After Charlotte Linlin gave her orders, Katakuri frowned slightly, a trace of hesitation in his eyes.
"Mama, if we want even a chance at defeating Shiki, we have to go all out. But pulling together the fleet like this will completely drain the core strength of Totto Land... Couldn't that lead to other consequences?"
"You're worried someone might strike our headquarters?" Charlotte Linlin chuckled. "Shiki is a real threat. Whether it's Ochoku, Silver Axe, or that kid Kaidou, anyone can see it—if we let Shiki keep expanding unchecked, it's only a matter of time before we all suffer. That lion lives for domination... He won't spare any of us. But even Rocks couldn't make us submit back then, so why would he?"
Back in the day, even though they were all part of the Rocks Pirates, there was never a clear chain of command. They had joined forces for a shared goal, not to serve under Rocks as subordinates.
Every one of those legends was ambitious and defiant—there was no way they'd truly bow to anyone.
Charlotte Linlin was being honest. That bastard Rocks might've been arrogant, reckless, and full of bad habits, but he wasn't a tyrant who demanded everyone kneel before him.
That's why they managed to sail together for so long.
But Shiki? He was different. Even back on the ship, he was always unruly and self-important.
If he's aiming to unify the pirate forces in the New World, he's not going to treat anyone as "comrades" like Rocks did. He'll try every trick in the book to force everyone under his heel.
And that's something Charlotte Linlin, Kaidou, Ochoku, Silver Axe—none of them could ever accept.
That's why she firmly believes that if she clashes head-on with Shiki, Kaidou, Ochoku, and the others won't need any words exchanged. They'll instinctively join forces and take Shiki down together!
In fact, that's exactly why Shiki still hasn't managed to fully dominate the New World.
When he stays put, sure, his old friends clash with him now and then, but they're also busy tearing each other apart.
But the moment he makes a move, those same "old friends" drop their grudges and unite to take him down.
It drives Shiki insane. He might be the most powerful pirate in the New World right now, but even a tiger can't stand up to a pack of wolves.
Charlotte Linlin has read the situation well. That's why she dares to gather all her forces at the frontlines, leaving the waters around Whole Cake Island exposed.
Because she knows—if a major battle breaks out between her and Shiki, the only ones who could threaten her, like Ochoku or Kaidou, won't dare lift a hand against her. On the contrary, they'll step in to help, just to avoid being Shiki's next target.
These were all unspoken understandings between them.
Shiki was stuck here, and to realize his ambitions and dreams, he was racking his brain for a way to break this stalemate.
And he did come up with a plan—join forces with Roger!
Back then, Roger and Garp had teamed up and, by a stroke of luck, managed to defeat the Rocks Pirates head-on. So now, if Shiki joined forces with Roger, wouldn't that make them even stronger?
Especially since Shiki knew Roger was scouring the seas for Poneglyphs and had already uncovered key information—clues that might lead to the ancient weapons hidden throughout history.
Ancient weapons held terrifying power. If Shiki could get his hands on one and combine it with his military might and strategic mind, wouldn't he be able to sweep through the world effortlessly?
At that point, Charlotte Linlin, Whitebeard, Kaidou—none of them would stand in his way!
Ironically, though Shiki was proud and unruly, there was one person who could make him set aside that pride and sit as equals, sharing the throne.
That person was Roger.
Now, Shiki was planning to approach Roger with complete sincerity. He had no issue offering Roger equal rule—a world shared by two kings!
Surely, with such generous terms, Roger would at least be tempted.
In the New World, it was always a web of schemes and betrayals. Charlotte Linlin had her own calculations, and Shiki was busy working on his own breakthrough.
Ultimately, under Charlotte Linlin's command, Katakuri, though concerned, quickly relayed her orders. The fleet near Whole Cake Island, along with the family's fighters and officers, began regrouping in an orderly fashion toward the frontlines.
At this point in time, Charlotte Linlin had yet to suffer a home invasion, so the Totto Land sea region wasn't nearly as locked down as it would be twenty years later. The sea wasn't yet swarming with surveillance sea slugs capable of immediately alerting the Big Mom Pirates to any disturbance.
At that moment, in the waters near Whole Cake Island, a ship was quietly and covertly approaching the Big Mom Pirates' stronghold.
That ship was the legendary Oro Jackson!
The very vessel of the great pirate—Gold Roger!
That's right. At this time, Roger wasn't yet known as the "Pirate King." Among pirates, he was currently nicknamed "Gold" Roger—a playful twist on the pronunciation of his name.
On the deck, Roger sat cross-legged with a nautical chart spread out in front of him. A red circle marked the location of their current target—Charlotte Linlin's base, Whole Cake Island.
Surrounding him were his crewmates—Rayleigh, the Dark King, the ever-reliable Gaban, and two brash kids, one with red hair and the other with a red nose. These two fiery youngsters would eventually become Yonkō.
Of course, one got there purely by strength. The other... well, that was also strength—luck counts as strength too, right?
"That Linlin has one of the Road Poneglyphs. That's our objective. Once we get our hands on it, and find the last one, we can lock down the coordinates for the final island. The secret of the final island will no longer be hidden from us!" Roger slapped the map, excitement in his voice.
"True, but the Big Mom Pirates aren't easy to handle. Charlotte Linlin's as strong as a monster..." Rayleigh rubbed the stubble on his chin, reminding him.
"First Mate, we're strong too! We're not afraid of them at all!" Shanks puffed out his chest, saying it loud and proud.
The crew burst into laughter at the kid's boldness.
Sure, Shanks still had a long way to go, but he wasn't wrong. The Roger Pirates were strong.
However... there was one critical issue they couldn't ignore—Roger's health.
"If we can avoid a head-on fight, we should. Roger's body can't take too much strain, or it'll mess with his recovery..." said Dr. Crocus, his tone filled with concern.
Roger's strength placed him at the pinnacle of the world. Few could match him—Charlotte Linlin herself was slightly weaker.
But the real issue was his worsening condition. He was suffering from a terminal illness, one that flared up unpredictably and severely hindered his performance.
According to Dr. Crocus, if Roger avoided fights, he could live for a few more years. But once he clashed with powerful enemies, the more intense the fight, the more his vitality would drain. In short—it would cost him years of his life.
Even worse, if the illness struck during a fierce battle, things could turn deadly in an instant.
"The doctor's right. We'd better come up with a stealth plan. If we can sneak in and steal the Poneglyph, that would be the ideal outcome..." Rayleigh said immediately.
"Eh? But wouldn't that hurt our reputation, First Mate?" Shanks asked, a little conflicted.
Wouldn't that make it look like the Roger Pirates were scared of the Big Mom Pirates?
Rayleigh ruffled Shanks' hair and laughed.
"Reputation? We're pirates! What reputation do we need? Being sneaky and shameless—that's our brand!"