Inside the secret chamber, Raven chose its angle and sprang upward in a single bound, landing above the chandelier.
Directly ahead stood a massive red stone monument.
It was locked behind bars. Extracting it without alerting anyone was practically impossible—so the only viable option was to make a rubbing.
After instructing Raven to stay put, Karl immediately climbed out of bed. He retrieved a large sheet of white paper from his system space, closed his eyes, and—relying purely on memory and mental visualization—began copying the Road Poneglyph.
As time passed, the paper quickly filled with symbols. After checking it carefully for errors, Karl stored the rubbing in his system space.
He didn't need it right now—but it would definitely be useful later.
After all, since he was already here, it would be a waste to leave empty-handed.
"Good work."
"Gaa gaa!" (I want food!)
Karl had prepared for this. He placed the sweets he'd brought earlier on the floor.
"Eat up."
The Next Day
Bang bang bang—
"You sure can sleep! What were you doing last night?"
"None of your business. Has the tea party started?"
"The Red-Haired Pirates are about to arrive. Weren't you here to watch the show?"
Karl's expression sharpened. He quickly checked his outfit. Once he confirmed everything was in order, he followed Stussy to the tea party venue.
It was a garden, bustling with staff and Homies. The host—Charlotte Linlin—had yet to arrive.
"Miss Stussy, this is your seat. Once the tea party begins, please take your place."
"Thank you."
Stussy elbowed Karl lightly and said with a stiff smile,
"You stay here and move around freely. Don't come looking for me."
With that, she headed straight toward a tall man carrying something like a grim reaper's scythe, chatting cheerfully with him.
Karl scanned the area and spotted several men dressed similarly to himself. His eyes lit up and he walked over.
"Hey, are you a bodyguard too? Who do you work for?"
Karl didn't answer. He simply pointed coolly toward Stussy, who was talking with the Charlotte Katakuri.
"What? Stussy? When did she start hiring bodyguards? Man—lucky you, brother!"
Karl frowned.
"Lucky how?"
The burly guard grinned lecherously.
"Miss Stussy is the Queen of Pleasure Street! You know Pleasure Street, right? Slurp~ The women there are absolute top-tier!"
"A bunch of chickens," Karl replied flatly. "Nothing to envy."
The burly guard stared at him, disappointed.
"You're really wasting your blessings. Forget it—I'm done talking to you."
Whole Cake Island Harbor
A pirate ship with a red dragon figurehead docked and dropped anchor.
Shanks led his officers ashore.
"Welcome to Totto Land, Shanks. Mama has been waiting for you for quite some time."
Shanks nodded calmly.
"We're not late, are we?"
"The tea party is about to begin. Your timing is perfect. Please follow me."
Shanks glanced at Benn Beckman and smiled.
"Much appreciated. By the way—what was your name again?"
The scarf-wearing man looked down at Shanks and replied coolly,
"Charlotte Katakuri."
A sharp glint flashed in Beckman's eyes.
If he remembered correctly, this man was Big Mom's second son—one of the Sweet Commanders, hailed as the Charlotte Family's greatest masterpiece.
For Big Mom to send him to receive them…
That spoke volumes.
Shanks, however, seemed unfazed. He simply gave an "oh," then looked around with interest, chatting casually with his crew.
Katakuri sneered inwardly.
Ignorant fools. You won't be laughing for long.
Not long after, the Red-Haired Pirates arrived at the tea party venue.
"Look! It's the Red-Haired Pirates!" the burly guard exclaimed.
Karl feigned ignorance.
"It's just a pirate crew. What's the big deal?"
The guard shot him a look of disdain.
"Didn't Stussy tell you? The Red-Haired Pirates are today's main attraction!"
"Main attraction?"
"That's right. Today they either join BIG MOM, or get wiped out by her. This tea party was set up specifically for them."
Karl stepped forward a little so he could see clearly.
Shanks matched his memories well—well-proportioned build, about the same height as Karl, bright red hair, three scars over his left eye left by Marshall D. Teach, light stubble, a white shirt under a black cloak.
His left arm was concealed, but a closer look made it obvious—there was nothing there.
Brown patterned cropped pants, sandals that screamed "big boss," and the sword at his waist could only be Gryphon.
Shanks strode in with an easy smile and called out loudly,
"Hey! Where's Big Mom? What's taking her so long?"
Several of the Charlotte children bristled, glaring—until Katakuri calmed them with a look.
Boom boom boom—
"Mama-mama-mama~ Red-Haired boy! I'm so happy you came today!"
"Hahaha! You invited me—why wouldn't I come? Isn't this a tea party?"
Big Mom's smile faded briefly—then returned even brighter.
"That's right! A tea party! Today's theme is chocolate almond cake—mmm, absolutely delicious!"
"Sit down, Red-Haired boy." She pointed to the seat directly opposite her.
Shanks grinned and sat without hesitation.
"What about my crew? They're not just going to watch us eat, right?"
Katakuri replied calmly,
"Of course not. Their seats are over there." He pointed to a nearby area.
"Perfect. Beckman—come on, sit."
Shanks looked carefree as ever, completely unconcerned by Big Mom. Beckman and the others, however, sat only after carefully surveying their surroundings.
Watching from the sidelines, Karl lit a cigarette and said softly,
"Interesting."
No immediate clash. A bit disappointing—but he was sure it would happen eventually.
Worst case?
He'd just stir the pot himself.
Karl's gaze drifted to a photo frame behind Big Mom—a wrinkled old woman.
Mother Carmel.
"Tsk. This outfit stands out too much."
After observing the Red-Haired Pirates' attire, Karl slipped away unnoticed. From his system space, he retrieved a similar pirate outfit and changed.
"That should do it."
The spectator—
Karl—
was officially online.
When he returned to the tea party, chocolate almond cakes covered the tables.
Big Mom was stuffing them into her mouth one after another.
As for her table manners—
Shanks' expression said it all.
Right now, he probably wished he were sitting at the kids' table.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus (OP)Chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus (OP)Chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 (OP)Chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/SwipeSage