"Please don't hurt me!" she said, brandishing a butter knife with shaking arms. What a good actress.
"We aren't intending on hurting you!" Nami insisted, trying to calm her down. Pedro pulled his sword on her, which only escalated things until Nami punched the leopard mink. After that, things calmed down, and they could all drink tea, with Zoro spiking his own with the little amount of alcohol he had left, and she explained her side of the story.
Luffy took it all with a grain of salt, but she wasn't lying when she spoke about the marriage being non-consensual, and that the only reason she was being married off was to make the crew stronger. Luffy was careful and noticed that she hadn't reacted to Luffy in the way Pekoms had in the beginning. She saw nothing similar in him.
It looked like hiding his eyes was the best disguise. Eye contact upset animals more than anything else. And none of the non-human creatures were thrown off by him. She didn't show shock or an elevated heart rate at him, which was good! He didn't want to get his cover blown so soon before knowing more.
"If you have to be married off, why not just run away and find someone you love?" Nami asked. Pudding said the reason was her sister, who left like that, but it ended badly. Mama hated her now, and she was never able to return safely.
"We've given up on being married to people we love. It was never an option. All of the ties are made to strengthen the crew - our family. I understand that and expected nothing else, to be honest. It's a big family, and Mama loved us all in her own way, but I think it's different than others are. Our fathers are scattered all over the place and none of us have ever met them." She was being sincere, and Luffy almost felt pity for her. Being forced what to do and all.
But the lying part was kind of annoying. "Have you met Sanji yet?" Luffy asked curiously.
"Yes… once," she said shyly. A truth. Then she started to gush over how kind Sanji was, how he promised to cook with her, they had common hobbies, and she felt she could actually be comfortable with a political marriage. Red alarms were blaring in their ears. Luffy didn't want to believe it, but did Sanji actually fall for her?
She was pretty and seemed nice, but she wasn't truly sincere with her personality. Zoro grumbled, "That fool, falling for any woman he gets the chance to talk to. Listen here, love-cook falls in love with any woman he meets. Don't think you're any different." Pudding had tears in her eyes, and Nami got straight to beating Zoro up, calling him insensitive and an asshole. "I'm saying the truth! You know it, too!"
They all knew that was the truth. Pedro wanted to bound and gag her, and throw her on the ship so she could keep her mouth shut. Teenager or not, she was a Big Mom child, and was a huge player in the political nature of the forced marriage. Luffy didn't think that was the best idea, but the mink did have a point about her blabbing.
Nami had stopped beating up Zoro, who had bruises on his head now, but she disagreed with capturing Pudding, too. Said she was scared of her mother as well. "We shouldn't punish her for her mother's actions!" she insisted.
Pudding stayed rather quiet, and Luffy watched her through his glasses. "I can still forget about him… Sanji. He was very kind to me, and I always hoped to marry someone who took care of and protected me, but he told me 'I want to marry you, but I have to go back to my friends. I'm sorry'," she confessed, a sad smile on. "So, I want him to be free. I can't do a thing to disobey mam's orders."
"Sanji refused a woman who wanted to love him?!" Brook and Chopper shouted.
"Wait. Did Sanji really turn you down?" Luffy asked seriously, though it was impossible to make eye contact. She faltered for a moment.
"He said he didn't want to be with me. I… I said some insensitive things, but he pretty much said 'you're the next best thing if I can't go back to my friends'. I know he didn't mean for it to sound that way, though, he's too kind. Even if he settled for me, I don't think he'd ever be happy. I'd like for you to save him. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to find someone who loves me on their own," she said, absolutely sincerely.
Nami frowned and expressed sadness for her position. "It must be hard. I want Sanji to come with us, but you seem like a very lovely person, Pudding. I'm sure you'll find love in the future. You're so young and cute, after all," Nami said brightly.
She smiled, and started scribbling down on paper. "Here's the best route to get to where Sanji is! It's a path only the children know, you'll go through there unnoticed," Pudding promised. It was a bunch of circles named different islands, with a path between them. "Tomorrow, let's meet on the southwest coast of Whole Cake Island, and I'll bring Sanji there without Mama noticing! Then you have to leave in a hurry!"
Liar. Well, he had his own plan. He could smell Sanji on her, and it hadn't rained in awhile, clearly. That route, that plan, would not end up with them meeting up with Sanji. That much was clear. Nami took the map, and thanked her with wide eyes. "Are you sure you won't get in trouble?" the orange head asked.
"Well, Mama will be mad, but I'm her daughter. She won't hurt me," Pudding said brightly. Also a lie. But they left, with Pudding giving Zoro the rest of her supply of alcohol, as she was underage and didn't drink herself. "Good luck on your journey," she said. The group left and went back to the ship. It had the groceries there, already, from Carrot getting them.
"That was sure nice of her! Now we have a way to Sanji-"
"We're not taking it." He took the piece of paper and wadded it up. "She was lying about a lot. She won't be meeting us on the coast of Whole Cake Island, and I don't trust a thing she said about this way going unnoticed by the family." They were all quiet, shocked since Pudding was so believable. "I have my own plan on how to get to Sanji."
"I'm getting off here. I won't go with your plan against Pudding-sama. Good luck," Pekoms said, more than happy to get off of their ship now. Pedro shook hands with him, and wished him luck for not getting killed. "Mama won't kill me, how many times do I need to tell you!"
So Pekoms got off, and their rescue team dropped to seven. Now they were on their own, relatively speaking, with no real guide.
So, they didn't follow Pudding's directions, and instead, Luffy had them follow the scent of Sanji, which was fresh on the seas, meaning he did stop here, which was lucky for them. Luffy sat on the figure head, making sure they followed his scent. It went around the outskirts of the path Pudding had laid out.
Luffy had Nami use her fancy clima tact to keep a mist around the Sunny to hide her. When it came to the sea thingies Pekoms said were all around the bottom of the ocean in Totto Land as sensors, Luffy had his legs tied to the railing as he send out calculated blasts of conqueror's haki laced with his already terrifying presence to non-humans, and sent them scattering away.
This was the best plan he could think of. Everyone stayed as quiet as possible. They trusted Luffy fully. Carrot wondered if Pudding was a good person, and he was misreading kindness for deceit. "She seemed very nice, but she was faking much of it. We shouldn't trust anybody we meet here," Luffy said.
When Luffy felt pressure in his arms, he bent over the railing and let the bursts off in the water, leaving behind varying explosions of water, but it was much quieter if it was just in the air. Underneath the water dulled the effects. Which was good for now. But when they passed a sea river that smelled like fruits, it threw off Luffy's nose.
He kept them going straight ahead. There was no way Sanji's boat would go through there unless it had to, and the scent didn't enter that area. "Are you sure this is the right way?" Carrot asked uncertainly.
"It's the only way. If Pudding was lying to us, then we would be walking into a trap willingly if we went her way. And she seemed so sweet and innocent," Nami sighed sadly. They followed Luffy's nose through the night before they docked and Luffy got a few hours of rest and some blood to keep him going.
He was honestly worried to sleep and miss something. To stray off course. Nami was the reason they weren't sailing through the night. They had to get up in the middle of the night to fight off ants that came along the thickened syrup of the water between the two islands. On the way to Sanji's place, where he went and where he was now.
They cracked apart the sticky surface that had cooled and hardened over the night as the temperature dropped, and managed to get out of the ant-infested waters safely the next morning. This sea was strange indeed. Sea ants that feasted on sea syrup. How interesting! "Luffy, relax a little bit," Zoro said, rubbing his shoulders gently. "You're stiff as hell and all worried."
"I'm worried. What if I'm leading us astray, and Pudding's route was the better option?" Luffy asked.
"It's not like we can trust the words of a liar, Luffy," Nami said kindly. "Even if you did get us off course, like you told Tra-guy, our plans always end up working in the end, even if it's not how we think it will."
"Well, that's a change of opinion," Zoro stated.
"I guess I'm just in a good mood," she replied as she kept a look out for any strange weather as she followed Luffy's nose and Luffy's nose alone. "But it sure is helpful to have Pedro explaining some of the seas and it's strange properties."
Zoro turned to the leopard mink and said, "Did you really lose here before? You don't act like you ever lost a fight in this territory."
"I did. But I managed to escape, only losing my partner in the first place. I was naive when I was young, and thought I could be an explorer without a bounty on my head. It didn't turn out how I wished. I wish to see our saviors triumph over every other menace of the sea that threatens my people. That's why I will help you as best as I can to get the road poneglyph. But, to do that, we will need to dock at Whole Cake Island," Pedro explained, using an oar to break at the hardening sugar crystals they could damage the hull of the ship.
Luffy said, "We'll get Sanji back first and then get the poneglyph somehow."
"We may have to take advantage of time and do both at the same time," Pedro replied. "Once we're seen, our number one goal should be to escape safely. But we have two missions, and I will help get both fulfilled no matter what," the mink pledged. Luffy and Zoro smiled, satisfied with having this man as an ally.
They followed the scent of Sanji until it mixed with the scent of Yonji and Reiju, the only others he recognized by the scent. So Sanji met up with his siblings and turned to the east. The ship turned too, to follow the scent that was now much bigger and easier to track. After a while, they ended up where they didn't want to. Whole Cake Island. Well, they did want to go there for other reasons, but they'd hoped to find Sanji somewhere else.
But they didn't arrive on the side or day that Pudding wanted them to. They were on the opposite side. Brook and Pedro were taking the mission to go after the road poneglyph, and took the shark submerge to the island to get in secretly the next day. It was barely morning, and they'd gotten little sleep.
Before they were to get off, on the opposite but bare side of the island, Luffy drank two bags of blood and a backpack with food and blood in it. He had the sunglasses, hat and a long sleeve shirt on that he hated. Now that he was on the main island, he was going to not give off his appearance for as long as he could unless it was an emergency.
"You guys stay on the ship for now." Zoro asked why. "I want to get Sanji before he leaves in the morning. I'll sneak inside that Germa thingy," he said.
"I really don't think that will work, Luffy," Nami said. "You can't be quiet or sneak for the life of you." Luffy said he'd be good this time. He could always knock people out before they saw him. "But that kingdom is supposed to be really strong." Well, Luffy would go anyways. "We really should wait until morning. And for him to get off the ship so we have time to fight if necessary. And space."
"Why would we fight Sanji? We're just here to pick him up," Luffy said, cocking his head. Chopper asked if Sanji would fight them. "No way," the captain said confidently. "Everyone is asleep now anyways! And I can tell he's there. Getting him out without people noticing is what we were supposed to do from the beginning, wasn't it?"
"Luffy-san has a point," Brook said. "Though I would like to help, my ability would only cause more of a scene," he added in disappointment. Chopper pat his leg, saying maybe next time. "Zoro-san, what do you think?"
"I think there's pros and cons to both plans. I think it would be better to meet love-cook before he leaves for the wedding or whatever, but might be safer to wait until morning. Though he might have other people with him then, and the Vinsmoke guys are supposedly pretty strong. We don't want to make a scene," Zoro said. Nami and Chopper were surprised he was thinking on the air of caution.
Luffy nodded, and decided he'd go to the castle. It was night time, and he could smell Sanji fresh, meaning he was at least somewhere near outside. Before he could be stopped Luffy ran off the ship and to the cliff area with the Germa Kingdom. He was calm. He jumped onto the ship and shimmied his way along the outside of the kingdom's snail ships. He kept his presence completely hidden to not frighten the snails and cause a scene.
After he made it near the middle of the left side, he smelled Sanji the closest, and hopped up. He then jumped onto the spire of the roof. It was cloudy, overcast, so the moonlight didn't give him away. He saw a room with the lights on, with big windows. This place was nothing like the previous castles he'd ever been to.
But looking inside of the room, he saw Sanji wasn't actually there. He frowned deeply and dropped to the window's balcony and entered. Sanji's scent was very fresh, so he was near here, maybe a few minutes ago. Luffy didn't go inside more, instead he went outside and followed the trail around. He smelled some blood from Sanji, so that was angersome.
But when he got to the next building, alarms started blaring about a trespasser, and Luffy zoomed away in gear second before anyone could actually get a glimpse of him. The alarms were all obnoxious, but Luffy made it away before he could be caught or recognized. He ran after Sanji's scent and onto the open field of the island beyond the docks the kingdom were at.
Sanji was sitting against a tree, smoking. "Hey! Sanji, hey!" Luffy shouted, making the chef jerk his head up. "Hey, what are you doing out here! I snuck into that place for nothing!" he called. Sanji stood up in shock, dropping his cigarette and lighter. "So, you said you were coming back and all, but I didn't wanna wait! So we came here instead. Man, did you know that the islands are made of food, huh?" Luffy rambled, so happy to see Sanji.
But the man looked angry at Luffy, which was confusing. "Neh, the Sunny is docked that way. The others are waiting-" Sanji kicked him in the face. Luffy was shocked and confused. It didn't hurt, since he wasn't using haki, it was just startling. He furrowed his brows, not understanding why.
"Hey, why'd you do that?" he asked with a disapproving frown.
"Get going, piece of shit. I don't want to go back with you," Sanji said, almost in disgust. It didn't work against Luffy, who knew he was absolutely lying. He didn't mean this stuff. But it irritated him. He glared, and demanded to know what he was talking about.
Sanji then started talking about his life here, which would be better. More money, he could actually get married to someone, he wouldn't have to worry about any sort of thing having to do with pirates. Calling them trash and low lifes. "Liar." This pissed him off. He kicked Luffy again, who didn't fight back.
By then, Sanji was saying some pretty rude and hurtful things, though Luffy knew he didn't mean any of it. "I'm not gonna fight you," Luffy said. "I'm here to take you back. I know you don't want to be with your family, you hate them!"
"That's none of your business, go away!" he shouted, and kicked him in the face with a diable jambe this time, leaving a very bad burn all over his nose and cheeks. That fire was very hot. Seeing the terrible burn he just left on Luffy's face, Luffy could see the slight look of guilt before he forced it to disappear.
"I refuse," Luffy said back, not reacting to the sting of his burn. Sanji kicked him again, but Luffy didn't react. He kept staying still, not going to fight Sanji. Never again would he fight one of his crew members after what happened with Usopp. He'd vowed that years ago. He was kicked in the stomach this time, making him jerk forwards and bend over. A tooth fell out, a trail of blood following.
"You've always been so damn nosy! Getting into everyone's problems!" another kick. "I have no desire to still sail with you!" he shouted. "I don't care about any of you anymore! Get outta my sight!" he raged. He was angry, but not because he hated them.
"Liar," Luffy said, and it pissed Sanji off even more. He was saying all these hurtful things he didn't mean, yet Luffy could see right through them.
"Am I lying this time? I don't want to go back!" Luffy scowled. He was only being truthful because of some other reason, not because he hated them. "I'm tired of dealing with your weird illness! And having flashbacks to something from two damn years ago!"
Luffy flinched, and Sanji took this as an opening to jump in the air and slam his leg into Luffy's head. Luffy did his best to stay conscious, before he passed out, the headache overwhelming. He'd used haki. And damn, did it hurt. He didn't see Sanji looking down at him with a pained expression, unable to help a few tears down his cheeks before he turned around to the castle ships.
The next time Luffy woke up, it was in Zoro's worried arms back on the ship. Luffy held in the tears of hurt by what Sanji said, going straight for the heart. Luffy knew he didn't mean that stuff, but it just reinforced insecurities he'd worked so hard to bury. His face was burnt and he had a headache. Missing a tooth, he was back on the Sunny.
"What happened to you?" Nami asked in horror at the bubbling burn.
"I got in a fight with somebody. I was looking for Sanji," Luffy said in a bland voice. He drank a blood bag, and the burn fizzled away. Carrot and Pedro weren't in the room to see it. Luffy felt like crap, emotionally. He knew Sanji hadn't meant it… but still, going for the jugular was low. He knew Luffy wouldn't believe anything he said, so he said those things instead.
He was unconscious and not found for an hour, maybe, and the sun was rising. "Did you meet up with Sanji?" Chopper asked. Luffy said he wasn't in the castle when he went. But he found him anyway. He didn't want to come back, but Luffy knew he was lying. He wanted to come back anyways.
Zoro frowned darkly and asked if Sanji was the one to beat him up. Luffy wouldn't have sustained those wounds in any normal fight he was fighting. The captain looked to the side. "What the hell was his problem?!"
"He wanted us to stay away. So he beat me up. I didn't fight back. After Usopp, I vowed to never fight with one of my crew members again," Luffy said honestly. "Don't get mad at him. I'm fine now, see?" And his face was back to normal, the tooth having grown back. He sat up and sighed that his glasses were gone. Well, he was sure Robin wouldn't be too upset. "We're going after him regardless," Luffy said firmly.
Nami was crying at hearing Sanji beat Luffy up to get him to go away. "What did he say?" Chopper asked. "Did he say he wanted to stay?!"
Luffy looked down. "He said mean stuff to try and get me to go away, but I knew he was lying. He got mad. What time is it?"
"Nearly sunrise," Nami sniffled. She was so angry about what had happened. It was the perfect time for them to get Sanji and leave, and he just instead beat up Luffy while screaming insults at him. Zoro was absolutely livid, which wasn't good. "We should move the ship. Who knows if anyone saw Luffy and followed," Nami mumbled. They moved the ship while it was still dark to the other side of the island, but not directly where Pudding told them to. Luffy sat on the figure head the whole time, feeling a bit useless and numb. Next time, maybe he'd knock Sanji out and drag him back to the ship with them.