In the reception hall of the castle on Totto Land, Doflamingo sat beside Ortoren, eyeing the slightly uneasy and awkward Gecko Moria with a strange look.
Doflamingo still held a sense of admiration for Ortoren. How long had it been since their last meeting? And already he'd convinced another unlucky fool to become a Shichibukai?
As those thoughts crossed his mind, Ortoren asked with a smile,
"Doflamingo, how's the situation in Flevance?"
"It's getting worse. Word is the royal family of Flevance has already applied for asylum, and Mary Geoise approved it. Their high-ranking nobles have begun migrating there," Doflamingo replied with a sigh.
It was now the year 1502 in the Sea Circle Calendar. Flevance was expected to fall around 1504, meaning the country had only a year or two left before its collapse. And that collapse wouldn't come in a sudden flash, but through a slow, drawn-out death.
First, the rulers abandoned their nation entirely, fleeing to Mary Geoise with the wealth they had squeezed from their people for years. The abandoned citizens, thrown into chaos, gradually descended into mob rule. Eventually, Flevance erupted in massive uprisings, threatening the safety and stability of nearby countries. At the same time, surrounding nations feared the spread of Amber Lead Syndrome and sealed their borders.
For all these reasons, the once most prosperous nation of the North Blue met its complete destruction in 1504.
"Then it's about time we start making arrangements. For the labor force, I've already secured fifty thousand pirates imported from Impel Down. And now we've brought in a new partner. Let me introduce him—this is Gecko Moria, a prominent figure of the West Blue, and now a Shichibukai as well. His Kage Kage no Mi lets him control shadows to animate corpses—perfect for mining in Flevance..."
Ortoren patted Moria's shoulder with a smile as he introduced him to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo wasn't too familiar with Moria's powers, so he asked curiously,
"Like the Homies here in Totto Land? Homies use souls to move, but he can use shadows instead?"
Moria couldn't quite gauge the relationship between Doflamingo and Ortoren, but it was clearly closer than his own. He had no intention of offending Doflamingo, so he eagerly explained his abilities in detail.
The three continued discussing their grand mining venture until, a short while later, Charlotte Linlin and Katakuri walked into the banquet hall.
Doflamingo immediately stood up with perfect courtesy. Moria didn't dare hesitate either. After Kaidou's brutal beating, he carried a deep sense of awe for the New World's great pirates. And on the way here, Ortoren had already explained—Charlotte Linlin was his mother!
How could he not show respect? Whatever their mother-son relationship might be, neither was someone he could afford to offend!
Charlotte Linlin still treated Ortoren with considerable respect, showing none of her usual Great Pirate arrogance. She laughed warmly and said,
"Mamamama! Seeing you lot here makes me feel like my son's good friends have come to visit. No need to be so formal! Since you're all Ortoren's good friends, just treat this place like home!"
After greeting Doflamingo and Moria, Charlotte Linlin finally turned her gaze to Ortoren, rolling her eyes as she said,
"G-5 isn't exactly far from Whole Cake Island, is it? It's been ages since you last came to visit your old lady!"
Ortoren replied with a touch of embarrassment,
"I've been busy, you know. I'll come more often when I have time..."
Truthfully, he hadn't seen Charlotte Linlin in ages either. Seeing her today, he couldn't help but be surprised. What kind of black tech did his mom use to freeze her looks and figure? She hadn't started to fade at all.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Linlin was also carefully observing Ortoren. Even without direct contact, she could pick up subtle changes. He looked stronger and more confident than before. His abilities must have advanced considerably. At this point, taking him down might not be so easy for her.
That only meant she couldn't afford to slack off. She needed to push her training harder, to keep her strength sharp—otherwise this brat might one day use her as a stepping stone to become an Admiral.
Indeed, the relationship between Ortoren and Charlotte Linlin was as complicated as ever. Ortoren still remembered her care and kindness, but he never dropped his guard around her.
Charlotte Linlin was the same. Though she regarded Ortoren as her most cherished son, his position as a Navy officer meant she could never fully trust him. While they maintained a cooperative relationship, both were always wary of each other.
Doflamingo and Moria sensed they still had more to discuss. As outsiders, they didn't want to intrude, so they suggested taking a tour of Whole Cake Island to witness the might of the Big Mom Pirates.
Katakuri took the cue and led them away. Before long, only Ortoren and Charlotte Linlin remained.
Charlotte Linlin sat down on the sofa with ease and asked,
"How's your health been lately? Still losing control during the full moon?"
"Yeah..." Ortoren sat across from her, lifted a cup of tea from the table, took a sip, and said,
"But it's much better than before. The method you told me still works. By the way, how about you? Still having those binge-eating fits?"
"Same as always." Charlotte Linlin sighed at the mention, her tone carrying a touch of helplessness.
Ortoren opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then closed it again without speaking.
Charlotte Linlin gave him a curious look.
"What are you trying to say, kid?"
"Ahem..." Ortoren said, looking a little awkward.
"I was just thinking... since G-5 isn't that far from Whole Cake Island, whenever you feel your temper getting out of control, like an episode might hit, you could let me know in advance. I could make time to come treat you. It's not like I can't..."
"You little brat! Sounds to me like you're just looking for an excuse to test your old lady's strength, huh!?" Charlotte Linlin cursed, half sneering.
Truth be told, looking at her now, Ortoren had reason to believe her strength was far greater than what he remembered from this point in the original story.
His mother had always possessed one of the most exceptional talents in the entire pirate world. In her youth, she relied on that talent to rampage unchecked. In middle age, plagued by her strange eating disorder and other issues, she began to indulge herself—eating and drinking without restraint. Add to that her endless pursuit of childbearing over the years, and it was clear she had never fully developed her true potential.
Ortoren even thought that if his mother had ever truly combined her natural talent with relentless effort, the title of "World's Strongest" might never have gone to Whitebeard.
Not wanting to linger on the subject, Charlotte Linlin shifted the conversation.
"The profits from our previous business deals have already been settled. You can take them with you when you leave..."
The G-5 Navy's raids—no, crackdowns—on pirates had been ongoing, and the returns were considerable. Both Doflamingo and Totto Land served as distributors of G-5's products. It seemed Charlotte Linlin was ready to settle accounts with Ortoren.
"Got it. Just load it onto my warship, I'll take it when I leave. By the way, did Katakuri mention last time? Doflamingo and I are planning to open a route through the Calm Belt, a direct passage from the North Blue into the New World. I've already secured the necessary technology—we can launch anytime. Once it's up and running, we'll be able to transport all kinds of goods and supplies that Totto Land needs straight from the North Blue, nonstop..." Ortoren explained.
"He did tell me. I also spoke with our financial advisor, and he agreed it holds enormous potential. So, I'm very willing to proceed with this partnership." Charlotte Linlin's lips curled into a smile full of anticipation.
After a pause, she fixed Ortoren with a knowing look.
"But just one G-5 doesn't require such massive capital or such a steady stream of income. Yet you're determined to set this up. Toren, what are you planning?"
When it came to deep collaborations like this, there was no way to keep secrets from Charlotte Linlin. Ortoren understood that perfectly, and he saw no reason to hide anything.
Calmly, he answered,
"Military power doesn't come from who holds the highest rank, who's Fleet Admiral, or who's Admiral. It belongs to the one who can feed the army, who controls the logistics, who has the funds to pay everyone. Right now, all of that for the Navy lies in Mary Geoise's hands. Isn't it obvious what I intend to do?"
"Heh..." Charlotte Linlin let out a wicked chuckle.
"Ambitious indeed. But with ambition like that, you're worthy of being my most proud son..."
To Charlotte Linlin, pirates and the World Government were no different at their core. In fact, the World Government was the largest predatory organization in existence, and the Navy was its attack dog. Strip away the façade of justice and propaganda, and what real difference was there between them and pirates?
If one day Ortoren truly seized control of the Navy, then why couldn't her Totto Land become the new so-called 'World Government'?
As for her past as a pirate? Hah... history has always been written by the victors!
Yet, from the way she thought, one thing was clear—Charlotte Linlin still wanted to be Ortoren's boss. That had never changed.