The inside of Pudding's chambers was filled mostly with servants, but there were a handful of guards as well. Sanji looked around for the rest of his siblings when he felt the unpleasant sensation of being scalded by water that was just a little too hot.
"Sanji!" It was his brother Niji trying unsuccessfully to embrace him. Sanji looked over to Zoro, who gave him a look of understanding.
"You're freezing," complained Niji, backing off.
Sanji held back any quick retorts, for his brother must have missed him grievously. Niji was not one to often show physical affection. "I'm sorry. I can't really help it."
"It's okay," replied Yonji, putting an arm over Niji's shoulder. "We're just glad you're back."
"Me as well, but where are Ichiji and Reiju? Or Pudding for that matter?" Sanji asked.
One of the braver maids stepped forward and curtsied, "Her ladyship is on the balcony, communing with the evening vapors - "
She was interrupted by a loud snort from Zoro, whom Sanji noticed was given a wide berth by everyone in the chambers.
Sanji gave the young maid a short bow in return. "Never mind him. He's more fearless than civilized. You've been most helpful. Thank you so very much."
"If you think that was an insult, Curly Prince - " Zoro started grumbling.
"Boys," intervened Brook. "Perhaps we should ask the young lady to bring in Pudding and find out about Ichiji and Reiju?"
Sanji and Zoro exchanged looks, both feeling abashed by Brook's gentle admonishment. The maid had already left for the balcony, while Yonji and Niji made faces of utter dejection.
"Please, I need to know. Has he hurt them?" asked Sanji.
Yonji looked at Niji before answering. "We have a guard loyal to us keeping surveillance on the other side. Judge is holding Ichiji and Reiju hostage, they're unhappy, but mostly unharmed."
"So far," added Niji, turning his eyes from Sanji.
Before Sanji could respond to the hurt he saw in his brother's face, there was a commotion by the glass-fronted doors leading to the balcony. Several of the guards and servants in attendance either dropped their heads in deference or got down to one knee as the doors opened, causing the lighter, inner curtains to blow into the room.
And so Pudding walked in, with two white muslin fabric arms flanking either side of her, billowing in the momentary breeze.
Whether or not the effect was intentional, Sanji could not say. He was more taken aback by her appearance.
For he had known that the drugs under her bed had been switched out, but now he knew for certain they had been designed to age her. Before him was clearly a girl, no longer someone on the very cusp of womanhood.
As a matter of fact, Pudding did not look her true age of fourteen and instead she looked at most eleven, perhaps closer to ten.
"What do you think happened?" Sanji whispered to Brook.
"A counter effect, I imagine, from overusing the growth hormones," answered Brook, just as quietly.
Pudding strode forward, lifting her chin up in the air. "I see before me with my third eye the demon child, along with new companions, the fox prince and singing stork. Tell me, blighted one, what did you have to gain by cursing me with backward aging?"
Sanji half turned, as if he might see a fluffy tail behind himself.
Zoro smiled, and Sanji saw precisely what the ghost boy was trying to do by making his face look as twisted and scary as possible, highlighting his missing eye and all his glowing teeth.
It was quite rude.
"If you don't mind your manners maybe I'll turn you into a helpless little baby and toss you over the wall," growled Zoro, causing gasps and curses all around.
The round of disapproval didn't bother him in the least, for he pushed on, walking right up to Pudding staring at her eye to eye. "Or, perhaps, I'll just eat your soul. It's very painful, like being stung by a hundred bees in your mouth."
Slapping a hand over his mouth, Sanji smothered a laugh, knowing it wasn't good manners to find amusement in the fear of others. However, he knew his friend well enough to know Zoro would sooner cut off both his arms than harm a little infant.
And that ghosts had some frightening abilities but removing souls was not one of them.
He was ready to intervene before Zoro decided to create more improbable nightmare fantasies when Yonji decided to play peacemaker.
"Pudding is working with us now. It's like Niji said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Father is blaming her for what is happening even though - " and here Yonji swallowed hard. "Even though we all know he is the only one responsible for Sanji's death and the ghosts' revenge. He says that ghosts are drawn to her third eye, that it is a magnet for evil."
Zoro made a scoffing noise, but Yonji continued. "Father even said that Pudding's mother sent her here because she was a threat to their kingdom and was instead to be used as an ambush attack upon our castle."
Pudding's chin was no longer jutted up. It was now pressed towards her chest and Sanji watched as her cheeks colored, making him wonder if there was a kernel of truth to what his father had said about Pudding's mother.
That perhaps the girl's mother saw her as something of an aberration, a tool to use and not a child to cherish and love that way his own mother did.
"Reiju was there when father accused Pudding and he expected our sister to take his side," Niji added. "But Reiju said if father wanted to find someone to blame for angry ghosts, he should look in the mirror. She told him she knew about Ernst and Sabine and how they died. I wish you could've seen it, Sanji! His mouth went open like - " and Niji demonstrated, opening his mouth in a wide circle. "and he didn't speak at all."
"Yes, but then he recovered himself and tried to hit Reiju," continued Yonji. "And Ichiji took the hit for her."
"He was very brave," Pudding said quietly. And Sanji thought she sounded a bit sad as well. "It knocked him out. Your father's guards made to grab all of us, but then the rats came."
"The ghost rats," clarified Niji. "Father was so angry, but many of the guards were too scared to listen. The three of us got away, but Reiju was too close to father."
"You are at an impasse then," declared Brook. "Judge Vinsmoke has hostages and guards. A couple of ghosts have been terrorizing the castle at night. Pudding and two of his sons are allied together against him."
Now it occurred to Sanji that there was one person who might know how to properly navigate this twisty turn of events, someone who was waiting for them downstairs and who had trusted him with an important task.
"Your ladyship, I was given a message to pass along to you. A queen of the past requests an audience with a queen of the future."
Sanji's words had the effect of making Pudding stand up straighter and lift her head higher. "Which queen could you possibly be referring to?"
"The queen who's going to freeze Judge, bit by bit, starting with his eyeballs so he won't be able to see what's coming next," answered Zoro. "And I'm going to help her, that's the queen he's referring to."
"Not your mother then?" Pudding asked Sanji. "I suppose I should go meet her. After all, it is the obligation of nobility to be gracious and accept invitations as we're able."
Pudding's declaration raised some worry among those in the room, but she just shook her head. "Queen Sabine has no quarrel with me. And it seems we share a common goal. You may lead me to her, Sanji."
"Are you two coming?" asked Zoro of Yonji and Niji.
"Of course," answered Niji, already heading for the door.
And so they left.
Three living beings, none of whom looked older than eleven, followed by a fancy dressed ghost and two ghost boys, ready to plan war strategy with a dead queen downstairs.
Sanji grabbed Zoro's hand to pull him aside for just a moment. "Did you mean to create ghost rats?"
Zoro shrugged and asked, "Why? Are you jealous, fox prince?"
"No!" Sanji pulled his hand back and hurried ahead to catch up with the others while Zoro laughed behind him.