David and Scott were rowing the boat on the way to Big Mom's ship.
"How surprised do you think Sanji's going to be to see Sectonia?" Ramona asked.
"Very. Especially since as far as he's concerned, she's still dead." Erza said.
"No surprise, considering what happened." Sectonia said.
"But we can use it to our advantage." Genis said.
"Genis is right." David said. "Because our group is the most recent one to be formed, Big Mom might know little to nothing about us."
"Besides, even if Sanji still doesn't trust Sectonia, he can't do anything to her." Nami said. "Sanji has dedicated himself to never hurt a woman, no matter what."
"Which is probably why he himself hasn't done anything against Big Mom yet." Usopp said.
Leia was checking on Raine. "Raine, are you going to be okay?"
"Yes. I'll hold out until we get there." Raine said.
"Good, because we'll need your healing abilities there." Sectonia said. "If she's as dangerous as Jexi claims, then we'll have to be extra cautious. One slip-up could cost us our lives."
"Don't worry. From what I know, Big Mom isn't onboard. But who is on board is some of her crew as well as the Firetank Pirates, led by one of the Supernovas, Capone Bege." Jexi said.
"Yeah. Capone 'Gang' Bege, Bounty of 300 million. He's a walking military base." Hope said.
"How?" Genis asked.
"He ate the Castle Castle Fruit, a devil fruit that makes the person who ate it into a walking fortress." Jexi said.
"Great, now we have to deal with a human fortress." Zelos said. "Things can't possibly get worse."
"Don't jinx it, Zelos." David said. "Fate has a way of rearing its ugly head at the worst of times."
"We've caught up to Big Mom's Galley!" Brook said.
"Yeah, I know! I can hear it singing from here!" Toma said.
"Shiiiip! Im a Ship!" the ship sang.
"It's like it's not even trying to hide the fact that it's here." Lloyd said. "It can be heard from a mile away!"
"No doubt. That thing has bits of the souls Big Mom extracts from the citizens she looks after. This is just one of her so called Homies." Jexi said.
"Looks after?" David asked.
"She rules a large group of islands called Totland. All races live there. There's a tax of one month of your lifespan in exchange for staying. Those bits of the citizens souls make their way into objects and animals, bringing them sentience, thanks to the powers of her Soul Soul Fruit." Jexi said.
"It's more like subjugation if you ask me." David said. "To enforce something like that, she would have to be a sick sadist!"
"That would be an understatement." Sectonia said.
"Although, if you want to keep your soul, you better pray she didn't hear you say that." Scott said.
"Like I said, she's not onboard, but these are still some of her combatants, so caution is necessary." Jexi said.
"Hmmm." Link said looking through the scope on the Sheikah Slate. "I see the one you call Sanji. He's in the cabin with a few of those pirates."
"Most likely guards to make sure no one unauthorized goes near, or so he doesn't get out." David said. "It's mostly one or the the other."
"Enough talk!" Natsu said jumping onboard.
"Hey! Waste that kid!" one of the pirates said as they pulled out machine guns and began firing.
"Screw this… Time for a shootout!" David said as he gets on board as well.
"Another one?" one of them said.
"They must be after the groom. Kill em!" the other said as they fired at David.
"Guys! Get Sanji out of there! I'll deal with these trigger-happy scumbags!" David declared.
"You heard the man! Let's move!" Sheena said.
Inside the cabin was Sanji as he was listening to the shoot out. "Damn, what are they doing here?" Sanji said. "I told them it would be fine."
"What the hell are you talking about? They're coming to save you and maybe me." said a familiar gaseous scientist. It was Caesar Clown.
"Me maybe but not you. But I can't be saved right now. Not with what's at stake." Sanji said.
Hope kicked down and wrecked the doors to the cabin.
"We're here for ya!" Hope said.
"Oh I knew you would…" Caesar said.
"Not you." Hope said.
"Damn it." Caesar said.
"Sanji!" Hope said. "We're here for ya man."
"I left a note and everything. I didn't want to be rescued." Sanji said.
"Tell that to Jexi and Luffy." Sectonia said. "They obviously care about you."
"Look, I appreciate you coming all this way, but I'm not going anyway. In case you don't know, I'm being married off." Sanji said.
"To who? Big Mom? Shes uglier than a.." Hope began.
"Not her. One of her daughters, Pudding." Sanji said showing a picture of a cute girl with long brown hair.
"She looks beautiful." Colette said.
"Hold on a second, Colette." Zelos said. "Don't you find something odd about this whole thing?"
"Look. I don't gotta choice. The only thing I hate about all of this is seeing that garbage family again." Sanji said.
"Sanji, she's not really giving you to her. She's just using you for her personal gain." Scott said.
"I wasn't talking about Big Mom." Sanji said.
"He's talking...about the Vinsmokes." a voice said as behind was a portly man with a muzzle with a cigar and a gun pointed at them.
"Capone." Jexi said.
"Vinsmokes?" Hope asked.
"Yeah. The wedding is for the Tea Party coming up on Whole Cake Island. The groom is the 35th daughter of the Charlotte Family, Charlotte Pudding and the 3rd son of the Vinsmoke Family, Vinsmoke Sanji." Capone said.
"Vinsmoke, that sounds like a Yakuza or Mafia name…" Hope said. "Sanji… you're Mafia Blood like me?!"
"They're mercenaries and also considered a Royal Family. Their science exceeds a lot on their homeworld." Jexi said.
"So Sanji's originally from the New World…"
"They're from the North Blue. It bothered me for a while, but the East and North are separated by the red line that holds Mariejois. I wondered how you got across, now I know." Jexi said.
"Yeah. I ran away from that rotten family." Sanji said.
"And now...its time for you to pay the piper. After all, you want to keep those you hold dear safe right? Like that sea restaurant." Capone said.
"You black mailed him?!" Hope said.
"If he refused, he would receive a present...holding the head of someone he knows. Could be someone from Baratie, from his crew, maybe even from another place." Capone said. "Big Mom's rule."
"Sanji… I understand why you gotta go through with this, but theres gotta be another way." Hope said. "Wait, why are you guys out of your own world anyway?"
"Big Mom wants some exotic sweets perfect for the Tea Party. So we're travelling the worlds for a bit. Now...get off...before I shoot you off." Capone said cocking the gun.
Hope moved fast and swiped the revolver away. "Gonna take more than a pistol to scare me!"
"Hope, no! Don't get near him!" Sanji shouted.
"You shouldn't have done that kid." Capone said as doors opened on his body as cannons open fired on Hope, sending him down to the ground.
"Urgh... " Hope said.
"Got a lot of resilience kid. But now ya know the difference in Military between the two of us." Capone said reclaiming his gun.
"That's a shame, Capone. If you kill Hope, then I guess I reveal your real plan." Jexi said.
"So...you figured me out?" Capone said.
"I know your history. One of the five mafia bosses of the West Blue. You killed the heads of the other four to enjoy their power struggle. You wouldn't give in to Big Mom without a fight. I know what you want. You're planning to assassinate Big Mom." Jexi said.
"You dirty….You're a smart kid. But you know I can't have any of ya leaking that info. So...we'll talk it out." Capone said.
"I don't think so. Freeze Lancer!" David said before his attack was blasted apart.
"Sure. We can discuss things." Jexi said. "I know Sanji is a key part of this upcoming Tea Party, but...considering the difference of time between his world and many others, it would be a long while before then. So...give him back to us for a little while. You can even say he got lost during a storm."
"Fine. Deal. But keep this in mind. I will be coming back for him after gathering Big Mom's list of sweets." Capone said.
"Looking forward to it." David said. "Don't keep us waiting."
"And when that time comes, we'll hand him over without a fight." Jexi said.
"Heh. Those two could learn a thing from you. Now, get outta my sight." Capone said as the group was leaving with Sanji.
"Whew… That was a trip to hell and a half." David said. "But at least we managed a successful rescue."
"Not really a rescue. More like...a negotiation." Jexi said.
"I know you said that you'd give him up willingly, but I'd imagine you wouldn't do that without a plan." David said.
"No plan. Just faith. Faith that when the time comes for him to go to that wedding, he and the Strawhats can turn their luck around." Jexi said.
"I suppose that's all we can rely on now." David said.
"But Zelos and Scott were right about one thing." Sectonia said. "The whole thing seemed really shady. I would know, royalty and all. You guys weren't the only ones vying for my head."
"I guess even royalty have their problems." Mahiru said.
"Yeah. Something does seem off about this whole wedding. But, we can't really know what it is." Jexi said.
"I'm sorry Sanji. But hey, least you'll still go with it, right?" Hope said.
"Yeah. And Jexi...nice work with the excuse." Sanji said.
"The excuse?" Hope asked.
"If we just took him, someone he knew would die. But, by saying he was lost at sea, then that can't warrant a killing since its something beyond their control." Jexi said.
"But how are they going to get back?" Colette asked. "I mean, aren't all ships in this world disabled until Calamity Ganon is defeated?"
"Technological ships maybe. But it appears normal wooden or living ships can pass through unharmed by the effects." Tails said.
"And when we give Sanji back to them… will we just tell Big Momma they picked him up?"
"We won't say a thing. This is something that has to happen eventually. Just...not right now." Jexi said.
David was deep in thought about what Cretaceous said.
"Dave? You alright?" Scott asked. "You've been uneasy ever since Damien whisked you away."
"It's nothing, Scott." David said. "Just...got a few things to wrap my head around."
"So, where to next?" Applejack asked.
"If we go by land and keep heading west, we'll hit the Gerudo Desert where Gerudo Town is located." Link said.
"Hold on... " Lloyd thought. "Hope, didn't Creeper say that your sister is in the Gerudo territory?"
"Either way, it looks like we're off to reawaken the next Divine Beast." David said.
"Wait, what sort of freaky creatures are the Gerudo?" Scott asked.
"They're a race of warrior women. In fact, I think they are only women." Tails said.
"Not quite. There was Ganondorf, who was the only known male." David said.
"Yeah, but that was thousands of years ago here. It's only women now." Tails said.
David looks to the perverts of the unified group. "I trust that you will all behave yourselves?"
"Sure." they said.
"In that case, let's set out!" Sectonia said.
"Oh… and Sanji. "David said. "I know you'll feel uncomfortable working with Sectonia after everything that happened, but…"
"What the hell you talking about? I'm fine with the bug." Sanji said.
"Oh, right… Almost forgot that you'd work with pretty much any woman." David said. "But it's good to know that the tension's getting a bit lighter."
"Still, what was it that you found out when Damien took you to Cretaceous Flux?" Genis asked.
"Well…" David was in thought about it. "How do I explain this?"
"Don't worry about it too much." Lloyd said. "You can tell us on the way."
David smiled. "Thanks, Lloyd."