Chapter 345: Family Threat, Big Mom's Tea Party  

"We—" 

Capone Bege had just opened his mouth when Pekoms cut him off. 

"Let me explain. Our original goal was to 'lead' the Straw Hat crew to Whole Cake Island and then wipe you out all at once." 

! 

"Pekoms, you—?" 

"Bege, I told you to call me 'senpai'!" 

Pekoms, in his pink suit and sunglasses, turned to glare at Capone Bege with a fierce expression. The mafia-like Capone Bege took a deep drag from his cigar and said, 

"So, are you planning to betray 'Mama'?" 

"...We just failed to catch up to the Straw Hat Pirates. That's all we need to report." 

Pekoms wiped his eyes under his sunglasses and looked seriously at Capone Bege. 

"I'll take full responsibility for the consequences." 

"Useless fool—" 

Letting emotions get in the way of a mission—what an idiot! If he were one of Capone Bege's own men, he'd have been shot already... 

"Hmm?" 

Seeing the Straw Hat crew looking at him with curious expressions, Capone Bege held back the urge to shoot Pekoms right then and there.

The Straw Hats' recent feats had already spread across the New World. 

Just two years after their return, they had taken down one of the Seven Warlords, "Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo, while also forcing back Jack, one of Kaido's "Calamities," and escaping Big Mom's forces. Their reputation was through the roof. 

What rookie pirate would dare provoke two Emperors of the Sea right after entering the New World? 

While the Straw Hats might think they were just defending themselves, to outsiders, their actions seemed like a carefully planned strategy. Every move was executed like a thunderous landslide, and their "ambitions" were clear as day. After taking down Doflamingo, they even brought several high-bounty pirates under their banner. Then, they sacrificed over a hundred pirate ships to mark the formation of the "Straw Hat Grand Fleet," a move so ruthless that many feared them. 

Right now, in the New World, many factions were already comparing the Straw Hats to the Whitebeard Pirates and considering them strong contenders for the title of "Fifth Emperor." 

There were all sorts of exaggerated rumors going around, even making Roman impressed by the sheer imagination of these groups. 

Of course, Roman was the only one in the crew aware of all this. 

With CP0, led by Rob Lucci, now working for him and keeping a close eye on the entire New World, Roman had all the latest intelligence. 

If the rest of the crew knew that the world saw them as strong contenders for the title of "Fifth Emperor," who knows how they would react? 

"I don't really get what you're talking about," Luffy said, reaching out a hand to Pekoms. 

"But we're not enemies right now, are we?" 

"...No, we're not!"

"Hehehe, then let's all join the banquet together~~" 

Watching Luffy turn enemies into friends in an instant, Capone Bege narrowed his eyes. This Straw Hat kid is really something… No wonder he dares to go against two of the Four Emperors at the same time. Looks like I need to start making my moves too. Otherwise, as one of the Worst Generation, I'd be a joke if I just sat back and did nothing. 

"Bege, are you joining the banquet too?" 

Facing Roman, who wore a mask covering the upper half of his face, the so-called "invitation" was more like a polite way of telling him to leave. Capone Bege took out his cigar, turned around, and walked away. 

"No need. We're not close enough to be sharing a meal." 

Tsk, what a shame. 

The Castle-Castle Fruit is actually pretty powerful—turning a person into a walking fortress. 

But Roman wasn't some battle-crazed maniac who fought everyone on sight. Since Bege chose to leave, he wouldn't go after him. 

——— 

After that little interruption, the banquet continued for a while longer, but most of the injured people couldn't keep up. Even though the Mink Tribe had strong bodies, their injuries were just as severe. So, after having a little fun, Chopper ordered them all to go back and rest. 

The day passed quickly, and as night fell— 

Whoosh. 

A shadow slipped out of the Straw Hat Crew's room, silently moving toward the nearby forest. If not for the brief glimpse of his long figure flashing by, no one would have even heard a sound. His steps were proof of his incredible footwork. 

"Come out," 

After avoiding the Mink Tribe's guards and moving far away from their village, the figure finally stopped. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and spoke calmly. 

"As expected of someone from the Straw Hat Crew, even a cook has such impressive silent steps." 

Wrapped in a long coat and dressed like a mafia boss, Capone Bege stepped out from behind a large tree. 

"Don't compare me to assassins." 

As the cigarette ember lit up his face, Sanji exhaled. 

"I just didn't want to wake my crewmates. Now, hand it over." 

Seeing Sanji extend his hand, Capone Bege opened his palm, revealing a small, fluttering piece of paper. 

A Vivre Card! 

"Even if I give you this piece, every high-ranking member of Big Mom's crew still has their own. There's no running away from this." 

Sanji was silent for a few seconds. 

"Did you… get my Vivre Card from *that* person?" 

Pekoms hadn't hidden the truth about how they tracked down the Straw Hat Crew. 

"*That person*? Sounds like things aren't too great with your family." 

Capone Bege smirked. 

"That's not good. If a family isn't united, how can they accomplish anything big?" 

With that, he flicked the small Vivre Card forward, letting it drift toward Sanji. Then, with a twist of his wrist, another piece of paper appeared between his fingers—an invitation. 

"Pekoms was too soft to carry out the mission, but I'm not interested in facing Big Mom's wrath. *This* is what we actually came to deliver." 

"What is this?" 

Sanji opened the invitation, and as he read it, his entire body froze. 

"?! It's an invitation to Big Mom's tea party. And the main event…" 

"The wedding." 

"The groom: Vinsmoke Sanji, the third son of the Vinsmoke family." 

"The bride: Charlotte Pudding, the 35th daughter of the Charlotte family." 

What?! 

Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth in shock. He had assumed that the Big Mom Pirates and his scumbag father had some shady deal going on… but he never expected— No, wait. Maybe this *marriage itself* was part of the deal. 

"Congratulations." 

"?! Who's there?!" 

Both Sanji and Capone Bege tensed up in an instant! 

The difference was that Bege's body suddenly sprouted dozens of tiny openings, revealing miniature people inside, each aiming their guns and cannons in all directions. 

Meanwhile, Sanji sighed after a moment of tension. 

"Roman, what are you doing here?"

"...Shouldn't this be my problem? Sneaking out in the middle of the night, not to meet a beautiful woman, but to chat with an old man—" 

A white pigeon gently flapped its wings and landed on Sanji's shoulder, tilting its head as it tapped the invitation in his hand. 

"Sanji, you always act so laid-back, but the moment you hear 'marriage,' you look like you're walking to your execution." 

"By the way, you don't have to worry about the bride being some kind of weirdo. Charlotte Pudding, 16 years old, a petite brunette beauty. Sanji, you're getting a great deal here~~~" 

"...Now's not the time for this, is it?" 

"True." 

The pigeon perched on Sanji's shoulder turned its head toward Capone Bege, who stood on guard nearby. It casually smoothed its feathers with its beak. 

"So, your 'mission' is to deliver this wedding invitation, huh?" 

"If Sanji goes with you, there's no way the Straw Hat Pirates will just sit back and do nothing. They'll definitely head to Whole Cake Island, and the Big Mom Pirates can just wait for them to arrive..." 

At the same time, the Vinsmoke family, as the other party in this wedding, would also step into Big Mom's territory. Taking over both the Vinsmoke family and the Straw Hats... what a plan, Charlotte Linlin. You really underestimate people. 

As a sharp glint flashed through the pigeon's eyes, Capone Bege, instead of staying on guard, eased his stance. 

"The moment I hand this invitation to 'Vinsmoke Sanji,' my job is already half done. As for the other half—" 

Returning to his usual composed 'godfather' demeanor, Bege continued, 

"Vinsmoke brat, my job is to show you this invitation and then take you to the wedding. Whether you want to or not was never a factor in our plans." 

A photograph flicked through the air toward Sanji. He caught it and, upon seeing the image, his expression changed dramatically. 

Standing in the center was Zeff, the serious-faced owner of the Baratie. Beside him, Patty grinned while pointing to the "Violent Waiter" Carne, who proudly held up a new wanted poster. 

Behind them stood the floating restaurant Baratie, with a giant sign featuring a "Duval-style" Sanji portrait—complete with a golden frame. 

If Sanji ever returned to East Blue, this would be an absolute social death moment. 

But— 

"...How did you even find this out?" 

"Stupid question." 

Seeing Sanji's pale face and trembling hands, Capone Bege knew he'd already won. 

"Our boss is none other than the 'world's best intelligence gatherer,' Big Mom. There's nothing she can't find out—" 

"That's a lie." 

The pigeon on Sanji's shoulder scoffed, cutting Bege off. 

"If Charlotte Linlin were really that impressive, I'd love to hear what she's found out about me." 

"...Ahem. Anyway, the choice is yours, Vinsmoke Sanji." 

"I'm not one for threats, but the moment this landed in your hands, you were already sitting at the table. Anyone who dares to reject Big Mom's tea party invitation... always receives a 'small gift.'" 

A cruel smile spread across Capone Bege's face. 

"A gift box... with someone's severed head inside!" 

Hmph. An old trick, but highly effective. 

This world is full of powerful figures—Three Admirals, the Four Emperors, the Revolutionary Army—all famous names. But when it comes to their wives and children? Not even intelligence agencies have a clue. And the reason? 

Just look at what happened to Admiral Zephyr. 

You can be strong, but your family can't all be as strong as you. 

They might not be able to hurt you, but can you say the same for your loved ones? That's why the families of the Three Admirals are classified information in the Marines. Even Garp had to secretly send Luffy and Ace to East Blue to be raised. Kaido, despite treating Yamato like a son, still put explosive shackles on her to keep her from running wild...

The stronger someone is, the more they try to act like they have no attachments. Otherwise, things end up like this: 

"Roman, sorry." 

"Please tell Luffy something for me." 

"...Just say I'm going to see a woman." 

As Sanji slowly walked toward Capone Bege, the white dove flapped its wings and took off. 

"Hey, Sanji." 

"I'm not going to comment on your decision to handle this alone. I've done the same kind of stupid thing before." 

Just like back in Alabasta. "But do you really think Luffy is going to just let you go?" 

"...Sorry, Roman. I... my mind is a mess right now." 

Having your own family threatened would shake anyone. The white dove nodded in understanding. 

"Alright, I'll pass your message along. But—" 

"Charlotte Linlin's tea party, huh?" 

The white dove turned to look at Capone Bege, its cold gaze making the mafia boss momentarily freeze. 

"Then you pass a message to that old lady for us too." 

"She'd better prepare an extra table of desserts. Otherwise—" 

"We'll blow up Whole Cake Island!" 

(End of Chapter)

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