Wano Country, Zou.
Perospero once again served as the messenger, delivering an invitation to Ren.
Originally, Wano Country had not been invited to this Tea Party. Big Mom's original plan had been to win over the forces of the underworld, but now plans had changed. On such a joyous occasion, how could they not have guests of sufficient weight?
So Totto Land had a new batch of invitations made.
"Long time no see, Perospero. I didn't expect this Tea Party to actually become Linlin's wedding. No wonder Doflamingo ordered a large batch of weapons from me recently." Ren received him. Totto Land was a major client of Wano, and he and Perospero dealt with each other frequently.
"It was Mother's sudden decision, and we were caught off guard as well. The wedding is still being prepared." Perospero spoke frankly without embarrassment. "The groom this time is Doflamingo. That guy is a descendant of the Celestial Dragons, and Mother is quite invested in him. She really hopes you can attend."
"Well…"
"To be honest, I might not have much time recently. I'm afraid I won't be able to attend in person." Ren declined politely. Of course he couldn't attend this wedding. Otherwise, when Buggy and the others launched their attack, he couldn't very well just stand by as an invited guest, could he?
Hearing this, Perospero's expression turned a bit unpleasant.
The Shogun of Thunder was a heavyweight figure on the seas. Only Whitebeard could stand as his equal.
Actually, Perospero had visited Whitebeard before coming to Wano, intending to invite him to the Tea Party. But while Whitebeard offered his congratulations, he had no intention of attending the Tea Party.
Although Whitebeard and Big Mom had been old crewmates, their relationship over the years had been far less harmonious than Wano's. After all, once the Rocks Pirates disbanded, they became enemies whenever they met. Bringing up their old, barely-existent bond would only invite laughter.
On the other hand, Wano and Totto Land had very few frictions over the years, with most interactions being trade-based. Their relationship was fairly decent.
Therefore, Perospero was rather hoping Wano would attend the Tea Party.
Ren understood this dynamic as well, so he immediately added, "Don't worry. Although I can't attend in person, I'll send someone to deliver a gift."
Hearing that someone would be sent, Perospero relaxed. After all, if Ren was sending someone, they certainly wouldn't be some worthless nobody. They had to be pirates of some renown on the seas.
Most likely it would be either Setsuko or Yuri.
Perospero's expectations weren't high. He just needed a grand enough appearance to save face for his mother. And Setsuko and Yuri fit that perfectly. The two of them had built quite a reputation on the seas over the years.
"In that case, we shall look forward to Wano's honored presence." Perospero finished, exchanged a few pleasantries, and left.
Ren then summoned Setsuko, Yuri, and even Yayoi and Shizuku.
"For this Tea Party, the four of you will go together as a delegation."
"All four of us?" Setsuko asked in surprise. From what Ren had just said, she thought sending either her or Yuri alone would be enough.
"Yes, Lord Ren, isn't it too much to bring so many forces? What if Big Mom asks us for help then?" Yuri also asked.
"You might indeed need to take action then, but not against Buggy. Rather, you'll need to deal with the Marines and World Government agents. I've received intelligence that the Marines may also make some moves this time. You can help handle them and keep the Marines from disrupting Buggy's plans." Ren explained.
He already knew the Marines might deploy their future three Admirals. That was why he decided to send all four of them.
Setsuko and Yuri's strength was actually still a bit short of the Admiral level, but holding one down individually for a short time wouldn't be difficult. Yayoi and Shizuku combined could barely hold down one as well.
That would be enough. After all, it wasn't their own affair, so there was no need to exert too much effort.
Hearing this, they understood Ren's thinking.
Actually, the Marines taking action was also to deal with Big Mom. Whether they intervened or not, it would deal a certain blow to Big Mom and her forces. But the Marines were still the Marines. In such a situation, they wouldn't target only Big Mom. Buggy and his people would inevitably become targets of the Marines as well.
Understanding this, Setsuko and the others began preparing their congratulatory gifts, getting ready to depart when the time came.
Meanwhile, Big Mom's sons were scouring the world for ingredients, preparing to make a wedding cake.
Enel, accompanied by Crocodile, tracked down their target on an island famous for its sweets using intelligence provided by Doflamingo. Originally, Enel had intended to act alone, but Crocodile's Haki training hadn't been going well. He planned to use this opportunity to see if Crocodile could gain insight into Haki through combat.
Of course, Crocodile's target wouldn't be Katakuri, but rather a younger brother accompanying him – one of the future Sweet Commanders, Cracker.
Cracker was only twenty-four years old at this point, and his Haki training was still at an elementary stage. He was quite suitable for Crocodile to practice against.
The two sailed their ship and landed on the opposite side of the island.
At this moment, the island's king, seeing a ship bearing Big Mom's flag approaching, had long since sent people to the port to welcome Katakuri.
In the New World, the flag of a pirate crew like Big Mom's was more useful than even the Marines' flag. This island had been part of Big Mom's territory for a long time already.
"Lord Katakuri, Lord Cracker, the sweets you requested have been prepared." The king didn't dare put on any airs. He might be a king, but for a powerhouse like Katakuri, slaughtering an entire nation would be a simple matter.
"Mm. Increasing the order volume so suddenly must have been difficult for you this time." Katakuri offered a polite remark.
His temperament was fairly good. Since the incident with his sister Brûlée, he had changed his previously self-centered personality. He also knew that his mother's sudden decision to expand the scale of the Tea Party was actually quite troublesome for many islands.
"You flatter me. Since we fly the BIG MOM flag, this is naturally what we should do." The king wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled apologetically.
It had indeed been a rush this time. After receiving the news, he had spent a considerable amount of Berries and manpower to meet the deadline. But he naturally dared not mention this.
"There's still some time. Why don't you two lords head to the palace for a feast? That will also give the port soldiers time to load the cargo onto the ship."
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