They had clearly come here to help Cain find Pudding, but now everything had fallen into chaos.
On one side was Mama, who was about to lose control. On the other was Kaido, drunk and rampaging.
No matter which side he chose right now, the family on the other side could be thrown into danger. Katakuri gritted his teeth, trapped in a violent struggle.
"At a time like this, don't hesitate, Katakuri. Leave Kaido to me."
Cain looked at Katakuri's troubled expression and spoke first.
"Cain, you…"
"Well, I've been eating and drinking for free in Totto Land for this long. If I don't do something, I'd feel pretty bad about it."
Cain rolled his shoulders and smiled.
"That's right. I was actually looking forward to tomorrow's banquet, so we can't let it fall apart now."
Uta nodded along beside him.
Although she knew the banquet might involve some kind of scheme, Uta was not panicked at all. After all, Cain was by her side.
She firmly took Cain's left hand, and Cain naturally stretched his right hand toward Katakuri.
"So let's split up and stop them!"
Seeing this, Katakuri nodded heavily. He looked at Cain and was just about to say something.
But at that moment, Brûlée suddenly rushed out of the mirror and shouted at Cain in a shrill voice.
"HEY! LITTLE BROTHER! THAT'S KAIDO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT! HOW CAN WE LET YOU TAKE THAT KIND OF RISK AT A TIME LIKE THIS? YOU'RE CLEARLY TOMORROW'S WED—"
Fortunately, Katakuri reacted quickly. He instantly reached out and firmly covered Brûlée's mouth.
She had almost blurted out the secret of tomorrow's banquet.
Brûlée immediately realized she had misspoken and calmed down at once.
Only then did Katakuri release his hand and spoke in an extremely serious tone.
"Cain is not a child we need to protect, Brûlée. Do as he says and take him to Kaido."
After hearing this, although Brûlée's eyes were full of worry, she still nodded and quickly pulled them into the Mirro-World.
When Uta saw that strange space, she could not help feeling surprised.
It was completely different from her Uta World, but this way of using an ability was something she could learn from…
"Brûlée, send me to Mama's side first!"
The moment they entered the Mirro-World, Katakuri gave urgent instructions.
"After that, take Cain and the others to Kaido. For the following actions, listen to Cain. If Mama blames anyone… I'll take responsibility! Also, Cain, stay in contact through Den Den Mushi at all times!"
Cain nodded.
He understood. Katakuri was using this chance to create an opportunity for them to find Pudding.
'Even when time is this tight, why are you still thinking about me?'
"Katakuri-nii-san! But Mama's side, if you go alone…"
Brûlée still wanted to persuade him.
At the very least, she wanted to go with him. Letting her brother face Mama alone was simply too dangerous.
But Katakuri only pleaded in a low voice,
"Please, Brûlée! Cain's side needs you more!"
Looking at Katakuri's almost entrusting gaze, Brûlée's cheeks flushed bright red, and she answered heavily.
…
After sending Katakuri away, Cain and Uta emerged at the edge of the island through a mirror on Biscuit Island.
Brûlée also climbed out from the mirror anxiously and said in a hurry,
"Too many mirrors on the island have been shattered. This is already the closest exit to the battlefield. Little Brother, Kaido… I'm leaving him to you!"
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
Cain met Brûlée's earnest gaze and answered firmly.
Cain and Uta naturally understood what mattered most.
With the situation so unstable, finding Pudding was important, but it was not the most urgent matter.
Right now, saving people came first.
Their eyes met, and without any more hesitation, they rushed toward the battlefield together.
Cain would face Kaido directly. Brûlée would open mirrors to cover the retreat.
Meanwhile, Uta moved swiftly through the battlefield, searching for survivors who had been scared out of their wits and organizing them.
As she moved, dazzling musical notes radiated around her, giving people hope.
"Wororororo—!"
At the center of the battlefield, the drunken Kaido suddenly swung Hassaikai.
The kanabo, wrapped in dark-purple lightning, swept out casually, and several hard biscuit towers instantly shattered into fragments that filled the sky.
"Uta!"
Cain had just arrived when he saw the wave of broken stones shooting toward them. Instinctively, he rushed in Uta's direction and threw himself in front of her.
"Idiot. Stop always treating me like dead weight! I'm strong enough to help you now!"
Uta scolded him with a smile. Then she calmly spread her palm, and a melodic tune flowed from her lips.
"Music Domain: Deploy."
The roaring stone fragments froze precisely in midair, as if they had crashed into an invisible wall and could no longer move.
"What are you standing around for? This is your fight. I'm not going to interfere."
After saying that, Uta turned and ran toward Brûlée.
But after only a few steps, she suddenly turned back.
Before Cain could react, she cupped his face with both hands and kissed him without giving him any chance to refuse.
When their lips parted, a glistening silver thread stretched between them in the faint light.
"That's your pre-battle reward. Come back safely."
Uta wiped the corner of her mouth and showed him a bright smile.
Cain took a deep breath, feeling the lingering warmth between his lips and teeth, then grinned.
"Of course!"
The moment his words fell, he suddenly turned around and kicked off the ground, cracking it like a spiderweb.
His entire body turned into a dazzling streak of light as he charged toward that mountain-like monster with unstoppable momentum.
"I've been waiting a long time for this day, Kaido!"
…
At the same time, the mood on the other side of the battlefield had taken a completely different turn.
Capone Bege and Law, who had originally planned to secretly take Cain and Uta away and ruin the banquet from the shadows, were now caught in an absurd escape.
"Why the hell is there a shark on land?! That makes no damn sense!"
Bege's legs had transformed into wildly spinning tank treads, and he was speeding desperately along the biscuit road.
Inside Bege's body, Law pressed down on his hat and growled,
"Keep your voice down! We're supposed to be sneaking in quietly, understand?"
Because of a severe gap in information, these two had no idea that the two Emperors were already on the verge of demolishing Totto Land.
They were still following their original plan, intending to first sneakily take Cain and Uta away, then find a way to destroy tomorrow's banquet.
As for the shark chasing relentlessly behind them—
It was not that they could not beat the thing chasing them.
Law and Bege were simply determined to keep the disturbance as small as possible.
Unfortunately, that thing gave them no face at all and was chasing them with a huge commotion, refusing to let go.
Law looked through the observation window at the thing chasing behind them. Even though his eyes lit up slightly, he still calmly commented,
"Also, look at that thing. Its whole body is made of metal. It's obviously a machine. If it can run, then that's perfectly scientific. Its very existence is science."
Behind them was a mechanical shark, gleaming with a cold metallic shine and carrying a look of "clear stupidity" in its eyes.
At this moment, it was wriggling across the rock-hard biscuit floor, charging straight after them…
This mechanical shark was the very same one Lilith had brought back then.
(Garp and Shanks are still on the way…)