A/N: So I was going through my tumblr and AO3 and realized that I hadn't crossposted this fic anywhere, which is very unusual for me since I usually do the tumblr/FFN/AO3 trifecta these days. This means I'm going to post a chapter a day here until it's done so I can get it at least up on two sites (AO3 being the one it's on already). All I'm doing is copypasting from AO3, so if you see anything silly in here that my eyes just sort of glazed over, just let me know!
That being said, I would have super-loved this ship had it been a thing when I was in high school, but alas I am an adult and want more humane SanPu so here we are. The biggest parts of this thing that are AU-related the doesn't happen in-story is that Wano isn't a thing, the Charlottes' plan didn't involve killing the Vinsmokes (only subterfuge in order for the tech to keep coming), and Sanji and Zoro already have a relationship going on at the beginning.
Love, Loss, and Finding One's Self on the High Seas
One
When he met his bride on the platform, he did not realize how doomed he was.
After spending over a decade on the run, the Germa Kingdom's third-born prince had been found—wallowing in a band of pirates, thieves, liars, and murders, according to the papers—and it was just in time. The state funeral from years prior was redacted, with a public announcement claiming that the Germae King sent a son off to be educated at fine institutions free from his past so as to see the true world. What lies, the third son knew, as he had actively run away as a child and apparently only been left alone long enough for his betrothed to come of-age so they could bond the two nations together, should it still be deemed worthwhile. The Tottonese princess was gorgeous as he lifted the veil and gazed into her eyes for the first time, her beauty only undercut by her young age. They exchanged vows, kissed awkwardly, and the wedding feast began, food and drink flowing well into the night.
Except, as the bride later stepped behind her changing screen to prepare for her new husband, he had an entirely different idea to execute. He grabbed a bag that had been hidden underneath the bed in the wedding suite by an empathetic servant and began to throw clothes and papers in. By the time his bride emerged from her screen, ready to begin seducing him into a false sense of security, he was in the middle of securing a length of rope to the heavy bed, testing its sturdiness.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she snapped. "You can't leave! It's our wedding night!"
"It's why I packed for you, my dear," he said, placing the bag in her hands. She only had a moment to look at it, then her husband, before he hefted her onto his shoulder and jumped out the window, using the rope to rappel down the facade of the castle. A nondescript carriage was waiting for them and the moment he closed the door, the long-nosed driver snapped the reins and a reindeer carried them away.
"What is going on here?!" she hissed. She then noticed a green-haired swordsman and a man donning a straw hat sitting with them, recognizing them instantly. "You are from that crew…"
"Yup! I'm Luffy, and I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" the Straw Hat grinned from his seat next to her. "Welcome to the crew! I didn't exactly think this was how we'd get a new member."
"I'm not joining your crew," the princess said through grit teeth. "I am a government minister… I am a member of the Charlotte Family… I do not leave."
"Then I think it's about time you do, kiddo," the swordsman said. He threw the groom a look that she did not like, a bit too informal and charged for her tastes, before turning back to her. "We'll keep you safe, drop you off after a while, make sure it's after no one's tailing us…"
"I am not a child."
"You're not wrong, but I wouldn't say you are an adult either," her new husband corrected. "Marriage…? Really…? Pudding, in all seriousness, you haven't the place to make such a decision on your own; it's not a good thing to take biscuits out of the oven before they've finished baking."
"Our parents made that decision, not me," she insisted. "If you don't want me, then why did you marry me?"
"How else can we get you away from a bunch of abusive assholes who don't appreciate you?" the swordsman shrugged. "The Tottonese might not necessarily be like that, but they'll understand. Most of the time, good people understand more than we'd think."
She thankfully sat quietly for the remainder of the carriage ride, letting the sound of the road beneath the wheels be what came between them.
The ship was larger than she expected for something that was hidden in a cove. It was a grand galleon, with impressive rigging and a deceptive number of rooms. The pirates all worked at getting the ship out to sea before they were discovered, headed towards their next port, while their now-guest Pudding stood on the deck, shivering through her thin clothes as she watched the queendom shrink into the inky distance. She jumped as she felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder—it was Sanji, no longer the Germae prince but a simple ship's cook.
"Let me show you where you can stay," he offered. She nodded and allowed him to take the bag from her hands, it having been in her grasp since the moment they left the castle. He led her below deck to a private room, with modest furnishings and a porthole to watch the sky from. "It's not much, and it's between storage rooms, but it's all yours… unless you wish to move to the ladies' quarters."
"Where do you stay?" she wondered.
"In the men's bunks, mostly."
"What are the other times?"
"None of your concern, my dear." He kissed the back of her hand chastely, as though attempting to apologize for everything that had happened the past few hours. "You will be safe here."
"I was safe before."
Sanji simply stared at her, his eyes incredibly sad and far-reaching, as though there were many things he wanted to tell her and yet could not for whatever reason. He let go of her hand and left, heading back up the stairs to leave her alone.
'The plan is not entirely lost,' she thought as she entered the small cabin and set her bag down on the bed. 'I simply need to alter it. Big Mom will be proud of me after all. We will have access to the Germa 66 technology… it's just going to take a bit more time...'
She opened her bag and began to unpack; it was only a matter of time now.
In the general scheme of things, it did not take the princess long to catch her husband in a compromising position. It was after they had been at sea for a couple days as a lazy, nearly windless rain parked over them. She had baked a cake out of boredom, with the captain declaring it the best thing he had ever tasted. Once that was done and she had cleaned up after herself, she had gone wandering throughout the ship, seeing where exactly it was all the extra ingredients for the more complicated dishes were located. There was a recipe she had wanted to try and not everything was in the pantry. It called for peach-flavored liqueur, for one, and to see what sort of cooking alcohol was within reach was vitally important.
Except there, when she opened the door to a storage room, she was met by a sight that was definitely not liqueur, nor any other sort of alcohol entirely. Instead it was Sanji and Zoro of all people, violently and vigorously kissing, the former with his hand down the latter's trousers while hands pulled at his blond hair. She gasped in surprise at the sight, more confused than anything. The two men nearly bit one another as they quickly separated.
"Shit!" Zoro hissed. He looked at Pudding, then Sanji, and scoffed. "To what do we owe this visit?"
"You routinely swoon at your female crew members, and yet this is what I find you doing?" Pudding completely ignored Zoro, instead directing her irritation at Sanji. "Is he why we ran away from the wedding bed? Is this why you ogle the other women? To hide the fact you have a 'Germae maid'?" Zoro opened his mouth to protest, considered the risks for a moment, then thought better of it.
"I'm not like those bastards," Sanji frowned. "Men are with men in Germa 66 due to the fact that they have little choice if they want to get a leg up thanks to being mostly clones—I actually have a say in the matter, and am not ashamed of it."
"...then why are you two hiding in a closet like you're ducking around an assassin?"
"It's a courtesy thing—I'd expect the same of Usopp if we somehow ran into his girlfriend and she traveled with us for a bit," Zoro shrugged. "She's nice, but I think we need to see them necking as much as they'd want us to watch… which is not at all."
"Besides, I'm hiding nothing with how I act," Sanji added. "I simply dote on the ladies because they are wonderful creatures who have graced us with their presence. Guys are a different sort of want." He raised a curly brow at her as she simply stared at them. "What…? Haven't you come across someone who doesn't make themselves choose if they pursue men or women? Someone who simply likes who they like…?"
"I… um… no…?" Pudding realized.
"Think about it," Zoro told the cook, "that weirdo was doing nothing but marrying men and having kids for fifty years—it wouldn't surprise me if she had weird laws on the books."
"...probably the only woman I'm willing to kick in the teeth," Sanji spat. He looked at his wife, though she was in name-only, and attempted to gently shoo her out. "Please, let us finish; we don't have lots of time in private and have to use these moments sparingly."
"Don't worry… you'll have a chance to get your hands on him eventually," Zoro chuckled. "How many fucking times have we broken up, you shitty chef?"
"I lost count while I was in Kamabakka—still don't know how I survived that shit."
"Eh… you know I'd still fuck yeh if you came back as Sanju," the swordsman teased. He then leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss behind the cook's jaw, sending a jolt through the other man's system. "Now get lost, kid. What I'm about to do isn't for dainty princess eyes to see."
He went down to his knees and began to unbuckle the Sanji's belt, which sent Pudding immediately out of the storage room. She… decided to look for things to bake with later.
He was a curious nut to crack, the Germae prince.
There was first the matter of the man's infuriating habits; he smoked, he cursed, and he flirted with the women of the ship. The first two could be worked around, she supposed, as there were worse things she had to seduce on orders of her mother. Disguised as flirtations before her coming of age, she was a talent at luring men with a wink and sashay, acting a part until she was able to get what she was after. Secret codes? Schematics? Identities? There was no limit to what she was capable of stealing, and her targets were always disgusting pieces of work that turned into pliable putty in her hands.
The second issue was directly related to the first: his habit of flirting with women, and specifically that Pudding—his nominal wife—was not included in their number. She had long ago grown into her woman's figure, so what was keeping him from doting on her as well?
"It's no offense to you, but I don't want to give you the wrong idea," he explained one day. It was just the two of them in the kitchen, with her elbows-deep in dough and flour, whilst he was filleting sea king meat for the evening's steaks. She had not said anything, yet then again, neither of them had for over twenty minutes as they had worked silently. "I see how upset you get when I flirt with Nami and Robin."
"You flirt with women my age in the towns we've stopped in."
"Confidence-boosters—there is little out there as sad to me as a woman with a lack of certainty in her beauty." He spared her a glance and a smile. "You are gorgeous yourself; you'll make someone a lovely wife one day, if that's what you want."
"What I want is to be your wife, now, like was promised," she frowned. "How do you think I feel, being told my whole life that my husband is already picked out, and now he keeps me at arm's length?"
"...and that's precisely the reason why I do," he shrugged. "Like I've said before: you've not made your mind up yourself—it was made up for you. I'm not going to be with someone who's unwilling."
"...but I am willing!" She slammed her hands into the dough, making large, fist-sized dents.
"That's why I'd say otherwise," he chuckled. "You're still a kid, Pudding-chan. Be a kid for a while longer."
"I'm only a year younger than your ship's doctor…"
"...who is still the baby of the crew, no matter what anyone else tries to do." He gestured with the knife, pointing at her. "You have nothing to live up to here—nothing to hold you back—and you should take advantage of it."
"Nothing but an open marriage to a neglectful husband."
He smirked at that before going back to the sea king meat. "You'd be surprised. Just take your time to figure yourself out and serve me divorce papers when you've got someone lined up."
"How many times do you think you're going to need to say that?"
"At least once more, I imagine."
Sanji went silent again, continuing his work diligently before the meat warmed too much. Pudding watched as he figuratively backed away from the conversation and frowned internally—this was never going to do if she was going to finish her job properly.
It was a small port that they offered to leave her in, but not so small that it would be very long before another ship would come along to bring her passage home. She considered it intensely, though did not think it was the best time to leave. Absolutely none of Germa 66's secrets were in her hands, and to leave then and there would fail the mission and leave years and years of planning for naught.
"I think I want to stay a bit longer," she claimed as everyone prepared to disembark and explore the island. "I've never been outside of Totto Land, and even though there's so many different kinds of people there, I'm curious about what else is out in the Grand Line."
"Really?!" Luffy grinned. "That's great! I was hoping you'd stay with us! You can be the baker and help Sanji out!"
"She's not here just to help me, dumbass," Sanji sighed.
"...but she makes really tasty sweets, Sanji! She even makes chocolate that Zoro likes! And she can help Nami with maps, and Brook says she's pretty good at singing along to his songs, and…"
"You are so annoying," Sanji grumbled. He turned towards Pudding and looked her in the eyes. "Is this what you want? Really?"
"Yeah," she said. "I like this ship, I like the people on it… it's a good place to be."
"Hooray! We're getting more chocolate soon!" Luffy cheered. He looked over towards Chopper and Usopp, stars in his eyes. "Pudding's staying! She can make us more candy!"
"More candy?!" the two gasped. Pudding chuckled at that, outwardly enjoying the excitement, though internally, however…
'This is going to be much easier than I feared,' she thought. 'Just a little bit longer in this place and I can have more than just the Germa 66 technology in my hands, but I can also give Big Mom the Straw Hat on a silver platter. After he took away Fish-Man Island from her territory, she'll love the chance to have his head.'
"I'm glad you're staying, then, Pudding-chan," Sanji smiled. "As long as you need a place to help figure yourself out, then the Thousand Sunny is the place to do it."
"Don't worry, little miss," Franky chuckled. "This is a super crew! We're a great group to hang around!" He clapped a hand on Sanji's shoulder and smirked. "I know she's technically your wife, but I will kill you if you decide she's free game now that she's here to stay."
"Franky, what in the hell do you take me for?" Sanji scowled. Pudding cut him off from further argument by popping onto her toes and landing a peck to his cheek. He went red at the action, having not expected it in the slightest.
"Ugh, pervert," Nami scoffed, rolling her eyes at his reaction as she walked by. He quickly snapped out of his stupor and turned his attention to the other woman.
"Nami-swan, come on!" he protested. "How am I the pervert when," he gestured at the trouser-less Franky, "that exists?!"
The crew then devolved into a mixture of protests, indignation, and satisfaction as those not on watch duty prepared to disembark. Everything was settling into place as Pudding made to go even deeper undercover.
It was all going to be worth it, she told herself that night in the darkness of her cabin.
The first time they were boarded, she locked herself in the pantry. Mostly it had been because she was not in the mood to do any fighting, but there was also the odd shock to it all that she wasn't entirely sure she could handle. The pirates that boarded the ship were there to kill them, to take their treasures as their own, and possibly do a bit of other sorts of pillaging. It was an entirely new feeling, people wanting her defiled and dead, instead of those who fought her only to make her stronger… so she hid in the pantry, keeping out of sight until the door opens deftly, Zoro poking his head in.
"There you are," he scowled sourly. "I thought you were supposed to be a member of the feared Charlotte Family, strong and dangerous and deadly. Weak links have no place on the ship."
"Leave her alone, asshole," Sanji defended, out of sight. Instead the swordsman sat down in front of his newest crewmate, his expression unchanged while settling just inside the pantry's doorframe.
"Listen," he said, "I know nobility does shit different in a lot of ways, and I am grateful you seem to have the shit's better interest at heart by playing along with this, but you're going to need to realize that the only way to properly keep up around here until we find a safe port for you is if you figure out how to fight in a real battle."
"I'm not a child—I know what fighting is."
"Could have fooled me—you're not that good at acting." Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at him, unsure of what he was truly saying. "I think that, if you are serious about being here, we should have you fight some sea kings or something as practice—something that definitely wants you dead, but also something that none of the rest of us will feel bad about killing in the end if that's what it comes to."
"Are you saying that you… want… to train me…?"
"My paramour is your husband—as fucking bizarre as that is—I want to make sure that someone is always going to have his back when I can't be there."
"…and what sort of situations do you think those might be?" Sanji growled. He appeared in the doorway and placed his foot atop the swordsman's shoulder, leaning down with some force. "It's not like I plan on doing anything drastic while I'm with you."
"There might be a chance we need the two of you to play nice for us as a fake-out," Zoro shrugged casually. "Worse could happen."
"I hate it when you're right," Sanji groaned before shuffling off. He was halfway through the kitchen when he began to snipe over his shoulder, "If you harm one hair on her head, you're sleeping with Luffy for a month."
"That is beyond cruel," he replied, leaning backwards to the point he laid down still crosslegged. "I'm hurt you'd even think bunking with him would be enjoyable, even if all the 'enjoyment' happens to be sleeping. Because I won't. Because it's bunking with Luffy. Can't even say I'm fucking exhausted because I'm cheating on you with him because he has all the sexual energy of a transponder snail. Because it's Luffy."
"Do you… erm… frequently share bunks with the others…?" Pudding questioned. Zoro scoffed.
"Not unless we have to, like the hammocks broke or there's not enough beds to go around or Chopper has a bad dream." He craned his neck so he could look at her. "You try telling your kid brother no when he's sobbing in the middle of the night."
"…the reindeer is your brother…?"
"Close enough, anyhow." He then stood and held out his hand. "I guess you're now my kid sister, in a fucked up and weird way. Let's get you fighting some sea kings. Usopp might have a normal gun you can borrow…" She placed her hand in his and allowed him to effortlessly pull her to her feet, then guide her out onto the deck. "You do know how to shoot a gun, yeah?"
"My siblings trained me in marksmanship when I was little..."
"Then let's go catch dinner—Nami! Sea witch! Help us get near some monsters!"
"It's going to cost you," Nami replied sweetly. She noticed Pudding just behind his elbow and raised a brow. "Did you put him up to this? We aren't a pleasure cruise."
"Nah—I'm just making sure she knows how to fight," Zoro scoffed. He then noticed Usopp as he attempted to sneak past. "Usopp! Got a rifle we can borrow?"
Thus, the remainder of the afternoon was spent with the Straw Hats cheering on their newest member as she made to catch their dinner. A long lecture about hunter versus hunted accompanied it, and when the young woman finally brought down a sea king, she went out to help dress it and take what they could. She marveled at how much of the creature they used and for what purposes, and although it was beyond anything she had ever imagined herself doing, at the same time… she rather enjoyed herself. Pudding beamed with pride as the Luffy complimented the steaks that night, knowing they were the ones she had just procured.
Homies forbid… she was actually enjoying herself.
Months went by.
In all seriousness, the princess wished that she could write to her mother and give an update on the progress that had been made, of all the twists and turns the plan was forced to make in the time that she had been away. Her birthday was nearly there and she was eager to give this gift instead of receiving something. She knew, however, that the written word was dangerous, and didn't want things to become intercepted between the Thousand Sunny and Whole Cake Island. There were codes she could have used, obviously, but she wanted to keep the use of such things on the rare side.
Yet, there was nothing in the papers about Charlotte Linlin and the Big Mom Pirates that would have suggested that she was in need of the Germae technology on a desperate level, so the princess kept to herself as she observed the Straw Hat crew instead, hoping to find their true weakness before it was time to strike. It was difficult to do, as every time she seemed to find the exposed nerve—the thing that would bring the entire crew down to its knees—something else covered it. This was a group forged by fire and friendship, and there was little that was going to get in the way of that.
All it meant, however, was that she was going to need to get creative.
It was a very hot day, as the Thousand Sunny was quickly approaching a pathetic, uninhabited spit of a summer isle in the middle of their hottest time of the year. The crew was mostly keeping out of the sun and attempting to escape the humidity, with many staying below deck and hoping that relief was soon to come.
"If I get close enough to the island without landing, I might be able to get a strong enough hold of the magnetic pull to reset while still at sea," Nami scowled. She was taking refuge in the bar, along with Robin and Pudding. The women sat together with cool drinks brought by the cook and whatever books and maps and other reading they needed to catch up on.
"It's worth a try," Pudding grumbled. She was ready to murder something, though at the same time, she was glad for the fact Sanji volunteered to bake all the bread that was necessary for the cold sandwiches they had been having as of late. A piece of paper near Robin caught her eye and she furrowed her brow. "What's that?"
"Oh, these? They're Poneglyphs, or at least pictures of them," Robin said. "The ability to read them is rare these days, but they're supposed to tell about the Void Century, as well as how to get to the final island in the Grand Line."
"You don't believe that, do you?" Pudding chuckled. She played the act her mother always taught her, to take away any suspicion that she might be innately able to access such information. "Big Mom always said it was just a really good navigator and the captain's sheer luck that got the Roger Pirates to Laugh Tale."
"We have a really good navigator and a captain with plenty of luck also," Robin pointed out, "and yet these are a crucial part of the entire plot." She saw the way Pudding narrowed her brow and held out a paper. "This is what you need to look for while we're on our excursions; anything looks like this, and I need you to snap a picture or come get me. Preferably both."
Pudding took the paper and looked at what was written on the stone in the photo. It felt old and ominous, despite the fact it was a photo, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
This was what toppled civilizations, created despots, and enabled piracy for generations.
"I don't know what else your mother allowed you to know, but my entire island died for this knowledge," Robin said. "There are very few people who can read it now that the Oharan scholars are nearly wiped out."
"I thought you were the only one who could, Robin," Nami said. She gingerly placed her newly-finished map on the floor, waiting for it to dry in the damp air.
"Some can 'hear' the Poneglyphs, which I've yet to decipher as a form or Haki or a rare presentation of synesthesia or something else entirely," Robin said. "No matter what, I can read it and Luffy seems able to 'hear' it as Roger could. The only other people alive who theoretically might be able to are the Three-Eye Tribe, if there's any left."
"...one of Big Mom's husbands was a member of the Three-Eye Tribe," Pudding said quietly. She turned the page in her book and simply avoided eye contact—this conversation was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
"I know she's your mother, but I think you've been able to figure out that the husbands she took were mostly chosen for political and genetic reasons," Robin said. She patted Pudding's shoulder gently, an assurance that she was not the one being judged. "I'm sure the sibling of yours who carries the Three-Eye Tribe in their veins is safe—they haven't been heard of in fifteen years, and the ability is not often found in even those of full heritage."
"I haven't heard much, but that's about what I have gathered," Pudding replied, hoping that her facade was still in place. "It's a weird thing to think about, being able to 'hear' what can't talk, yeah?"
"Considering it's Luffy who can do it, somehow it doesn't surprise me anymore," Nami scoffed. "In a family like yours, I'm sure your sibling can take care of themselves, even if it is a dangerous thing."
"Yeah," Pudding nodded before turning back to her book for good. She pretended to read as thoughts raced through her mind—thoughts about her mother, about the father she never met, and why she was even there on the Thousand Sunny…
No, she had to concentrate on the mission. Complete it, and she could go back to Totto Land with her head held high and her family's open arms waiting her.
"How often do you visit home?"
It was a simple enough question, asked during dinner one night as everyone was gathered around the table, the air one of relaxation and fun as they discussed where to go next. Almost all eyes thusly turned on Pudding, which made her feel exposed for a moment.
"Some of us don't have homes to go to," Robin explained gently, "and those of us who do mostly haven't been there in years. That's part of being a pirate, after all."
"So you don't, just, go back?" Pudding wondered. "No stops in Drum or Germa or Fish-Man Island?"
"We might return to Fish-Man Island soon because it is now Luffy's territory," Jinbe explained, "but at the same time, we're not obliged to because of me."
"Oooh! That sounds nice!" Luffy noted. "I wanna see how Hoshi's doing! Hopefully she's not as big a crybaby as before."
"We'll see," Nami frowned. She then turned her attention back to Pudding. "Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious…"
"More homesick than you thought you'd be?" She nodded. "It gets easier as time goes on… though I'm pretty sure some of us would cause a stink just by showing up."
"Easy for you to say, Nami," Usopp replied flatly. "I don't even know if more than five people would want to see me ever again."
"Tch, I know," Sanji added. "I don't know what'd be worse: showing up at Germa Kingdom or showing up at the Baratie." He noticed that Pudding was giving him a quizzical look and he chuckled. "Oh, yeah, Germa Kingdom was where I was born, but I ran away when I was eight. I was raised and grew up on a seafaring restaurant in the East Blue—the Baratie."
"We all learned that Curlybrow here even had family left other than the cooks when he was summoned to marry you," Zoro scoffed. "Now that was a fucking surprise if there was any."
"If I could have dragged my sister with me, I would have, but otherwise none of those Germa bastards deserve the time of day from us, let alone something as satisfying to them as a visit." Sanji caught the confused look on Pudding's face and shrugged. "Sometimes, family isn't what you'd expect, whether it be your own or someone else's. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."
Except, she honestly did. How long of a game was this thing going to take? Would she need to pull rank the next time they were anywhere near Germa 66's territory? Surely no one would be able to say no to a Germae princess via marriage… a rather public and well-covered marriage at that. Even if she had to stow away, she would, because it was all part of the mission, even if it hadn't been apparent until now.
The visit to Fish-Man Island was supposed to generally a relaxing one. Taking their time, the Straw Hat Pirates wandered about and made their presence known, providing a clear image that their leader was not neglecting his promise to make their nation his territory and therefore safe from their prior piratical patron. As they did, one of their number crept out of sight so that she might visit with one of her numerous siblings: a gigantic mermaid with the grin of a shark.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing here?!" Charlotte Praline panicked. "We are supposed to be lying low!"
"What do you mean…?" the visitor scoffed. "Why would anyone mess with us?"
"We defected from Big Mom's service—that makes us wanted women." Praline gently shooed away a child who came floating in, rubbing a midday nap from his eyes, before turning back towards her visitor. "The only reason I've not been attacked yet is because we've made it look like we haven't left Fish-Man Island in well over two years. All the months you've been sailing the seas since escaping, I've been in hiding. Laying low. Biding our time. Settling down. We took in Aladine's nephew. Our sisters had the right idea."
"Which ones…?"
"Lola and Chiffon, who else?" Praline shrugged nonchalantly. "We might not have done much pirating in the meantime, and still we live under the rule of someone, but we are much freer here than I've been in all of Totto Land." She considered her younger sibling and shook her head. "Go back to your husband and enjoy yourself—you don't have to be a slave to Big Mom anymore."
"That would be all well and good if it meant that my husband wanted me."
"Vinsmoke? Specifically the Vinsmoke that hogged all the emotional capacity that his brothers were supposed to share and therefore flirts with more women than probably should be legal? That's almost a relief."
"I'm already seventeen—he acts like I'm still a child."
"You still are in some cultures."
"Not in Totto Land, and not according to Big Mom. You sound like him."
"Well, we've already established that you're no longer welcome in Totto Land, nor Big Mom's presence, so you might as well face the facts," the mermaid scoffed. "You were engaged the moment you were born; he probably still thinks of you as that baby, in a way."
"I'm a woman—I have tits now."
"Having tits does not a woman make," Praline chided. "He looked deep within you and saw that you're not ready for such a thing as marriage. If anything, I'd be madly in love with him if I were you."
"Now why's that? He's just an end to a means."
"He is so concerned about your welfare that he doesn't even make an attempt to touch you, or use you, or anything. Your marriage protects you… not everyone married to a pirate can say that." She flashed her pointed teeth and chuckled. "Shashasha… maybe he just knew better women in Kamabakka."
"What the hell do you mean by that?!"
"What I mean is that you still have plenty to learn, kid sister. Maybe one day you'll be able to use that extra eye of yours and actually see what's in front of you." She leaned down and brushed Pudding's bangs from her face, revealing the extra eye of her father's people. "Did you show him this?"
"No—I'm not stupid."
"He deserves to know." There was a pause and Praline's hand was swatted away. "I have to admit, it's a bit freaky, but then again… I'm also half a fish." Another pause and the elder sister shrugged. "Just don't believe all the shit that Big Mom trained you to do and say. You have a lot to learn, as well as unlearn, and I think the crew you're tagging along with will help with that."
"Then… you won't say anything about my being here?"
"No… the only thing I want is for you to be able to use that Devil Fruit power of yours on yourself and just make a clean break." The mermaid watched her sister as she contemplated that. "When was the last time you used your powers?"
"I was on Whole Cake Island."
"Then leave it that way as long as possible, kid. Only use it when absolutely necessary… don't be a fool like Big Mom."
Pudding frowned at that, unsure of how to counter it. As she did, the small child came back into the room, now fully awake and eager for playtime. He did not care about anything such as his aunt having a guest or that the particular guest in question seemed rather human instead of a mermaid or Fish-Woman. The mermaid sent her visitor on her way, extending an offer to visit on some future occasion when the area's old boss was less angry and more tolerant of old members of her crew convening.
There were now more questions than answers, and getting to the bottom of it was absolutely imperative.
That night, as she laid on her back, all three eyes staring at the ceiling of the gently rocking galleon, Pudding considered her options. The knowledge she had gained from her sister was… enlightening, to say the least. It made her mind race, not stopping for a moment.
Was the plan still on?
Did she still need to steal Germa 66's secrets?
Had she simply missed a correspondence somehow?
What was going to be the most appropriate course of action?
How were they going to save the mission?
The thought of her mother potentially cutting ties with her made Pudding's stomach lurch. She decided to write home, carefully formulating her words in code, hoping that there would be some sort of directive that could be commanded from such a distance. There was no way that it was all for nothing, all the years of training and preparing and bracing herself to do everything that she was not even able to do. She sat up, grabbed paper off her desk, and began to write…