Chapter 3. Mama's Keki

Chapter 3. Mama's Keki

#1. Mirro-World

Perospero wiped his forehead with a trembling hand as he stepped out of the mirrored portal and onto the next island of Totto Land. His younger sister, Charlotte Brulee, followed closely behind as the liquid-like surface of the mirror closed behind them. Brulee's Mira Mira no Mi Devil Fruit powers granted Perospero easy passage between the islands.

"Brother Peros, why is your nose wet?" Brulee asked naively as they walked through the narrow street in search of a bakery.

Perospero glanced sideways, noting the sweat on his large nose, his tongue bouncing beneath it as he walked.

"Sluuuuuurp~," he swallowed his saliva. "It's the midday sun, 'imouto' Brulee. It's making my candy melt, perorin."

"Are you sure it's not because of Mama, Brother Peros?" Brulee probed, straightening her bending spine slightly, though she still didn't stand completely straight. "We have moved through many islands, but all the chefs we've met are not in good condition to bake enough cakes urgently."

Sweat beads formed on Perospero's forehead. He wiped them again, more discreetly so that Brulee wouldn't notice. But she did.

"Don't worry, we have more islands to cover," Perospero reassured despite the apparent failure in his plan to rally the chefs of Totto Land. "Trust your big brother, Brulee. Mama will have her Birthday Cake, and this will be a thing of the past."

"What about the baby?" Brulee inquired. "Who is the father? Mama didn't take a new husband this year after Pudding's birth nine months ago. What will be the baby's name?"

"We'll wonder about all that later," Perospero said, trying to deflect. "Right now, our focus is on stopping Mama's hunger."

"The bakeries here are closed too," Brulee observed, looking around as her purple hair and long nose bounced with her motion. "Will you have to threaten everyone on this island to bring out all the chefs, like you did in those other islands before? I can't wait to see that."

"Kukukuku.." Perospero laughed as he stared ahead. "Look at that long line. That bakery is open."

Perospero and Brulee approached the so-called open bakery. The line stretched far outside, desperate customers fidgeting under the oppressive heat of the midday sun. Inside, a single exhausted baker shuffled between orders, barely managing to keep up.

His face was pale and drawn, and his arm was bandaged.

"It's my daughter's special birthday," a male customer said with urgency, his voice highest in the uproar of cake demands. "I just need a small cake, chocolate with pink icing. Enough to serve about ten people."

"Got it... really swamped right now... ten cakes... pink with chocolate icing... it's a lot... I'm not sure if... if I have..." the baker's voice trailed off as he tried to muster the order. His wife was beside him, fussing over his bandaged arm and exhaustion.

"Please, you need to rest," the wife urged, her voice frustrated but full of plea. "You can't keep baking in your current condition. You can't even get an order right!"

"Brainless woman!" the baker snapped, his eyes flashing with greed and his thoughts coming out more coherently. "Can't you see the demand? All the other chefs have either given up or are stuck baking cakes in Whole cake island."

"Our prices are up because there are no competitor chefs left standing," the chef continued. "If I persevere a little longer, we'll be the richest in the entire island."

"I might even become the island's first minister once that happens," he mused with desire. "I can't stop now!"

Outside, murmurs began as two figures approached the bustling bakery.

"Perorin,"

"Look, it's the Minister of Candy and his sister," the word spread quickly through the crowd like wildfire. "What brings someone of his status to this island?" The crowd respectfully parted as Perospero and Brulee made their way toward the bakery.

Inside, the baker glanced at them wearily, his exhaustion clouding his clarity as he failed to immediately recognize Big Mom's children.

"And you, what do you want? A birthday cake?" the baker asked arrogantly. "I have to warn you, we're running low. It seems like everyone's celebrating a birthday today."

"He's got spirit!" Brulee said excitedly. "Please threaten him like the others, Big Brother Peros."

"Perorin,"

---

#2. Triplets

Meanwhile, on Poripori Island in the Totto Land archipelago, Katakuri concluded his conversation using a transponder snail. The snail had a wrinkled face and a small mustache.

"Understood," he remarked as the snail's communication ended.

"That was Daifuku," Katakuri informed his brother Oven via another transponder snail, which had hair arranged in three curved sections, its color a gradient resembling something baked. "They're currently in a skirmish with a Navy Vice Admiral."

"He's commanding some of our best troops," Katakuri continued, his tone indifferent. "They were on their way back after hearing about Mama's situation when the Navy intercepted them."

"I was hoping to tell them to bring some of the ingredients, but we can't rely on Daifuku at the moment," Katakuri finished. "We'll just have to use the few men we've gathered."

"Things are not looking good on Whole Cake Chateau either," Oven started, his voice tinged with desperation. He held two transponder snails, one with a small bowl of fruit parfait on its head and one with a massive light feather-ragged scarf covering its mouth. He spoke to the later. "Brother Peros might have been wrong in choosing Compote to stall Mama."

"Compote is the calmest in our family," Oven explained. "She might resemble Mama in many ways, but she is not aggressive enough to slow her down."

---

#3. My Plan Backfires

Whole Cake Island looked as stunning as ever beneath the sky. From a high vantage point, it resembled an enormous gathering of frosted cakes, with vast cake buildings contributing to the overall confectionery aesthetic. Buildings across the island appeared to be covered in icing, and the southwestern coast was layered in hardened whipped cream, or meringue. The eastern bay featured coral-like structures, an aesthetic borrowed from Fish-Man Island. Above, purplish and pinkish clouds floated, casting a magical glow over the land, occasionally dispensing edible cotton candy snow.

At the island's heart stood the towering Whole Cake Chateau, its massive poles shaped like candles making it look like a gigantic birthday cake. The castle's "flames" flickered in the wind, though whether they were real or not remained a mystery.

Contrary to the whimsical marvel of this architectural wonder, the interior of the Whole Cake Chateau had become a disaster zone. The once grand hallways and rooms were now in shambles, echoes of "Birthday Cake" lingering in the well-lit corners of the grandiose castle. Overturned tables, incapacitated Homies and family members, and shattered chandeliers littered the floors, marking Big Mom's monstrous trail of destruction. The walls bore Big Mom-sized holes, narrating tales of her blind rage as she crashed through them, unable to locate doors or turn knobs in her fury.

Scattered and battered cake structures dissolved in a sticky, sweet substance later identified as Big Mom's drool, remnants of her unsatisfied hunger.

In the most important room of the castle, the scent of sugar and desperation grew heavier, the acrid smell of burnt sugar mingling with the sweet aroma of icing and cake. Sweat and traces of blood added to the mixture, creating a pungent assault on the senses of the overworked chefs.

The opulent kitchen of the Whole Cake Chateau had become an overpopulated madhouse. More chefs, in poor condition, were being brought in through mirrors in a desperate attempt to bake enough cakes for their queen. Fatigued and frantic, they stumbled into the kitchen, thrust into immediate action as scant ingredients, especially milk and eggs, followed through the mirrors.

Outside the Whole Cake Chateau, to the northwest side, lay the heart of Totto Land - Sweet City. It was the capital, and like the rest of the island, it was built from edible substances. Candy and biscuits were common sights here, and Big Mom couldn't wait to get there to find her birthday cake. Her rampage's trajectory plotted for her capital city, and soon, the city would bear scars from her insatiable cravings if something wasn't done, fast.

In another part of the chateau, a baby was coming to a satisfactory close as he licked his lips, having finished the last few remaining crumbs of his cake. The warm bubble of satisfaction that came with the experience, combined with the warmth of the cloth he was wrapped in, made him feel like the most special person in the world.

Occasionally, the baby squeaked, choked, and tensed from the thunderous roars and quakes of his mother, but the comfort of eating cake drowned his worries, though it wouldn't last forever.

---

Big Mom's voice, a force of nature, bellowed once more, "Birthday... Keekiii! Where did it go?" Her tone was a bizarre mix of childish naivety and monstrous threat.

I had just finished the last crumb of the cake Streusen had fed me. The sweetness lingered on my tongue, bringing a momentary feeling of bliss and contentment. The ongoing terror seemed distant, unable to penetrate my sugary bubble of satisfaction.

But I wasn't naive enough to enjoy that relaxation for long. Even as a newborn, I sensed the danger. I had just consumed the only cake that could have calmed Big Mom, and I knew there was no replacement in sight. The tremors and cracks running through Whole Cake Island hinted at the disaster that would quickly spread through the Totto Land archipelago.

A lot of people were likely going to die, and I didn't want to be one of them. I looked up at Streusen, who watched me with a mix of curiosity and pride, glancing back and forth between me and the spot where the cake had been. Oblivious to the destruction around us, he seemed lost in prideful thought.

I needed him to act, but I couldn't speak. I could barely move my hands voluntarily, being a toddler and all. In a burst of clarity, I did the only thing I could think of: I began to cry.

First, I scrunched up my face, pushing my cheeks together. I felt the tightness around my eyes and the prickling sensation. My tiny fists flailed weakly at my sides, each motion deliberate as I tried to gather enough force to make an impact.

I took a toddler's deep breath, feeling the air fill my lungs. The initial sound that came out was more of a whimper, a tentative testing of my vocal cords. The soft, pitiful noise barely reached Streusen's ears. I measured the pitch, feeling the vibrations in my throat, and decided it wasn't enough.

Drawing another breath, I focused all my energy into the next attempt. My mouth opened wide, and a more substantial wail emerged, louder and more piercing than I had expected. The cry echoed off the walls, and I realized that it was more of a scream. But now that I Streusen had caught my full attention, I delicately transitioned the loud scream into a softer cry.

"Ng'aaaaaaa...ng'aaaaa... ng'aaaa..."

Each sound grew louder, more insistent, and my cries evolved into a desperate plea, a signal that something was terribly wrong. Streusen's eyes widened. The mix of curiosity and pride vanished, replaced by concern and urgency.

I continued to cry, though with no tears flowing down my cheeks. My entire body shook with the effort, the sound carrying all the fear and desperation I couldn't yet articulate. I hoped it would be enough to spur Streusen into action, to save us from the impending disaster.

Streusen's eyes narrowed with worry. He cradled me close to his chest, trying to comfort me, but my cries only grew louder. I needed him to understand my unspoken plea.

"Hush now," he murmured, his voice cooing and his hands giving me soft pats. I continued crying despite his comforting.

Desperate, he looked around, then made a swift decision.

"I need to get you out of here." He began to move, and I felt grateful for it. I wanted him to move as far from Whole Cake Island as he could, maybe by a simple boat or a crew ship - whatever method he found to be suitable. So long as he'd get me as far away from Big Mom as possible I was content with the means.

To motivate him to move faster, I cried harder to show him the urgency of my desire.

"Please stop crying," Streusen begged. "You weren't crying before."

He paused to think, trying to understand my distress. "You weren't crying before when Mama was around. I took you away from her, and now you're upset. You must want to be held by her."

"Ng'h?" I stopped crying momentarily out of sheer panic. Streusen's words terrified me as they invoked the terrifying image of Big Mom. His voice echoed in my ears, each word sinking in slowly, like a heavy stone dropping into a deep well.

'Take me to... what?' my tiny heart skipped a beat, a sudden, sharp jolt of fear coursing through my tiny body. A sunken feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, cold and heavy like a block of ice.

'He wants to take me back to Big Mom, the source of all this destruction, instead of fleeing to safety?' My breaths became shallow, each one a desperate gasp as the realization hit me. The panic building up within me rose.

No, no, no! I wanted him to find a boat, a ship, anything that could take us away from this madness. That's why I had cried in the first place. But he misunderstood. He thought I longed for Big Mom's embrace.

The 'No, no, no!' in my mind translated to-

"Ng'AAAAA! NG'AAAAA!" Tears streamed down my tiny face, my vision blurring from the effect. I cried harder than ever before, my voice rising higher above the sounds of big mom and her desperation, turning into screams.

'Turn back now you idiot!' I wanted to shout, but I couldn't form words. I could only keep crying and hope that by some miracle he would understand.

"We are getting close. You can stop crying now little one," Streusen said and I felt like I could smack his tiny head.

'If I could just snatch that mustache of his with my firm grip...' I wished, getting desperate with every step he was taking. What was he thinking taking me to Big Mom in her current condition? This guy didn't care for me. If he did, he wouldn't be risking my life.

I decided to give the crying and screaming one last go by taking a deep breath and unleashing a siren's wail, as loud as I could muster, hoping to change his mind and trajectory. The piercing sound cut sharply through the castle, shaking loose structures, but instead of slowing down, Streusen quickened his pace.

"Ng'AAAA! NG'AAAAA!"...NGanghh..

Every step he took brought us closer to Big Mom, and I could feel the vibrations of her monstrous movements growing stronger. Realizing that my cries were only making him more determined, I abruptly stopped. There was no point in wasting my energy on a misunderstanding.

He glanced down at me with a forced smile, his relieve evident. "You must feel that she's close. That's why you've stopped crying."

"You two must have a deep connection," he said, but I just looked at him furiously with my tear-soaked eyes. My body tensed. My fuming came with furious trembles as I clenched my fists harder. I wished I wasn't a baby even if it was just for a second. Then I'd show him.

What was wrong with Streusen's thought process? He was completely misunderstanding me.

In the moment that followed, I made peace with my unfortunate fate. Big Mom wasn't know for her kindness when she was in a hunger pang.

'At least I experienced that wonderful cake, a taste unlike any other,' I reminisced peacefully, but troubled by the fact that I had eaten a whole cake that could have fed a hundred people. Maybe more.

Finally, Streusen approached the center of the destruction. Big Mom was currently swinging her massive fists on another wall, tearing it apart. Her mouth was dripping with drool and chunks of the castle crumbled beneath her feat.

Streusen breathed and lifted me high above his head. With a steady voice, he said the most damning words someone in my situation could hear. Big Mom turned to look at us, her eyes red as Streusen spoke.

"Mama," Streusen began. "Here is your keki."

I shuddered.

And swallowed hard, my legs kicking stiffly from the shock of hearing that kind of psychopathic phrase. I wished I could just pass out, and then everything would be easier, but my senses only heightened, my vision clearing to see Big Mom in ultra HD. My eyes zeroed in on the drool on the corners of her mouth.

"Streusen?" Mama spoke. "Where is it? My Birthday Keki."

"It's here, mama," Streusen spoke. "In my hands."

I stared blankly at Big Mom. My eyes wide with shock, my brain numb, unable to process Streusen's words. He couldn't be serious. What was is he saying?

I wanted to interpret his words as a joke, but his tone had no sense of levity in it. He was serious with his words as serious as he was offering me to Big Mom as her birthday cake.

Big Mom took a lumpy step toward us. My body shuddered like it had been electrocuted, tensing without relaxing even for a bit. My gaze kept going to her mouth, and my mind picturing her swallowing me whole. Big Mom was no stranger to eating people alive.

'Why am I surprised?' a strange, calmer thought crossed my mind, but the sense of calm it carried wasn't enough to relax me. 'That Streusen was feeding me up with Cake just so he could offer me up to Big Mom for consumption. He is of a twisted mind.'

Big Mom took another step forward, her eyes zeroing in on me. Tears streamed down my face. Another warmer fluid had already played its part in disgracing me. But now was not the time to consider dignity.

'This is some twisted version of Hansel and Gretel,' another calmer thought amplified the sorry feeling that was washing through my body. How did I end up here? Why did this all have to happen? Why me?

Tears washed down my chubby cheeks but no sounds of crying came from me. Big Mom's stomach rumbled as she took yet another step.

GORRGORRGGMMUSS...

I closed my eyes, and thought of my mother. My real mother. But her image was only wrestled down and overpowered by the contrasting image of Big Mom. Big Mom's goblin-like nose. Her very wide mouth with full lips sporting red lipstick. Her large, round teeth. Her long, thick tongue... Closing my eyes only gave me the picture of my current nightmare.

"Streusen," Big Mom said as her enormous hands reached out. For a moment, time seemed to freeze as sharp jolts rose through my heart in quick succession. "Is this it?"

Streusen, standing before her with me in his arms, nodded solemnly. "Yes, Mama. This is your Birthday Keki. Do as you please."

'Monsters!'

Big Mom's enormous hands hung readily at my sides, and I had a premonition that they could squash me instantly if she chose to clap them.

"Streusen," Big Mom repeated. Her expression started to change gradually. The red in her eyes lightened and her gaze started to soften. Her enormous hands reached out slowly, their movement deliberate yet gently as she made contact with the cloth wrapped around me.

Her mouth still revealed her round teeth, but its shape had been transfigured to resemble a forming smile.

"It's beautiful..." she murmured softly, almost to herself. Her words came out with a kindness and warmth that couldn't be expected in the current atmosphere. Her face, which moments ago had been terrifying now showed a motherly affection that I hadn't believed possible.

"I know, Linlin," Streusen replied, addressing her informally. He let Big Mom take complete hold of me. I was still shaking from the shock, my terror still increasing as she held me closer, her mouth appearing larger. "It's perfect."

The atmosphere in the room was gradually changing, but it didn't feel right to let my guard down yet. Even if the fearsome Yonko was begin to seem human, I remained apprehensive, especially because of the rumbling of her stomach.

GORRGORRGGMMUSS...

"I'm hungry," she murmured, her tone less monstrous than before. Her gaze then shifted back to me, and a chill ran down my spine as she spoke again.

"It's so cute I could eat it," Big Mom remarked, her words sending another wave of shock through my already stiff body.

"Will you?" Streusen interjected cautiously, his worry evident in his tone.

GORRGORRGGMMUSS...

"I still want cake," she added wistfully, her mouth beginning to water. "Big, beautiful birthday cake."

Streusen spoke up again with a soothing tone. "I will bake you the best birthday cake if you promise to wait, Linlin. But only if you promise to wait."

I felt a strange comfort in Streusen's words. Big Mom's gaze softened further as she looked down at me, and in a surprisingly gentle voice, she cooed, "You're so adorable, uh...- I haven't named you yet."

My heart skipped a beat at her unexpected tenderness. Despite her rumbling stomach, she forced herself to relax.

Smiling, she said to me, "You shall be my precious Charlotte Keki."

---End---