Deal with the Don

Bege laid out the entire plan.

After destroying the portrait of a woman called Mother Carmel, Big Mom would become so distraught that her unconscious protective haki would be compromised. There would then be a small window in which they could use the poison launchers to pierce her skin.

"We'll be the ones to do the killing, so you're going to be the distraction, Straw Hat. You just need to break the picture and we'll make our move, then you can save the Vinsmokes," Bege explained. "Nobody will be able to stop us, because Big Mom's scream will paralyze them, and we'll have the invisible symphonia system here."

Bege produced a pair of normal ear plugs, getting skeptical looks in return.

"Hold on a minute! Why does it have to be Luffy? You just want to use him as bait!" Nami complained.

"No, I'll do it. I thought up the perfect way to make an entrance, shishishishi!" Luffy laughed.

"Oh oh, what are you going to do? Will it be fun?" Chopper asked him.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise," Luffy smiled widely at him.

"After the job is done come the tricky part; the getaway. Fortunately, you've brought us just the people to make it possible. Cheapshot there can carry Brulee and let us escape into the Mirro-world without any chance of pursuit," Bege smiled. That part in particular had been troublesome, so he was glad to have a solution handed to him on a silver platter.

"Wait wait wait, I'M the escape plan? How's that fair?!" Cherry complained this time.

"Sounds perfect to me. It's the most important part of the plan and there's no one more reliable than you," Nami said.

"I know that, but what if these goobers fuck it all up! For all we know, they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Which is important since their target is the size of a barn," Cherry said.

"My men could thread a needle with a cannonball. Their competency isn't in question here," Bege defended, causing his men to go misty eyed from the praise.

"Whatever. The point is, what's plan B when things go horribly wrong?" Cherry asked.

"You think plans to kill an emperor of the sea grow on trees? This is our one shot and I'm taking it. Fortune favors the bold," Bege spoke confidently.

"..." Cherry thought that this guy was nuts, then she smiled. "I suppose that it does, doesn't it? Alright, I'll make sure that everyone gets out."

'And I'll make sure to get a shot or two in at Big Mom while I'm at it, hehehe~' Cherry chuckled to herself, which unnerved Bege.

"In any case, once this is over we'll escape to your ship via mirror and once we have parted ways this alliance is over and you're on your own to escape Big Mom's territory," Bege said. "There are ten hours left until the wedding begins, so you had best prepare yourselves and not get my men killed because you were tired."

"And I need to get back to my room before they suspect anything," Sanji stood up and straightened his shirt.

"That would be for the best. My men and I have to make a show of our security duties as well," Bege said. "Good luck, gentlemen."

"And ladies," Cherry corrected.

"Of course," Bege said. "Feel free to rest here, no one will find you in my compound."

Everyone started to clear out of the room, Chiffon offering to show the Straw Hats and friends to a place that they could sleep.

Cherry picked Brulee up by the rope bindings and took her along with her. When they eventually arrived in the room and settled in, Brulee spoke up from her place on a couch.

"This won't end well for you, you know. Going against Mama like this," Brulee said. It wasn't clear if she said it out of some sense of concern or a threat.

"You don't want to live your whole life under her thumb do you? Don't you want to be free?" Cherry asked.

"Given the choice between freedom and security, most people will choose the latter. I'm no different. Mama protects us," Brulee said.

"Does she?" Cherry retorted. "She seems to be as much a threat to her children as she is to anyone else when she gets into one of those moods of hers."

"Mama's hunger pangs are manageable. Mama's enemies, though, are kept in check by their fear of her. If Mama dies, then they'll come out of the woodwork like rats, ready to feast on us," Brulee said.

Cherry gave her an incredulous look. "Even without her, you'll still be one of the most formidable crews in the world. Bege isn't planning to kill anyone else, he just wants to see a headless snake writhe around until the nerves stop firing and I'll bet that Chiffon isn't nearly as upset with her siblings as she is with her mother, so I doubt she'd allow it either."

"THIS crew isn't the same as other pirate crews, though. You have bonds that are stronger than those between common pirates, AND you have a new head waiting to take the current head's place if it comes down to it," Cherry finished.

"Katakuri-onii-chan?" Brulee had certainly imagined it before, her precious big brother taking over the family. "He wouldn't want to…"

"All the more reason then. Few people who desire positions of power are worthy of them," Cherry said. "I wouldn't overthink it if I were you, though. Personally, I think Bege is going to fail. Too many things can go wrong with such a narrow window for success."

"Huh? Really? Why are we teaming up with Bege then?" Chopper asked, overhearing the conversation.

"Because we don't actually care about the assassination, we just need to save Sanji's rotten family and book it," Cherry explained to him.

Brulee briefly considered trying to convince them to betray Bege in exchange for her helping them extract the Vinsmokes, but Mama wanted Germa's tech too much to forgive her for letting them go.

Not that Cherry would have accepted the offer. She was fully capable of getting the Vinsmokes out of danger all by herself. She was just letting her young friends take their own shot at it first. The experience would be invaluable to them and she believed that they understood that point as well.

"Well, best get to sleep, you two. We have a long day ahead of us and we have to look our best for the wedding," Cherry stood up and stretched.

"You fight every attempt to make you look your best," Nami said, walking into the room wearing silk pajamas. "I suppose that you're ucky you get to where whatever you want, since you'll be lying in wait with Brulee."

Carrot came out wearing pajamas of her own and handed Cherry's armor back to her in a bundle. Cherry equiped the armor with a touch and said, "This IS the best look for me, especially for crashing a wedding!"

"I guess I can't argue with that," Nami conceded.

Cherry saw Luffy watching her longingly from the corner of the room.

"Alright, fine, Luffy. I'll go find a blacksmith and make your armor tonight. Not like I meed the sleep anyways," Cherry shook her head exasperatedly.

"YEAH!!!" Luffy cheered.