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Chapter 202: Destination Whole Cake, a Brewing Storm
🕑 Added 2025-09-20 11:58:52 +0000 UTCChapter 202: Destination Whole Cake, a Brewing Storm
Compared to the other territories, the happiness level in Dressrosa was much lower. It couldn't be helped. From the moment Doflamingo arrived, a shadow of tragedy had loomed over the seemingly prosperous nation. Now that the nightmare was finally over and the country was beginning to rebuild, many of the citizens who had been turned into toys were only just returning to their families. Without the crushing weight of the Heavenly Tribute, as long as they could avoid being dragged into another war, their lives would slowly but surely improve.
In addition, several heavy treasure chests sat next to the coffee table—the compensation from the World Government. Dressrosa's share had already been delivered to King Riku. The old king had spent the last few days working from dawn till dusk, distributing the funds to the victims with Kyros and the others. The rest, a total of three billion Belly, belonged to Shane. It would serve as the initial capital for building his future headquarters.
"Headquarters..."
Shane's gaze returned to the parchment map. He had only explored a handful of islands in the vast New World, and only three of them were now his territory. The rest of the map was a black fog of war, carved up and controlled by the Four Emperors and other powerful pirates. He was surrounded by titans.
So... where should I build my base?
His eyes grew deep. Outside the window, the night wind of Dressrosa howled, making the flag of the Curtain Call Adventurers snap and crackle, its shadow stretching and shifting in the moonlight like a sword, piercing the distant darkness...
New World, Totto Land.
"Oh, Mama~ Mama~"
A sickeningly sweet song echoed through the Whole Cake Chateau.
Big Mom sat on her throne, her massive stomach resting on the long table in front of her as she shoveled cream cake into her mouth with both hands, her smile growing wider with every bite.
"Mamamamama! Delicious!" she licked her fingers and scanned her children below. "Hey! The Tea Party is only half a month away, right? Have all the invitations been sent out?"
"They've all been sent, Mama," her eldest daughter, Charlotte Compote, replied respectfully. "The major powers of the New World, the emperors of the underworld, and a representative from the Beast Pirates will all be in attendance."
"Just a representative...? What about that brat Kaido?" Big Mom's eyes narrowed. "He refused me again?!"
"Y-Yes, Mama," Compote said, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "He's refused many times. This time was no exception."
"Hmph! After all these years, he still won't see me. That ungrateful bastard!" Big Mom snorted, but then she started to giggle. "Oh, well! Out with the old, in with the new! At least we have one guest of sufficient importance this time to make the party a success! Mamamamama!"
She turned to another one of her children. "And it's all thanks to you, Katakuri!"
Katakuri bowed slightly. "For the family, Mama. It was my duty."
"If only all your brothers and sisters were like you!" Big Mom nodded with satisfaction, then sighed. "It's a shame that kid wasn't interested in Smoothie. Otherwise... Totto Land would have gained another incredible warrior, and we'd be the undisputed strongest crew in the New World!"
Smoothie, who was leaning against a pillar, boredly sipping a glass of wine, tensed up and turned away with a pout. Hmph. That man just doesn't know what's good for him. If I could beat him, I would have knocked him out and dragged him back to Totto Land myself!
Big Mom didn't notice her daughter's expression. After a moment of thought, a new idea seemed to pop into her head. "Hey, Katakuri! Send word! Double the preparations for the Tea Party! I want to show that upstart brat what the power of a true Yonko looks like!"
She stood up abruptly and grinned. "Also, have Galette, Myukuru, Pudding, and the others come to the chateau. Tell them to spend some time with that Shane. I refuse to believe that out of all my beautiful daughters, there isn't one who can catch his eye!"
Making Shane her son-in-law would mean the Charlotte Family would surpass the Beast Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates to become the strongest force on the seas. The temptation was too great. She had to try, even if the chances were slim, before his power and ambition grew too large to control.
"Perhaps not Pudding, Mama," Katakuri said with a slight frown. "She's a bit too young. Lola is still at home, though. I could have her take Pudding's place..."
"Lola?! Are you serious?!" Big Mom glared at him. "Don't be ridiculous, Katakuri! There's no way that Shane would be interested in someone like her!"
Why not? Katakuri was confused. Lola was the right age, and she had a kind and gentle personality. What was wrong with her? As for her looks... he wasn't one to judge. In his eyes, all his sisters were adorable.
"Yes, Mama! We'll arrange it! Don't worry!" the other children quickly intervened, stopping Katakuri before he could question her further.
Big Mom sat back down on her throne, grabbing another piece of cake and mumbling through a full mouth, "Shane, oh, Shane... Mamamamama... I hope you don't disappoint me..."
Meanwhile, all across the New World, news of Big Mom's upcoming Tea Party was spreading like a hurricane. This time, the hype was off the charts, mainly because Totto Land had let slip one crucial detail that sent imaginations running wild—
"Did you hear? Big Mom invited Shane to this one!"
"For real? The World's Greatest Swordsman, the one who just defeated a Marine Admiral?"
"Who else?! Hehe, we managed to get an invitation too! As swordsmen, we'll finally get to see the man himself in person!"
...
The Red Light District.
"Yes, I understand," Stussy said into the Transponder Snail with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll attend the Tea Party. If Linlin and that boy make any secret deals, they won't escape my notice."
She hung up.
"Shane..." Stussy murmured. "As it happens, besides the World Government, that old man is also very interested in you. I might as well gather some information for him while I'm at it." She was the Queen of the Red Light District, a close friend of Charlotte Linlin, a high-ranking secret agent of CP0, and... Stussy smiled at her reflection in the mirror, reapplied her lipstick, and gracefully stepped into the waiting carriage.
...
World Economic Journal Headquarters.
Morgans was swimming happily in a sea of green banknotes. He opened his eyes and roared with laughter at his assistant. "What? Am I going to the Tea Party? Of course I'm going! Look at all this cash! Last year's profits were nearly double the year before! How could I not go to see the man who made it all possible!"
...
From north to south, from east to west, all eyes in the New World were focused on one name: Shane. The man who had defeated a Marine Admiral, who had a bounty of 2,860,000,000 Belly, who the World Government feared yet had been forced to compromise with... was now heading to Totto Land as an honored guest of Big Mom. This Tea Party was no longer just a social gathering; it was the prelude to a storm that could reshape the entire New World. Yonko, Marines, underworld emperors, and ambitious upstarts... countless eyes from every faction were fixed on Whole Cake Island, waiting for the Tea Party to begin, waiting for the dark-haired young man to make his entrance.
Three more days passed. The New Year's festivities on Dressrosa gradually died down, and the well-rested members of the Curtain Call crew set sail once more, heading deeper into the New World.
Golden morning light bathed the port of Dressrosa. Shane stood at the prow of his ship, gazing back at the receding island, at the people waving frantically from the shore, and at the endless fields of sunflowers in the distance.
"It's a beautiful place, Captain," Kuma said from behind him. "King Riku and Princess Viola are good, reliable people. And with Rebecca and Mansherry as playmates, I'm not worried about leaving Bonney here."
"Yeah," a curvy, pink-haired woman said, her hands on her hips. "Everyone was so, so nice. I've been crying for the last two days. I don't want to leave."
"Me too..." Kuma said with a smile, turning his head. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "BONNEY?!" His voice shot up several octaves. "I thought you were Nojiko or Nami! What are you doing on the ship?! I told you to stay in Dressrosa!"
"Nyah~ Not gonna!" Bonney stuck her tongue out and, with a poof, transformed back into her child form, darting behind Shane. "You're always trying to leave me somewhere, Kuma! Not this time!"
"You!" Kuma's forehead throbbed with rage, but with Shane present, he couldn't lose his temper. He took a deep breath. "Bonney, listen to me. The New World gets more dangerous the deeper you go. Dressrosa is safe now, and King Riku promised to take good care of you. And..."
"And what?!" Bonney peeked out from behind Shane's legs. "I don't want to be separated from you again so soon after we were reunited! You said the New World is dangerous! How can I not worry about you going out there alone?! Besides! Big Brother Shane can beat up a Marine Admiral! I'll be safest with you guys, right? Why do I have to stay in Dressrosa?! No way!"
As for playmates? Mansherry and the others were great, but everyone on this ship was fun too! There was the beautiful, gentle, dark-haired big sister who knew everything; the super-indulgent chef grandpa who was always feeding her; the fluffy cat and big dog she could pet; and her new best friend, Nami... No matter what, she was clinging to Big Brother Shane's leg and not letting go!
"..." Kuma was stunned into silence. He couldn't find a single reason to argue. He looked to Shane for help, but his captain was just standing there with his arms crossed, an amused smile on his face as he watched the father-daughter dispute.
"Captain..."
"Alright, Kuma," Shane said, cutting him off with a wave of his hand. He ruffled Bonney's hair. "Since the little rascal followed us, let her stay. We've got room for one more."
"But..."
"No 'buts.' The kid is smarter than she looks. As long as we don't let her fight, she'll be perfectly safe on the ship." He paused, then added with mock seriousness, "And don't forget, you're my crew member now. On this, I have the final say."
Kuma was speechless. He looked around and saw the rest of the crew watching with cheerful amusement. He looked down at the triumphant Bonney and sighed in defeat.
"Kuma~" Bonney sidled up to him and linked her arm through his. "I was wrong, okay? Don't be mad. I promise... no, I swear! I swear I won't cause you any trouble!"
"You..." Kuma rubbed his temples. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you." But a flicker of pride and warmth shone in his eyes. The little rascal... she had finally grown up. She was worried about him.
"So that's a yes?"
"Yes," Kuma nodded. "But, as Lord Shane said, you are absolutely forbidden from joining any battles."
"Woohoo!" Bonney cheered, high-fiving Nami. "Operation Boarding, Plan A, is a huge success!"
There were other plans? The two of them really were two peas in a pod.
Robin, who had been reading quietly, smiled. "Bonney, seeing as you can get older and younger... is that the power of the Age-Age Fruit?"
"Yup!" Bonney said, puffing out her chest. "And after some practice, I can now change other people's ages too! If you want to see, Robin, I can show you!" She slapped a hand on Nami's knee. With a flash of pink light, Nami shot up to a statuesque 185cm, her features more mature, and her figure even more...
"Whoa!!!" Nami's eyes went wide. She turned to Shane. "Brother! Look! I'm not even losing to Robin now! This wasn't even my final form!"
Don't show me! Shane thought, chopping her on the head. Nami whimpered, but Shane just stared at his sister, who was now only slightly shorter than his own "Paper Arts: Body" form, and fell into thought. How did she get so tall? Is it because she's had proper nutrition her whole life and hasn't had to run for her life all the time? Probably. He remembered the original Nami being only about 170cm tall.
"Pretty cool, right?" Bonney said, now standing in front of Robin. "Big Sister, want to give it a try?"
See what my future self looks like? Robin smiled at Bonney's eagerness, closed her book, and said gently, "Alright."
Bonney's eyes lit up. She placed a hand on Robin's arm. A pink glow enveloped her, and her mature, elegant form began to shrink, her curves becoming more slender, her skin tighter. In a few seconds, the light faded, revealing an eighteen-year-old Robin.
Why did I get younger?
She looked down at her hands, then touched her face, a dazed look in her eyes. "This feeling..." she murmured, her voice softer, clearer.
"Isn't it great?!" Bonney said proudly. "This is my specialty! Pinpoint age eighteen! I call it... Youthful Return!"
Robin didn't answer right away. She subconsciously glanced at Shane, a wistful look in her eyes. Eighteen... that was the most helpless time of my life. Adrift in a dark world, on the verge of being swallowed whole. No nakama, no one to rely on, only endless betrayal and flight. And now, she was standing on the deck of The Curtain Call, surrounded by reliable friends, with a hopeful future ahead of her... But why did she feel a pang of regret?
"Change me back, Bonney," Robin said with a forced smile. "I think... I'm more used to my old self."
"Tch. So dishonest," Smoker said, lighting a cigar. "You're at that age. You're probably thrilled to be a teenager again, aren't you?"
Robin's eyes narrowed.
BOOM!
A giant, Haki-coated hand erupted from the deck. With a yelp, Smoker was sent flying, cigar and all, over the railing and into the sea.
"Glub, glub..." a white-haired head bobbed on the surface. "H-Help! Someone help me! I'm a hammer! I'm going to drown!"
That's what you get for running your mouth... The crew watched, unimpressed. Shane sighed, turned to go back inside, and on his way past the dozing Gin, kicked his professional lifeguard into the water.
