บท 163: Chapter 163: Smoothie: "Am I Actually Trying So Hard to Please a Man?"

Yellow Butter Town

Shakky firmly stated, "It seems it's not Linlin who's targeting our captain, but rather her daughters who have set their sights on him."

"Charlotte Linlin is trying to use marriage as a means to gain leverage over Kuke's influence," Gion remarked, a mocking smile on her lips. Too naive. She didn't feel even a bit threatened.

Gion wasn't possessive or selfish; she was generous, stemming from her unreserved affection for Kuke, coupled with a deep confidence that her place in Kuke's heart was irreplaceable.

"Captain, who do you fancy?" the crew asked curiously, all eyes turning to Kuke.

"All of them," Kuke replied nonchalantly, "but not through marriage." He didn't need to resort to marriage to take anything he desired from Big Mom—that would be beneath him.

On the Warships Ahead

Smoothie and the others locked eyes, their gazes sharp as blades. The air was thick with tension, especially as dinnertime approached.

Galette made the first move, presenting yet another dish inspired by Kuke's homeland, though different from the one she had offered before. Smoothie and Custard's faces immediately darkened—they hadn't expected Galette to pull this off so effectively.

They watched helplessly as she delivered it to the Sun and Moon, spending a considerable amount of time there before returning with fresh fruit in hand.

After a moment of contemplation, Smoothie decided to use her Devil Fruit ability to prepare a unique beverage. She personally delivered it to the Sun and Moon.

Watching Custard stand there, unsure of what to do, Amande finally gave her a nudge. Soon enough, Custard boarded the Sun and Moon with a collection of Whole Cake Island's special dishes.

One by one, they made their offerings, bringing anything they could think of to impress Kuke, delivering them to the Sun and Moon without lingering too long.

"The captain sure has some clout," Yamato remarked, jealousy shining in her eyes. "Captain, share some with me."

"If you want some, go ask them," Kuke replied while enjoying his meal without reservation, treating this as an early experience of what it would be like having them as crew members.

The unbothered Yamato actually went and asked for some.

"Captain Kuke must really like it, given how often they send over new dishes," Galette and the others thought, motivated by this response. That night, they stayed up late preparing more food and drinks, enough to feed a hundred people.

Lying sprawled on the deck with her stomach stuffed, Yamato sighed, "The captain's charm really pays off."

"Am I going to lose my role as the chef?" Makino muttered nervously.

The Following Day

More varieties of dishes arrived once again. Suddenly, a small storm appeared ahead.

"Adjust to port at seventy degrees, then..." Shakky, acting as the navigator, calmly issued instructions to navigate the Sun and Moon through the storm with minimal effort.

Before she could finish, a flying slash cut through the storm—then a second, and a third. A flurry of slashes tore the storm apart with sheer force.

In no time, the sea ahead was calm and serene.

Shakky's mouth dropped open, nearly losing the cigarette from her lips.

"Was that necessary?" she muttered, incredulous. All that fuss over a mere storm? A slight adjustment in the ship's course would have gotten them through without issue. Was there any need to exert so much effort to obliterate the storm? Wasn't it tiring?

"Am I going to be out of a job as navigator soon?" she wondered aloud.

On the Pirate Ship Ahead

Smoothie and Custard both leaned on their swords, their breathing uneven. They had exhausted themselves by unleashing that much power.

"Was that really necessary?" Amande shook her head in disbelief.

Smoothie and Custard didn't respond, but instead exchanged glances. They had both forgotten who acted first, but once one of them had made a move, the other couldn't back down.

The rest of the journey went by with Smoothie and Custard leading the way, ensuring smooth sailing as they went.

They enjoyed the highest hospitality the Big Mom Pirates could offer. No guest to Whole Cake Island had ever received such treatment—being escorted by Smoothie, one of the Sweet Commanders, along with three senior officers, each of them putting in their utmost effort.

By the end, it wasn't just about their individual efforts—they started drawing on their connections. They covertly reached out to family members with whom they had good relationships, using them to help prepare various items that they could present to Kuke.

If Kuke showed a slight preference for a particular dish, by the next meal that same dish would be piled before him in quantities far beyond what he could possibly eat.

As Whole Cake Island Came Into View

The women paused their competition for a moment.

"These past few days... have I really gone to such lengths?" Smoothie was stunned as she reflected on her actions. She had actually tried this hard to please a man—something she would never have imagined herself doing.

"To think I'd go to such extremes for a man..." Smoothie cast a sideways glance at Galette and the others. "It's all your fault," she thought. If not for them, she wouldn't have ended up like this.

"But now that I've come this far, I have to succeed," she resolved, her proud nature unable to accept the idea of going this far and still failing.

Her gaze shifted toward the Sun and Moon behind them, filled with expectation. They were about to meet with her mother, Big Mom.

"Will he choose me?" she wondered.

Galette and the others also looked towards Kuke with anticipation, as if they were concubines waiting to be summoned.

"You all..." Amande, who had been silently observing them the entire time, shook her head. At first, their actions weren't that astonishing, but gradually they became more and more desperate.

"Some of you will fail. Just don't cry when it happens," Amande thought, dreading what might happen to the losers.

"What if all of them fail?" she mused, considering the possibility that the proposed marriages might not happen. What would happen then?

Amande shivered at the thought. If that were the case, she couldn't imagine how crazed Smoothie and the others might become.

"Let's go. Take me to see your mother," Kuke said, stepping ashore.

Smoothie and the others had already been waiting for him by the shore.

"You've done well these past few days," Kuke remarked genuinely. "I'm pleased."

With those words, their faces lit up with joy. All the embarrassment they had felt about their actions over the past few days vanished.

Smoothie scolded herself internally. "How could I lack confidence? I'm a Sweet Commander—I shouldn't be so easily swayed by a few words." But even so, she couldn't deny how happy she felt.

Whole Cake Island

The island was bustling with powerful individuals. All of the Big Mom Pirates' officers had returned, their full strength assembled.

Alongside them were guests invited to attend the tea party—guests who were certainly not ordinary people. They included emperors of the underworld and leaders of some of the most dominant factions across the seas. Among their own territories, they were unquestionable rulers, but here on Whole Cake Island, none dared to act out of line. Against the imposing might of the Big Mom Pirates, their positions were naturally diminished.

And today, they all knew that another significant figure would be attending.

Similarly, the Big Mom Pirates' officers were solemn, lacking the relaxation and arrogance one might expect them to have in their own domain.

"I wonder if there'll be big news today," Morgans, the "News King" and one of the invited guests, pondered aloud.

He glanced sympathetically at Katakuri and the other officers. He knew just how powerful the Sun and Moon Pirates were. Despite both crews being led by Yonko, Morgans was well aware that the Big Mom Pirates were no match for the Sun and Moon Pirates.

"Mama... has he arrived?" Big Mom's bloodshot eyes scanned the horizon, seemingly able to glimpse Kuke approaching from the shore.

________________________________