Chapter 677: Each with Their Own Schemes
The newlyweds had arrived, and the wedding naturally began. Amidst the music, Capone Bege and Chiffon walked hand in hand to stand beneath the floral arch.
"Chiffon! Congratulations!"
Among those present were dozens of Big Mom's children, all offering words of blessing to Charlotte Chiffon.
Only Big Mom let out a disdainful snort.
Because Chiffon bore a strong resemblance to Lola, who had fled her arranged marriage, Big Mom held no affection for her at all. Katakuri and the other siblings had a decent relationship with Chiffon, but Big Mom, her own mother, blamed Chiffon for the failed alliance with Prince Loki of the Giant Tribe. She subjected Chiffon to daily beatings and curses, never treating her as a real daughter.
So even at Chiffon and Capone Bege's wedding, Big Mom showed no good grace. To her, Chiffon's remaining value was merely to help absorb the Fire Tank Pirates into her crew. The true purpose of this tea party wedding, it seemed, was nothing more than the delicious wedding cake...
Ian clearly saw Big Mom's expression. No wonder Capone Bege had said Chiffon would help cover up the matter of Pudding. It seemed even Chiffon felt deeply chilled by Big Mom's treatment.
Though clapping along, Katakuri felt a flicker of confusion. Why hadn't he seen Pudding? Wasn't she supposed to be accompanying Chiffon? Why hadn't she come out together?
Just then, a figure appeared. It was Arest, dressed in a priest's robe, holding a Bible in his hands. With a gentle smile, he walked along the carpet and took his place on a platform beneath the floral arch.
When Ian first saw Arest, he didn't think much of it. He assumed Arest was a member of the Big Mom Pirates, playing the role of the officiating priest. But then he noticed that when this bald priest—whose neck and scalp were covered in tattoos—appeared, not only Big Mom's children but even Big Mom herself greeted him with warm, friendly smiles.
"Who is this?" Ian quietly asked Katakuri.
"Oh, he's a friend of Mama's!" Katakuri replied. "A real priest from the Church Kingdom. Mama invited him to officiate this wedding."
"I see!" Ian nodded, thinking to himself that a friend of Big Mom's probably wasn't much different from people like Stussy or the others.
But at that moment, Ian noticed Arest glance his way. Ian intended to smile back in acknowledgment, but Arest quickly looked away.
"Today, we gather here to witness a couple embarking on a journey of happiness..."
Arest's voice rang out. His tone was captivating, and the entire venue fell silent, listening to his words.
However, no one knew that Arest's mind was filled with confusion at that moment.
Caesar, who should have been tied up in the restroom, had mysteriously vanished. Arest had wanted to search thoroughly, but as the priest officiating the wedding, time no longer permitted any delay.
So he had to hurriedly leave his room and rush to the wedding venue.
If Caesar had escaped, it would only be a matter of time before the Big Mom Pirates discovered and found him. For now, Arest could only hope that Caesar wouldn't recognize him or Stussy. After all, they had been wearing masks at the time. Even if Caesar were interrogated, he wouldn't know who had kidnapped him.
Thus, Arest calmed himself and continued officiating the wedding while pondering his next move.
Stussy should have already hidden the Poneglyph rubbing in Ian's room, right? Once the Big Mom Pirates searched the guest rooms, they would definitely find it.
With that thought, Arest's gaze unconsciously swept toward Stussy.
But he noticed that Stussy's expression was very unpleasant.
What happened? Arest's heart skipped a beat. Despite his doubts, he played his role well, his voice betraying nothing, and quickly looked away.
The wedding ceremony was brief. After a routine exchange of vows, Capone Bege, acting like a tycoon, produced a massive diamond ring and slipped it onto Chiffon's finger. Then he tossed aside his cigar and pulled Chiffon into a passionate kiss.
The smacking sounds made Ian's skin crawl.
But after the moment passed, the venue erupted in warm applause as everyone praised Capone Bege's boldness.
Next, the music began, and the highlight of the event arrived. Pushed by a team of chefs, a gigantic wedding cake was wheeled into the venue on a cart.
The guests gasped in amazement. The wedding cake was enormous—taller than five or six people—and as soon as it appeared, a sweet fragrance filled the entire venue.
This was a masterpiece crafted by the Big Mom Pirates' chefs, exquisitely beautiful. Just looking at it made one feel it would be delicious. No wonder Big Mom was so eagerly anticipating it.
Drip, drip sounds echoed. Ian turned to look and saw Big Mom resting her chin on her hands, her tongue hanging out long, her face utterly entranced as she gazed at the slowly approaching cake. Saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth, and when it hit the ground, green smoke rose as the grass beneath was corroded...
Ian was startled and quickly moved farther away from her.
Then he suddenly remembered the bomb Capone Bege had hidden in the cake. Instinctively, he stepped back even further, positioning himself near the Vinsmoke family's table, standing shoulder to shoulder with Reiju.
He discreetly glanced at Capone Bege and his Fire Tank Pirates crew. They were all staring intently at Big Mom, their faces tense with nervousness.
Ian observed carefully and noticed that Capone Bege's first mate, Vito—the long-tongued man—had one hand in his pocket and hadn't taken it out. Ian immediately guessed that the bomb's remote control was in Vito's hand, and he was responsible for detonating it.
Hopefully, nothing goes wrong with that guy, Ian thought as he withdrew his gaze. But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that at some point, the priest Arest, who had officiated the wedding, was now standing beside Stussy.
Almost everyone's attention was fixed on the cake, but Ian noticed Arest and Stussy. Though they were some distance apart, Ian saw that Stussy's lips seemed to be moving slightly, as if she were whispering something to Arest.
These two really know each other? No, that can't be right. Stussy is from CPO. How would she know Arest?
As Ian puzzled over this, he saw the two of them subtly separate, so he quickly looked away.
By then, the wedding cake had been pushed to the center of the venue. Big Mom said excitedly, "Come on, come on! The tea party is starting!"
The crowd gathered a bit closer, but only Capone Bege and his Fire Tank Pirates crew didn't move. Ian also stayed put, even quietly pulling Reiju's hand and stepping back.
Reiju looked at Ian with some confusion, but Ian gave her a meaningful glance.
Ian didn't know how powerful the bomb was, but he knew that Capone Bege and his crew would only detonate it when they were sure Big Mom had taken a bite. At this distance, they shouldn't be caught in the blast.
"Mama, it's time to cut the cake. Don't you want to say something?" Katakuri, standing beside Big Mom, looked up and asked.
"Mamama! I'm very happy today. You're all good children!" Big Mom was already drooling with anticipation, so she didn't bother with a long speech. Laughing loudly, she said a few words and then urged the head chef, Long Bread, to cut the cake.
Long Bread, holding a long cake knife, raised it, ready to slice down.
Capone Bege and his Fire Tank Pirates crew stared intently at Long Bread's movements. They were terrified that his knife might accidentally hit the bomb their boss had buried, their tension nearly suffocating.
Ian was equally nervous. If Big Mom could eat the bomb without issue, that would be ideal. But if something went wrong, it would mean a hard battle ahead.
As for Arest and Stussy, they had no idea about the cake's secret. Both were lost in their own thoughts...
However, just as the cake knife touched the cake and was about to cut, a commotion suddenly erupted from outside the venue!
"You can't treat me like this! I'm not a criminal!"
"Let me go!"
The voice rang out, and everyone in the venue froze!
Big Mom froze because she hadn't expected anyone to cause a disturbance at her wedding tea party. Ian froze because he recognized the voice—it was Caesar!
Two others also recognized the voice: Arest and Stussy. Though they had briefly exchanged words earlier, knowing that Caesar had escaped and would eventually be caught, they never imagined he would be captured so quickly!
In their daze, Caesar, still wearing Seastone handcuffs, was dragged into the wedding venue, kicking and screaming, under the escort of Brulee and Amande...