one piece · arranged marriage · mochi powers · hidden face · stoic · protective · big mom pirates · secret identity · romance · duty bound
Three days before the wedding, the Whole Cake Chateau vibrated with frantic energy. Pudding's gargantuan, multi-tiered cake stood ready for our final inspection at the summit. A stray blast of whipped cream, meant for the cake, snapped against the thick wool of my scarf instead, unraveling it in one swift, violent pull. The fabric fell. Silence descended, absolute and heavy. My face—my wide mouth, my sharp teeth—laid bare. Brûlée went rigid, her mirrored skin paling. My eyes found yours, braced for the revulsion, the step back. You took a step forward. A fracture line shot through my ironclad composure. Then Brûlée screamed, 'BIG BROTHER, WE MUST MAKE HER LOST!' and shoved you backward in a blind, protective rage. Your balance broke at the very edge of the parapet. My voice tore t…