章 22: Chapter 31. Lola
One drum, two drums, three drums... many more drums of rum.
The evening that had begun with the grandeur of a royal banquet hosted by Big Mom in honor of the Giants' arrival in Totto Land had abruptly transformed into a raucous pirate's party. The shift occurred the moment the decuplets started rolling drums of rum into the Party Hall, one after the other, as they endeavored to finally achieve their long-term goal of getting their younger brother drunk.
Beyond bringing rum from Elbaf, the decuplets worked in perfect harmony with the giants, as if they had long been acquainted - raising questions about the depth of their connections within the world of deal-making.
The dance floor gradually emptied as ministers and guests, giants included, gathered around a table not far from the dance floor. The table that had been a suspicious sight for most of the evening now turned into a spectacle of intrigue.
Meanwhile, as the drums kept rolling in, the young Pirate Prince of Totto Land was downing the contents of one of the many drums of Elbaf's brew, the gathering crowd cheering him on.
Those who hadn't noticed him before began to take note, especially the giants and their Prince Loki, who had been dancing with his lovely fiancée-to-be, Charlotte Lola.
"He is the size of a giant child," Prince Loki observed to Lola, their unique dance position allowing him a clear view of the scene.
"Isn't he a little too young to be drinking?" Loki inquired, a hint of concern in his tone as his eyes left Lola's for the first time since the party had started, searching for where his sister might be.
"My little brother is too young to be doing nearly everything he does. But being Mama's heir, it's only natural that he had to grow up fast." Lola replied, her eyes still locked onto the prince's, barely glancing at the piling rum.
"So he is the crown prince I've heard so much about," Prince Loki realized, his eyes locking onto Keki just as Keki finished another drum and added it to the a second pile of emptied drums. "He lives up to his legend, even if it's just for drinking Elbaf's rum like a seasoned giant."
"If that surprises you, wait till you learn everything about him," Lola said, a thoughtful expression crossing her face as she searched the prince's eyes. Then, realizing something crucial, she tightened her grip on him.
"But why tell you when you can see for yourself?" Lola noted, guiding Loki with a firm yet gentle touch. "It's high time the two of you officially met."
Following Lola's lead, Loki walked towards Keki, his steps slow and deliberate despite Lola's aerial drift.
Before Loki could reach Keki, he was intercepted by a very small, very tiny man. Thanks to his awareness of other living things, Loki didn't step on him. The little man rose to meet Loki's height with an interesting device that flapped below his shoes. Whether it was a homie or a work-in-progress mechanical hovering device was hard to tell given its structure and design.
Regardless, this device, and others like it, were the means most of the ministers had been using all night to interact with the giants. It had been particularly useful during the dances.
"Hey," the little man spoke once he was face to mountain with Loki. "What are you trying to do, rip us off?" His tone was arrogant, but Loki didn't show any sense of displeasure immediately.
"I'm sorry?" Loki looked at the little man, confused by several things: the arrogance in the little man's voice and the startling way he had been addressed among them.
"We had a deal for twenty drums and your giants only gave us nineteen," the little man said, pointing his little stick accusingly at Loki. "Make good on our deal, or we'll tell Mama you're stealing from her."
The little man pointed the stick towards where Big Mom was seated. Big Mom's chair was her usual queen's throne with candy holders on the sides, but this eccentric chair wasn't what caught the spotlight when one observed her.
For most of the evening, she had been sitting quietly, her eyes moving back and forth with red cheeks that made her expression childlike as she committed the sight before her to memory. This was everything she could ever ask for - the many giants that had squeezed into her Party Hall had made a series of beautiful emotions explode within her light-dark heart.
The only thing left of her expression was to sit still and watch it all unfold like the movie of the century. She was proud as she watched her children mingle happily with each other, and especially with the giants. She was so proud that she was oblivious to the pirate theme that had quickly set into the ball-like atmosphere. She just didn't care. All that mattered was that the giants were here, and more were about to move and settle in Totto Land.
Everyone was genuinely glad that she was finally showing her tears of joy, and no one wanted to disturb that. No one would ever want to break Mama's bliss.
"What is this deal you are talking about?" Loki inquired with a stern, half-confused dare. From experience, Loki knew where such an accusation could lead, and he was prepared for what might come next. "I don't know of such..."
"Excuse us for a moment," Lola cut in sharply before the little man could accuse Loki further. She skidded to confront him, pushing him back to avoid more embarrassment in front of the prince. "Show some respect, Newji. You're talking to the prince of Elbaf."
Newji squared up, meeting her gaze with unwavering defiance. "We're royalty too. Ripping us off is an act of war."
Loki's heavy breath brushed Lola's hair like a desert storm, and she felt the tension rising.
"Newji," Lola said with a stern, authoritative tone. "This is not the time for your troll games."
Lola's voice began to rise. "Tell me how many drums the giants gave you, and be honest."
"Like I said—" Newji started, but Lola's glare silenced him.
"Newji!" Lola's voice cut through the noise.
"I'm not lying. It was..." Newji defended, but Lola's face darkened, mirroring Big Mom's anger.
"Don't make me ask a third time," Lola said with an edge.
"Alright, alright," Newji relented, his bravado slipping under his sister's gaze. "It's not fair." He grumbled. "We're not making progress with Keki getting drunk, and we thought the special 'sake' from Loki's cabin might do the trick."
"I thought you'd be on our side," Newji added. "You're not going to marry him anyway, so let us take what we can before the giants leave..."
Newji's words were cut off by Lola's sharp "Shshshhhhh..."
"What are you talking about!?" Lola demanded, her face a mix of terror and fury.
"We overheard you talking to Chiffon earlier about it, so..." Newji shrugged, his tone matter-of-fact.
Lola's expression softened, though she was still tense. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know we had to make the homies disappear before Mama found out," Newji explained, a touch of mischief in his eyes.
Lola looked at him pensively for a moment.
"You realize if Mama finds out, it will lead to a war with the giants, right?" Newji inquired with a hint of challenge. "If that's your plan, we're all in. Everyone's betting that Ares will take them all down."
Lola sighed, trying to ignore her brother's manic side. "Forget about that. Just keep the trolls from causing any more trouble and making things worse. Promise me, Newji."
Newji hesitated, but Lola's demanding tone left no room for argument. "Promise."
Reluctantly, Newji nodded, his defiant attitude giving way under Lola's pressure.
"Sorry about him," Lola said with a feigned smile and genuine embarrassment as she returned to Loki. "His count was off. Please accept his sincere apology."
Loki nodded, relieved to have Lola's attention back on him. His mind wandered to the evening they had shared, reflecting on how wonderful it had been with the dining, the talking, and the dancing. He reminisced about the day they first met when she was a prisoner of the giants. From the moment he had laid eyes on her, he had known she was everything he could have asked for.
Loki had been eager to propose to her, even though it wasn't in line with Big Mom's clear schedule. After reconnecting with her, he had decided to wait until the next day when he would propose during their planned tour around Totto Land.
In his romantic reverie, Loki snapped back to reality as the dramatic conclusion of Keki's pirate scuffle unfolded.
---
After sitting cross-legged on the floor for a while, I lifted my numbing legs and stood up with a slight stagger. I could feel all eyes locked on me, awaiting some sort of reaction, especially given the massive pile of drums to my left and the empty space on the right where all of them had once been.
The room had fallen into an expectant silence, as if everyone - giants and normees alike - wondered if this was the climax.
The answer to the question on everyone's mind was something I had long understood, revealing why Big Mom, despite being a pirate, cared so little about rum.
She was built differently.
And so was I.
"Is that all of it?" I asked matter-of-factly, casting an inquisitive glance at the decuplets. It took a moment for everyone to study me closely, attempting to destabilize me and conduct various cognitive tests to confirm my sobriety.
"I was hoping you'd surprise us this time," a sibling among the crowd cried out as the rest complained.
"I've never seen anything like that," a giant within the gathering spoke with awe in his voice and a slight stammer.
"Come on!" the decuplets cursed, moving back and forth between the drums and me in sync.
"Bobobobobo..." a giant laughed, while the other giants watched me with a mix of disbelief, awe, and respect.
"Looks like I have a rival," the laughing giant caught my attention and I recognized him as Prince Loki who had been dancing with Lola nearly all night.
Before I could respond to the seeming praise, a chilling voice cut through the air, causing everyone to quiet down instantly.
"Don't be so kind, brother. He's only worthy to be called your rival if he can survive a hundred liters of Elbaf's Bane."
"Bobobobobo," Loki, together with the giants, laughed at Hela's remark. Supposing it was a joke they didn't quite get, the ministers erupted into laughter.
I noticed Hela standing next to him, her sudden appearance mysterious and unsettling. Where she had been throughout the entire party was an even more ominous mystery. Simply put, she was an enigma.
"I'm Loki of Elbaf," Loki introduced himself.
"I'm Keki of Totto Land," I mirrored his introduction, deepening my voice as if willing it to outmatch his reverberations.
"I apologize for not being available to welcome you to Totto Land at dinner, and hope you are enjoying your stay," I said, showing some courtesy.
"Bobobobo..." Loki chuckled. "Don't be so formal when you've shown me that Totto Land isn't always fancy flowers and sweets."
"Your actions here remind me so much of Elbaf's formal parties," Loki continued. "It might just have been what my kind and I needed to feel completely comfortable among pirates."
"Mh-mh-mh-mh.." I responded with a chuckle, more to assert my masculinity in the shifting atmosphere. "Whatever to solidify our allegiance."
"Good," Loki agreed. "Now, let's drink more and enjoy ourselves while we settle the score."
"While you can down twenty drums of regular Elbaf brew like it's water, I promise you that three cups of my special 'sake' will knock your brains out," Prince Loki challenged.
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