The gentle sea breeze swept across the slightly damp deck. For these waters in the New World, today was a fine day.
A pirate warship flying the flag of the Big Mom Pirates sailed through these waters. Its destination was not far away—the Tyrean Island already visible ahead.
Standing at the bow, Katakuri looked at the distant outline of Tyrean Island, his eyes carrying a trace of reminiscence. From time to time, hesitation and confusion flickered across his face.
This surprised Cracker, who stood beside Katakuri. As the foremost Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates and Charlotte Linlin's second son, Charlotte Katakuri had always been regarded by his younger brothers and sisters as a perfect elder brother. Confidence and composure had always defined him. Cracker could barely remember the last time he had seen such an expression on Brother Katakuri's face.
"Brother Katakuri?" Unable to contain his curiosity, Cracker asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Seemingly hearing the call beside him, Katakuri pulled himself out of his memories. He casually raised a hand and rubbed Cracker's head before saying, "I remembered some things from a very, very long time ago."
Charlotte Cracker was seventeen this year. In this world, he had only just become an adult a few days ago. But as the blood of the Great Pirate Charlotte Linlin, Cracker was no ordinary youth. He was already a pirate of some renown in the New World.
Of course, because he always liked wrapping himself in biscuits, few people outside some of his family's brothers and sisters knew what Cracker truly looked like. They only knew that, according to rumors, he was vicious!
Yet this supposedly vicious young man revealed a bashful yet pleased expression as Katakuri rubbed his head.
This was Charlotte Katakuri. Within the pirate family known as Charlotte, there was no role called "father." Perhaps because of that, the overly perfect Katakuri had vaguely become a figure with a bit of "fatherly significance" in the hearts of his younger brothers and sisters.
Perhaps that was what people meant by an eldest brother being like a father? Though Katakuri was not the eldest brother of the Charlotte Family, and he was only twenty years old this year.
After briefly enjoying Brother Katakuri's affection, Cracker quickly asked again, "Are you thinking about that Ortolan?"
Katakuri's hand paused as it tousled Cracker's hair. He naturally withdrew it, then lightly tapped Cracker on the head. "By blood, you should call him brother too, Cracker."
"But that guy isn't a Charlotte. His surname is Bane..." Cracker retorted.
As Katakuri's second-in-command on this journey, Cracker naturally knew who they had come to Tyrean Island to meet.
Bane Ortolan, an eighteen-year-old youth. In theory, he should have been the fifth son of the Charlotte Family—the fifth son of the Great Pirate Charlotte Linlin, after eldest son Perospero and Katakuri's three full-blooded brothers.
However, for some special reason, this fifth son seemingly had not grown up with the Charlotte Family. Even his surname was Bane rather than Charlotte.
"No matter what his surname is, Cracker!" Katakuri fixed his gaze on Cracker's eyes and said seriously, "Mother's blood flows through his veins. No one can deny that."
At that, Katakuri's tone softened again. With a hint of regret, he said, "And it isn't his fault. It's ours."
Seeing that Cracker still looked confused and unconvinced, Katakuri did not explain further. Instead, he smiled again. "Besides, I believe that someday, he will be willing to become a 'Charlotte.'"
Looking at the gentle Brother Katakuri, Cracker shrugged somewhat awkwardly. "Anyway, I won't easily acknowledge just anyone as my brother."
Katakuri smiled, not continuing the argument with Cracker.
Soon, carried along by the sea breeze, the pirate ship flying the Big Mom Pirates' flag slowly entered Tyrean Island's port.
As the pirate ship docked, the pier on Tyrean Island grew noisy.
"It's the Donut!"
"Lord Katakuri's flagship!"
The Donut was the flagship of Katakuri's pirate fleet. From its appearance alone, it resembled an enormous doughnut floating on the sea. Come to think of it, the various ships of the Big Mom Pirates all seemed to possess a slightly eerie sort of cuteness, like vessels that had sailed out of a fairy tale.
Soon, the gangplank was lowered, and Katakuri's tall figure appeared in the sight of everyone at the port.
The once-noisy harbor seemed to fall silent in an instant. Katakuri now radiated a cold, savage aura, entirely unlike the gentleness he had shown while speaking with Cracker earlier.
His towering scarf concealed half his face, while his eyes brimmed with authority.
Katakuri slowly walked down the gangplank. Behind him followed Cracker, already wrapped in biscuits, along with a group of Big Mom Pirates grunts.
About half a year ago, Tyrean Island had raised the flag of the Big Mom Pirates and officially been incorporated into the waters of Whole Cake Island, becoming one of the Big Mom Pirates' territorial islands.
Thus, long before Katakuri arrived, several officials from Tyrean Island had already been waiting at the port for quite some time.
That was right—officials. Unlike the vast majority of pirate forces, the Big Mom Pirates' system was developing toward becoming a "pirate nation," and thus a "bureaucratic class" had emerged within the crew's structure.
Generally speaking, islands that raised the flag of the Big Mom Pirates would swiftly have their original names changed to things like "Jam Island," "Butter Island," or "Candy Island." They would then be incorporated into Whole Cake Island's territory, becoming part of this enormous pirate nation.
But Tyrean Island was clearly an exception. It had flown the Big Mom Pirates' flag for quite some time and had even been incorporated into Whole Cake Island's territory, yet its name had not been changed.
Likewise, no "chief minister" had been assigned to the island.
Katakuri did not say much to the officials who had come to receive him. After coldly giving a few instructions, he waved them away.
He then observed the changes in the port town on the island. Seemingly finding a route, he led Cracker and the others in one direction, quickly disappearing from the harbor pier.
Near the outskirts at the edge of Tyrean Port's town stood a small farmhouse courtyard. Relying on his height of over five meters, Katakuri was currently peering over the courtyard wall.
The sound of metal striking metal rang out from inside. A powerfully built man, bare-chested and holding a small blacksmith's hammer as he forged something, called out without turning around, "The gate's unlocked."
"Torun, you look even stronger..." Katakuri replied with a smile.
Perhaps he had just finished his work, or perhaps it was because guests had arrived. In any case, the man Katakuri called Torun stopped what he was doing, placed the blacksmith's hammer on a nearby table, casually picked up the towel hanging on the wall, wiped the sweat from his brow, and turned around.
The man had short, dark brown hair. It seemed not to have been tended much, with the ends hanging messily over his shoulders, yet it gave him a perfectly fitting wild beauty.
Judging from his face, he even looked more mature than Katakuri. He did not resemble an eighteen-year-old youth at all, instead carrying the air of a man around twenty-five or twenty-six. His features were sharply defined, and at first glance, he looked exceptionally valiant.
Though nowhere near as absurdly tall as Katakuri, he still stood a little over three meters. With his sturdy, wheat-colored muscles, bare upper body, black work pants, and heavy brown high-top boots, anyone who saw him would agree that he deserved to be called a fierce general.
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