The Intelligent Ones

Inside Bege's body castle, Jinbe struggles to wake Luffy as the team waits for their cue, with Chopper asking for meat to lure the captain awake. Above the venue, Sanji and Pudding exchange happy words while each conceals their real intent. The head chef Streusen rolls out a towering cake topped by the altar, and the couple ascends to exchange vows. The watching Vinsmokes treat Sanji as their sacrifice, though Reiju quietly hopes he escapes and trusts Luffy to make it happen.

When Sanji lifts the veil for the kiss, Pudding bares her third eye, certain it will repulse him. Instead he calls it beautiful, a compliment she has never once received, and she dissolves into tears, remembering a childhood of cruelty over the eye. Unable to fire, she freezes. Katakuri foresees Sanji dodging the priest's shot and tries to snipe him himself, but Sanji evades that too, and the stray jellybean kills the priest. The gunfire signals Luffy, and the giant cake bursts open as a dozen Luffys come pouring out.

The wedding cake is revealed with the altar at its summit, and the Charlotte children quietly ring the Vinsmoke table. Pudding shows Sanji her third eye, but his unexpected kindness halts the assassination. It comes out that her twisted nature grew from being bullied over the eye, which even Big Mom found repulsive. Katakuri's own attempt on Sanji fails when the cook slips the shot, and pandemonium erupts as Luffy duplicates erupt from the cake.

This chapter is part of the Whole Cake Island Arc. The cover depicts a young Buggy and Shanks playing Hanafuda in their Roger Pirates days. Capone breaks into a sweat realizing Katakuri's foresight may unravel the plan, and Brûlée tearfully laments being forced to aid the Straw Hats. Big Mom screams in shock as the cake she anticipated is devoured before her eyes.