more air, having seemed to have gotten his breathing under control now.

Katakuri didn't answer. It was enough for Oven and everyone else.

"Go." Oven murmurs before he can stop himself, and the sheer shock on his brothers face has his heart clenching. Had they really been so blind to their brothers troubles and woes?

"Join him. Call us sometimes." Oven said and he heard as the rest of their siblings began to breath and react again.

Daifuku, usually so temperamental and hating anything that threatens to tear apart their family, claps their triplet on his shoulder. Amande took out her cigar and pinned Katakuri with a look before she smiled slightly and gave him a nod. Anana (when had that sneaky little rascal gotten here? She was supposed to be in the shelter with the civilians!) was too small to really understand what was happening but she knew enough and she smiled and hugged their big brothers leg in support.

Smoothie stared at Katakuri and then at Luffy for a moment before she nodded her head as well, Jimbe standing nearby and just smiling as he watched the proceedings.

Katakuri had tears pooling in his eyes as he looked around at his family who were all supporting him.

"Come on big brother." It was Brulee who was speaking as she grabs Katakuri's hand and smiles brightly up at him, just like she did as a child both before and after her scaring. Oven knew, as did most of the elder siblings of the family, that Brulee would be the hardest one for Katakuri to leave behind. After all Brulee had been scared for life because of Katakuri, because the men who had made from of his mouth when they were children and got beaten up had taken it out on their younger and defenseless little sister and how her scar was a permanent reminder of his weakness.

"Let's be free." Brulee said tugging on his hand a little and Oven noticed how Smoothie and Amande paused a bit as they were staring at her but then they smiled and he wondered what they had noticed that he hadn't but figured that he'd learn soon enough.

"It's not goodbye. It never is." Daifuku says softly and he's already holding something out to Katakuri. It's the Den Den Mushi, Katakuri's private one, and next to it on Daifukus large hand was a small pile of papers that had the Charlotte families Den Den Mushi numbers within. When he had gotten that together no one knew but from how Broye was smiling slightly as she hugged Katakuri and Brulee both, she had something to do with it.

Brulee was the one who had taken the snail and the stack of numbers and was holding them in one hand while she held Katakuri's hand with her other and Oven finally realizes what his sisters had noticed a few seconds ago.

Brulee was leaving as well. She was going with Straw Hat and Katakuri.

Katakuri finally moves then, and Brulee walks with him, as they approach Straw Hat who is patiently standing there waiting for them even though his racoon (?) looks half a second away from running ashore and dragging them all back to the ship himself.

When Katakuri finally gets to Straw Hat, he kneels down to be on eye level with the much smaller man and takes off his scarf. There were gasps from the civilians and the younger members of the family, and out of the corner of his eye Oven notices how Galette and Piore look stunned as they stare between Katakuri's mouth and Piores before Piore grins widely, but the older Charlotte members who remember back before Katakuri wore his scarf were mostly focused on Straw Hat.

He doesn't disappoint them. Not like Big Mom had.

"Huh….cool teeth. Look 'ike Barty's. You shoul' meet…" Straw Hat's words were a bit slurred again, as if now that the serious part was over and he laid his claim he could relax and let himself heal and be injured.

But somehow he still smiles and it's not the wide big beaming grin of his first bounty poster but it's just as warm and full of safety and light. Oven feels safe just looking at it and he knows the others do as well by how they all relax or smile slightly, what more could it feel like to Katakuri who had been accepted without a second thought or a single heart beat of hesitation?

"Of course." Katakuri breaths out to where Oven can just barely hear him but it sounds like an oath. Oven can almost hear the unspoken words to the oath as well.

I'd follow you even beyond death.

Oven doesn't blame his brother if it were true. He'd be right there with him most likely.

And by the way Perospero was nodding, Galette was beaming and nodding, Smoothie was smiling and even Amande was smiling as she lit another cigar, Straw Hat would have an army of the Charlotte Family ready to follow him at a seconds notice.

Even beyond death.