Chapter 46: Talking to an Emperor
"Hey, Zoro! Sanji!"
Luffy's voice rang out across the seafloor landscape as he spotted a familiar figure sprawled on the ocean floor.
"Look! That guy's right there! I can't believe we found him so fast!"
He set off at a jog, hands clasped behind his head in that characteristic relaxed posture.
"Nahahaha!"
Caribou lay completely unconscious, limbs splayed in every direction like a discarded doll. Around him, scattered across the sand and rock, was a king's ransom—gold coins gleaming, jewelry sparkling, precious gems catching what little light filtered through the deep.
He looked exactly like a video game enemy that had exploded into loot.
"He must have been knocked out in the palace," Sanji observed, crushing his spent cigarette beneath his shoe. "Then falling from that height finished the job. He's completely unconscious."
Zoro crossed his arms, studying the unconscious pirate with barely concealed disappointment.
"Boring. I was looking forward to cutting him into eight pieces."
"That's a bit excessive, even for you." Sanji surveyed the treasure scattered everywhere. "But look at this haul—gold, jewelry, porcelain, emeralds, agates..."
He glanced back toward Ryugu Palace, invisible in the distance.
"Do you think King Neptune really meant it? All this, just given to us?"
Zoro had already found three massive bags and was methodically filling them.
"Who knows? But I'm not leaving it here."
Luffy grinned and started grabbing handfuls of treasure, shoving them into the bags with the same enthusiasm he usually reserved for meat.
When they'd finished, each bag bulged with enough wealth to make any ordinary pirate weep with joy. The three of them hefted the burdens onto their backs.
"One, two—LET'S GO!"
"Oooooof!"
All three immediately collapsed backward, pinned to the seafloor by the crushing weight.
"Okay then," Luffy grunted, struggling back to his feet. "Back to the palace!"
"Are we walking?" Zoro asked, still pinned.
Sanji managed to right himself. "There should be flying fish in the town. We can rent some."
"Which town?" Luffy looked around blankly.
Zoro squinted, then pointed confidently in one direction. "That way."
"Perfect!" Luffy brightened. "Let's go!"
Sanji sighed. "We're going in the exact opposite direction he pointed."
At the Candy Factory, Pekoms had reached the limits of his patience.
"I was hungry enough already," he growled, "thinking I could at least snack on some of the sweets during collection!"
His tiny eyes narrowed further.
"But it seems you've chosen DESTRUCTION!"
The Right Minister waved his hands frantically.
"Ah! Pekoms-san! Please! That's not—"
In the distance, three figures approached, weighted down by enormous bags.
Luffy spotted the factory and raised a hand to shield his eyes.
"Oh! There are people over there! Is that the candy factory?"
"If only there were flying fish here," Zoro muttered.
"HEY! CANDY FACTORY!"
Luffy's arm stretched across the distance, waving enthusiastically.
The factory employees turned at the sound of his voice. Recognition dawned immediately.
"That's—Straw Hat Luffy!"
"Luffy-san! Is the banquet over already?" The murlocs waved back happily.
The Right Minister's expression shifted to one of dread.
"Luffy-san?! Why are you here?"
Luffy had already closed the distance, dragging his massive bag of treasure behind him.
"Ah, the party's over! The meat on Fishman Island was amazing!"
He grinned broadly.
"But you know what's even better? The desserts! The desserts here are the BEST!"
Silence fell over the factory entrance.
Pekoms' tiny eyes went wide.
"Did he just say... desserts?"
The murloc employees gestured frantically for Luffy to be quiet. He didn't notice.
"Hey, Catfish Uncle! You're here too!"
Pekoms stepped forward, shoving the Right Minister aside.
"He mentioned desserts. Who IS this guy?"
The Right Minister stammered. "He's—he's—"
Pekoms had already produced a bounty poster from somewhere, flipping through pages until he found the right one.
"Monkey D. Luffy. 400 million berries."
He looked up sharply.
"What's a pirate with that kind of bounty doing here?"
He fixed Luffy with his tiny-eyed glare.
"Hey, brat. What did you just say?"
Luffy had finally reached them, dropping his bag with a ground-shaking thud. He looked at Pekoms curiously.
"Oh! You're not a murloc. Are you here to buy snacks too?"
He beamed.
"The snacks here are incredible! We just ate until we couldn't move!"
Pekoms' face contorted with rage.
"NANI?!"
He ripped off his sunglasses, revealing eyes that had shrunk to pinpricks.
"What EXACTLY is going on here?!"
Luffy stared at him for a moment—then burst out laughing.
"Ahaha! It's a lion! A tiny-eyed lion!"
He wiped a tear from his eye.
"Don't worry, I've got something like this at home too!"
Deep in Ryugu Palace, Chopper suddenly sneezed violently.
"ACHOO!"
He rubbed his nose, blinking.
"What's wrong? Do you have a cold?" Itachi asked, concern flickering in his tired eyes.
Chopper shook his head. "I don't think so..."
He glanced around suspiciously.
"Maybe someone's talking bad about me?"
Back at the factory, Pekoms had grabbed the Right Minister by the collar, lifting him clear off the ground.
Before he could do more, a calm voice interrupted.
"Pekoms."
The long-legged man who had been sitting quietly, sipping tea, set down his cup.
"Threatening them won't produce sweets."
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all turned to look at him. He was remarkably tall—or rather, his legs were remarkably long, folding elegantly beneath him as he sat.
"The tea party is in four days," the man continued. "If we set sail tomorrow morning, we should still make it in time."
Luffy tilted his head.
"A lion with a yellow afro... and a weird uncle with really long legs?"
He squinted.
"Who ARE you people?"
The man smiled—a thin, cultured expression. He lifted the teapot from his head—it had been resting there, balanced perfectly—and set it aside as he rose.
His legs unfolded like a compass, extending far beyond normal human proportions.
"I am Tamago."
He paused, letting the name register.
"Baron Tamago, of the Big Mom Pirates."
Luffy's brow furrowed.
"Tamago? Like... egg?"
Baron Tamago's smile didn't waver, though something flickered in his eyes.
"You mentioned eating the sweets produced by this factory."
Luffy nodded cheerfully. "Yep! And I'd eat more if there was any!"
Tamago's expression grew complicated.
"Yes... about that. The lack of sweets is becoming problematic for us as well."
Zoro studied the man's legs with professional interest.
Looks like a compass, he thought. Strange fighting style, probably.
Tamago turned, gesturing to the pirate flag flying above the factory—a strange, grinning skull topped with what appeared to be a pirate hat and curly hair.
"That flag belongs to our captain. Charlotte Linlin. The woman they call 'Big Mom.'"
His voice carried quiet pride.
"This factory—indeed, all of Fishman Island—flies that flag. It means this island is under the protection of the Big Mom Pirates."
Luffy looked at the flag, then back at Tamago.
"Oh. So this Big Mom is pretty nice, then."
Tamago's smile sharpened.
"In exchange for that protection, Fishman Island provides ten tons of sweets every month."
He let that sink in.
"Our mother loves desserts above all else."
Sanji's mind was already wandering.
A lady pirate who loves sweets... what would THAT be like?
Luffy did the mental math—or tried to.
"Ten tons of sweets? That's... a lot."
Zoro cut to the heart of it.
"What happens if they can't deliver?"
Tamago's smile became something else entirely. His hands spread wide in a gesture that might have been acceptance—or might have been a warning.
"If delivery fails, the agreement is void."
His voice dropped.
"And then the warriors of the Big Mom Pirates arrive. Not to collect—to destroy. As punishment for breaking faith."
Luffy's expression changed instantly.
"DESTROY Fishman Island?!"
His voice rose, anger bleeding into every word.
"You're a bunch of bastards! Destroying an island over SNACKS?!"
He jabbed a finger toward the island behind him.
"This place JUST got saved!"
Pekoms stepped forward, teeth bared.
"You really don't understand anything, do you, brat?"
Tamago shook his head slowly.
"It seems you have no comprehension of what the Big Mom Pirates represent in the New World."
He reached for the teapot balanced on his head—
A ringing sound interrupted them.
Everyone turned to the Den Den Mushi sitting nearby. Its face had transformed, eyes widening, expression shifting to something that made even Pekoms freeze.
"It's... it's MAMA!" Pekoms' voice cracked.
Tamago's composure fractured.
"If we answer now, we'll definitely be scolded!"
The two pirates stared at each other, neither willing to reach for the receiver.
Finally, Tamago steeled himself. He stepped forward, hand extended—
Someone else got there first.
Luffy grabbed the receiver and held it to his ear.
"Moshi moshi!"
Pekoms and Tamago lunged for him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"HEY! DON'T—"
Luffy ignored them completely, speaking cheerfully into the phone.
"Hey! Is this Big Mom?"
On the other end of the line, a single enormous eye opened—bloodshot, ancient, and utterly terrifying.
"Hoh? It's not Pekoms or Tamago."
The voice that emerged was deep, feminine, and carried the weight of absolute authority.
"Ah... Monkey D. Luffy. The boy who claims he'll be Pirate King."
Pekoms and Tamago were still wrestling with Luffy, trying to pry the receiver from his grip.
"STOP IT!"
"YOU CAN'T JUST—"
On the phone, the voice laughed—a low, rumbling sound that held no warmth.
"Kohahaha! So you're Garp's grandson."
She paused.
"The boy who made such a fuss two years ago."
Luffy didn't acknowledge any of this. He had his own agenda.
"THE SWEETS!"
He shouted directly into the receiver.
"I ATE THEM ALL!"
On the other end, Big Mom's eye went wide.
"What did you say?!"
Saliva dripped from her lips, sizzling where it struck the ground.
Luffy grinned, oblivious to the danger.
"I said—I ate all the sweets!"
"Ten tons! All ten tons!"
His voice carried absolute certainty.
"I ATE EVERY SINGLE ONE!"
(End of Chapter)
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