For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then, the entire hall erupted in excited voices.
"Mamamamma...!"
Charlotte Linlin was the happiest of all. This had always been her dream—a nation where all races could live together. Before, she might not have had the confidence to see it through. But now? Now she not only had the ability to perfectly decipher the Road Poneglyphs, but she also knew the location of the Ancient Weapon Pluton. She couldn't find a single reason to refuse Kaido's cooperation.
Besides, this was Kaido. If there was anyone else on this sea she felt a strange, inexplicable connection with, it was him.
Linlin's sons were just as excited. Mondor was practically vibrating with anticipation. Perospero, as the chief butler and general manager of the BIGMOM Pirates, was fiercely loyal to his mother. If what Kaido proposed could truly be achieved, it wouldn't just fulfill Linlin's lifelong dream—it would elevate the BIGMOM Pirates to an unprecedented stage of global power.
Katakuri's feelings were similar. Even though he was often afraid of his mother's ferocious, unpredictable nature, his respect and loyalty to her were beyond doubt.
Among the many people present, the only one who didn't fully grasp the world-changing implications was Pudding. At only fourteen years old, it was all a bit much. But seeing her mother and older brothers so happy, she couldn't help but smile, too.
As for Kaido? He might have been the happiest of them all.
This alliance was a perfect strategic move. It would share the immense pressure the World Government was about to put on his own Beasts Pirates. He knew that with the knowledge of Pluton, his crew was about to enter a state of extremely rapid development. The World Government and the Marines would never sit by and let that happen. Right now, their firepower was attracted to Whitebeard and the Straw Hat kid, but that wouldn't last. This alliance was Kaido preparing for the war to come.
Perospero, ever the pragmatist, instantly clarified his thoughts. "I understand, Lord Kaido," he said, stepping forward. "Then, as for our attack range, how about we split the straight-line distance from Wano Country to Totto Land in half? One half of the territory will be attacked and absorbed by our BIGMOM Pirates, and the other half will be handled by the Beasts Pirates."
"No problem!" Kaido grunted. He certainly had no objections. "The moment our territories connect, that's the moment our alliance can be announced to the world."
"No problem, Lord Kaido!" Perospero replied respectfully.
At that moment, Katakuri, who had been silent, spoke up. "What about the Marines and the World Government's allied nations in that path?"
Kaido and Linlin looked at each other, and a trace of pure, chilling cruelty flashed in both their eyes.
"Do I still need to teach you something so simple, Katakuri?" Charlotte Linlin said, her voice dropping to a chilling tone.
Katakuri shivered slightly. "I understand, Mama. All those who do not submit to our BIGMOM Pirates, whether they're Marines or kingdoms, I will make them disappear from this sea."
Kaido, however, shook his head. "No... there's no need for such a boring method."
"???"
Kaido's words made everyone in the room, even Linlin, look stunned.
"Don't forget," Kaido said, his voice a low rumble. "Our goal is to establish a super-large nation. When this nation is established, the citizens of these countries will all be our people. At that time, the means and wisdom to rule this huge nation will be extremely important. From now on, you all must consider a method of ruling that uses more than just force. You need to use wisdom. Do you understand?"
As soon as Kaido said this, Perospero and Katakuri were visibly surprised and fell into deep thought. Charlotte Linlin, on the other hand, stared at him with a strange, piercing look in her eyes.
"Kaido," she said slowly. "When did you become so... benevolent?"
"Benevolent!? No..." Kaido scoffed, looking at everyone as he tightly clenched his fists. "I just don't want to become the very group of people I hate the most. If that day ever comes, when we truly take over this world... hey, Linlin... do you also hope that you, or your children, will become disgusting pigs just like the Celestial Dragons?"
"!!!"
At this, Charlotte Linlin's eyes lit up. She looked at Kaido with unprecedented surprise, and slowly, a grin spread across her face. "Kaido, you really are full of surprises. In you, I see the shadow of that man!"
Kaido certainly knew who she was talking about. He snorted coldly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Hmph. I have no interest in becoming anyone else. What I want to do is something they haven't done."
Kaido's massive, confident figure was reflected in Charlotte Linlin's pupils.
"You guy... Mamama..." She seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, she held it back and only instructed her sons. "Do as Kaido says!"
"Understood, Mama!"
With the business settled, Charlotte Linlin's gaze turned to Pudding, who was standing quietly in the corner. "Kaido," she said suddenly, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Haven't you always wanted this daughter of mine?"
"Eh!?" Pudding was startled, her whole body tensing up.
"Anyway," Linlin continued with a casual wave of her hand, "now that I have the ability to decipher the Road Poneglyphs, this child's third eye is no longer important to me. Since you seem to like her so much, I'll give her to you!"
As soon as those words came out, Pudding's face turned deathly pale. She was filled with the crushing grievance of being discarded like an object by her own mother. Even Katakuri's usually impassive face turned visibly gloomy.
Seeing this scene, a smile spread across Kaido's face. "Well, since you're being so generous, Linlin, I won't be polite."
He turned his massive head toward the terrified girl. "Little girl, come here!"
At this moment, Pudding's face was full of despair. Tears streamed from her big eyes, but she didn't dare refuse. She stepped forward on trembling legs and came to a stop in front of Kaido. Katakuri, standing beside them, looked unprecedentedly gloomy, his fists clenched tight.
But just then, an incredible scene appeared.
Kaido stretched out his enormous, scarred right hand. He slowly pressed it on top of Pudding's head, gently rubbing her small, shaking head.
"Hey, little girl, don't be so scared," he rumbled. "I'm not some devil, and I don't have a bad habit of snatching kids from their mothers. But... since Linlin gave you to me, I can't really refuse. How about this... our alliance is just starting, and it's obvious there's going to be a lot of friction between our two crews over profits in the future. In that case, let's have you act as the messenger between us. This way, you'll become a member of our Beasts Pirates, but you can also return to Totto Land anytime you want. How about it?"
"!!!"
At this moment, Pudding, feeling the gentle, warm hand stroking her hair, looked up at Lord Kaido with total disbelief in her wide eyes. Her tears stopped flowing. This gentle feeling... it gave her an unprecedented, almost father-like sensation.
"R-Really? Lord Kaido?" she whispered.
"Of course," he grunted. "I have no intention of lying to a little girl like you."
"Th-Thank you... Thank you so much, Lord Kaido!" Pudding burst into tears again.
This time, however, the tears flowing from her eyes were tears of joy.
Katakuri, who was standing nearby, looked at all this in disbelief.
As for Charlotte Linlin, a hint of sharp intelligence flashed in her eyes. She was now completely certain. Kaido had, indeed, undergone some kind of change that she didn't know about.
But, she thought with a wide grin, this didn't seem like a bad thing, did it?
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse