The ey of Totto Land's sea territory was under stant surveilnce by sea slugs, making it impossible to approadetected. Knowing this, Stussy had already left to avoid suspi. The infiltration pn proceeded in stages: Dofmingo was the first to eotto Land, followed by Stussy and Crocodile a few days ter, and finally, Tesoro arrived with the three Marine Admirals in tow.

  While Dofmingo held a promi name as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and a king in the New World, his status was nowhere near Charlotte Linlin's in terms of power and influence. As such, he didn't receive any special treatment at Big Mom's tea party.

  In fact, this marked the first time Dofmingo had direct dealings with the Big Mom Pirates. Without the chaotiventions of Dr. Vegapunk ing into py just yet, there hadn't been any opportunities for colboration. His retionship with Charlotte Linlin remained distant, with no signifit busiies to speak of.

  However, as a middleman in the underworld, a Warlord of the Sea, and the king of Dressrosa, Dofmingo had been io the tea party. Big Mom clearly saw value in building es, aiming to establish a rapport with him for potential mutual bes iure.

  Cake Isnd, true to its name, resembled a massive yered birthday cake. Its whimsical design gave it the feel of a fairy tale world, with animated Homies—living objects created by Big Mom's powers—adding to its surreal atmosphere.

  Dofmingo, dressed in his signature fmboyant piher coat, e-tinted sungsses, and tight-fitting clothing, strode fidently onto the isnd. His pointed shoes clicked against the ground, exuding an air ahat matched his reputation as the King of Dressrosa.

  For this occasion, Dofmingo chose not t any subordinates along. They would have been a hindran such a high-stakes situation, uo tribute meaningfully to a frontation at this level. Even Dofmingo himself felt a certain pressure as he approached the heart of Big Mom's territory.

  Trailing behind Dofmingo was Cudius, disguised as his younger brother Rosinante. Cudius had donned a bck feather coat simir to Dofmingo's, along with matg sungsses and colorful face paint. Mimig Dofmingo's cocky swagger, Cudius walked with exaggerated steps, clearly enjoying himself.

  "That's right," Cudius thought to himself with amusement. "In my st life, I always wao try walking like this with my cousin. But I was afraid someone would break my legs for it, so I never dared. Now, I finally get to live the dream."

  He had to admit, there was something satisfying about the exaggerated strut. It almost felt like he radiated an aura of authority and arrogance.

  Walking just behind Cudius was Gion, dressed in a modest maid outfit. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as she kept her head down, clearly unfortable with the attentiotire drew.

  Dofmingo gnced back at Cudius, his expression one of bemused disbelief. "Cous—cough, Corazon, do you really o y walk?"

  Cudius waved dismissively. "You wouldn't uand. I've always wao do this. I have to savor the moment."

  Dofmingo raised an eyebrow. "Always wao do this? What's stopping you? You could walk like this anytime, and no one would dare say a word."

  Cudius chuckled internally, thinking to himself, It's not just about the walk. I'd also love to mimic Kizaru's zy drawl, Whitebeard's catchphrase about making people his sons, and Shanks' casual plea for favors. But if I tried all that, I'd probably end up as publiemy number one.

  Led by the guards stationed on Cake Isnd, the group made their way toward the tral area. They stopped before a massive gate that marked the entrao the isnd's core. Sitting in front of the gate was a t figure whose presence was impossible to ignore.

  Cudius and Dofmingo, both standing over three meters tall, were aced to t over others. Yet the man before them, eveed, was still taller thaher of them. His imposing presence exuded a quiet but undeniable strength.

  This man was Charlotte Katakuri, Big Mom's sed son and one of the Sweet anders.

  Katakuri sat calmly, his half-covered face giving him an air of mystery. While his haki mastery wasn't yet perfected, Cudius khat Katakuri's observation haki would one day allow him to foresee the future with terrifying precision. However, it was clear he hadn't reached that level yet.

  Dofmingo approached with a smile, while Katakuri, uanding the importance of hospitality, stood to greet him. At over five meters tall, Katakuri loomed over the pair, his sheer size creating an intimidating aura. However, her Dofmingo nor Cudius was affected, both being seasoned veterans aced to such pressure.

  "Lord Dofmingo, wele to Cake Isnd," Katakuri said politely. "We've been expeg you."

  Dofmingo chuckled, his signature ugh eg. "Fufufu… The honor is mine. I'm grateful for the Big Mom Pirates' invitation to the tea party."

  Katakuri nodded. "Thank you for ing."

  His gaze shifted to Cudius, his expression briefly puzzled. "And this is…?"

  Dofmingo answered smoothly, "This is my younger brother, Rosinante. I brought him along to broaden his horizons."

  Despite Cudius's etric makeup and fmboyant outfit, there was a familial resembween him and Dofmingo. Katakuri accepted the expnation without suspi. After all, who would imagihat Dofmingo's "younger brother" was actually a Celestial Dragon?

  Katakuri gave Cudius a curt nod but didn't engage further. His attention instead drifted to Gion.

  Though her maid e and makeup were desigo make her blend in, something about her seemed vaguely familiar to Katakuri. However, he couldn't pce where he might have seen her before.

  Notig Katakuri's lingering gaze, Cudius decided to divert his attention. ing an arm around Gion's shoulders, he deliberately let his hand drop to her chest, grabbing hold in an exaggerated dispy.

  With a sly grin, Cudius turo Katakuri. "Is there a problem? Have we kept you waiting too long, or do you find something wrong with my maid?"

  Gion's face turned scarlet, and her fists ched in rage. If they weren't ierritory, she might have kicked Cudius into the sea on the spot.

  Dofmingo quickly stepped in, pying along with the act. "Corazon, watanners! This isn't Dressrosa," he scolded, before turning to Katakuri. "My apologies. My brother be… impulsive."

  Katakuri raised a hand, shaking his head. "It's fine. I was the o fault for being impolite." He retracted his gaze from Gion, his suspis dissipating.