In the Real World
Lucas refocused on his conversation with Charlotte Linlin.
"Who said The Fish-Men Island is your territory?" Lucas asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Charlotte Linlin huffed indignantly. "My flag hangs there, so it's my territory!"
Lucas chuckled dismissively. "What a load of crap! If I hung your flag over Mariejois, would that make it your territory too?"
Charlotte Linlin snarled, her voice rising in frustration. "You're just messing around now!"
Lucas grinned. "That's great! You finally understand my point. We're all pirates here—what's the point of arguing about territory? I'm not even being unreasonable!"
Charlotte Linlin's face darkened on the other end of the line. She knew that avoiding consequences was impossible. With a begrudging sigh, she muttered, "Fine. What do you want?"
Lucas's grin widened. "I heard you love marrying off your kids. How about me? I know you've got a few daughters that aren't bad."
Charlotte Linlin paused for a moment, clearly taken aback. "Are you serious?"
Lucas shrugged indifferently. "Of course! Isn't it the most appropriate way to resolve conflicts through cooperation?"
Charlotte Linlin suddenly burst into gleeful laughter. "Mamamama….That's right! Cooperation is the best way to resolve disputes. You like my daughters? Katakuri has a photo album of our Charlotte family on board. Pick one!"
Lucas chuckled. "Alright, no problem!"
As the call ended, Lucas turned to Katakuri with a sly smile. "So, what do you think? Your dear mother treats her sons and daughters like bargaining chips. I'm literally your family's enemy, and she's offering me your sisters like it's nothing."
Katakuri frowned, his face clouded with concern. "Are you really serious? You want to marry into the Charlotte family?"
Lucas waved his hand dismissively. "There are a few women in your family who aren't bad. In terms of looks and abilities, I guess I can lower my standards."
Katakuri's face twitched. Lower his standards? He clenched his jaw but said nothing.
Lucas leaned in slightly, his tone light but firm. "You don't look too happy about this. But think about it from another perspective. Following me—a stable and reasonable guy—is a much better future than sticking with that moody, crazy woman you call a mother. Right? At least with me, your safety is guaranteed."
Katakuri mulled it over for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, Lucas had a point. With a sigh, he reached into his belongings and pulled out a photo album.
"These are my sisters," Katakuri said, flipping through the pages. "If you can really help them escape from this madness, I'll be grateful."
Lucas glanced at Katakuri with a smirk. "To be honest, your gratitude means nothing to me."
Katakuri's face froze for a moment before he sighed and walked off to the side, choosing silence over a pointless argument.
In the Chat Group
Golden Lion Shiki couldn't help himself.
Golden Lion Shiki: "Are you really going to marry into the Big Mom Pirates?"
Lucas: "What marriage? It's just an excuse to ease the tension. Both Charlotte Linlin and I know it's impossible for us to be true allies."
Whitebeard chuckled.
Whitebeard: "Gurararra….That's right! Pirate alliances usually end in betrayal anyway. And that woman, Charlotte Linlin, only trusts her own family—and even then, she sees her children as nothing more than tools."
Senju Tobirama asked curiously,
Senju Hashirama: "What about her husbands?"
Golden Lion Shiki let out a loud laugh. "Shihahaha! I know about that. Charlotte Linlin doesn't see her husbands as family. Once the kids are born, she abandons them like yesterday's trash."
Senju Hashirama saw through the photo album, his eyes widening.
Senju Hashirama: "Wait, what's up with these women in the album? Aren't they all supposed to be Charlotte Linlin's daughters? They don't even look alike!"
Lucas chuckled.
Lucas: "What's so strange about that? Do you remember Charlotte Linlin's dream? She wants people of different races to become family."
Senju Hashirama blinked in realization.
Senju Hashirama: "Masaka…"
Senju Tobirama narrowed his eyes.
Senju Tobirama: "Could it be…"
Whitebeard sighed heavily.
Whitebeard: "It's exactly what you're thinking. Charlotte Linlin marries men from different races and has mixed-race children to achieve her dream."
Howard Stark chimed in with a laugh.
Howard Stark: "I don't even know what to say anymore. Just looking at these bizarre women in the album, I can't imagine what their fathers must look like. Charlotte Linlin has some... unique tastes."
Golden Lion Shiki roared with laughter.
Golden Lion Shiki: "Shihahaha! What are you afraid of? Charlotte Linlin herself is a freak. But don't misunderstand—she's not just some weirdo with a weird dream. She's an ambitious woman. She didn't have all these kids just for fun."
Senju Hashirama frowned.
Senju Hashirama: "While I agree her behavior is odd, I don't think her dream is ridiculous. Wanting people of different races to become family isn't a bad thing."
Golden Lion Shiki scoffed.
Golden Lion Shiki: "Isn't that dream a bit naive? It's hard enough for people of the same race to stop killing each other. You think people of different races will suddenly become one big happy family? Idiot dream!"
Senju Hashirama responded firmly.
Senju Hashirama: "No! I believe that if people have love in their hearts and strive to understand each other, they can achieve even the most impossible dreams."
Lucas sighed, rubbing his temples.
Lucas: "Shut up, First Hokage. Your idealism has already been proven wrong in your own world. Dreams and love are just abstract concepts. In the end, material reality always wins."
Whitebeard laughed heartily.
Whitebeard: "Gurarararara! I agree with that. Dreams and love are nonsense in the real world. Just look at the current seas—there's only one seat for Pirate King, but there are countless people who want it. Can dreams and love solve that problem?"
Gold Thief Woonan: "There's too little treasure and too many people who want it. Everyone might understand each other's desires, but so what? It doesn't solve anything."
Lucas: "Exactly. That's the problem with the ninja world too. The Village want too much, but the world has too little to offer. When there aren't enough resources, the only solution is war to reduce the number of ninja competing for them."
Senju Hashirama: "Can't we just create more resources?"
Senju Tobirama: "Brother, you're way too idealistic. Some things are easier said than done."
Senju Hashirama fell silent, his optimism dampened.
Golden Lion Shiki: "Where were we?"
Senju Tobirama: "We were talking about how Charlotte Linlin had so many kids because of her ambitions."
Golden Lion Shiki: "Right. Charlotte Linlin is ambitious. She's a natural-born monster with incredible talent, and her kids aren't weak either. They might not all be top-tier powerhouses, but with enough training, they can definitely become the backbone of her pirate crew."
Howard Stark: "So she's basically using her talent to build a strong family?"
Lucas: "Correct. The Big Mom Pirates are built around the Charlotte family."
Howard Stark: "That's pretty impressive!"
Whitebeard: "Don't forget, Charlotte Linlin is constantly looking for strong partners to breed with. She tried to harass me back when we were on the same ship."
Howard Stark's curiosity peaked.
Howard Stark: "Oh? And what happened?"
Whitebeard: "I refused, of course! She wasn't happy, but I'm not someone you can easily mess with, so she gave up."
Golden Lion Shiki: "Same here!"
Gold Thief Woonan: "She tried to harass me too, even though we weren't on the same ship. I rejected her, but she kept pestering me."
Howard Stark: "Wow, you guys must be pretty attractive!"
Gold Thief Woonan: "Maybe! Though I think it had more to do with me robbing her treasure."
Howard Stark: "…"
Outside World
Lucas glanced at a photo of Charlotte Pudding in the album and turned to Katakuri with a smirk. "This one looks good. I want her."
Katakuri looked at the photo of his sister, Pudding, with her bangs covering her forehead. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke honestly. "I should warn you—she's a member of the Three-Eye Tribe. Under her bangs… well, there's an eye that most people don't find very appealing."
Pudding had often been ridiculed by many in the Charlotte family because of her third eye. Katakuri considered keeping that information to himself, but knowing the consequences of hiding the truth from Lucas, he finally decided to be upfront.
Lucas chuckled, patting Katakuri on the shoulder. "You're honest! I like that." His grin widened mischievously. "Don't leave just yet—I'll give you a pair of gold and silver axes as a reward."
Katakuri blinked in confusion. "Am I honest? Wait… you already knew about her third eye?"
Lucas nodded, his expression unreadable. "Don't underestimate my intelligence network. There are very few people in this world who know more than I do."
In the Chat Group
Golden Lion Shiki chimed in, his curiosity piqued.
Golden Lion Shiki: "I can tell from your conversation that you didn't choose that girl just because of her looks. So, what's the real reason?"
Lucas: "Because she's a Devil Fruit user. She ate the Paramecia-type Memory-Memory Fruit. She can extract, delete, and modify people's memories at will."
Pirate King Roger : "Nani?! She can view, delete, and even alter memories? How can there be such a terrifying Devil Fruit ability in the world?"
Golden Lion Shiki : "Roger, why do you care so much about your memories?"
Pirate King Roger : "Of course I care! My adventures with my friends, chasing after dreams—those memories are the most precious treasures of my life!"
Senju Tobirama : "To be honest, that ability really is terrifying. In the ninja world, only the Yamanaka Clan has techniques to view other people's memories. And as for modifying memories? Unless it's a high-level genjutsu, that's practically impossible."
Lucas : "Don't forget the Sharingan. It can browse through people's memories too."
Senju Tobirama : "That's a special kekkei genkai, not a ninjutsu. And let's not even talk about that cursed ability."
Tobirama's disdain for the Uchiha Clan and their Sharingan was evident.
Outside World
After selecting Charlotte Pudding, Lucas continued flipping through the Charlotte family album until he landed on another woman who conformed to what he considered normal aesthetics—Charlotte Galette.
"I'll take this one too. Charlotte Galette." Lucas glanced at Katakuri with a grin. "The only normal-looking woman in the Charlotte family. I'm intrigued!"
Katakuri hesitated, his brow furrowed. "Two? I'm not sure Mom will agree to that…"
Lucas chuckled and pointed at Cracker, who was still lying nearby in pain. "Two average daughters in exchange for two super-strong sons. I'm sure Charlotte Linlin will make the right choice."
His voice lowered, becoming almost sinister. "Don't forget—you're nothing but tools to her. Isn't it normal for tools to be traded? Two weaklings for two strong member, plus a fleet and my friendship? She's making a profit."
Lucas's words hit Katakuri hard. The truth was bitter, but undeniable. Lucas saw the internal struggle in Katakuri's eyes and decided to push further.
"If you don't believe me, we can bet on it. Want to give it a shot?" Lucas taunted, his smile never leaving his face.
Katakuri was silent for a moment before shaking his head weakly. "There's no need to gamble. I believe you. If you say it'll happen, it probably will."
Sadness flickered across Katakuri's face. He was slowly but surely accepting Lucas's proposal to overthrow his mother's rule.
"Very good!" Lucas clapped his hands together, pleased. "You're my captives now, but of course, I'm giving you the right to communicate freely." He smirked. "When your mother brings her two daughters over, you can leave."
Lucas didn't allow Katakuri and the others to leave immediately. He knew how unpredictable Charlotte Linlin could be and didn't want to give her any room to pull off a trick.
Later, on Black Arm Zephyr's Ship
Lucas teleported onto the deck of Black Arm Zephyr's ship. He crossed his arms, looking out over the sea before turning to the former Marine Admiral.
"I've already negotiated with Charlotte Linlin. Katakuri and the others are our captives now. Let your men handle the rest."
Although Katakuri had the freedom to communicate, Lucas wasn't taking any chances. Standard procedures still needed to be followed—like fitting them with seastone cuffs to neutralize their powers.
Black Arm Zephyr raised an eyebrow, curious. "What exactly did you discuss with that crazy woman?" he asked as he motioned for his men to secure the prisoners.
Lucas answered bluntly. "Peace." He shrugged. "I talked to her about peace because now isn't the time for a war with her."
Zephyr frowned, scratching his chin. "You can beat Kaido of the Beasts, but you can't take down Charlotte Linlin?"
Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "I can easily kill Charlotte Linlin. But what happens after that? I've already taken down two of the Four Emperors. Add Blackbeard to the list, and that makes three. Do you really think the World Government will sit back and do nothing?"
Zephyr's expression hardened as he nodded. "That makes sense. The World Government's power shouldn't be underestimated. Now isn't the time for a direct conflict with them."
Having once served as a Marine Admiral, Zephyr had an in-depth understanding of the World Government's strength. He spoke seriously. "Maybe your power surpasses that of any Admiral or Emperor. But wars aren't fought one-on-one. The World Government will come at you with everything they've got."
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