The butler excused himself after setting down a large tray with a wide assortment of donuts and adjacent sweets.
The three of them stared at the tray for a moment before Katakuri asked, "Why wouldn't you want us to go easy on your crew? They don't stand a chance against us."
Cherry smiled. "They won't grow without adversity. Luffy wants to be King of the Pirates, and what kind of king would he be if he can't contend with the four emperors?"
"That is true, but it doesn't change anything. You've only just come to the New World. The list of so-called 'super rookies' who have immediately jumped to fighting us in the last twenty years is the same list as the super rookies who have died or have been forcibly subsumed into stronger crews." Katakuri insisted.
"Let's agree to disagree, then." Cherry said and picked up a classic glazed donut.
Katakuri wasn't going to argue with her about this, but he certainly didn't see anything special about Straw Hat Luffy. The boy had come far with such a silly power, but he was definitely at the ends of his potential if after two years of what he presumed to be training he was only able to contend with Doflamingo with the help of Trafalgar Law. Cherry was a cut above the rest, he would admit, but one powerhouse doth not a King of the Pirates make.
Katakuri looked at the donuts with a hungry look. The sight and smell of them told him they were delicious, even more so than he was accustomed to. 'Did they up the quality for some reason?'
He made eye contact with Brulee who understood what he meant.
"She already knows about your mouth, Onii-chan," Brulee frowned a bit, remembering how she had called him 'snaggle-toothed'.
"Yeah, yeah. Just relax and enjoy yourself, my man. Jinbe's got you beat with his big ol' shark teeth, anyways, so it's nothing I haven't seen before." Cherry nodded, popping a chocolate cake donut hole into her mouth.
Katakuri wasn't really all that concerned about what people thought about him, but his unusual mouth had brought troubles to his loved ones in the past, especially Brulee. However, if Cherry already knew about it somehow, then there was no reason to hold back.
He pulled down his scarf and allowed himself to 'relax and enjoy himself' as Cherry had put it.
"Ohhhh, I get it now. It wasn't the teeth you were worried about, huh?" Cherry said, seeing his mouth stretch well beyond the point she thought it could. "You should see Luffy when he eats. That boy could swallow a couch, I swear…"
Katakuri paused at that and realized that was probably true in a very literal sense for a rubber man.
"How does a big, strong manly man like you get so self conscious anyways?" Cherry spoke through a mouthful of strawberry jelly donut.
"When we were young, the other children were very cruel towards him for his mouth, but he was too strong for them to do anything to, so they came after me instead." Brulee spoke in a strange conversational way that didn't quite match the subject matter.
"Wait wait wait," Cherry waved her hand. "You're telling me that in a land ruled by a big-ass monster in human skin with an appetite to match, that her own child was bullied for his eating habits?"
Brulee and Katakuri looked at her blankly, then at each other like this was a very novel idea they hadn't thought of before. ""Huh.""
"Even if she's a hands-off kind of parent, that's just ridiculous. Almost hilarious, if it didn't involve violence against children." Cherry said, actually looking and sounding a bit angry. "Maybe I should kidnap some kids for real?"
"I suggest you abandon that train of thought for your own good." Katakuri reproached, though there wasn't much heat to it.
Cherry smirked at him, then started shoveling donuts into her mouth as quickly as she could. Katakuri panicked and followed suit until soon there was nothing at all left on the tray. Brulee didn't seem terribly put out over only getting a few for herself.
"Whelp!" Cherry slapped her thighs. "I ought to be getting out of here. Don't want to impose on you two too much."
Cherry stood and started marching to the door, but Katakuri placed a hand over it preventing it from opening. He said, "I'm not leaving you unattended in the chateau."
"My my, what a gentleman~! Isn't he, Brulee~?" Cherry teased.
"Follow me." Katakuri shifted into a more business-like attitude.
…
"You have a lot of nerve crawling back here after you tried to get in the way of my deal with Germa, Pekoms." The monstrous form of Big Mom towered over the chained lion mink. "Moreover, you even continue to do so by bringing the Straw Hats here!"
"Mama-" Pekoms started., but Big Mom interrupted him. "Don't 'Mama' me! I know where your allegiances lie. Now tell me, what foolish plans did Straw Hat come up with to spoil MY tea party, hm?"
"..." Pekoms remained quiet.
"Kids these days don't understand loyalty." Big Mom leaned forward. "Since you won't even try to make amends, make your choice Pekoms! Life… or truth?!"
Pekoms tried to keep his heart unafraid, but in the face of the most terrifying of the four emperors, this was simply impossible.
"Wait, Mama!" Surprisingly Baron Tamago spoke up.
"What is it, Tamago?" Big Mom asked, only mildly annoyed at the interruption.
"The Straw Hats, according to our spies, are quite quick to form bonds with even total strangers. It would not be étrange if they have already taken a liking to Pekoms. We can use him as bait to further tourmenter them, bon." Tamago suggested.
"Do you think so? Go on, then. Get this traitor out of my sight before my patience has worn thin," Big Mom assented, waving him off.
Baron Tammago bowed respectfully and motioned for the chess piece homies to grab Pekoms and drag him along.
The doors to the room shut behind them and Pekoms simply asked, "Why?"
"You were my comrade for years, bon. Consider this a final mercy, and an example of how to se comporter within the expectations of your duty." Tamago said.
Pekoms didn't know if you could really count using him as a hostage as a mercy, but at least the Straw Hats wouldn't be foolish enough to risk everything they came here for just to save someone they've spent so little time with. He could make his peace with that and try to savor the time he has left. Perhaps Tamago or someone else wouldn't mind bringing him some chocolate to enjoy before his inevitable end came.
They walked in silence for a while as Tamago led Pekoms to wherever he was going to keep him to enact whatever he was planning as a trap for the Straw Hats, one that Pekoms was sure wouldn't ever be sprung.
"Katakuri-sama." Tamago bowed as the tall second eldest son of Big Mom stepped around a corner. "And… guest…"
"Oh shoot! I forgot all about you Pekoms!" Cherry had enough shame to look guilty.
"He was the one you had tied up at the restaurant?" Katakuri asked, and Cherry answered with a nod and said, "I can have him back, right?"
"I'm afraid not," Tamago cut in. "Mama has already spoken in regards to his punishment."
"There you have it. Come along," Katakuri accepted Tamago's words. He couldn't and wouldn't defy Big Mom for a subordinate that wasn't even family, let alone as a favor towards Cherry.
"Oh well. Try not to die, Pekoms~!" Cherry waved goodbye to him in a cheery mood.
"..." Pekoms didn't know what to say as he was abandoned for the second time in so many hours.