It was beyond weird, as if a part of you was thrown out of the window. Your mind buzzed as you waited in the reception hall, and you brought a hand over your forehead to stop the throbbing sensation there. The Charlottes didn't pay mind to you, too busy in making sure that everything about the wedding was perfect. An angry Mama is pretty scary, after all. The only one who seemed aware of your weird state is none other than Katakuri.
The giant who stood next to you was eyeing your stressed figure in wonder. In fact, he felt a bit awkward on how to act around you if he was more honest to himself. Those who were observant enough noticed the tiny change, and nearly subjected to a bit of teasing. Only his closest siblings could permit themselves to do so, the others too intimidated to even speak their mind around their older brother.
"Konton...Have you done something to her?" the man finally inquired to his step-sibling when he passed by.
"Nothing you should worry about. Better, you should thank me..." Konton replied over his shoulder, stopping momentarily in his track to gaze at the other warrior.
"..."
A smile could be found on the guests' face. It was a cheery-looking wedding, filled with vibrant colors and jaw-dropping decorations. Foods and pastry setting mouths on water...The union between Germa and the Charlotte Family will be unforgettable, and for different reasons. Behind the gentle eyes and fake smiles of the Charlotte children, there was a darkness and a crave for bloodshed. They knew of the other facet of this farce. Germa was unaware of it.
The bride and groom were getting ready for the reception, while Big Mom had already arrived and sat down at her designed table with the rest of the VIPs and some of her closest Ministers; Katakuri being one of them. The picture of Mother Carmel was placed in front of the Emperor; a photo of an old woman dressed in a nun outfit, holding between her thin fingers a cigarette.
"How are you holding, Miss Silvers?" this question was directed at you from behind, and you turned around to see the eldest child of the Charlotte Family: Perospero.
A tall and slim man with brown eyes, a pointed nose and a very long, thick tongue. The first time you saw him, you were a bit creeped out, with his colorful attire. He reminded you of some sort of clown, but then everyone in this damn family looked like one.
"I am...fine" you answered, hesitating a bit on the last part. "Big Mom looks delighted about the wedding"
"Mama enjoys tea parties, and even more when gets what she wants in the end" Perospero stated, rather sinister. "I hope you will feel the same way during the ceremony!"
"You think?" you thought with a deadpan, eyeing the slim man as he slithered through the crowd of people to bother someone else.
If you were honest to yourself, weddings were boring in general. But this one sure was the cherry on top. In fact, the murder part who was planned certainly was the most enjoyable activity scheduled.
But why the Realm of Hell were you thinking that way? Sanji's life along with your crew's were on the line.
You blinked when the sound of trumpets resonated through the place, and confetti began to rain down from the sky. The guests were in awe at the colorful display.
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen! It's today's main event! The 35th daughter of Charlotte - Charlotte Pudding-sama and the third son of Vinsmoke - Vinsmoke Sanji-sama's royal wedding starts now!" yelled in excitement the announcer.
The sky became dark, so much you couldn't see anything beside dancing lights who looked like small firecrackers in the shape of an insect. Fireworks exploded in images of the Charlotte Family's jolly roger along with Germa's. The food Homies chanted the word 'Marriage' over and over again, creeping you out further more.
"Without further ado, here are the bride and groom!" the announcer continued, spotlights shining down on a yellow and transparent candy. "The Emperor of the Sea - Big Mom Pirates! And the evil army - Germa 66! The young couple will connect their notorious families' paths to their dreams. Mariage de Raison!"
The sky cleared, beautiful sparkles of light filling the whole area. Both Sanji and Pudding appeared on top of a Homie cloud, practically glowing in fake happiness. Well, you weren't so sure in Sanji's case who had a weird expression plastered on his face.
"With the two tying the knot, another flower of evil will bloom out madly in this world! Give it up for them! For this extremely beautiful day!"
Head chef Streusen took the stage with his singing staff. He used what it looks like a Devil Fruit's power to make a cake emerge in the middle of the celebration. A chaotic-looking wedding cake that would serve as the aisle, and also where the bride and groom will make their vows. The guests applauded loudly the chef who bowed at the acclamation with a smile stretched on his face. They were then invited to take their respective seats for the continuation of the marriage.
The Vinsmokes were placed in the center among the strongest Charlotte siblings you could find in this family. No doubt to trap them like rats for the bloody banquet that was about to begin in a few minutes. The priest began his speech, cutting through parts to make it short and sweet while both Pudding and Sanji stared at each other with fake content smiles.
"In sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, to have and to hold, till death do us part...Do you plight yourself to love and to be loyal to each other?"
"Yes" the bride and groom answered at the same time.
"Now you may lift her veil and kiss her"
It looked like time suspended itself as Pudding bowed her head forward. Sanji brought his hands to lift the veil slowly, the Charlotte siblings already working on their weapons. The bride was clutching a gun behind her, ready to pull the trigger at the given time. Once the groom was done, he stood shocked when she finally revealed her third eye with a dark smile.
The hand holding the gun moved, until what Sanji said next made her stood still in disbelief:
"What a beautiful eye!" the blonde exclaimed, cheeks reddening.
Pudding became frigid, the gun slipping between her delicate and well-manicured fingers. Sanji came out of his stupor at the sight of tears starting form in the young woman's eyes, immediately panicking that he somehow made a lady upset. The bride fell on her knees, hiding her face behind her hands as she sobbed. After all, it was probably the first time someone ever found her eye beautiful.
Big Mom was growing impatient, seeing that her daughter wasn't making a move to shoot the groom. She signaled the priest to do it, said man who pulled out his own gun. Though, Katakuri fired before a jellybean in the blonde's direction, predicting that he would dodge the shot. Sanji dodged the projectile who instead hit the priest right between his eyes, killing him on the spot. The trigger was pulled, the gunshot echoing loudly.
Everyone stood up abruptly in shock:
"What was that gunshot?! The priest fired!"
"No, he got shot!"
"What the hell is going on? Katakuri, what happened to Pudding?!" Big Mom demanded her son who stood in front of her protectively.
"We have a bigger problem! It's an unanticipated situation, Mama! Not even I can do anything!" the large man narrowed his eyes at the cake.
The tables shook under the tremors of an unknown source. The guests started to run out of the way as several Luffys suddenly busted out of the wedding cake under the shock of the Charlotte Family. Big Mom let out a cry of disbelief, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of her delicious wedding cake getting destroyed just in front of her.
"What kind of entrance is that?!" you whispered/shouted.
The copies of Luffy (thanks to the generous Brûlée who allowed your comrades to use her powers) began to rampage the whole ceremony. There were so many of him that it was impossible for the Charlotte siblings or for Big Mom to decipher which one was the real deal. The cake collapsed under the attacks of the clones, who eagerly took a bite of it when they had the chance.
The Empress was shaking from where she stood, her expression darkening and scaring off everyone that was close to her.
"Dammit..." she cursed darkly, eyes flashing in anger. "How dare he ruin the wedding cake! WHICH ONE IS THE REAL STRAW HAT LUFFY?! WHERE IS HE?!"
"Please, don't be dumb. Please, don't be dumb" you prayed silently that Luffy wouldn't fall for that.
"SHOW YOURSELF! STRAW HAT!" Big Mom yelled once more, blinking when another part of the cake burst open to reveal the real Luffy.
"I'm here!" he shouted as loud as she did, making you and the others faceplant on the floor.
"HE RESPONDED"
"There you are, Straw Hat...I'll destroy you!"
Big Mom summoned Zeus and Prometheus, the cloud and sun homies transforming in their wicked version to take care of the rats that infiltrated the ceremony. Luffy charged forward along with the copies, using the Empress's blindness by her anger to confuse her momentarily. Your captain aimed his next attack to the photo frame of Mother Carmel, only to be suddenly stopped by Katakuri's mochi.
"This is the real one" he spoke as Luffy coughed out blood, lifting him above. "The other Straw Hats are the animals of the island, that were transformed by Brûlée,s ability. Don't pay them any mind!"
"Damn it...What the hell is this?! My limbs are buried and I can't pull them out! What kind of ability is this?!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Katakuri! Are you trying to help me? You're my son - you can't do..."
"No, Mama" he interrupted his mother. "He was going after Mother Carmel's portrait"
"What?!" Big Mom's pupils shrunk in anger.
"How do you know its importance to us? I thought only people close to us knew" Katakuri interrogated while Luffy continued to struggle in the mochi. "Spit it out! Who told you?"
"Shut up! Let go of me, you fool!"
The man narrowed his eyes at the other, and decided to swing him toward the ground. Jimbei finally made an appearance, using the hot tea inside a cup to shoot a pillar of water in their direction. Once the tea splashed over the mochi, it released Luffy who bounced and landed with a hard thud on the ground.
"Katakuri ate a special kind of the Paramethia-type - Mochi-Mochi Fruit" told the fishman. "You can get away from it with liquid but you better not touch it in the first place"
"Jimbei?" Big Mom blinked while he stepped forward.
"I'm the one who told Luffy about Mother Carmel. Since I'm your ally, I hear those talks"
"You...I thought you gave up leaving my crew...But you defended the guy who broke the cake...I take it as complete mutiny, is that okay with you? Jimbei?"
"Yes, I'm absolutely okay with that"
"Heh. You have some nerve..."
"I want to leave your crew and...join the Straw Hats!" the fishman declared, surprising everyone. Big Mom observed him silently.
"Humph...Well, okay...Do as you like after leaving. But I need you to pay the price for leaving. You don't wanna live your life in shame, do you?" she mused, earning a nod from the other.
"If you promise that you won't hurt anyone else, I'm happy to give you my lifespan - as much as you can take!"
"Oi, what are you talking about, Jimbei?! You can't join my crew if you die!" Luffy barked.
"Hi! I love to take people's lifespans!" Big Mom chuckled. "That's how much you don't like me. You'd rather die than stay where you don't want to be...I won't feel sorry for you!"
A dark and blueish aura surrounded Big Mom's form, her eyes glowing a brighter color as she summoned Soul Pocus.
"All right! You got yourself a deal...You fool. Stay. Or. Life?!" she shouted, eyes glowing red.
Her aura pulsed, the Conqueror's Haki making those who weren't strong-willed enough to fall unconscious. Jimbei stood his ground, not bothered by the demonic transformation as he already chose his answer. Her clawed hands snaked closer to the fishman, waiting for his soul to come out.
However, it never did.
Big Mom blinked twice, her smile falling. She repeated the words of Soul Pocus, but Jimbei remained strong in his stand.
"H-His souls isn't coming out of his body! This can't be true...He's not even a bit afraid of Mama!" exclaimed a Charlotte.
"Of course not..." Jimbei began while the dark aura faded away. "I'm a man who wants to be part of the future Pirate King's crew...I can't be intimidated by a mere Emperor of the Sea!"
The fishman took this time to kneel down as Big Mom watched in shock, pulling out from his sleeves a red cup:
"If you won't take my lifespan, I'm returning the sake cup. Now, I'm leaving the Big Mom Pirates! Thank you for all your troubles!" Jimbei stated with a bow of his head.
"...Well. Congratulations, Jimbei..." Big Mom added at the end of her laugh, crushing the sake cup under her foot. "That means you're my enemy now, right?"
"Jimbei!" Luffy yelled as the Empress threw Prometheus in his direction.
"Go to hell!" she snarled.
Everyone was so focused on what was happening on the scene that they weren't aware of another Luffy sneaking up behind to the table where Mother Carmel's portrait stood. With a huge hammer, the clone brought down the weapon and broke the frame in pieces.