Pirates Have No Future (Part 2)

"Rocks, once the unrivaled overlord of the seas—does he have any descendants still alive today? Roger had not sat on the throne of One Piece for long before he stood above the world, so where are his crew and companions now? Whitebeard was known as the World's Strongest Man, and the Whitebeard Pirates were currently the strongest pirate crew. But if one day Whitebeard was gone, what do you think would happen to his sons?" In a calm tone, Mousse laid out the fates left behind by one Great Pirate after another throughout history.

Not a single one had been able to ensure that, after his death—or even merely after his strength declined—his descendants and subordinates could continue living well.

"Brother Katakuri, although the family is flourishing right now, once you understand the rise and fall of those legendary Great Pirates, you should realize that pirates have no future." After hearing his younger brother's conclusion, Katakuri's face darkened. He could not say a word.

He had long anticipated that after Mother died, the family's power would inevitably shrink drastically. But he had never considered that even keeping everyone alive could become so difficult.

Seeing that Katakuri had finally been frightened, Mousse smiled faintly and brought up a well-known exception. "More precisely, it is pirate crews whose strength rests entirely upon—or is held together by—their captain that have no future. While the captain is around, they are unrivaled, occupying too much territory and offending too many people. Once the captain is gone and their strength plummets or they fall apart, some will be carved up while others come seeking revenge. But if their strength is built upon the power of the whole, then changing leaders will not have a devastating impact. Take a superpower like Elbaf, for example. It has always been powerful, and even the World Government has never dared treat it lightly."

"Our generation does not have a true monster like Mother. We can only make up for quality with numbers. In fact, we are taking that same path—but will the efforts of us brothers and sisters alone really be enough? The Marines are already difficult to handle even while they are in a transitional slump. Once those four Logia-type powerhouses, and even younger admirals, have fully matured, we may not be able to deal with them even if Mother is still around, right?" Mousse deliberately concealed the Great Pirate Era that would arrive soon, painting an even bleaker picture of the future to persuade Katakuri to support his idea.

Though Katakuri was not foolish, he was not a transmigrator with foreknowledge like Mousse.

And although Observation Haki could sense a target's emotions, Katakuri was not particularly skilled in that regard. Otherwise, Capone Bege's conspiracy would have been discovered long ago.

Moreover, Mousse was not lying; he was merely withholding some information. Naturally, Katakuri could not detect anything wrong, and his brow furrowed tighter the more he listened.

"Strength is relative. Weakening the enemy is equivalent to strengthening ourselves indirectly. We have many enemies, but in the long run, the one most likely to destroy our Charlotte Family is the World Government. And now that we have formally gone to war, unlike before when we could still coexist peacefully, anything that can strike at it without harming us should be done. Besides, taking the Farol Islands would bring enormous benefits to the family."

Mousse was not good at debating, but this was a discussion. By laying out the facts and reasoning things through, he had more than enough persuasive power.

"The Farol Islands are immensely valuable in themselves, and they can also influence the stance of the Elbaf Giants. If we can form an alliance with Elbaf, or even bring it under our command, not only will Mother's long-cherished wish be fulfilled, but the family's strength will undergo a qualitative leap." The moment Mousse mentioned "Mother's wish," Katakuri immediately realized that he probably could not stop this.

That meant the intensification of their conflict with the World Government was unavoidable. Katakuri could only sigh helplessly.

But it was only a sigh. Having thoroughly seen reality for what it was, Katakuri would no longer hesitate and look back.

To protect his younger brothers and sisters, Katakuri had always tried to avoid making enemies of excessively powerful opponents. But when there was truly no other choice, this pillar of the Charlotte Family's second generation would not fear any formidable enemy.

In fact, deep down, he had always longed for a powerful opponent who could force him to go all out.

Noticing the change in Katakuri's expression, Mousse finally relaxed. He was still too young; without the support of this second brother, even the best plans would be useless.

Now that this most crucial obstacle had been removed, Mousse's confidence surged.

However, Mousse did not want Katakuri to develop resentment toward him because of this. He immediately smiled and reassured him, "Brother Katakuri, there is no need to be so tense. I only told you this so you could be mentally prepared. If the chances are not good, I will not force it. Of course, even then, I will not let the World Government control this place again. What do you think about giving it to the Whitebeard Pirates? We could even make a few improvements before handing it over to them. Their territory may be vast, but they are terribly poor. Whitebeard, as the captain of a pirate crew, regularly mooched food and drink, saved his own income, and sent it all back home, yet it was still not enough to make even that tiny village prosperous. That showed just how poor the Whitebeard Pirates were. They also have enough strength—at least in the New World—to contend with the Marines. They should not be able to resist such a temptation."

A sharp gleam flashed through Katakuri's eyes. Mousse was effectively asking the Whitebeard Pirates to draw the Marines' hatred in their family's place, buying them time to develop quietly on one hand while weakening both sides on the other. It truly killed two birds with one stone.

What was even more brilliant was that even if Whitebeard knew this bait was poisoned, he could not refuse. Having actively expanded his territory over the past two years, he had been constantly short of money and food. This was not a scheme in the shadows, but an open plot. Unless some unexpected factor interfered, it was certain to succeed!

However, Whitebeard's peak would last for at least another decade or so. Mousse truly did not want to wait that long before reclaiming the Farol Islands and Elbaf. If his family could swallow them, he still hoped they could take them directly.

The prospect of the family's strength—especially that of several of his brothers—increasing noticeably within a short time undoubtedly boosted Mousse's confidence greatly.

Even with Zeus's help, it was still Katakuri's first time defeating a formidable enemy stronger than himself. This greatly increased his confidence, and his Haki consequently rose to a new level.

Not only had its intensity increased further, but Katakuri's Armament Haki had also vaguely touched upon that thin barrier. The unprecedented pressure, where he had only one chance and failure meant death, had forced out the strongest Armament Haki of his life and allowed him to sense the flow of Haki for the first time.

As long as he spent some time digesting and consolidating what he had gained from this battle, both Katakuri's Body Techniques and Haki would completely surpass Borsalino's former level.