With Shiki's fall, the New World plunged into chaos. The Roger Pirates, the ones who started it all, vanished without a trace, but aside from them, nearly every major pirate crew in the New World had gone to war.
Even the Whitebeard Pirates got dragged into it. With battles breaking out all over the New World, trouble found them wherever they went.
By the time Ortoren and Katakuri joined up with Big Mom's grand fleet, Charlotte Linlin had already clashed once with Ochoku. In terms of raw power, Charlotte Linlin didn't hold any clear advantage over him.
But this time, luck was on her side. Because she'd originally mobilized to deal with Shiki, Charlotte Linlin had gone all out and brought her most elite forces with her.
Ochoku, on the other hand, was only there to lend a hand. There was no way he'd throw everything he had into a fight against Shiki for Charlotte Linlin's sake. Naturally, his fleet size was nowhere near that of the Big Mom Pirates.
So in their first clash, the Big Mom Pirates had a solid upper hand. And now, word had it that the Beasts Pirates were pushing in hard from behind Ochoku's position—Kaidou himself had even appeared on the battlefield in that stretch of sea.
This was Ortoren's first time aboard Charlotte Linlin's Queen Mama Chanter. The entire ship had been brought to life by her Soru Soru no Mi, so it didn't need many sailors—it could move on its own.
Following Katakuri across the deck and into the second-floor cabin, Ortoren soon spotted Charlotte Linlin in conversation with Perospero.
Whether it was bad timing or a calculated move on Charlotte Linlin's part, Ortoren noticed right away that his so-called "blood brothers" were still nowhere to be seen on the ship.
"Tell Amande's surveillance ship to stay on him—don't let Ochoku get away!" Charlotte Linlin ordered in a low voice.
Just as she finished speaking, she noticed the commotion and turned toward Katakuri and Ortoren. "You're here?"
"Mama," Katakuri greeted her. Ortoren nodded as well.
Charlotte Amande—if Ortoren remembered correctly—was supposed to be his sister, Charlotte Linlin's third daughter.
Without further conversation, Charlotte Linlin went on, "Keep the line open with Kaidou. Coordinate our positions constantly. We need to box that bastard Ochoku in and finish him off right here. If he makes it back to Hachinosu, it'll be a real pain to deal with him later!"
Clearly, the ruthless Charlotte Linlin planned to take full advantage of Ochoku's isolated situation and finish him off while she had the chance.
Ortoren didn't know exactly how things played out afterward, but he figured the plan must have failed. Ochoku wasn't someone you could take down easily—he eventually made it back to Hachinosu and regrouped with his main force.
Ortoren and Katakuri waited off to the side for over ten minutes before Charlotte Linlin finally wrapped up her conversation with Perospero. Perospero, clearly swamped with work, didn't stick around to chat. He gave Ortoren a nod and hurried off.
"I'm starving!" Charlotte Linlin grabbed a handful of pastries from the table and shoved them into her mouth.
Wherever she went, Charlotte Linlin always had a stash of desserts ready. Otherwise, if her craving syndrome kicked in, things would get ugly fast.
After giving Ortoren a quick once-over, Charlotte Linlin asked, "So, did you eat that Devil Fruit?"
Ortoren nodded. "Yeah, I haven't had the chance to thank you—"
"You're always so formal. Makes it feel like we're strangers!" Charlotte Linlin waved him off mid-sentence.
Ortoren felt a little awkward—there wasn't really a good way to respond to that.
Still, despite knowing full well how ruthless Charlotte Linlin could be—and that she wasn't exactly a loving mother—he couldn't deny the care and respect she'd shown him during this time.
Not giving Ortoren a chance to reply, Charlotte Linlin went on, "I heard from Katakuri you've been thinking about joining the Marines?"
Only then did Ortoren speak. "Yeah, I've been considering it..."
Charlotte Linlin studied him silently for a while, eyes filled with unspoken meaning, before raising an eyebrow. "And what's your thinking behind that? Got a reason?"
As she spoke, she gestured for Ortoren and Katakuri to take a seat.
Once he settled onto the couch, Ortoren continued, "At first, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I even thought about becoming a pirate... since you're all pirates, after all."
Charlotte Linlin understood what he meant by "you"—it referred to both her and Ortoren's biological father.
Looking at it that way, Ortoren was practically born to be a pirate, with bloodlines to match.
"Then why didn't you become one?" she asked with a chuckle.
"I considered it, but I didn't feel much of a connection with you, the Big Mom Pirates, or the so-called Charlotte Family," Ortoren said honestly.
Before coming to Whole Cake Island, he hadn't felt anything toward Charlotte Linlin—she was just a stranger to him. But now, for someone like Ortoren, who had always been alone, Katakuri was a good friend and a considerate older brother. And Charlotte Linlin—while not quite accepted as a mother yet—was no longer just a stranger. Whether it was emotional bonds or human kindness, Ortoren had to admit to himself that they were there.
Hearing this, Charlotte Linlin showed a rare expression of satisfaction. "So it seems I've earned at least a little place in your heart. Guess my Goro Goro no Mi wasn't given for nothing."
Ortoren didn't mind her bluntness. In fact, he liked this straightforward approach. If Charlotte Linlin had tried to bind him with talk of blood ties or family affection alone, he wouldn't have gone along with it.
But since she backed up her words with real effort and benefit, he wasn't going to be ungrateful.
Smiling, Ortoren went on, "So looking at it now, if I step into the world of piracy, the further I go, the more we'll end up competing. From a big-picture perspective, that's not a smart move."
Becoming a pirate meant aiming to be the Pirate King—or at least a Yonkō. Either way, it would put him in direct conflict with Charlotte Linlin, unless they somehow merged forces.
But in reality, that kind of merger isn't simple. If Ortoren were to join the Big Mom Pirates now, it wouldn't cause much of a stir. But if he rose to Charlotte Linlin's level—as one of the Yonkō—then what? Who would take the lead? Who would step back? And what would the officers on each side think?
Too many problems. Way too much hassle.
"So you think the Marines are a better path for your development? You join the Marines, I stay a pirate. Once I become the Pirate Overlord and you rise to Admiral, maybe even Fleet Admiral, then not only are we not rivals—we'll actually have plenty of room to cooperate?" Charlotte Linlin asked, a sly smile forming on her face.
"From that perspective, yeah. That's pretty much it, isn't it?" Ortoren replied calmly, showing no intent to hide his thinking.
"You've got a point. Thinking about it that way, joining the Marines really is the best move—for both of us." Charlotte Linlin nodded in agreement.
She was confident—completely convinced she would become the ruler of the seas. In this pirate free-for-all, she believed she was the one who would stand at the top and have the last laugh.
Honestly, that kind of belief was essential for any powerful leader. If you didn't even have the confidence to fight for the top, you might as well disband early.
If she became the queen of pirates, and her son Ortoren reached the summit of the Marines, then who in the world could possibly stand in their way?
As for who would ultimately sit on the throne, Charlotte Linlin didn't spell it out. That would depend on how things played out in the future.
And really, there was no point in overthinking it now. Who could predict how far they'd go?
With that, Charlotte Linlin asked, "So, how do you want me to help you?"
She was right—Ortoren had come to her for a reason. Without her help, it would be tough for someone with his background to get into the Marines.