Chapter 27

POV Sanji

Sometimes I wonder if I really am trash. I left behind my friends…my crew…to marry this girl for a family I no longer cared about. In all honesty I could have faced off Judge myself and made sure to cut myself off from Germa once again and make sure of it this time but they had to have old man Zeff as a hostage. If there were 2 things the old man raised me to be…it was never striking a woman and never betraying family. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t find it in myself to turn my back on the old man and spit on the wedding like I should have.

Now here I am, in my room, waiting for the Wedding date to come for who knows what. In another guilty part of me, I truly like Pudding. Charlotte Pudding, my bride and wife to be, and daughter of none other than Big Mom also happens to be my dream girl. She is beautiful, young, uhhh…and she doesn’t hit me like Nami always does (although she is just as charismatic in a different way). Most of all, it seems like she appreciates my passion as both a pirate and a cook. But it is also because that I did nothing to deserve her that I feel like trash for leaving behind my crew.

My declaration to Luffy and his declaration to me when I kicked the crap out of him…I knew he wasn’t the type to go back on his word. I tried to convince myself that he’ll find a new cook for his crew and continue on without me but…deep inside I knew him better than anyone. He would really still be there, fighting right in front of the Chateau to exhaustion without eating anything until I made him something.

Lying back on the bed prepared for me, I came to a decision.

I would follow. Follow whatever comes to happen. If the Wedding is uninterrupted and happens then I will do my part as the Fiance and Prince of Germa. If things happen before or after to get me out…I will follow them out.

POV Law

I don’t understand how Bepo even got himself kidnapped by the Big Mom Pirates. All I knew was that Bepo was called back to the Minks’ Tribe on an emergency and headed back to Zou before any of us. By the time the rest of my crew arrived on Zou and soon myself (after the incident with Doflamingo), I was informed that Bepo had been kidnapped by the Big Mom Pirates.

As soon as that chaos silenced down, I decided to stick with the Straw Hat crew to save him. As this is a rescue mission for both of our crews, I decided to send my crew along the Submarine to Wano…only taking Penguin with me.

Arriving in all madness Straw-Hat style I immediately separated myself from their crew in order to avoid the rest of the mess. I had come to learn that sticking with the rubber idiot would involve facing off against the worst scenarios and many many near death experiences.

In my opinion, having an enemy of a Warlord (Doflamingo) was already bad enough; I didn’t need an Emperor of the Sea aiming to separate my head from my neck. I was proven correct almost immediately when the Straw Hats (curse them) alerted themselves of their location and began fighting something somewhere. Who or where I do not know but all I knew was that they managed to alert Big Mom and her children. They would be searching throughout the entirety of the island now.

Penguin and I moved silently through the woods carefully avoiding the strange biscuit and chess soldiers that seemed to be patrolling everywhere. From far far away I heard the sounds of explosions and rain - probably Straw Hat bringing all the attention to himself with his stupidity - but I ignored it and continued on. If he is anywhere as strong or lucky as he always was…I was sure he’ll make it out in one piece. He always seemed to find a way after all.

Penguin: Ummm…captain. Are you sure this is the right way? I think we’re seeing the same trees over and over again.

Me: That, Penguin, is because we are seeing the same trees over and over again. But no need to worry because we are getting closer to where we want to be.

Penguin: And where do we want to be?

Me: That giant cake.

Just barely above the tree line I could make out the toppings of a giant chateau that was shaped like a multi-layered wedding cake. The entire island with its singing minions and animate objects that seemed to creepily happy and their food obsessed behavior sickened me. Who was the cook here crazy enough to imbue their foods into literally every part of life? Oh wait…I shouldn’t blame the chef; it’s Big Mom’s fault most likely.

Perhaps it was due to my mind wandering or more likely the whispering trees but our luck came to an end.

?: I was wondering why the homies were acting all strange. It seems like the Straw Hats aren’t the only uninvited visitors on our humble island.

A deep male voice sounded throughout the woods. For a few seconds, heavy footsteps echoed throughout the forest floor before the trees gave way to one of the biggest men I have seen.

Oven: Pleased to meet you Surgeon of Death. You will be the fourth? Fifth? Maybe even the sixth Supernova to face defeat on this island.

The strange red fan hat wearing man got into a boxing stance before his hands began to glow red. As the air around his hands began to wave I realized that getting hit by them…not a good idea.

Oven: We’re a bit busy dealing with Straw Hat and his crew so I recommend you leave right here and right now. Perhaps we’ll be lazy enough to give you a way out.

Me: Not happening. Where is Bepo?

Oven: Who?

Me: Bepo. My first mate and the talking Polar Bear. A member of the Mink Tribe!

Oven: *chuckle* We’ve got many mink tribe bears in our collection child.

His right hand began to turn a fiery blue from the heat and suddenly I was feeling very warm…even from a distance away.

Oven: If he’s not lucky then he should already be a carpet somewhere in the Chateau.

My first mate…my annoying and stubbornly apologizing Polar bear…a carpet?

*snap* I was always one for rational thought and logic. After all, a surgeon must never lose his cool when operating, or in my case fighting. But hearing the words from this mass of muscle saying that my precious Polar Bear and First Mate might be dead… I felt something inside me snap.

I never really showed affection for any of my crew mates but I really did care for each of them. Sure, not everyone is as close to me as others but Bepo was my best friend…my closest friend. The first person to ever trust me with his all and travel with me into the unknown.

My friend. My first mate.

I didn’t bother to yell anything curse. That was for the loud or the annoying types. Instead, I quietly unseated my nodachi as I felt the veins popping out on my forehead. Was this how Doflamingo felt every time he was angry? Strange…it felt so powerful and good at the same time while my thoughts remained crystal clear.…perhaps this was why he was so eager and prone to getting angry…yet keeping his mind clear at the same time.

Me: Room

Oven: It’s no use boy, you think we don’t know of your abilities?

He instantly covered himself in haki completely before I could cut off his body parts and send them thrashing around the sphere. *chet*

Oven: It seems like you’re going to fight. As long as you are fine with this place being your grave, I won’t say much.

I ignored him as I dove into action. Sprinting directly under him and giving an upward slash at his chest. His armament right arm blocked the strike of the blade while I saw his left arm cocking to give a punch.

Relying on my observation I tilted my head as a sizzling fist came inches to my right cheek, leaving it severely burned but manageable. I jumped away from him, ducking once more in the process, and gaining some space between us once again.

Oven: Oh? Heat resistance I see. Most others would have been cooked by the mere heat of being that close to my fists.

Me: Fire is a common element to use in this world. Shame your abilities happen to be mediocre.

While I may have said that, I already knew he was not an easy opponent. Not only was he a heavily experienced fighter, he seemed familiar with my abilities as well- able to actively counter it as if he has practiced against it before. But how? Normally I never left survivors to live to tell the tale of what I can do with my devil fruit.Ove He was going to be a big challenge for me.

Oven: Why? Are you curious about how I know so much of what your little devil fruit can do?

Honestly I was but this was a fight. A common tactic being distracting an enemy with words that would catch their attention. If he really did know something valuable about it…then it would end with him here and now. If it was something else…well then maybe I can torture it out of him.

Me: I don’t care *Shambles*

Ripping up the trees about us, the roots, dirt, and the trees themselves blocked him from my view as well as somewhat covering his mobility. Not losing this chance, I teleported directly behind him.

I knew I wouldn’t be welcomed with an open back so I had already kept my sword out and ready to counter but what I did not expect but a fist heading directly for my face before I had even finished teleporting.

Me: *SLICE* *SHAMBLES!!!*

No time to teleport myself out of there, I swung down my nodachi as fast and hard as I possibly can…slicing clean his fist off for the moment. With shambles I sent the fist anywhere but my face.

I had expected him to be confused or panicked at the loss of his fist, the main form of combat he chooses but instead he calmly jogged over to where his fist now lay before reattaching it to his previous stump…all while I lay recovering from the near death experience.

Oven: It seems like I was right. Syrup used to do that when she was younger before changing up the styles since then. This does bring back some memories. Don’t worry about that thought, boy, memories and nostalgia won’t get any pity from me.

Me: Pity is for the weak. Are you sure you should be the one giving it to me?

The man’s face scrunched reminding me of how Doflamingo used to make faces like that. On second thought, perhaps it would have been better if I didn’t piss off the already dangerous man even more.

Oven: Why brat, aren’t you a cunning linguist?

This time, it wasn’t just his fists that began to glow and shimmer with heat. His entire body adapted a faint red glow as the heat blast grew more and more in temperature. It became hard enough just to stand next to him before…now it was so much worse.

He didn’t allow me to get away much as he came rushing up to me zigzag like a comic boxer…except he didn’t mess around. Throwing a jab at my direction, I rolled to the side only to be followed up with a ax kick.

*THUD*

As I rolled away once again, the ground in which I once laid had a sizable crater with Oven’s foot still embedded into the Earth.

Oven: Get back here brat!!

Me: Not likely. *slash!*

I tried to slash at his left leg but he lifted them just in time. Just before he brought them back down on me…

*SPLASH*!!!

Oven: ??? *drip* *drip*

Me: ??

Penguin: uuhhmmm…I did a good job right captain?

Oven stood there with his body shaking completely drenched in what can only be seawater. Right next to him was my normally-useless-crewmember Penguin with a now empty giant waterbucket. Where did he even get that thing?

Not losing this chance or allowing the giant to evaporate off all the water, I jumped up and swung down as hard as I can. Directly from his left shoulder to his right knee.

Most likely as he was weakened from the sea-water, the strike went through. Despite protecting himself with haki, my blade overpowered his non-heated skin. Inch by inch I fought for more as Oven’s haki and will fought back.

Me: JUST DIE ALREADY!!!

With a final scream of determination and an additional Penguin dangling on my blade to add more weight…I had cut open the front of Oven. Leaving him to bleed out.

Oven: *cough* Fool…! You have no idea what you have just done.

I was already standing back up to leave. It would do no good to just stay here and wait for the others to arrive.

Oven: They’ll find you…they always do…perhaps if you are unlucky enough you’ll meet my little *cough* sister.

With that, the man stayed silent; most likely due to losing too much blood to remain conscious. I knew that we would have to fight the children of Big Mom from the beginning but hearing it from this strong man…I did not want to fight or even meet this little sister of his.

Unfortunately, luck just never seems to be on my side. With a resounding crash, I saw the body of a rather Cracker-ish man flying and crashing into a building far far away calling the attention of the full force of the Big Mom children.