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North Blue, Candied Island, Kara Miro Kingdom.
"Hoom!"
Giant furnaces burned day and night across the island, their cloyingly sweet aroma permeating the entire island.
In the villages, the farmlands had long since withered, abandoned by their farmers.
Instead, near the massive furnaces with their numerous Devil Fruit Ability Slots, forcibly conscripted peasants mechanically stirred the flowing syrup.
Beside them, a group of bizarre creatures supervised their work.
They resembled chess pieces, armed with various weapons, the Homies, soul creatures created by Big Mom's ability.
Whenever a peasant collapsed, the Homies immediately dragged them away.
No one resisted. After years of torment, everyone's bodies had reached their limits.
They were too weak to fight. Even their hacking coughs, which sounded like they were about to cough up their lungs, were enough to show that any one of them could fall into eternal sleep on any given night.
As Abel had said, the 'Candied Island' of his memories was gone, leaving only death, poverty, and despair behind.
Yet on this island of despair, there existed a 'Pure Land' that stood apart from the rest.
It was a resplendent Royal Palace, gleaming with gold and jewels.
This was the only place on the entire island without a furnace. Fresh vegetation thrived here, and a massive isolation curtain shielded it from the outside world.
At this moment, a ship was docked in the port behind the Royal Palace, which connected to the open sea.
It was a vessel with a fried shrimp figurehead and peculiar circular markings all over. The main sail bore the words 'Minister of Fried Foods'.
And atop the ship's mast flew a pirate flag, a skull wearing a cowboy hat and garishly painted lipstick.
It was Big Mom's pirate flag.
"Lord Snack, we've been waiting for you! Please, follow me!"
Under the guard of a phalanx of Homies soldiers, a short, ugly man wearing a crown stood before the pirate ship to greet them.
As he spoke, Kara Miro led the esteemed guest into the Royal Palace, his voice dripping with flattery. "I've prepared the finest delicacies and beauties. This time, you simply must stay for several days."
"That won't do, Kara Miro."
But behind him, a tall, stout man with a gourd-shaped topknot and a Large-Scale Samurai sword strapped to his back spoke with a stern tone.
"Mother has already issued the order, this year's birthday Tea Party must be grand enough to impress the world."
"The Chef Team began preparing ingredients months ago. I must return immediately with the 'Rainbow Candies.' I have no time to linger here."
"Furthermore, the Prince of the Giant Tribe has proposed to my younger sister. Mother will arrange the wedding next year, so next year, you must double your tribute of Rainbow Candies Devil Fruit Ability Slots!"
He spoke to Kara Miro III without the slightest trace of courtesy.
"Double?!"
Kara Miro III's eyes widened in disbelief.
"But Lord Snack, I told you last year that almost all the commoners on Candied Island have perished. It's become incredibly difficult to increase Rainbow Candy production."
Halfway through his sentence, Snack's eyes turned to Kara Miro.
"That's your problem, Kara Miro."
He looked at Kara Miro calmly. "Do you think Mother agreed to shelter you for nothing? Do you know how many resources Totto Land has to expend each year to keep the Marine from coming after you and to grease the wheels for your business?"
"Mother doesn't care how much money you've made using our flag, but..."
He grinned, his right hand gripping the massive sword behind him, his gaze fixed on Kara Miro. "If you fail to deliver the Rainbow Candies..."
shua!
The words had barely left his mouth when his sword flashed out and back in an instant.
"I'll cut you down."
His words fell silent.
Then...
boom!
Hundreds of meters behind Kara Miro III, several massive pillars within the Royal Palace were instantly split in two.
There was no sword energy, no trace of Haki, it was as if his single strike had cleaved through the air hundreds of meters away!
gulp
Even though Kara Miro III had witnessed Snack's power before, he couldn't help but swallow hard at the sight.
"Yes, yes! Lord Snack!" he stammered nervously.
But Snack seemed to understand the principle of giving a carrot after a stick. He casually said, "However... haven't you always wanted to join us?"
He held out his hand, revealing an invitation. "This is an invitation to this year's Tea Party. I'm here to transport Rainbow Candies, so you can come with me to Totto Land."
Snack could travel from the New World to the North Blue because his ship was equipped with special "Wind-Blowing Homies" to help him navigate the Calm Belt.
Kara Miro III, however, clearly lacked this technology. If he wanted to attend the Tea Party, he would have to travel on Snack's ship.
"If you can provide twice the amount of candies next year and ensure the wedding goes smoothly, I'll personally recommend you to Mama. I'll even nominate you to become the 'Minister of Candies' of Totto Land."
Snack was making empty promises, but from Kara Miro III's excited expression as he accepted the invitation, it was clear he believed every word.
He knew the man before him.
This wasn't some ordinary member of Big Mom's crew; it was Charlotte Snack, one of the Four Sweet Commanders, high-level officers of the Big Mom Pirates whose name echoed across the sea.
The terror he'd felt moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by a steely resolve. He vowed to complete Big Mom's mission next year, no matter what.
"Double the workload for those mud-crawling laborers! Even if they all die, it doesn't matter. I can just buy more slaves with my own money!" he thought.
"If I become the 'Minister of Candies' and establish a true pirate nation under Big Mom's banner, leveraging the Yonko's name, my annual profits will at least double!"
The two men soon entered the Royal Palace.
Instead of going to the reception hall, they hurried to the highest corridor of the Royal Palace.
Behind a painting in the corridor lay Kara Miro III's Treasure Vault.
Click!
Kara Miro III made no attempt to hide his actions, directly unlocking the vault with a key.
A refreshing fragrance and a captivating golden glow immediately wafted out.
Inside the vault, there were a considerable number of Devil Fruit Ability Slots, and Treasure was piled up like small mountains.
But ironically, the items stored with the most care, arranged in exquisite boxes and meticulously separated, were bottles of candied fruits radiating seven-colored light.
Kara Miro III felt no shame.
Not only were the "Seven-Colored Candied Fruits" the highest-quality candied fruits, and thus inherently expensive, but their significance as tribute to Big Mom far exceeded their intrinsic value.
After all, if Treasure was stolen, it could be recovered.
If his Rainbow Candies were stolen, his head might have been chopped off on the spot.
Chii!
A sharp sound suddenly pierced Kara Miro III's ears.
Kara Miro III wasn't skilled in combat, so he didn't immediately recognize the sound.
But in the next instant, he knew.
In a flash, he felt the icy chill of a blade graze his throat.
It was as if death itself had come to greet him.
"I've been cut!"
Kara Miro III reached a conclusion: "I'm going to die!"
But at that very moment...
"Shield Slash Amulet!"
Snack's voice suddenly rang out.
Bang!
The next moment, Kara Miro III's body crashed heavily to the ground.
Terrified, he burst into tears and frantically clutched his neck, as if the icy chill of the blade still lingered on his skin.
"How... how am I still alive?"
He stammered, feeling a wetness in his pants. Must be sweat, he thought.
"Of course you didn't die. I blocked that slash."
Snack gave him a look of disdain.
Then, his wary gaze swept around the room. "To think someone would try to kill you right in front of 'Strongest Shield' Snack... I've truly been underestimated."
"What about the enemy? Did you defeat him?"
Hearing this, Kara Miro III looked at Snack with eager anticipation. "Please, defeat him! I'll pay you anything you want!"
Snack fell silent for a moment, then finally spoke. "The fact that he managed to sneak past the Homies soldiers to get here suggests he's a highly skilled Hitman. Such individuals retreat after a single failed strike, so I suspect he's already gone."
After saying this, as if feeling his words lacked sufficient Haki, he added, "After all, if he were truly strong, he would have sensed my power. If he dares to attack again..."
Before he could finish speaking, another barrage of slashes descended.
But this time...
Chh! Chh! Chh!
The relentless slashes no longer targeted only Kara Miro III, but also enveloped Snack.
It was as if the hidden Assassin was clearly taunting Snack: "What are you talking about?"
(End of Chapter)