😅

Eventually, you got around to giving all the children praise and head-pats for their hard work, along with receiving praise and criticsim from everyone else. It was apparant to them you had potential for singing but still a long way to go. You found that Liv was willing to take most of the compliments though. Unfortunately for you, that's when the real trouble began.

"You shouldn't let Liv take all your credit (Y/n), as my future wife you need to take more pride in yourself" Pudding declared.

Sound was murdered brutally in that moment, and dearly missed.

"WHHAAAAAAAAAAAATTT!??!?!?" half the room screamed, though most of the screams came from the children.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR, I WAS GOING TO MARRY (Y/N)! YOU GO MARRY LIV!" Anana cried.

"YOU CAN'T MARRY (Y/N), IF WE MARRY HER FIRST!" The twins snapped in unison

"YOU CAN'T SHARE HER!!!" Pudding growled

Oven whistled in amusement earning a few laughs from the other siblings.

"When did you become so popular (Y/n)?" Compote chuckled, not minding at all the fact that you were the cause of a new family dispute.

"Look at you securing your place with the richest of the rich. I'm so proud!" gave you a huge hug

"Please stop..." you groaned

The argument was starting to get heated and once again the glint of a knife caught the corner of your retinas.

"Liv can you say something, cause if I say something it might make the situation worse" you pointed to the situation.

"Hmmm...... Ok!" she smiled devilishly and clapped her hands for attention. "It's nice that you all wanna marry (Y/n) but don't you think you need her permission first?"

Words didn't need to be said, as all the young eyes in the room screamed one thing. 'Pick me!'

'I asked the wrong person for help, why do I never learn?'

You squeaked as you were very abruptly, snatched up and carried out the room. It left you with no time to respond and no time for anyone else to react. Katakuri was the definition of efficient, though he did seem kinda mad.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"But you still could've let me finish my conversation Kata!" you sighed

Unfortunately for him you were still lecturing him about his rudeness back in the music room.

"that would've taken too long and we still have somewhere we need to be" he explained for the umpteenth time.

"But we've already seen most of the castle and all your siblings were-!"

"We've arrived" Katakuri halted.

He was currently staring at a door without a face (something very rare for this castle) making you all the more nervous. Scolding Katakuri was currently the last thing on your mind, now that you were paying attention to your surroundings. It was dawning on you how high you were and how many steps Katakuri had dragged you up.

'Someone bless this man for carrying me up all those steps because heaven knows I couldn't do it' you thought 'but at the same time, what are we doing here?'

"Please don't joke about that" he sighed

"Kata? Are you planning to throw me off the- Hey! Don't be like that! I was only joking!" you giggled at his sour reaction, somehow putting you at ease.

With no effort at all, Katakuri shoved open the doors allowing a strong gust of wind to race past your face and take your breath away. Light flooded your vision so much you instinctively turned your face into Kata's scarf.

'smells like doughnut glaze' you noted with a chuckle 'this guy'

"You can look (Y/n)"

Flinching at the sound of your voice you carefully removed yourself from the safety of his scarf and faced the world. What you saw was truly captivating. You could see everything under the baby blue sky. The people living their lives happily, coloured rivers of different flavours, the rooftops of frosted houses and so much more. But the most beautiful thing was the unity, it reminded you of your own home.

"I can understand if you hate Mama, but I will serve her because her dream is something I want for myself" Kata explained "I will remove anybody who threatens that, even the people on your wrist"

The oxygen must've deserted your lungs at that moment because all of a sudden it became very difficult to breathe. Your grip on Kata's scarf tightened as thoughts thundered through your mind all at once.

"I-I can-!" A hand gestured you to stop

"Stop panicking (Y/n), It is clear to me that you don't want to destroy this either, Mama was worrying for no reason" He reassured you his eyes still glued to whole cake. "Just like how the people on your wrist are so important to you that you wouldn't even try to get them involved in this situation..."

"How long have you known?" Your voice came out as nothing but a whisper, even so, Katakuri heard.

"Since the first time we met, though you had fewer charms back then, Mama found out during your tea party" He recalled "We were both surprised that you hadn't used it as a means to bargain, so Mama asked you to stay for a while to see if you had any ulterior motive. But (Y/n), after getting to know you better you've become quite predictable in some ways, I almost wish you did use them to defend yourself"

Honestly, you felt horrible. Though you couldn't face him, you listened tentatively in an attempt to discern Katakuri's feelings towards the situation.

"Mama doesn't like the fact that you have two Yonko's backing you, so to prevent confusion she wants you to take our Jolly Rog-"

"I don't want it" you breathed

Katakuri glanced at you briefly, your hands clenched around his scarf and your eyes deadly serious as they gazed over whole cake. He let out a small sigh and let his attention fall back to whole cake with a nod.

"Wasn't it you who told me it's rude to interrupt?" he remarked making your face burn red in embarrassment.

"AH-!" You squeaked and turned to Katakuri to defend yourself, though the words got caught in your throat as you gazed into his eyes.

"But I already knew you'd say that" his eyes smiled with a knowing look

'His eyes are... warm...' a wave of comfort rested on your shoulders as you allowed yourself to reread your predicament.

Now that you were looking around, you were in a secluded area so that no one could hear you. In addition to this, the air up here was fresh making you feel a lot better. Katakuri had probably brought you here to tell you these things with your feelings and personality in mind. Facing him now you were reassured by his piercing ruby red eyes. But to you, they seemed soft.

'He's not mad'

"If you truly feel this way, then-"

Katakuri placed his open palm in front of you, a small charm rested in the middle. It was a doughnut, partly covered in frosting. The dough itself was gold, the frosting was silver and the sprinkles looked like shaved gold. It was cute with a dash of extravagance.

"Please accept this from me" Katakuri affirmed.

"Wh-Wai-Wha-Wai-WHAT!?" You choked, looking between Katakuri and his hand. "I-I-"

"This isn't Mama's flag, it's just a doughnut charm. A gift given from me to you, so while you might not have the Big Mom pirates backing you, you'll have me. As your friend and business partner, I would like you to rely on me when you're in trouble, and that should be ok since your calling me a friend and not as a pirate" he explained.

"...Are you... Are you sure you're ok with that? Will your Mom be ok with that?" You interrogated

"I believe so, and I feel that my siblings would also offer their support"

'So basically it's the Big Mom pirates without Big Mom' you surmised

"Kata, have you looked ahead and seen my answer?"

"No" he looked away

"Seriously!?" You gasped

"I want to hear you say it" he grumbled.

You blinked twice before snorting.

"Is that so! After hearing you say that, there's no way I could say no! I guess I'm officially in your care" you placed your hand over Kata's and let it rest there for a moment before clasping the charm and holding it close to your chest "Please look after me"

"L-Likewise" he nodded.

Katakuri was so thankful his scarf was able to cover his blush at this moment.

"Let's go"

"G-GO!? Go where!?" You tensed.

Katakuri proceeded to ignore you as he whipped out a portable den den mushi.

"Brûlée"

"Big brother! Is it time!?" The DenDen cackled.

"Yes, we're ready!" He responded calmly

"Then I'll be there shortly"

The snail drooped as it was shoved back into Katakuri's pocket, who was now making his way back towards the middle of the Plateau.

"Kata what's going on?"

The doors almost flung off their hinges as Brûlée dashed towards you both.

"I'm here dear brother!!!"

'THAT'S TOO QUICK' you screeched internally.

Before you could voice your thoughts, you were carried through a mirror that Brûlée expertly whipped up. While you were better at dealing with mirror travel than Liv, you still liked your mind a little pep talk before going in. Such a sudden change of surroundings made you feel a bit dizzy so you used the opportunity to rest in Kata's arms, going so far as to close your eyes.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

A few minutes passed and for no reason, absolutely no reason whatsoever the temperature went from likeable to murderous intent. On instinct you curved deeper into Katakuri's scarf for heat, but it just wasn't enough to keep you asleep. Blinking in a bit of a daze, your (e/c) eyes searched lazily for the cause and you were, for what felt like the millionth time today, rendered speechless.

"Yes," Katakuri agreed out of the blue as he placed you down allowing you to soak in the experience.

"Shihihihi! I think she likes it dear brother!" Brulee grinned. "But for your first time, that's not surprising"

Adrenaline had already kicked in so that you could explore your surroundings properly. The air was frigid as it pricked your skin with new feelings of wonder. You watched your breath materialise in front of you; it was as if you could see your own life escaping your lips before disappearing to the wind. Gazing up you watched as frosted flakes of magic landed around yourself. Picking out one from the multitude you stretched out your hands expectantly and caught one. Nerves kicked into action as the cold sensation spread over the palm of your hands. Watching, completely mesmerised, you saw how the small flake melted in the palm of your hand and became nothing more than a memory. It was beautiful

"Is this... snow?" You breathed

"Liv told us that your island is a springtime island so you only see spring whether" Katakuri elaborated "So everyone voted that you should see snow, but what you're holding is ice cream"

"E-Everyone!?"

"You finally arrived Big Brother!" A man with a long shaven face and pink and blue hair hurried over. "I have to say I was quite surprised when you said you'd be coming over to my island, though the weather's been really funny. Zeus must be in a weird mood to make it snow without clouds..."

The man was dressed in a suit and tie, his shirt buttoned all the way up.

'It's so nice to see more men capable of buttoning up shirts' you thought wistfully with a solitary tear 'you're like an endangered species that needs to be protected'

Glancing over at you he smiled warmly.

"My name is Moscato, Minister of the ice island, though most of it is ice cream!" He laughed heartily as he snatched up your hand and shook it eargerly "It's a pleasure to meet you-...uh!"

"(Y-Y-Y/N)!" You chattered, adrenaline now leaving and your body now reacting to the cold.

"Please use this Miss (Y/n) Pero-lick!" Perospero strolled over with a jacket and a bunch of other siblings trailing behind.

"Ah! Th-Thank y-you" you unintentionally snatched the jacket and put it on immediately

"Was the design really necessary" Oven groaned.

"It's too much..." Daifuku grumbled

"There's nothing wrong with the design," Perospero said flatly though it sounded more like a dare to the siblings to say otherwise.

It was probably at that point when you realised the jacket was the exact same style as Perospero's just (f/c).

"Curtesy of me" he smiled. "So no need for thanks Pero-lick"

"R-Right... Thank you!" you flushed.

"You contradicted yourself (Y/n)" Katakuri pointed out, earning a few chuckles and causing you to flush even more.

None of them had changed so only Perospero, Daifuku, and Brûlée were dressed appropriately for the weather.

"Don't you guys need jackets too?" you looked between Oven and Kata. "aren't you cold?"

"Don't worry (Y/n), I'm wearing a cape" Oven announced proudly

"I'm wearing a scarf" Katakuri stated calmly

'No no no, even in this crazy world, you should still be cold' you deadpanned immediately.

"(Y/n)!!!"

"Big Brother!!!"

"Surprise!!!"

The group of smiling children ran up to you all dressed in fluffy jackets, hats and gloves, only this time the older siblings were with you to prevent you from being dogpiled. Unfortunately for them, a few got past.

"Is this really your first time seeing snow (Y/n)!?" Normande fluttered to your side.

"(Y/n) were you surprised!?" Anana tugged at your coat.

"Come play with us!" The twins shouted from behind their brothers.

'I'm glad that they are all getting along now, but there is still too much happening at once!' You panicked, slightly overwhelmed.

"Woah Woah Woah! You guys!" Oven intervened trying to separate you from the children "Let her at least enjoy the mome-!"

You could only hope it was vanilla flavoured ice-cream that had landed directly on Oven's face. A familiar dark chuckle bubbling up behind you. Two more vanilla projectiles were launched in your direction, both of them claiming Daifuku as it's victim because Katakuri dodged the first one.

"Time to pay you back for the mirror travel" Liv smiled darkly, already compressing another round ball of strawberry ice-cream.

Compote stood to the side shaking her head but Smoothie was grinning sinisterly behind Alivia; a large pile of ammunition already prepared and ready to go.

Turning toward the sizzling sound you stared dumbfounded at Oven as the ice cream on his face bubbled and evaporated. Oven was no longer smiling like the friendly giant you had come to get to know and Daifuku looked even angrier than the usual Daifuku you'd grown on.

"Now you've done it" he grinned menacingly

"It's about time we put you in your place" Daifuku growled rolling up a much larger ball of mint choc-chip?

A feeling stirred in the pit of your stomach, much like the time when Luffy drenched Nami with water, and it only meant one thing...

'This is going to end badly...' you thought hopelessly from the sidelines with a small sigh and a smile. 'But the snow is a nice touch'

————————————————————————————————————————

"F*CKING BULLSH*T!"

'I've lost count of the number of times he's said that now' you sighed dusting off yourself.

"Kid, You're being too loud" Killer stated, though he couldn't disguise the smugness in his voice.

"But there's no way you can still be that strong!?" Kid protested

A tired sigh left your lips as you pushed open the front door of your house. Now that Killer was well enough to help you around the house, and soon the bakery, Kid seemed to be in a better mood. Unfortunately for you, it meant he was a lot more vocal and a whole lot louder.

"Dinner's almost ready so you should both calm down" you called to them across the front garden.

Both males ceased their argument and you made the mistake of letting your eyes focus too hard on the situation. Killers volumes of blonde hair were tied back with hair ties. While he was sleeping earlier you stuck one of your blue flowers in his hair. You expected him to take it out when he woke up but he decided to leave it, besides it matched his mask. Kid had his hair down but used his goggles as a headband, but as soon as he found the black flowers you'd stuck in his hair he scrunched them up and threw them in the bin. Right now the two of them looked exhausted as if they'd just come out of rigorous training. However, only Kid was covered dirt whilst Killer stood over him rolling his shoulders. Between the two of them was a single empty barrel, one that originally contained alcohol.

"...What are you guys doing? I thought you were going to throw that out" Your head shook as you snatched up the box of tissues by the door and made your way over.

"It would be a waste to throw it away yet, and besides, isn't it obvious what we're doing?" You shrugged and he sighed "We're strengthening Killers arm through arm wrestling"

He seemed too tired to move from the floor so he just stayed there as you approached.

"Looks like your arm needs more strengthening than Killer's" you chuckled as you offered them both tissues to wipe off the sweat and dirt.

Killer snorted.

"I don't get how he's still so strong even after his injury, I seriously thought I could win" Kid huffed as he wiped his face.

"So you just wanted to beat Killer" you surmised.

"NO!" Kid retorted

'You're lying is almost as bad as Luffy's' you shook your head with mixed feelings about the situation.

"If you're so f*cking amazing then why don't you give it a try Firecracker?" Kid scoffed.

"Well that's because I like my arms attached to my body" you answered flatly with a hand on your hip "the last thing I need is for you guys to accidentally rip off my arms"

Kid chuckled darkly at the thought.

'I don't even want to know what he's thinking about right now'

"Stop being a wimp and just give it a go" Kid hoisted himself up and snatched your hand and placed it in Killers. "Besides it's a good way to relieve stress"

'You looked like you were ready to strangle a man just moments ago' you internally quipped.

"Don't worry (Y/n), I'll just match your strength, I won't hurt you" Killer reassured

"...ok, but only once!" You declared