In the New World lay the Totto Land Kingdom, also known as Totto Land, made up of thirty-four distinctive islands ruled by Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors.
At that moment, Gern was sitting outside a dessert shop on Candy Island.
True to its name, the island's air was thick with an almost syrupy sweetness, a blend of caramel, cream, chocolate, and countless fruit flavorings.
With Big Mom's tea party fast approaching, all of Candy Island had become a gigantic candy workshop running on overdrive.
Pastry chefs "kidnapped" from all over the world were rushed off their feet, developing flavors ranging from the usual strawberry and vanilla
to downright deranged-sounding varieties like "volcanic lava spice" and "deep-sea bubble salt."
It wasn't just Candy Island. Nearby Biscuit Island, Cheese Island, and Fruit Island had all joined the frantic competition, desperate to satisfy their queen's outrageously fussy palate.
After all, everyone knew that when Big Mom's "hunger pangs" struck, she wouldn't spare even her own family, and her capacity for destruction rivaled ten Kaidos.
It was a nightmare for both Totto Land's residents and her children.
Beside a street in Perolin Town, Gern sat at an outdoor table in front of a dessert shop, wearing an ordinary sun hat.
A cup of hot cocoa stood before him, and he held a delicately shaped piece of brittle, leisurely sipping his drink and enjoying his dessert.
His eyes quietly swept over the busy residents around him.
Honestly, he was a little surprised.
The people on Candy Island didn't wear the bitter, resentful expressions he had expected from "dessert slaves."
Instead, their faces glowed with a puzzling satisfaction that seemed to say, "I'm creating happiness."
Children rolled around in piles of candy, while couples shared freshly baked gingerbread men.
The whole scene was