Hearing Leno's words—
Katakuri's expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly:
"The tea party is about to begin. Please follow us."
He didn't say much, but he knew very well the true purpose of this tea party.
Not only him—
Even Leno had already guessed Big Mom's intentions.
This tea party wasn't about marrying off her daughters.
It was because the Big Mom Pirates had recently annexed a large number of territories.
Once taken—
They had to be properly managed.
After all, every territory produced various sweets that she craved.
But territory was like certain… "service providers"—
Anyone could use the body as long as they paid.
But that didn't mean they had their loyalty.
For the sake of her future desserts—
The former subordinate forces of Whitebeard, now forced to submit to her, were all required to attend today and offer tribute to show their loyalty.
Aside from them—
Inviting the newly crowned Yonko Leno and even members of the Navy—
Was merely a show of strength.
A warning.
To make them understand just how powerful the Big Mom Pirates were—
And not to provoke them lightly.
Simply put—
It was about baring fangs and claws.
Leno and his group followed Katakuri deeper into the Cake Chateau.
Along the way, Homies created by the Soul-Soul Fruit could be seen everywhere.
Talking flowers, singing trees, houses made of biscuits and candy…
You know—
It was actually quite eerie.
Imagine putting food in your mouth—
And it starts talking.
That's terrifying.
But for Bonney, Cake Island was practically paradise.
"Wow! Are all of these made of candy?" Bonney's eyes widened.
Looking at the delicious sweets everywhere, she swallowed and reached out, wanting to grab some.
"Bonney!" Kalifa warned in a low voice. "Mind your manners."
Bonney reluctantly withdrew her hand.
Manners, my ass—
Leno had simply told them not to eat anything on Cake Island.
Who knew if eating it would let Big Mom control them?
Still, her eyes kept drifting toward the delicious-looking buildings.
A true little glutton.
Leno also observed the surroundings with interest.
He already knew about Big Mom's ability, but seeing these living food creations in person felt different.
"Feels kinda like the Rat Talisman…"
Well—
Since he didn't have either, he could only guess.
Meanwhile—
In the core area of the Cake Chateau—
Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, sat at the head seat, laughing loudly.
"Mamamamama!"
In front of her, several important guests had already gathered.
Admiral Aokiji (Kuzan) sat off to one side, his expression cold, uninterested in the lively atmosphere.
What interested him—
Was Kaido and Blackbeard being here.
On the other side—
The massive Kaido sat casually among the guests, chugging from a huge sake gourd.
Beside him—
Blackbeard stared at Aokiji with a strange grin.
Stussy had arrived earlier than Leno—
To avoid exposing her connection with him.
If it had been someone else, the Navy might have questioned her.
But unfortunately—
It was Aokiji.
Right now, his mind was filled with one thing—
Killing Leno.
Everything else?
Didn't matter.
The main reason he came to this tea party—
Was because he suspected Leno would appear here.
Nothing else was important.
Of course—
Stussy didn't know what he was thinking.
Seeing that he didn't speak, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Dressed in an elegant gown, she wore a perfect smile—
Pretending to be just another guest.
Looking at the attendees—
Especially the unusual combination of Kaido and Blackbeard—
A subtle glint flashed in her eyes.
"Mamamama… Hearing Leno's name and rushing over to attend the tea party… what exactly are Kaido and Blackbeard planning?"
Big Mom didn't dig deeper—
But that didn't mean she was stupid.
Looking into the distance, she thought:
"That brat Leno should be arriving soon…"
Cake Island awaited Leno's arrival.
And far away—
Near the waters of Amazon Lily—
Someone else was also waiting for him.
A pirate ship without any flag struggled forward.
The atmosphere onboard was heavy.
Everyone's expressions were grim.
"Did Leno help us… or was he just trying to steal Pops' Devil Fruit?!"
One crew member shouted angrily, eyes red.
Clearly, Blackbeard's provocation had taken some effect.
Once one person spoke—
Others quickly followed.
The deck filled with noisy arguments.
Marco grew increasingly irritated.
"That's enough!" he shouted.
But even he showed traces of doubt.
Yet deep in his eyes—
There was even greater pain.
Leno's motives aside—
The fact remained:
To cover their retreat, Jozu had sacrificed his life.
Thinking of Jozu—
Everyone felt as if their hearts were being cut by knives.
They hated Blackbeard, the one responsible, to the bone.
At the same time—
They also harbored resentment toward Leno.
The ship finally reached the shores of Amazon Lily.
"We are the Whitebeard Pirates! We want to see Leno!" Marco shouted toward the island.
Soon—
Gloriosa arrived, along with Sandersonia, Marigold, and the island's warriors.
"Phoenix Marco? You've come to find Leno?"
Gloriosa looked at their miserable state and sighed.
"You're too late. Leno and his crew have already left Amazon Lily."
At this point, she couldn't help gritting her teeth.
The Snake Princess had been taken away by Leno—
Thinking about it filled her with resentment.
"Nani?! He left?!" a crew member shouted anxiously. "Where did he go?!"
"I don't know," Gloriosa shook her head.
At that moment—
Two figures walked out from deeper within the island.
It was none other than Dark King Rayleigh and Shakky.
Thanks to Gloriosa's message, they had returned.
Too fast?
You questioning a master swimmer's speed?
Rayleigh looked at Marco and the others, his tone calm.
"Young ones, Leno is indeed no longer here. You won't find him."
Seeing Rayleigh and Shakky, Marco and the others were shocked.
They hadn't expected these two to be here.
"Damn it!" one crew member slammed his fist against the railing.
Full of frustration and unwillingness.
Then what was the point of coming here?!
Was it just for Jozu to die for nothing?!
Marco clenched his fists tightly, nails digging into his flesh.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"…Let's go," he said hoarsely.
The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates turned their ship around—
Leaving with grief, anger, and helplessness.
After sailing some distance—
Marco took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed Leno's number.
Meanwhile—
Leno and his crew were still following Katakuri toward Big Mom.
"Purururu… Purururu…"
Leno's Den Den Mushi rang.
He answered it—
But the voice that came through wasn't Marco's.
Instead—
It was Stussy's deliberately lowered, urgent voice:
"Lord Leno! The situation has changed!"
"This tea party is not friendly! Kaido and Blackbeard Teach are both here! Admiral Aokiji is here too!"
"If Linlin gets involved as well…"
"This will be even more dangerous than a Hongmen Banquet!"
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◇ You can read 60+ chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/CanonBreaker