Chapter Text
Even the crashing waves jostling the boat and the glaring sun overhead can’t dim her excitement as their destination, still merely a speck on the horizon, comes into view. The salty sea air invigorates her like saccharine candy, not unlike the sweets she would devour one after another during a sugar rush in her youth. That same childlike excitement is out in full-force today as she bounces from one foot to another. Thought, in actuality, she’d been practically bouncing off the walls since they departed Whole Cake Island less than a fortnight ago, exasperating her older brother Katakuri a great deal, as he already had trouble falling asleep on water-treading vessels. She paid him no mind, though, even when his eventual thunderous snores kept her from falling into slumber herself.
Nineteen-year old Charlotte Pudding had left home for the very first time and was determined to make the most of this journey, and that included the two-week voyage to reach her destination.
She’d gotten her sea legs quickly enough, though the same couldn’t be said for her older brother, who was pretty much confined to his room for the first few days on account of seasickness.
Learning to cook on a ship, now that was an adjustment. To account for the salt in the air, she had to modify the amount of seasonings she put in each dish in order to not overwhelm her palate. Plus, there was no grocery store to run to when she was missing an ingredient; she had to make do with the rations they had brought aboard to sustain them for the two week journey. Not to mention the boat itself, the way it would shift and sway, sometimes taking her jars and pans with it when hitting a particular rough stretch of sea. Their ship wasn’t a dinky little thing like in picture books, but it wasn’t a collosal yacht like the one her mom took on diplomatic trips. It was a a decent size, even coming with some staff so Pudding and Katakuri wouldn’t have to a lift a finger to complete chores.
Although her mother had a slew of bodyguards at her disposal, each trained in a myriad of fighting styles, she’d chosen Katakuri to join Pudding on this journey to protect her. Pudding was indignant when her mom told her, though she knew better than to argue; yet, she couldn’t help feel like a child again, where one of her numerous siblings had to mind her, looking after her to make sure she didn’t get into any trouble. Still, she should be happy her mom had picked one of her brothers that she was at least close with. If Mama had insisted on Perospero joining Pudding for this journey, well, she probably would’ve strangled him before they were anchors up.
Katakuri was a bit of an anomaly amongst her siblings; rather than being a chef or pâtissier, he chose instead to become a professional fighter. Trained in too many fighting styles to name and with more titles and wins under his belt than she could count, really, there was no one better to look out for her. Pudding would often take care of affairs on Komugi Island when Katakuri, who also served as the Minister of Flour, had to travel for competitions. But, now that they were both traveling, they had entrusted Komugi Island and Cacao Island both to their sister Brûlée. And, although she wished she didn’t have to, Pudding decided closing her beloved café for two weeks would be the best course of action. Although she loved Brûlée, there was only one sibling she trusted enough to run her café while she was away, and it had been years since Pudding had last seen her.
Pudding shakes her head, trying to banish the melancholic thoughts from her mind. Her adventures begins today, and she refuses to let her mood turn sour. She sees a ship in the distance, with dots that she believed were people milling about the deck. She begins waving furiously, trying to get their attention; she even starts jumping up and down, hoping they’ll notice. Eventually, they do. Waving back with an enthusiasm that doesn’t quite match hers, but exhilarates her nonetheless.
“You keep jumping like that and you’ll end up falling overboard,” a rumbling voice announces. She turns to see her brother sidling up, his hair still messy from sleeping and dark circles looking extra prominent due to a lack of sleep.
“It’s about time you woke up!” She exclaims, feigning petulance and even stomping her feet for good measure. At that he chuckles, and she feels satisfied with herself.
Katakuri stretches and lets out a big yawn, loud enough that it probably would’ve shaken the boat if it was only a smidge smaller. Though, Pudding presumes, Mama probably accounted for that and sent them on this vessel so Katakuri wouldn’t affect it with his lumbering actions. Her mother, a former pâtissiere and a successful politician in her own right, residing over the numerous islands in the Totto Land Archipelago, was the kind of woman one simultaneously admired and feared. Although she was far from being her mother’s favorite, a title not held by any one sibling for too long, Pudding couldn’t help vying for her mother’s approval during their regular check-ins.
A round-table discussion was held bi-monthly, including their mom and thirty-four of her siblings who also served as ministers of various islands. The difference, though, was that all of her siblings had been appointed to their roles by Mama herself, whereas Pudding had pretty much lucked into the role when Lola vanished. Even now, Pudding couldn’t help but squirm whenever she was referred to as the Minister of Cacao; she had to plaster on an even-faker smile when interacting with the residents, all the while wishing she could scurry back to her café undetected, lock the doors and bake to her heart’s content. These days, however, she made a point of not ruffling any feathers by staying as meek and quiet during these meetings; with both Chiffon and Praline having defected from Totto Land quite recently, the whole family was on edge. Especially Mama, who now had to manage the daily affairs of Funwari and Unique Island, all while scrambling to find suitable replacements among her remaining children.
So it’s no surprise that Pudding jumped at the chance to compete in Masséna Kingdom’s annual cooking competition when she found the invitation in her mailbox. Plus, honestly, she wanted to prove herself. That she wasn't just coasting off the coattails of her family's success. She was a chef in her own right, and a damn good one at that, and she was intent on showcasing her skills to the world.
The winner of the competition would get a restaurant, free and clear, with a menu she could formulate and reconstruct to her heart’s content, to be built wherever in the world she wanted. And, although this was her first time stepping foot outside her home with only nineteen years of wisdom under her belt, one thing was clear in Pudding’s mind: she needed to get the hell away from Whole Cake Island.