It did not take long before Doflamingo's ship, topped with its ridiculous flamingo figurehead, sailed into port.
As the groom for this Tea Party, Doflamingo was naturally one of the main figures. The person sent to receive him was no ordinary family member either. Perospero had drawn the short straw once again.
Perospero was the eldest among the Charlotte siblings, and in the family he filled the role of a butler or steward. Every matter, big or small, fell on his shoulders. The strongest fighter among them, Katakuri, lacked the mind for administration.
Other talented siblings existed, but none carried enough prestige. That left the responsibility squarely on Perospero, the thirty-year-old crown prince. There was nothing to complain about — his lot in life was simply bitter.
Standing at the harbor, Perospero already felt a knot in his stomach. Since last year, the Big Mom Pirates had been plagued by one stroke of bad luck after another. Though the root cause was always that red-nosed clown, the aftermath gave Perospero no shortage of headaches. Things had recently stabilized, only for Katakuri to be defeated and injured. It left a sour taste in his mouth.
More than anything, he sensed this Tea Party would not pass without incident. He did not believe Buggy's crew dared cause trouble here. What worried him was Doflamingo.
The man was a descendant of the Celestial Dragons — why would he agree so readily to marry their mother? Could it be he truly coveted the power of the Big Mom Pirates?
Perospero watched Doflamingo's ship approach and felt his tension rise. He did not fear the strength of the Donquixote Family — what concerned him was his mother's reaction. Once Charlotte Linlin flew into a rage, even her own children suffered terribly.
Especially since the woman had entered menopause, her temper had become truly terrifying. The most visible symptom was her worsening hunger frenzy.
He watched the ship dock. Doflamingo emerged at the front of the group, and Perospero exhaled in relief. The man had dressed up somewhat — he still wore his signature sunglasses and gaudy pink cape, but beneath it was a crisp white suit.
He looked sharp enough to suggest he had no intention of starting a fight. Even a former Celestial Dragon could not resist the allure of a comfortable life, it seemed. If this marriage went through, Perospero was willing to crown Doflamingo the King of Gold Diggers.
Behind Doflamingo trailed his family members, beginning with Trebol. Several crew members from the Red Hair Pirates followed at the rear. Perospero made no move to stop them — the Big Mom Pirates were a crew that valued "family" above all else.
After this, they would be in-laws with the Donquixote Family. There was no reason to shut them out.
Perospero focused his attention on the Red Hair crew. He knew Doflamingo's family had gained a few new members, as the man had requested several invitation cards. After a quick scan of the faces, he confirmed none of them were wanted criminals, which eased his mind.
"I did not expect you so early, Doflamingo," Perospero said, thinking the man seemed eager.
Of course he wanted to arrive early — early enough to send them all to their graves.
Doflamingo sneered inwardly, though he kept his expression composed. "Heh heh heh. After all, this is a momentous occasion. I would not want anything to go wrong."
"Right this way, but I must ask you to leave your weapons behind," Perospero reminded him. Since he had come personally to greet them, he wanted to set the rules upfront to avoid complications. Some people were reluctant to hand over their weapons after all.
"Relax. I know the rules."
"Then follow me." Perospero nodded and led Doflamingo toward the provided lodgings. Until the day the Tea Party began, all of them would remain there. "When the Tea Party officially starts, a special Pumpkin Carriage will take you to the venue."
After that, guest after guest arrived one by one.
Yukiko and Yuri held special status in Totto Land. Big Mom would not demand they surrender their weapons. Given their positions, Totto Land had no desire to antagonize Inazuma. This proved that rules could only be broken through strength. The reception afforded to Yukiko and Yuri even surpassed the treatment given to the wedding's host.
Meanwhile, Big Mom was eagerly prepping herself. "I am so excited, yahahahaha!" The plump old woman, whose figure now resembled a stack of swim rings, smiled like a giddy young girl.
One might have assumed she harbored deep feelings for Doflamingo — if not for the fact that she was possibly carrying someone else's child.
"That Doflamingo is more powerful than all my previous husbands. He and I both possess Conqueror's Haki. Perhaps we could produce a child with even greater talent than Katakuri!" Big Mom fantasized. Her previous husbands had all been mediocre fighters at best, but she cared about bloodline, not individual talent. With her as the mother, even the weakest child would not turn out badly. Still, this time she genuinely believed she might birth a truly extraordinary child.
At that moment, someone approached her. "Mother, the guests have mostly arrived. It is time for the Tea Party to begin."
"Is that so? Then let us get moving!" Big Mom declared happily. She wore a white wedding dress that was somewhat hard on the eyes, but nobody dared say a word.
As the bride, Big Mom did not head to the venue immediately. She too would ride in the Pumpkin Carriage.
At the venue, countless guests had gathered — most of them prominent figures from the underworld. Morgans of the World Economy News Paper would never miss such a grand occasion; he had already arrived with his staff, snapping photographs from every angle.
One by one, Big Mom's children made their entrance.
What surprised everyone was the absence of Katakuri, who should have been the crown jewel of the family. Only his two younger brothers sat at the front.
Perospero naturally served as the wedding's master of ceremonies. With the guests nearing full attendance, he checked his watch, ready to deliver his lines. Many attendees were experiencing a Big Mom Tea Party for the first time, and the occasion of a wedding made it all the more spectacular. The dreamlike sights of Whole Cake Island had already left them utterly captivated.
They had once believed Sabaody Archipelago's bubble amusement park was the pinnacle of fantasy, but the Kingdom of Totto Land was the true fairy tale world. The Candy House was nothing compared to this. Had they ever seen talking pastries and mousse that begged to be eaten?
[
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