Ortolan: She's So Stubborn. Looks Like I'll Have to Go Show Her Some Filial Piety When I Have Time.
After this so-called 'Admiral's Tea Party' ended, Dragon, as the leader of the Revolutionary Army, was quite busy and took his leave first.
Outside the building, Dragon smiled and asked Fisher Tiger, "Boss Fisher Tiger, about what we talked about earlier..."
Before Dragon could finish speaking, Fisher Tiger said with an embarrassed and ashamed expression, "I'm sorry, Mr. Dragon, I'm afraid I can't join your Revolutionary Army for the time being. The meeting just now greatly affected my thinking. I think that at this moment, I should shoulder some important responsibilities for Fish-Man Island... The matter of the Revolutionary Army can only be discussed after I have finished what I need to do."
Dragon looked completely bewildered and asked, "Huh?"
I've been working so hard to recruit these talented people, and they were practically a sure thing, but that bastard Ortolan ruined it all with just one meeting.
However, recruiting people is something that cannot be forced, especially for an organization like the Revolutionary Army.
Although Dragon felt somewhat helpless, there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could only shake his head regretfully and say, "That's a real shame. But it's alright, the doors of our Revolutionary Army are always open for you. We can talk about this after you've finished your business, Fisher Tiger."
Fisher Tiger was also a little embarrassed, after all, he had promised before, and it felt a bit unfair of him to go back on his word. So he said, "Although I'm not available right now, some of my buddies are still interested. So, after I get there, I'll talk to them, and if they're interested, I'll contact you..."
After Dragon nodded in agreement, he exchanged a couple more pleasantries with Fisher Tiger before leaving.
Upstairs on the other side, in the conference room, only Ortolan and Katakuri remained. The others, though they hadn't left the island, had all dispersed and gone about their own business.
Once everyone was out of the way, Katakuri pulled his scarf down a bit, eagerly picked up a donut from the table, stuffed it into his mouth, and said, "Next time you call me for a meeting like this, don't put donuts on the table. You have no idea how hard I've been trying to put up with this."
"Hahahaha..." Ortolan sipped his tea, laughing as he replied, "You really never get tired of this stuff..."
Katakuri didn't respond to that question. Instead, while chewing on a donut, Ryouji asked, "What do you want to say that you want me to stay behind alone?"
"It's related to matters concerning the Imperial Government of the New World." Ortolan set down his teacup and said, "Before I arrived in the New World, I met with Elder Star alone once. They were interested in Totto Land Totto Land..."
"When Mother held the Tea Party last time, Stussy from Pleasure District mentioned it in a veiled way. Now it seems that the mortal government hasn't given up," Katakuri, raising an eyebrow.
"It would be too insincere to give up after one or two failed attempts at communication." Ortolan casually brushed it off, then asked, "Leaving aside the thoughts of the Realm Government, I'm also a little curious, what are your considerations regarding Xia... cough, Mother?"
"When you say you're considering it, do you mean putting aside your pirate stance?" Katakuri asked.
"Hmm." Ortolan nodded seriously.
Not only is the World Government curious about this, but so is Ortolan. Charlotte Linlin's attitude and stance may not have much impact now, but in the future, it will inevitably affect Ortolan's stance and attitude.
If Charlotte Linlin really considers going down a dark path, there will inevitably be conflicts between them in the future.
This is not only because Old Star wants to bring Totto Land Totto Land into the World Government and make it a powerful Affiliated Nation of the New World, but also because Ortolan actually hopes to promote this matter.
Currently, the pirate nations like Totto Land Totto Land joined this project under the pardon and arrangement of the World Government, and the World Government will bear a large amount of the negative impact.
But without a doubt, the problem was that Ortolan had taken the blame, given their relationship.
After this is done, when he, Ortolan, overthrows the World Government and rebuilds the world, he won't need to bother trying to cleanse Totto Land Totto Land anymore, because the World Government has already been cleansed. He just needs to inherit the estate naturally.
It can even be said that there are no negative impacts!
Katakuri glanced meaningfully at Ortolan and asked, "And you? What's your take on this?"
"Me?" Ortolan chuckled, then his tone turned serious as he said earnestly, "Whether from the perspective of future development or from my standpoint and identity, I certainly hope that Whole Totto Land Totto Land can truly get back on track... Forgive my words, but the identity of a pirate has little future. Perhaps one can be powerful for a time, but in the end, one is nothing more than the likes of Roger and Shiki; after the brilliance fades, the glory is gone..."
Katakuri nodded slightly, but didn't offer any comment. He then said, "Perhaps, but I can tell you with certainty that, at least for now, Mom hasn't given up on being a pirate. I think she's already gotten used to it..."
"That's a real problem. The old woman is very stubborn..." Ortolan said with a sneer.
Katakuri was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this. Just now, when he asked her, she was calling him "Mom," but now that he realized it was hopeless, she was going to become an old woman.
You're such a damn dog!
"It is indeed troublesome, but things can be done by human effort. Mom may not be so sure of her idea. Besides, generally speaking, Totto Land Totto Land has already broken away from the category of pirates, hasn't it? If you try harder, maybe things will change. After all, Mom loves you the most." Katakuri comforted her with a smile.
"Perhaps, as you say, she values me more, but she's not so resistant to my opinions that she's willing to listen to everything I say..." Ortolan shook his head, then stroked his chin and said, "However, it's true that things can change, and she might not be able to stick to her own ideas in the future, not to mention..."
"What else?" Katakuri raised an eyebrow.
"In the end, the strong decide everything on this great sea. The reason she hasn't changed her mind is because no one can force her to. In the future, when I have the chance, I'll go to Cake Island to take care of her and cure her illness. Who knows, maybe her stubbornness will change?" Ortolan grinned, revealing a bright smile.
Katakuri rolled his eyes and retorted, "You're such a filial son, but to be honest, I'm actually quite looking forward to this kind of scene..."
Katakuri still agreed with Ortolan's words; on this vast sea, ultimately only the strong have the right to speak.
Currently, the strongest member of the Charlotte Family is Charlotte Linlin, so no one can force her to do anything she doesn't want to do. However, if the strongest member becomes Ortolan, things will change.
"Mom may not have any intention of giving up her pirate identity right now, but if you were to lead a collaboration with the World Government, she wouldn't object to it. Just like the previous arms deal, you acted as the middleman, and it still succeeded, didn't it? And this Entertainment City project that I mentioned, isn't it ultimately a kind of collaboration with the World Government? If we do similar things a few more times, maybe she'll change her mind," Katakuri added.
"Alright, I think I understand their intentions. Now that I've figured these things out, I'll know how to proceed." Ortolan nodded, not pressing or insisting on anything, and dropped the subject.
Then, he and Katakuri chatted about the interesting things that had happened during this time, and talked about how Ace had behaved on Cake Island while he was away. The two got along very well, and bursts of laughter could be heard from time to time.
After they had finished chatting, Katakuri had cleared out all the donuts on the table. He wiped his mouth, pulled his scarf back up, and said, "Alright, this is Marines territory after all. I can't stay here too long. If there's nothing else, I'll get ready to leave."
Ortolan stood up and saw Katakuri to the door, saying, "Then I won't see you off. I still need to report to Elder Star about the progress..."
Katakuri nodded without saying anything more, and the two brothers parted ways.