New World, high above the clouds in the territory of Totto Land.
Dreamland Island floated serenely in the sky. Brilliant sunlight filtered through the cascading vapor, scattering into dazzling, prismatic rainbows.
'Whoosh!'
A shimmering rainbow staircase condensed from the clouds, and Charlotte Katakuri stepped onto the island.
His sharp eyes scanned the floating paradise. He had seen the island from a distance during the Battle of Totto Land, when its emergence became the latest legend whispered across the seas, but this was his first time actually setting foot on its soil.
Normally, as the head of the Sweet Commanders and a guardian of Totto Land, entering an island controlled by the Twelve Zodiacs would put him on maximum alert.
Except...
"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"
Behind him, a motley parade of Dreamland creatures scrambled up the rainbow steps, hauling treasure chests of all shapes and sizes.
"Ow! My back! I threw my back out!" a blob-like blue creature squeaked, collapsing onto the grass and flattening an Immortal Spirit Fire beneath its dropped trunk.
"You idiot! You're a Water Sprite! You don't even have a spine! Get up!"
"I was supposed to play with the kids today, but they tricked me into manual labor... I'm a majestic Phantom Beast! Phantom Beasts don't do logistics!"
"Lord Hitsuji said any Phantom Beast helping with the move gets golden essence! The more you carry, the bigger the reward!"
"Hey! Whichever one of you that is, put my trunk down right now! Lord Hitsuji, loyalty!"
Watching the strange creatures bicker and tumble over one another, Katakuri found it nearly impossible to maintain his stern, intimidating scowl.
Growing up in Totto Land meant he was surrounded by bizarre Homies and oddities his entire life; if anything, he was more accustomed to a circus like this than almost anyone else in the world.
"Keep moving, everyone! Finish up fast so we can check out the new Dreamland Paradise! Little Bonney and Little Linlin are already..."
Katakuri's ears twitched.
'...Linlin?'
He froze, a deep frown cutting across his face. Something about that name hit him wrong.
He turned toward the unicorn that had spoken, opening his mouth to demand clarification, when...
'⚡!'
His expression shifted drastically. A flash of Future Vision struck his mind.
Instinctively, Katakuri turned his head toward the center of the island.
"Hahahaha!"
A roaring tide of laughter echoed through the air as a brilliant, semi-transparent rainbow river erupted from deep within the island's interior, winding gracefully through exotic flora and floating islands.
Surfing along the colorful current was a float of semi-transparent children, screaming and laughing as they rode the rapids.
Katakuri's gaze locked onto three specific figures.
The first was a massive, burly man sitting near the back, smiling gently as he kept a watchful eye on the kids. In front of him was a pink-haired little girl with gemstone-like scales decorating her cheeks.
And beside her was a giant young girl wearing a frilly dress, waving a piece of rainbow cotton candy nearly as big as she was.
For a second, Katakuri genuinely doubted his own eyes.
He recognized the man immediately, it was 'Tyrant' Bartholomew Kuma, the former Warlord who had mysteriously vanished from World Government record.
As for the giant girl holding the cotton candy...
Even though he had never seen what she looked like as a small child, he would recognize her presence anywhere in the world.
"Mother?!" Katakuri blurted out, losing his composure entirely.
"Shh. The Rainbow River Ride still has ten minutes left," a smooth voice chimed in from right beside him. "Once the timer runs out, Kuma will bring her over."
Katakuri whipped his head around.
Hitsuji stood there, hands tucked behind his back, looking as though he had stepped right out of the trunk of a nearby ancient oak. A faint outline of a door was still visible on the bark.
"In the meantime, Katakuri, if you don't mind... care to join me for a short chat?" Hitsuji gestured gracefully toward the tree line.
Katakuri struggled to pull his gaze away from the river, where Linlin's soul-form was currently splashing water and giggling like a toddler.
After a long, heavy silence, he replied softly, "...Of course. That's why I came here."
He followed Hitsuji through the hollowed archway of the tree.
A warm, blinding light flashed before his eyes. When his vision cleared, the scenery had completely changed.
He was standing atop a colossal branch at the very crest of the island's central tree. A soft drizzle of dreamlike blue essence rained down around them, providing an unobstructed, panoramic view of the entire floating sanctuary below.
'This tree... is it related to the Treasure Tree Adam?' Katakuri mused, taking in the absurd scale of the timber beneath his feet.
A cozy wooden cottage sat nestled on the branch. Outside, a simple tea set was laid out on a rustic table alongside a fresh tower of glazed doughnuts.
Above the door, a small wooden sign hung: ''[Top of the Tree of Dreams - Sheep's Tea House]''
"The doughnuts and tea are both pure creations of the Dreamland," Hitsuji said, appearing seamlessly on the opposite side of the table as if he had grown straight out of the wood. He offered a gentle smile. "You don't need to pull down your scarf. Just hold them close to the fabric, and you'll be able to taste them perfectly."
Katakuri stood silent.
Hitsuji checked an ornate pocket watch. "It's nearly three in the afternoon, after all. A man shouldn't miss his afternoon tea, should he?"
Katakuri: "..."
This was one of the highest-ranking officers of the Twelve Zodiacs, a man whose decisions shook the global political landscape, and he spent his days building amusement parks for children and hosting tea parties on treetops?
Didn't this guy have actual work to do?
More importantly...
"Is it really appropriate to waste your intelligence network on something like my personal habits?" Katakuri asked coldly.
From that single sentence, he knew the Twelve Zodiacs held a terrifying level of detail on him. They knew he took afternoon tea precisely at 3:00 PM. They knew he loved hot tea and glazed doughnuts.
And they knew about his... 'aesthetic preference' for eating completely out of sight.
Hitsuji waved a hand dismissively. "Intelligence network? Heavens, no. For something like this, I just asked Linlin."
Katakuri: "..."
Rendered entirely speechless, Katakuri decided it was better to drop the subject. He walked over to the table, sat down on a wooden chair, and picked up a doughnut and a teacup.
He brought them near his high, dark scarf.
'Whoosh.'
The doughnut and tea dissolved into fine particles of light, passing through the fabric. Instantly, a rich, sweet warmth spread across Katakuri's palate.
He closed his eyes.
For a brief, flickering second, memories of his early childhood flashed through his mind.
'"Mamamama! Katakuri, come over to Mother! Look at these delicious little cakes!"'
'"Oh? You want a doughnut? Hey, Chef! Didn't you hear my boy? Fetch him a doughnut immediately!"'
'"Brother Katakuri, look! I saved a doughnut for you!"'
'"Brûlée is here too? Mamamama, wonderful! Come, everyone, let's eat together!"'
Katakuri slowly opened his eyes, resting his hands on his knees. "The flavor of this doughnut..."
"It's 'Happiness,'" Hitsuji supplied, leaning back in his chair with a smile. "My personal specialty. How is it?"
"...Acceptable," Katakuri answered smoothly.
Yet, without realizing it, his rigid posture had relaxed. It wasn't just because he hadn't enjoyed a proper afternoon tea in over a month; it was the underlying realization that Hitsuji carried no malice toward him or his family.
"I am surprised to see Bartholomew Kuma among your ranks," Katakuri remarked, shifting the topic directly to the matter at hand.
"We have quite a few reliable comrades," Hitsuji replied, taking a delicate sip from his own cup. He set it down softly and looked Katakuri in the eye. "So, tell me, Katakuri. Why did you insist on visiting the island personally today?"
He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "Did you come here to take Linlin back?"
Katakuri didn't bother dodging the question.
He had come to Dreamland under the pretext of handing over Totto Land's tribute to ransom back his captured siblings. The Twelve Zodiacs had been unexpectedly generous, releasing the captured Charlotte family members before the payment even arrived.
Requesting this face-to-face meeting on Dreamland Island had been Katakuri's own personal gamble.
"I came to see what had become of Mother," Katakuri admitted cleanly.
Ever since Star Lord forcibly extracted Big Mom's soul during the Battle of Totto Land, Katakuri had been plagued by uncertainty over her fate.
"...But I didn't expect her to look like this." He glanced over the balcony of the branch toward the glowing river below.
Even from this height, his advanced Observation Haki picked up her pure, unburdened presence effortlessly. She was laughing, a bright, innocent sound completely free of the manic hunger and terrifying malice that had defined her later years.
Between her soul-like translucency and her child-like demeanor, Katakuri had already pieced together her current state.
He made his decision.
"I have no intention of bringing her back to Totto Land," he stated firmly, turning back to Hitsuji. "If possible... let her stay here."
Hitsuji raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely intrigued. "Oh? And what about Totto Land?"
It was a fair question. Over a month had passed since the catastrophe in Totto Land. While the immediate chaos had been contained, the Big Mom Pirates were hanging on by a thread. Under Katakuri's decisive leadership, they had orchestrated a quiet evacuation of key populations and executed a strategic retreat from their outer territories. He had personally crushed several opportunistic pirate crews trying to carve up their domain, stabilizing their borders through sheer intimidation.
Yet the core issues remained. The loss of their primary deterrent meant the Underworld brokers were restless, resources were thin, and rival Yonko were circling like vultures.
If Charlotte Linlin returned, even as a phantom, it would instantly re-establish their authority. Nobody in the Underworld would dare test whether Big Mom was truly back at full power.
Yet Katakuri refused to use her.
"It doesn't matter," Katakuri said, his voice flat and unyielding.
He wasn't attached to his new role as de facto leader, nor did he care about power for its own sake.
"She is happy right now. That is enough."
He was her son. He was her family. He would never drag his mother back into the blood-soaked mire of empire-building after she had finally found peace.
"My family only needs to be able to laugh and live in peace," Katakuri murmured, staring down at his gloved hands. "I will bear all the necessary burdens myself."
Even if it meant putting on a permanent mask, abandoning his own desires, or standing as an immovable wall until his body gave out... As long as his brothers and sisters were safe, nothing else mattered.
That was Charlotte Katakuri's unbreakable vow.
The silence on the treetop stretched for a moment, until a childish voice chimed in from behind him.
"No, Katakuri."
Katakuri froze.
His entire body went rigid. Slowly, stiffly, he turned his head around.
Standing near the cottage door were Kuma and Linlin. They had clearly been standing there long enough to catch every word he had just spoken.
A deep, burning red flushed up Katakuri's neck, instantly spreading past his scarf all the way to his ears.
He whipped back toward Hitsuji, who was pressing a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking in silent, hysterical laughter.
"You... you scheming trickster..." Katakuri growled, his veins bulging as he fought the urge to throw a Mochi-infused punch right into Hitsuji's face.
The man had staged this entire setup on purpose!
Before Katakuri could lose his cool completely, Linlin stepped forward, pointing a thumb at her own chest.
"Everyone in Totto Land is Linlin's family!" she said earnestly, her giant soul-body swaying slightly. "Katakuri, Smoothie, Perospero... everyone is a good kid!"
She pouted slightly. "Linlin likes playing on Dreamland, but Linlin would 'never' abandon her home just to play games!"
"Star Lord said he hasn't finished forging a suitable body for Linlin yet, so Linlin has to stay here for a while. But if..." Her innocent face suddenly tightened into a surprisingly intense scowl. "If Totto Land is ever in real danger, Linlin will go back right away! Whether it's Newgate or Kaido, Linlin will beat them all up!"
She marched over and gave Katakuri's massive arm an encouraging pat.
"So don't worry, Katakuri!" she grinned, her smile bright enough to light up the treetop. "You don't have to carry everything by yourself!"
"...Yes, Mother," Katakuri managed to say, his throat feeling unexpectedly tight.
Looking into her eyes, he felt a strange, nostalgic warmth washing over him, the feeling of having someone who, despite her childish whims, stood unconditionally by his side.
"Ah! The next Dreamland Coaster ride is starting!" Linlin suddenly gasped, clapping her hands against her cheeks. "Uncle Kuma, hurry! Bonney is waiting for us!"
She turned back to Katakuri with a brilliant beam. "Oh, right! Katakuri, you should come play with us later too! It's super fun! We can be on the same team, and if we win first place, we get giant strawberry shortcakes!"
Katakuri's face twitched. "Ah... well..."
'Play with a bunch of toddlers?!'
'I have an image to maintain!'
And wait a second, why was she calling Kuma 'Uncle' while calling Hitsuji 'Big Brother'?!
Doesn't that make Hitsuji technically senior to me in the family hierarchy?!
As Linlin hurried off toward the coaster tracks, pulling a struggling Kuma along by his wrist, Katakuri leveled a deadly, narrow-eyed glare at Hitsuji.
Hitsuji put his hands up defensively, waving them in mock innocence. "Hey, hey, don't look at me like that! Even if you said you weren't going to take her, I still had to ask her what 'she' wanted, right?"
Katakuri took a slow, heavy breath, forcing his rising temper back down.
Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, the implications of Linlin's words weren't lost on him. Star Lord was currently constructing a physical body for her. You don't build a new body for someone you consider an enemy.
In other words... absurd as it sounded, the Big Mom Pirates were effectively under the implicit protection of the Twelve Zodiacs now.
Katakuri felt a bizarre mix of frustration and profound relief.
He hated relying on outsiders, but he wasn't blind to reality. If Totto Land truly had the backing of the Twelve Zodiacs... those crushing 'burdens' he had been prepared to bleed for didn't seem so insurmountable anymore.
'Screech!'
The sharp sound of beating wings broke the silence as a massive Griffin descended from the clouds, landing smoothly on the edge of the wooden platform. A thick stack of freshly printed newspapers dangled from its claws.
"Lord Hitsuji," the Griffin spoke in a gravelly voice. "The 'World Economy Newspaper' just put out another special edition. I asked a passing News Coo for a few copies."
Katakuri glanced at the handful of loose seagull feathers still clinging to the Griffin's talons and decided not to pry.
There was zero chance this beast had simply 'asked' for those papers. It had clearly ambushed the poor delivery bird so Morgans wouldn't trace the distribution route back to Dreamland Island.
"Good work, Griffin," Hitsuji praised, taking one of the broadsheets and shaking it open.
He scanned the front page, and Katakuri watched as Hitsuji's relaxed posture suddenly froze solid.
A heavy silence fell over the platform.
Hitsuji folded the paper neatly, his cheerful demeanor vanishing in an instant. "My apologies, Katakuri. Something urgent has come up, and I must excuse myself."
He gestured vaguely toward the Griffin. "Griffin can show you the way down to the Dreamland Coaster. You're welcome to stay and enjoy the attractions."
Before Katakuri could even open his mouth, Hitsuji's form melted directly back into the wood of the giant tree, vanishing without a trace.
Left alone on the treetop with a feather-covered monster, Katakuri stood in dead silence.
"...Who said I was going to play?" he muttered into his scarf.
(End of Chapter)
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