One Piece Chapter 835: The Nation of Souls

A narration box explains the hidden truth of the dream-like nation: "ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS IN THIS DREAM-LIKE NATION. EACH OF ITS INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS ARE ASKED ONE QUESTION IN PARTICULAR. THE HIDDEN TRUTH..." The town sign reads "CHOCOLA-TOWN" as the camera pans over its ornate, cake-like buildings under a full moon. In the streets, a dark silhouette creature looms over a woman carrying a basket and demands, "LEAVE OR LIFEI" She answers firmly, "LIFE." Townspeople further ahead face the same question from another silhouette: "...OR LIFEI" and "LEAVE OR LIFEI" They reply "LIFE." A caption notes, "THE QUESTION IS STRAIGHT-FORWARD: LEAVE..." The creature's basket is labeled "PLACE..." as it reacts with "FWP!" and "SSSS..." sound effects while the woman sweats nervously.

Big Mom's massive face looms in terror, shouting, "YOU GUYS... JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENEDI!" and "THEY KEEP MULTIPLYING... AND THEY'RE ALL MAKING THOSE WEIRD ANIMAL SOUNDS!!" Luffy stands nearby with hands on his hips. The transformed Straw Hats cry out desperately: "WOOF!! WOOF!! CHOPPER!!", "TWEET!! TWEET!!", "PUDDING!!", "SKREE!! SKREE!! SANJI!!", "UNTIE ME. NOW. OR. DIE.", "WOAH, WHAAATI!", "ROARRRRR", "NAMI!!!", "HISSS-SSSS!!", and "CARROT!!" as they struggle in their animal-like forms amid the Seducing Woods.

Nami yells at the impostor, "I'VE BEEN BUSTING MY BEHIND LOOKING FOR YOU!!" The fake replies, "I'B... DO DOBBY..." and "IT'S THE REAL ME!!!" while another figure claims, "THIS ONE'S TALKING JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL!!!" Luffy exclaims, "THAT'S PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE!!" and "GEEZ... YOU CONTINUE TO REACH BRAND NEW HEIGHTS OF IDIOCY!!" The group debates the impostors: "WAIT A SEC... THEN THIS MEANS YOU GUYS DIDN'T PURPOSELY MULTIPLY JUST FOR FUN!!" and "I HAVE TO ADMIT, THIS IS BEYOND STRANGE..." Luffy is shocked, "WE WERE ATTACKED BY YOU, LUFFY!!" and "...MEI!" while the giant woman admits, "I HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE THOUGH... I CAN'T MOVE!!"

The impostor reveals herself: "THE NAME'S BRÛLÉE." Nami demands, "WHO ARE YOUI!" as the giant woman explains the deception involving an impostor who joined their escape attempts. In the woods, Nami shouts "NAMI!!!" while Carrot cries "HEEELP!!" A voice warns, "THE THING IS, WHENEVER I SEE SUCH FLAWLESS, ALLURING FACES..." Nami activates her weapon with "CLIMA TACT!!!" and "GRIP" as she struggles, thinking "W... WHERE IS LUFFYI! HNG..." and "I'M OVERCOME WITH THE URGE TO SLICE THEM UP!!"

Carrot leaps through the air with her staff, striking hard as the massive woman reels from the blow. "ZOOM!" "GYA-AHH!!" The attacker crashes backward amid debris and motion lines. Close-up, the tall woman with the enormous mouth snarls furiously, "WHY YOU LITTLE..." Carrot smiles in relief, "THANK YOU, USOPP!!" The woman recovers, shouting, "THAT WAS CLOSE!" Carrot fires her weapon at point-blank range, the blast sending the enemy flying with a sharp "ギッ!!" The woman tumbles through the air, eyes wide, while Carrot watches intently. In the next instant the woman lunges again with a fierce expression as Carrot braces for the next clash. SFX "ばっっ!!" and "ゴォ!!" mark the rapid exchanges and impacts.

Carrot's eyes widen in alarm as the woman attacks with crackling energy. "VWOOM" The enemy declares, ""ELECRAW"!!" Carrot dodges the slashing claws. The woman then yells, ""REFLECTION"!!!" A massive mirror-like barrier appears, reflecting the incoming strike in a burst of light and force. "UIIIIIIH UIH UIH UIH UIH!!" Carrot is hurled backward by the reflected blow. From the side a voice cries out, "CARROT'S FIST SHOT OUT OF THAT MIRROR THING!!" Carrot shouts in panic, "CARROT!!!" while the woman laughs triumphantly amid the swirling debris and impact lines.

The tall woman stands revealed inside a swirling black aura, holding a round mirror that shows Carrot trapped inside. She proclaims, "IF YOU TRY TO PUNCH MY MIRROR, IT'LL SIMPLY REFLECT THAT BLOW RIGHT BACK AT YOU!!" and "I AM... A 'MIRROR'!! A MIRROR HUMAN WHO ATE THE MIRROR MIRROR FRUIT!!" SFX "グォォ" and "ゴゴゴ" emphasize her power. "JUST AS A MIRROR REFLECTS ALL THE LIGHT CAST UPON IT," she continues with a wicked grin. Carrot, sweating, yells, "I'LL JUST SHATTER THAT STUPID MIRROR OF YOURS INTO PIECES!!" while Nami warns from the side, "CAREFUL, CARROT!!" The woman activates her technique, "MIRROR WORLD!!" pulling Carrot into the swirling vortex with a dramatic "ズォォォ" as the mirror swallows her.

Inside the bizarre mirror dimension filled with floating debris and twisted trees, the woman laughs maniacally. Carrot tumbles helplessly, crying "SLIP!" "AGHH HHHH!!" A reindeer-like mink stares in shock, "...........III!" while Nami gasps, "I CAN'T GET OUT!!" and "HUHI!" "WHA..." The woman taunts, "WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DOI! GIVE CARROT BACK TO US!!!" Nami shouts desperately, "NAMI, DON'T GO NEAR HER!!" Trapped within the mirror, Carrot screams, "I CAN'T ESCAPE!! LET ME OUTTA HERE!!" The woman cackles, "UIIIIIIH UIH UIH UIH... THAT'S ONE DOWN!!" as the mirror world swirls around them.

Big Mom looms over the forest clearing with a furious expression, her massive form dominating the treetops. "WELL, SORRY TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE, BUT THE ONLY REASON I'M HERE..." she growls. "WERE YOU UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU HAD INFILTRATED THE ISLANDI" A small figure with curly hair stands below as impact lines and "!!" and "!!!" erupt. "'MAMA' IS WELL AWARE THAT YOU'RE ALL TRESPASSING ON HER TERRITORY!!" Big Mom continues. Carrot cries out in terror, "NOOO!! CARROT!!" Nearby, a homie explains, "DON'T YOU FRET... I DON'T PLAN ON KILLING YOU... BESIDES, HAVEN'T YOU ALL REALIZED IT BY NOWI IS BECAUSE MAMA ORDERED IT!!!" In lower panels, the homies point out distant figures. "LET THE STRAW HATS WANDER AND ROAM AIMLESSLY FOR A BIT..." one quotes. Nami stares in shock with wide eyes as a close-up of a grinning homie reveals, "WHEN YOU FINALLY CONFRONT THEM, MAKE SURE THEY FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF GOING AGAINST MY WISHES." The homie laughs, "UIH UIH UIH UIH!!!" and adds, "BUT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO LET THEM MEET UP WITH SANJI."

A massive tree homie and other living creatures surge forward in the woods. "ARE WE ALLOWED TO MOVE NOWI" one asks. Big Mom's silhouette commands, "NOW THEN, 'HOMIES'!!! MAKE SURE YOU DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THOSE TWO!!" In the next sequence, Nami, Chopper, and Carrot flee through the forest. "LUFFY HAS ZERO CHANCE OF MAKING IT OUT SAFELY IF ALL THREE OF US GET CAUGHT!!" Chopper yells. "NAMI, RUN!! WE'RE OUTNUMBERED RIGHT NOW!!! YOU HAVE TO FIND HIM AND TELL HIM WHAT'S GOING ON!!" Chopper transforms and shouts "CHOPPER!!" as "ACK!!" and "Shell" sound effects ring out. Carrot calls back, "...OKAY!! I'LL BE BACK SHORTLY WITH REINFORCEMENTS!!!" A giant "BUOOO OHHHHH HHH!!!" explosion erupts as the homies attack. One homie declares, "WE'RE UP AGAINST THE CREW OF ONE OF THE 'FOUR EMPERORS'... AND IT'S JUST DAWNED ON ME NOW... THAT WE'VE UNDERESTIMATED THEM... GREATLY!!" Nami looks back in alarm.

Big Mom's face fills the panel with manic glee. "SO SHE'S BEEN COLLECTING ALL MANNER OF BEASTS ON THE SIDE AS WELL! UIH UIH... SHE WAS NEVER GOING TO BE CONTENT WITH JUST 'ALL THE RACES OF THE WORLD'..." she cackles. "BUT TO THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE THE EXTENT OF YOUR ABILITIES... MAMA IS GOING TO BE ECSTATIC!!! UIH UIH...THIS IS AMAZING!! I HAD YOU PEGGED AS AN INTERESTING ONE FROM THE GET GO." In the woods, Nami runs desperately, "WHEREVER YOU ARE~ LITTLE GIRL!! COME OUT, COME OUT..." a voice calls. "PANT... PANT..." Nami gasps as "ドォーン!!" impacts shake the trees. Luffy appears in a later panel with a surprised face. "RIGHT HERE!!" someone shouts. "NOW, WE SHOULD HURRY UP AND GO SAVE CHOPPER AND CARROT!! WHERE ARE THEYI!" Nami says. "THAT'S CRAZY! I'M GLAD WE FOUND EACH OTHER!!" Luffy replies. "STUMBLING THROUGH THE DARK TRYING TO FIND YOU!" The narration notes, "SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN RUNNING THROUGH THESE WOODS LIKE A CHICKEN WITH ITS HEAD CUT OFF..."

Luffy stares in confusion. "ME... THEIR ALLY...I" A close-up shows his puzzled expression. "THE ONLY LOGICAL EXPLANATION IS THAT YOU'RE THEIR ACCOMPLICE!" a voice states. "CARE TO EXPLAIN WHY NEITHER THAT WOMAN BRÛLÉE NOR HER WEIRD TREE HENCHMEN DIDN'T HARM A SINGLE HAIR ON YOUR HEADI!" Nami demands while pointing. "YOU MUST'VE BEEN WATCHING THE WHOLE TIME... WHERE ARE CHOPPER AND CARROTI!" she continues. "...SO THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN INTERROGATING THE BIG GUY OVER HERE!" In the forest clearing, a giant homie looms over Nami and Luffy. "I'LL BE HAPPY TO GET YOU ALL THE JUICE YOUR HEART DESIRES!!" it offers. "BUT... IF YOU ACTUALLY TELL US SOMETHING USEFUL, WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!!" Nami snaps. "GRAB ME SOME OF THAT SWEET, SWEET APPLE JUICE..." the homie insists. "I'LL GLADLY TELL YOU ALL I KNOW... BUT FIRST, WALK OVER IN THAT DIRECTION TO YOUR LEFT, AND..." Nami glares, "YOU MEAN THATI! OF COURSE! BESIDES, YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT SO MUCH THAT I KINDA WANNA TRY DRINKING SOME TOO!" Luffy stands nearby with a blank look as Nami questions him, "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM!! VERY MUCH SO! WHY DO YOU EVEN ASKI!" Luffy replies, "WHA... BUT YOU... NOT SO MUCH... BY THE WAY, YOU... YOU SEEM PRETTY STRONG..."

The large-mouthed character with a bow continues explaining the island's rules. "But those trees still pounced on him without the slightest bit of hesitation!! Those guys really never stop until they've accomplished their mission." Close-up on the speaker's intense face: "I see, I see... I guess you can't judge a book by its cover! That reindeer guy was obscenely strong too..." The scene shifts to the group standing among the strange trees. "Here in 'Totto Land', every 6 months, each citizen is required to pay a toll... A month's worth of their 'soul' given to the nation, in exchange for safety and protection." Nami reacts with shock: "In my case, after I beat the living crap out of 'em, they stopped harassing me!" She asks, "What made those guys decide to stop pursuing me after a whileI" The speaker replies thoughtfully, "Hmmm, well... How is it that they're able to move in the first placeI" A small black creature explains, "Ah, well basically... they have to give up part of their lifespan. Everyone who lives here loses 2 months of their lives in a single year." Nami gasps, "...SoulI" The creature adds, "Well, you see, Linlin... Ah, I mean Big Mom... is an ability user who ate the 'Soul Soul Fruit'."

The large-mouthed character explains further: "And sprinkles those 'human souls' all throughout the island. With that power, she takes some time out of the citizens' lifespans. She's able to freely interact with people's 'souls'." Small soul-like creatures float and sing among flowers and objects. "Once this is done, the souls settle into random objects or things and they end up getting 'humanized'! Just to be clear, the souls cannot enter a corpse or the body of 'somebody else'." The speaker continues, "That's all handled by the 'incarnations' made out of Linlin... I mean, Big Mom's own soul. As for the collection and assignment of these pieces of soul... They're called the 'Homies'." A scene shows Homies emerging from a tree with people watching. "So those guys standing over there are just some of the things that those souls I mentioned earlier decided to settle inside." The character gestures dramatically: "Yep, that is correct. Nothing stops the souls from settling into animals. And that humanoid rabbit too... Is that why we came across a talking crocodileI" Nami smiles in realization: "Now it's all starting to make sense! What an outrageous ability!"

Luffy reacts with surprise while being held back: "Yeah but... I really didn't want to get involved!! You could have said so earlier!! I mean, you were right here the whole time!!" The large-mouthed character shouts, "Those are just some animals that were transformed... That's an entirely different story. By Brûlée's ability." Nami questions the stranger: "WhyI! Who the hell are you, anywayI!" The character replies, "If you actually don't want to be involved, why did you bury yourself hereI!" A flashback panel shows the character with two small girls: "But once I gave her two daughters together... she threw me to the curb... I... was once the husband of Charlotte Linlin... otherwise known as the pirate 'Big Mom'. Well, long ago... way, way, way in the past..." The large character dramatically reveals, "As for the reason why nobody attacks me... Well, the truth is, nobody really gives a damn about me!" Luffy and Nami stare in shock as the character stands with arms spread.

The large-mouthed character is revealed as Charlotte Cracker, one of the "3 Sweet Commanders" and Minister of Biscuit. Luffy and Nami react in shock: "With that large head... we assumed he'd be a giant!!" Cracker yells furiously, "Have you lost your friggin' mindI!" while swinging his massive sword. He roars, "You willingly and in detail gave precious intel to our enemiesI! You fool!!" A small creature pleads, "Please, let me speak to Linlin! I heard that she got married... the least you can do is let me congratulate her!! I also heard that Lola ran away... but she's also someone I still hold near and dear to my heart!!" Cracker continues raging, "Wait, Cracker! At least let me see Chiffon one last time!" as he attacks, sending debris flying. Nami and Luffy shout in alarm while the title box identifies "Charlotte Cracker (10th Son)".

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