The Great Candied Adventure, Part 15: Cold of the Underworld  

Chapter 15: Cold of the Underworld

Big Mom's stomach

"Nnn! Nnn! HEEEEY! LET ME OOOOOUT!" Sheila furiously banged on the inside of Big Mom's stomach, though it was pretty obvious Big Mom had no intention of listening. Sheila started punching the stomach with lightning-fast fists, making the stomach wobble as a result, but Sheila was losing more strength than Big Mom. She finally stopped and tried to catch her breath. She looked at her knuckles as faint Light Chi began to flow away, into Big Mom's flesh. She looked over and spotted Panini sat against the wall, almost completely drained of her strength. As her pale, frail body showed, Big Mom nearly sucked her dry of her Fire Chi.

Sheila decided to think about what her mom would do. She tried to think of any words of wisdom she might've divulged.

"Sheila, ya may be strong with yer fists, but don't forget, yer a bloomin' lightbender. Use that element for other things besides yer knuckles. I bet ya produce WAY more light than ya know. Just think about what gives it to ya, and you'll find out."

Recalling these words, Sheila held her hands in a ball-like fashion, channeling her chi in the center and forming a Light Sphere. She let it disband as some of the chi flowed into Big Mom. She thought carefully, knowing her light-filled body would be drained if she used it recklessly. She sat on the digestive puddle of the stomach, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes. What gives her her light power… she would think about this carefully.

Augustus's dungeon

Haruka furiously threw poison clouds around the room and fogged it, keeping the enemies at bay so she could destroy the Candy Virus in her system. She couldn't get far before Augustus flew over and kicked her away. She flew into a clear spot where more Licorice Snakes and Kill-Kats crept over, so Haruka channeled enough gas to burp Gas Bombs at them. She was caught unprepared when Augustus wrapped his arm around her neck from behind. "Come oooon. Don't resist the sugary goodness, Cous. Embrace it. Realize the rotting teeth."

Haruka bit his hand, forcing him to release as she lashed a Poison Whip across his chest, ripping his vest. She jumped back when Augustus threw kicks and blasted a beam of gas at his face, but he still held his breath and dodged around to kick her away. She recovered as Hamhurters jumped out of her gas cloud from behind and started pinning her to the ground, jumping on her back. "Come on, even the Hamhurters want you to embrace! It's in your blood, Haruka, your family heritage, accept it!"

"Yeah, my blood's a little screwy right now, anyway, so at times like these, a healthy dose of medicine is always important." She emitted more gas to push the Demon Sweets away and released another fog to escape into. She quickly pulled out a vial of purple potion and drank. She watched as the sugary parts of her skin slowly changed back. "Phew. It's nice to have a backup in case I can't heal in time." She felt Augustus coming and ducked his kick, grabbing a bundle of the gas floating around and throwing it at him. He protected himself with Armament Haki and jumped at Haruka with a double-punch, missing as he punched the ground, and continuing to chase her around the fog.

Bakery

"YEE-HOOOOOOOHHH!" Sir Knightly ran around like a crazy madman, trying to avoid Sir Chickie's giant sword. At the same time, Anti Guys jumped and kicked different areas of the giant knight, causing the chickies to fly off with their strength. Chris tried to step back and evade, but the Anti Guys soon outnumbered him and toppled his whole knight down. He landed on his rear as the Anti Guys surrounded and readied to attack him all together.

"Hold on, boys." They directed their attention to Lala as she hauled a huge sack. "Don't you want your dessert?" She plopped the sack on the ground, letting a hoard of Honey Candies spill out. The Shy Guys' eyes widened with love, charging over and piling on the candies, trying to tug them away from and punching each other.

Chris and Kirie walked over confusedly. "Um… what's up with them?" Chris asked.

"Anti Guys' favorite food is Honey Candy, and it makes them drop everything." Lala explained. "They're willing to fight each other for it."

They continued to watch as an Anti Guy forced another against the ground, one twisted another's hand, and another kicked one in the face. "HO-HOOOOOOHH it's MINE MINE MIIIINE." Sir Knightly dove into the scuffle as well, and the Anti Guys started to beat him.

"TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET!-" That's when the chickies started to chirp ecstatically.

"What's going on with them?" Lala questioned.

Chris's eyes widened. "Yuh-oh!"

Java river behind Whole Cake Mountain

Sandy kept hurriedly jumping logs as Tamago sliced them with the sword wrapped in his tongue, but it would be seconds until they reached the falls. She desperately wanted to rope something on the shore, but it was too far with nothing to grab onto, and with a quick flick of Tamago's tongue, Sandy was pushed into the falls. She quickly lashed a rope to wrap a log that was sticking from the falls, but saw the vast drop beyond her dangling feet.

She looked up as Tamago grabbed his current log and hauled it vertically, allowing him to stand on it as it remained still. "Hohn hohn! Zis road a pris fin for you, Missy! You leetle filly, vith your leetle cowboy rope, and your strap-on shoes… you zought you could beat Baron TAMAGO?? OOOHN?" He lashed his tongue to cut the base of Sandy's log, making a little crack that caused it to tilt. "Eeeeehh!" Another cut, and the log drew close to snapping. Sandy looked down with the greatest fear in her adorable eyes, but then grew a confident smirk.

The minute Tamago lashed down again, Sandy THREW her jump-rope up and wrapped Tamago's tongue, forcing it to wrap around her log. "EEEEHH!" He fell down, so Sandy seized the moment, wrapped her jump-rope around him again, and hauled herself up and over him, landing herself safely on his vertical log. She looked down and smirked viciously as he dangled from the near-snapping log.

"I think this cowgirl done roped you JUST fine! End of the line, f***wad." And she roped her lasso around her log, dropped down, and stomped Tamago's tongue before hauling herself up, the momentum causing his log to snap completely.

"POURQUUUUOOOOIIII…" He splashed into the river of chocolate below.

"Please don't tell my mom that I sweared." Sandy said to the camera with adorable round eyes.

Above Big Mom's mountain

Jessie and Pekoms' squabble continued in the sky as Jessie sent Bubble Bombs at the turtle-lion, who blocked with his shell and jumped the bubble platforms to reach the first-grader. During their jumping, they were actually drawing close to the gigantic candle on the mountaintop's center. Realizing this, Jessie jumped off Pekoms' head and up to a higher bubble, then to one more so the candle was behind Pekoms. "So running away from me huh, grrrrr!"

"No, but you'll be going away from me soon, Lion Bitch. Bubble Wrap Bombs!" Jessie whipped out a wide strap of bubble wrap, aiming the poppable plastic at Pekoms and popping them, causing strong wind gusts to blow the lion away.

Pekoms kept a firm stance on his bubble, but felt the air suddenly grow warmer. "Hehn?!" Feeling the red flares, he turned as the gigantic candle drew closer. "Nnn-nnn-EEEEEHH!" Pekoms frantically leaped to grab the higher bubbles, but his claws popped them, forcing him back onto the lower bubble.

"Let us end this with a BANG, bitches! With good old Gas Bubbles!" Jessie pulled out a carton of gasoline and dipped his wand in, blowing a series of kid-sized gas bubbles all around Pekoms and the candle. With nowhere to run, Pekoms shielded himself inside his shell, and with a terrific flash, the Gas Bubbles EXPLODED like fireworks, blowing Jessie's bubble away with the force and lighting the whole mountaintop. Pekoms fell and plopped into the giant, white frosting, his body torn and covered with soot, and his tongue drooped out from his gaping mouth.

"Hmph! And they say kids shouldn't watch cartoons. Well, who else are they made for, ***! Now time to go get Sandy." He formed a propeller on his bubble and let it breeze to the river behind the mountains.

Vice-Captain's Quarters

The swarms of pirates tried to defend, but Aurora blew through them all as a fiery tornado. "Huff, I wonder how the others are doing." she said as she kept running. "They've probably encountered the other officers by now. I just hope we'll be able to meet up again. Only our training will tell."

She turned into a barren hallway where Mariachis ambushed and threw bones, but she swiftly flew around with her flaming leg aimed and shattered the bones. A door rested at the end of the hall, and Aurora knew her enemy waited behind it. When she drew closer, she saw it was labeled Vice-Captain, and immediately knew who it was. With another spin of her fiery body, she flew and kicked the door wide open.

"Ya know, I'm not against knockin'." Black John said, his back turned to her. "Just because me mates showed you a rude welcoming, don't take it out on me." He drank a jug of soda.

"Well, you weren't very kind to me back on Loompa Land. Thought I should return the favor."

"Is that so." He turned to her and blew his candle cigar. "Then I await such a favor ye owe me." He grinned with his rotten teeth.

"I wonder, John, why DID you sign up with Big Mom, anyway? An infamous pirate of your stature would never lower himself to another captain without reason."

"Yer a bright one, Ay'll give ya that, Lassie. True, I do have me reasons for workin' under Big Mom. Reasons that I hope to accomplish as soon as this whole ordeal is over. Ay'll be honest, though… I have strong faith in yer captain's abilities. Surely she is at equal grounds with Big Mom. By the time their fight is done, Ay'm sure Big Mom will feel very worn either way. I'd hate to imagine something… happening to her." His rotten grin widened.

"Hmph… so that's how it is, huh."

"Aye… but you are just a minor stepping stone. For my plans to fall through, I must dispose of ye first. This time, I will show no mercy in feeding you to the hungry ghouls of the Underworld. Tell me, Girl… what have you to show this time?"

Aurora smirked. Since he was so curious… she would show him.

"Well, it's good to hear old Wolf's doing alright." Nigel said after Aurora told him the N.E.C.S.U.S. story. "Glad we can still continue the tradition." He winked.

"Hm hm hm! Also, Dad, when I was fighting him, something weird happened. I picked up some Ice Flower during the fight and got its powers. They wore off, but, every now and then, I just feel a little cold. I also picked up a Fire Flower briefly, too."

"Hmmm. They sound like what our old friend, Mario uses. The plumber, I mean. I was a little curious, so I asked if anyone could use those flowers. He said those Element Flowers could mainly be used by people who bend those elements. He and Luigi are firebenders, so that's why it makes them strong."

"But how was I able to control ice so easily?"

"The truth is, some benders are actually born with two elements. One that comes right away, and the other that lays more hidden, and needs some help getting out. The Ice Flower may've done that. I think the meaning behind it is, we're demon-blooded, the Underworld is a land of darkness, and Ice is generally a Dark Side of Water. It could be that your Cold Chi originates from the coldness of the Underworld. Not that that's a bad thing, 'cause if you learned to awaken it, it could be a valuable weapon."

And thus, Aurora knew where to train.

"I harness my ice powers from the coldness of the Underworld." Brook explained, holding his sword. "In the deepest darkness, I sit and meditate, and let the coldness flow. I draw in the evils of those around me, of those I'm fighting, and make it into my own force of power. As one who's been to the Underworld, it's become a simple task. For one whose blood originates from the Underworld… let's see where your power lies."

Aurora sat in meditation and focused. She put any sense of her Fire Chi aside, and tried to feel only the coldness in her heart. Clashing with Black John, and falling to his Underworld power… it gave her a stronger touch with this coldness. The dampness and darkness of the cave made a chill run down her spine. Now that she's sealed her flame paths, she felt only cold, shivering. It was almost unbearable, and she felt she might even freeze. And a moment later, she practically did.

"In my right hand: Fire!" She held her right hand open as a flame appeared in it. "And in my LEFT hand: ICE!" In her left hand, a blue ice flame. "PUT 'EM BOTH together AND:" She sent a spiraling beam of both elements at John, but the man jumped and avoided.

"So, yer a double-bender. And ya've come back with moxy, I see. But we'll see if ya have the strength to keep up with yer captain. Indeed, we be two vice-leaders who once were in command, but that shall change with me soon. Should Big Mom ever fall, I will take command." he said with an evil grin.

"So you will, then. I wonder if we relate in that sense. Even though I'm going back to being leader after this, I'm proud to be under Sheila's command. She has what every team needs: spirit. Something every KND operative needs. That's why we could never be a team without her. And that's why… SHE'LL KICK BIG MOM'S BUTT!!" (Play Slag's Battle Theme from Ratchet: Tools of Destruction!)

Boss fight: Black John Licorice

"SHAVE!" Black John zipped behind Aurora and tried to punch, but she rolled aside and tossed iceballs, which he blocked with his lollipop coat. She jumped overhead and shot a beam of fire at his head, but he still blocked and Moon Walked up to her, kicking her across the room. He zipped over and attempted to Finger Pistol, but she slid under his legs and shot ice straight up, able to freeze the man. She spun in a fire torpedo and launched, smashing the ice and forcing John against the wall. The drill lasted for a few seconds until Aurora hopped away, but John was still fine. "Very impressive, but ye'll be showing me nothing 'less ya've been to the dead and back. GHOULS!" He ripped open a dark portal, letting a band of ghost Mariachi skeletons in.

Aurora dodged the Mariachis bones and shot flames back, but the ghosts wrapped arms around and pulled her upwards. "Grrrr!" She broke her left hand free. "Ice Chi Gate, open!" She punched her left foot, and her body became engulfed in frosty ice. She released a burst that shook the ghosts off, then blasted more ice to freeze them. She dodged when John lunged at her, and fired a powerful ice beam that forced him against the wall. She stopped and flew at him with a forceful kick across the face. John ripped a rift open on the ground, making Underhands burrow beneath and threaten to pull Aurora down. Unable to shake free, Aurora channeled a huge burst of ice and unleashed it, freezing the room solid.

"Whoa!" Black John nearly slipped. "Heh! Nice try, but a real man o' the sea rarely needs his legs!" Black John kept over the ice with a Moon Walk, while Aurora weakened after her power wore off. Black John kicked her in the face and slid her across the ice. "Surprised a wee toddler like yerself doesn't need her arms." Aurora tried to get up, but slipped on the ice. "Er… maybe she does."

Aurora gritted her teeth and launched at John with a rocket blast, but he jumped her and tossed Lollidarts, sticking Aurora's back. She slid to a halt and pulled the darts out, throwing them back, and when John smacked them away, she flew around his right and threw fireballs. He still defended and zipped over to do a Finger Pistol, but Aurora quickly kicked off his face and escaped overhead. "Time to warm things up in here. Flame Gate, open!" She touched her chest and erupted in flames, throwing a furious storm of fireballs that Black John struggled to block, until Aurora flew behind and kicked the back of his head.

John crashed against the wall and used Shaves to avoid Aurora's onslaught of fire, then managed to get behind her, grab the back of her neck, and throw her against the wall. He ran to throw a punch, but Aurora flew to the center and unleashed beams of fire from both hands, spinning around and burning a perfect cut through the wall. Black John stayed ducked as the ceiling collapsed, quickly escaping into one of his rifts. Aurora's flames dispelled as she gasped for breath, then burnt a hole in the floor to drop into a lower room. She searched around, and quickly turned when Black John appeared from his rift behind. "Arrrr ye be losing my interest with yer tomfoolery. The Underworld ghouls be callin' yer name. …So why keep them waiting?" Black John clapped his hands together as darkness sprouted from his form and across the ground. Zombies and skeletons rose from the depths, hungry for Aurora's succulent flesh.

Terrified, Aurora shot flames at the ghouls and ran further away. "Come on, Aurora, don't forget your training, remember your own family's bonds with the Underworld, and not become a zombie plaything!" She whipped around and froze the floor, and the zombies with it, then began throwing mighty flame kicks to shatter them. She was taken by surprise when a dark ghost phased through her right arm, and looked in horror when her arm shriveled to near skeletal thinness. A ghost touched her legs as well, and she fell to her knees.

"Ha ha har! Why worry about diets when one o' my Grim Ghoulies can shrink ya ta near lifelessness. Know the true darkness of the Sanzu River, Lassie."

Before the ghosts could take another swing, Aurora channeled frosty energy in her left hand, and blasted straight down so an extending ice pole could push her straight up and through the fallen ceiling of the previous room. Now on a higher floor, Aurora hurried into a hallway, but a rift opened on the floor as a hand reached up to grab her foot. Aurora shot a flame to get free, watching as Black John emerged again. "Lucky fer you, Grim Ghoulies' effects only last 10 seconds. Ay'll have to improve on that." Black John sent more Grim Ghoulies that Aurora desperately kept away with flames.

"Ice Gate, open!" Aurora stomped her foot to make the Ice Chi surround her body. With that, she skied all around the walls and ceiling and away from John, leaving a frosty trail in her wake. The vice-captain appeared from a rift ahead of her, making her dodge behind and shoot an ice beam. She jumped further ahead and started launching a series of icicle bullets.

"Paper Art!" Light as paper, John nimbly dodged the icicles, and when Aurora followed with horizontal and vertical ice slices, John performed a Shave and got behind her. "Finger Pistol!" Her eyes widened when John's fingers jabbed her rear. "Add-on sentence: 200 Years Will Do." She flew across the hall, bouncing along the floor before recovering on her feet, until John Shaved beside her and punched her against the wall. She appeared unconscious, though her Ice Fury was still active, so John approached for a Finger Pistol to finish. But her ice secretly spread along the ground, and when John was over it, Aurora quickly threw her hand up to make an icicle rise through his foot, then proceeded to jump and kick his face, pushing him to the parallel wall.

"Huff, huff…" The Ice Fury wore off, leaving Aurora to catch her breath again.

"Fer someone who's only had 2 days ta get used to their new element, yer mastery is arguably decent. But Ay've drunk with a lass 'ose blood-sugar levels were FAR greater than yer wee chi."

Aurora shot both elements that John defended, then ran around the man to keep shooting ice and fireballs. "Flame Gate!" She alit with flames again and launched at John as a fiery torpedo. John defended with his spiked cape and Shaved behind, throwing quick Lollidarts that Aurora easily burned with her flames. She tossed a barrage of fireballs that John evaded with Paper Art, then leaped above the pirate to blast a fire beam down, but John dodged and tore a rift that sent ghosts at Aurora.

Her Fire Fury gave her enhanced speed, letting her dodge the ghosts as she tried furiously to hit John with fireballs. When he kept dodging, she spun in a torpedo and blasted down the hall, creating a wall of fire, then down the opposite way, creating another wall. With the two sealed inside, Aurora forced both walls to shoot fire to the center, setting John aflame.

Eventually the flames vanished, and Aurora's form cooled down. Black John was still standing, steaming with soot and glaring viciously. "That's it. Time I drag us BOTH to the depths." He tore open a rift large enough to suck them inside. They appeared inside a netherworld swimming with ghouls, where Aurora felt her strength fading. She quickly shot flames at Underhands trying to reach for her, and saw Black John grinning evilly ahead. She spun in a fire torpedo and launched, shattering the man into pieces. But to her astonishment, the man reformed as a body of black licorice.

"You…You ARE cursed??"

"Nay… but thanks to the curse, I was the perfect vessel for the Ghoul-Ghoul Fruit. I can jump between this world and the next as a half-cursed scurvy, and TAKE the unfortunate ones with me. And once yer strength reaches its end, YOU'LL become a bein' of black licorice, too."

The Grim Ghoulies phased through her body, and she started shriveling like an old lady. She spread ice along the ground to keep the ghouls back, followed by fire, but they were still creeping through. She propelled herself up with another ice pole, then kicked her feet to fly a few yards with a Rocket Boost. She lasted for 10 seconds so her flesh would puff back.

"Sigh… Only got one shot at this… it's now or never. Fire and Ice Chi Gates, open!" In a flash, she was engulfed in both elements empowering her form. She skied around the dark wasteland quickly, freezing any ghoul in her path, then focused both elements on Black John. The licorice pirate rose Mariachis to block the powers, and waved his arms to make the ghoul-covered ground spiral and rise. He stood atop a massive entity with a big, glowing mouth and glowing eyes, compiled of many ghouls who have fallen to the Underworld. The demon slammed its fists to smash Aurora, but the girl skied, dodged, and blasted fire-ice balls at its face.

It punched its right fist, but Aurora froze it, then melted with fire, proceeding to ski up the arm and freeze it along the way. She leaped above John and tried to come down as a drill, but the entity smacked her several meters, then warped in her path to catch her in its left hand. It roared at her furiously and charged a beam, but Aurora focused her own strength and froze the hand, smashing it as well. She took land and began to ski up and around the monster, once again leaving an icy trail before leaping high above. She spun like a drill and shot directly into the monster's mouth. From there, she drilled underneath and to the dark world's core. Black John looked confused as his beast turned to solid ice, as did the rest of the ghoulish ground. Red light then shone from beneath the ice, and in seconds, a great burst of fire erupted everywhere.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" For Black John, it felt like sitting on a hot hot sun.

Aurora shot out of the darkness, along with Black John. After so much ice and heat, the pirate was down for good. "Hoo… I could go for a… Capri-Sun right about now." Aurora sighed, her body steaming. (End song.)

"Euuuh… blimey… Ay've not faced a match like that since… Young Miss Abby." John moaned.

"Hn hn!" Aurora grinned slightly.

"Eeeh… yer captain be a lucky one… if she be twice as strong as that… Big Mom… may feel a little sour. It's unfortunate that… I won't be around to see that. …Ehhhh." He fainted.

Aurora looked as another dark rift opened, and Al Sugarh fell out. "AAAAHH! Wh-What day is it?!" He looked frantic. "I couldn't tell TIME in that place! So very scary!" He shuddered.

"Hm hm hm! Just don't go ransacking anymore pyramids. Now then… I wonder how far the others are."

Once upon a time, a single captain aimed to become the King of Candy Pirates. To achieve his goal, he planned to infiltrate the crew of the strongest Candy Pirate in the world… and assassinate her when the time was right. After observing her strength and power up close, he thought he could never match up to it. His secret, internal doubt ultimately made him weak, no matter how strong he became. With no strong loyalty to his captain, he never had the passion. He hoped someone strong enough would come along and do it for him… and hasn't trained anymore for that reason.

Arrrr… if only I had as much moxy… as their captain…

Cleveland, Virginia

Cheren kept his shield raised as Bobbin didn't stop swinging his blade for one second. Unfortunately, the chubby commander managed to knock the Hylian Shield away, followed by Cheren's sword before kicking the boy to his rear. Bobbin raised his blade high and proclaimed, "I-I-It's the e-e-end for you, no-o-o-ow. Mmmmm boyoyoyoyoyoooon."

But right then, Francis ran up from behind and BASHED the back of Bobbin's head with the Sacred Casket. Cheren helped himself up as Larry MayHence hurried over. "S-Sir! Uh, you dropped these." He handed Cheren his glasses.

Cheren smiled in thanks and took the specs, clearing his vision of Bobbin. Francis then plopped the Sacred Casket before him. "I ran to your house and got this for you, too."

Cheren smacked the gem and flashed the casket open, the Three Sacred Treasures appearing on his form. Bobbin began another series of bouncing beams, but Cheren used his Mirror Shield to bounce them back right at Bobbin. "Time to try something NEW! Three Sacred FUSION!" He stuck the Master Sword through the Mirror Shield's handles, and latched a Light Arrow in with them as well. He raised the blade skyward, letting the heaven's light flow in. When the sword beamed, the light flowed into the Mirror Shield and Light Arrow as well, causing a blinding source of light. Bobbin withstood the light and whirled his sword in the air, charging a powerful beam of his own. When both swords were ready, their wielders unleashed the beams with full force and power. They connected and exploded the land in light.

"Mmmmmm-booooiiiiinnng." Bobbin was seen flying across the air, his sword shattered and his clothes torn and bloody. He landed against the side of a house and plopped on the ground, the grin still spread across his unconscious form.

Cheren detached the Treasures and twirled his blade, sheathing it, Francis and Larry staring with amazement. "That takes CARE of THAT."

"Come on, we still gotta wipe out the monsters!" Francis yelled.

"Right!" They ran off to finish the job. "What's the status on the rest of the operatives?"

"I think they have it all taken care of!"

…

About a hundred bodies lay defeated on the town outskirts. Some were operatives, but the rest were pirates. The Enraged Army lay amongst the battle-scarred field. Those who remained standing stood proud with victory. "YYYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH!" They used the last of their strength to cheer… before collapsing on their bottoms. The KND earned this victory by working together. Everyone pulled their weight, no matter how big or small, and these piles of pirates were the result.

Sirens rang in the air: a swarm of GUN trucks and helicopters came surrounding the zone. "HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP!" The soldiers marched out in synchronicity, hauled up the pirates, and loaded them onto their vehicles. Several pirates were too large, so they were properly chained up before the helicopters lifted them away.

Augustus's dungeon

Haruka and Augustus were still engaged in their little chase-battle, with Haruka blowing the Demon Sweets away with gas and dodging Augustus's hits. Once again, the teen kicked the side of her head and knocked her against the wall. "Heh! You may be full of gas, but I'm just one slick candle you can't blow up, baby! Any minute, I'll have you infected- Nnn…" He slumped and held his left arm, noticing that his hand had turned sugary. "Wh-What the?…"

"Ah HA!! Joke's on YOU, Sugar Boy!" laughed Haruka. "When I bit your hand earlier, I transferred some of the virus using my powers! NOW who's embracing the sugary goodness?"

"Heh! You think this scares me? My belly was full of sweets from the start, I'll accept this virus like my Siamese brother!" He ran and threw a forceful punch at Haruka, but missed as he hit the wall. "Owowow!" He gripped his sore knuckles. "What the heck?! My Armament Haki's not working!"

"If I may offer a conjecture, I would say that being able to fight well results with a healthy diet, including the will to use Haki. It's amazing you could already do so with your unhealthy body, but I think this virus just took the cake."

"Gnnnn!" He raised his other fist and wanted to punch, but the virus kept him from channeling enough strength.

With no hesitation, Haruka furiously whipped him with Poison Whips and small gas puffs, forcing him backward. "I know you teen boys like girls, but I wouldn't get a whiff of THESE panties!" And with that, she turned around, pulled her dress up, bent down to aim her rear, and 'POOOOOOT' unleashed an intoxicating ray of gas at his face.

"Cough cough, huaf, huff!" He slumped against the wall and desperately gasped for breath.

"And by the way, big kids shouldn't be picking on little kids." She put her hands on her hips with a scolding glare. "I'm telling your mommy." But right then, the room started to quake to stomps, Haruka looking around.

The wall on her left was instantly blown down, and Big Mom stomped in with her lustful drool and furious eyes. Haruka jumped away in fright as the hag stared, then focused her sights on Augustus. "Augustuuuus! What happeeeeened?!"

"Nnn, she… kinda gassed me Mom, I… got the Candy Virus!"

"Nnnnnn…" She looked again at Haruka, who seemed to show no fear. "Neeeehh… a minor setback. Let's GO, Augustus."

The boy weakly stood and followed the woman as she stomped down the hall, and Haruka calmly kept far behind. "How is the cake? Is it finally ready?"

"Can't you SMEEEELL it, Augustus? I feel the last ounces of icing going on. Oh, I cannot WAIT any longer!"

"Me neither! We can finally go on to Candied Planet, right?"

"CERTAINLY, Augustus! With the power I'll get from such a delicacy, I'll infect this whole planet in no time! The mountains will become ice cream, the soil and magma chocolate, and all that ANNOYING salt in the sea will become the tastiest sugar! Ho-o-o-o-o, it will be a true paradise!"

Haruka gasped quietly.

"W-Wait a second…" Augustus stuttered. "Infecting Earth? When was THAT part of the plan?"

"MAAAA MA MAAA! Don't you get it now? There's no such THING as Candied Planet! At least, not yet! But sometimes, Augustus, dreams can become a reality. When my virus spreads to the Earth's core, we can create the endless utopia that is Candied Planet! We will live off of candy for years and years, as it's in our bloodstream, while ALL THE OTHERS DIE of starvation! It will be a planet which WE rule, and NEVER worry about weakness or fatigue again!"

"But it's not a new planet! It's…It's Earth! The very same Earth that's, well… candified! What about everyone that lives there? THEY might not like it!"

"MAAA MA MAAA! OF COURSE they won't like it! That is why WE will be the strongest in the world! ALL BEINGS will become WORMS that serve as our breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"

"That wasn't what this was about! We wanted to find Candied Planet to explore it! See everything it had to offer! It was about the adventure, not RULING everyone!"

"Meeeehh! Are you really that dense, Augustus? If your whole life is set to nothing but adventures, YOU'LL amount to NOTHING! The meaning of life is CRUSHING all those before you, and marking yourself in history as someone great, or someone FEARED. It is about being strong… the very reason I taught you Armament Haki. And I will live forever, as the creator of Candy Planet, and the supreme being who dominated ALL mortals! Mah ma ma ma! And to continue such a legacy… I have invited you."

"No way I could go along with something like that! Is THIS why my mom left you??"

"She left because she was AFRAID. Afraid of what our ancestry held. She was meant to be my legacy… but Davy Jones ruined it when he saved her from the virus… but you, my grandson, will continue it! With the virus now in your bloodstream, our family will live on! But first…" She took a great whiff through her big nose. "I smell something… a smellish smell… a smelly smell that smells… smellyyyyy. Huuuu!" Her pupils shrunk, and eyes trembled. "The caaaaake. I want the CAAAAKE!" She continued to stomp away.

Haruka strongly wanted to stop her, but knew she couldn't take her on. …She instantly remembered something. "HEY, wait! Wasn't SHEILA kicking your butt??"

"Sheilaaaaa?!" Big Mom turned. "Earlier today, I enjoyed a NICE, squished raccoon sandwich! Would THAT have any connection?"

"HUU!" Haruka gasped.

"MA MA MA! Your captain is DEAD! Face it, girl. Your faith was misplaced. A child that was already ruined by her failure as a mother, stood no chance against my strength. Soon, she will be completely settled in my stomach, and her delicious chi will belong to me. I can reign over Candied Planet as its very sun, with my immeasurable sugar! And maybe I will deliver her remains to her mother, to SEE how she's FAILED."

She continued forward, leaving Haruka struck speechless. Was Sheila really no more? As strong as she is, she could easily break out of Big Mom's stomach if she were eaten. Unless… she ate her in pieces. The thought of Sheila's severed limbs lying scattered and decaying in Big Mom's stomach made Haruka shudder. She didn't want to believe it was true. And just how would Mason feel if he knew this? She couldn't bear to see her brother in that much pain. "N-No… Sheila! …YOU CAN'T LET IT END LIKE THIIIIIS!"

After a few more steps, Big Mom stopped. "Mah? Nnnnnee…" An aching feeling appeared in her stomach. "Nnnn-neeeehh!…" It rumbled crazily, with the one meal that was too much to chew. "BLEAAAAHHH!" A stream of chewed candies flew out of her mouth. Slowly standing from the center of the puddle, covered in the barf, was Sheila Frantic. Haruka became awash in joy; her faith was in the right place. And in Sheila's arms was Panini Drilovsky's drained body. She lightly set the Irish on the floor before turning to Big Mom with a smirk.

After shaking the barf off, Sheila bent forward with her left leg raised high above her. The hallway lit as her left foot completely covered with golden chi, a huge amount waiting to be unleashed. She kept still and let the energy build, then leapt to Big Mom's face with the leg still raised. With the greatest force, she swung her foot and BLEW Charlotte away with a powerful beam of light. She flew straight back down the hall and SMASHED against the wall in the room where Augustus and Haru previously fought.

"MaaaaAAAA-" Big Mom got up quickly and coughed something huge from her mouth. It quaked and bounced on the floor, and they saw it was a huge tooth. Big Mom felt in her teeth and realized the huge gap that now existed.

Sheila approached her coolly, passing Haruka. "Oi, take care of them." Haruka eagerly nodded and ran to aid Augustus and Panini. Sheila faced Big Mom again and clapped her knuckles together. Mom's pupils shrunk when Sheila's body lit with a golden light. "You were right, Mum… I was pretty stupid attackin' you with brute force. It's just like what me mum told me. And she's the smart one. As a lightbender, I needed ta make better use of my element. And ta do that, I needed ta learn why I got this powuh ta begin with. Ta think it took me so long. It shoulda been obvious. Can ya guess what it is, Mum?"

"Nnnnnnn!" She only made Big Mom furious.

"Life may not be all about adventures… but it's a hell of a lot better than eating CANDY all day! As dumb as I am, I'm glad to be the free little sheila that I am. I'm proud to follow in me mum's footsteps. 'Cause although I may not do well in school… I always know one thing:" She smirked as her body seemed to shine brighter. "I'm no weatherman… but today's forecast calls for a sunny day! With a strong chance of raccoons rainin' ALL around the region of Big Mum! I'M A BLOOMIN' LIGHTBENDER, BABY! AND I'LL BLOOM ALL OVER YOU!!"