Leaving Overnight

Before clashing with the Navy, Mousse had not needed to consider such things, since they would not want to go to all-out war with the Charlotte Family.

But now that they had torn off all pretenses and the Navy had suffered a major loss, there was naturally a chance that they would fly into a rage out of humiliation and send a massive fleet to retaliate.

Although the Farol Islands were no closer to Marine Headquarters Marineford than Totto Land, Navy warships were faster than the Queen Mama Chanter, and the currents were more favorable as well. If everything went especially smoothly, arriving within forty-eight hours was not entirely impossible.

Even including the time needed to receive the news, discuss it, and make a decision, they might still be able to keep it within three days.

Therefore, if they stayed in Pharaohs too long, they might end up being blocked in Pharaohs by the Navy's massive fleet and wiped out like turtles trapped in a jar.

"Let's leave first. Once the great mirrors in Totto Land and here are set up, and Mama can come here whenever she wants, we'll carry out that plan," Mousse told his second brother without the slightest shame. "And if the Navy makes up its mind that quickly, then we can only abandon the Farol Islands."

Katakuri looked at his younger brother, who spoke with urgency but wore an unconcerned expression, and could not help asking, "Mousse, your plan might end halfway through like this. Aren't you worried or upset at all?"

"What plan in this world is truly foolproof? Even someone as smart as me can only devise different responses for every possible situation. Expecting one plan to handle everything? That's far too naïve!" Mousse laughed as soon as he heard that, showing that he had long been mentally prepared.

"Actually, the Navy retaliating immediately would not even be the worst-case scenario. Since they lost this battle, we immediately won one back and vented some of their anger. Then the rational faction within the Navy might suppress the radicals and avoid going to all-out war with us. After all, Roger and Whitebeard are still the greater threats to the World Government, at least in their own eyes."

Katakuri's expression immediately turned solemn, because he had already guessed that what his brother was about to say would not be good. "Then what is the worst-case scenario?"

"Of course, it would be ignoring Pharaohs for the moment and concentrating their forces on attacking Totto Land! If Sengoku and Garp both move out, perhaps even Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong personally, along with a whole bunch of Marine Headquarters vice admirals—especially the other three Admiral Candidates—then Totto Land, without several of you key combatants, especially without your Observation Haki, Brother Katakuri, would absolutely be unable to withstand them. Charlotte Linlin would be easily toyed with. We might not even be able to make the Navy struggle much or kill one or two important figures. By then, even if we remained in Pharaohs and survived for the time being, we could only become homeless dogs afterward~" Mousse took a few sips of juice before leisurely describing the most terrifying possibility.

However, Katakuri was Katakuri after all. He would not be frightened so easily.

After Mousse spoke, Katakuri's expression instead relaxed, because the situation his brother had described was actually impossible. "The World Government would not dare gamble like that, would they? Even if they had that resolve, those key figures would all have to happen to be near Marine Headquarters at the same time. How could there be such a coincidence? Even we thought this trip was sudden. Could the World Government have predicted it beforehand? If they had that ability, Gol D. Roger would have been captured long ago."

"Just as expected of Brother Katakuri! Yes, the Navy has such a vast operation. Unless they predicted in advance that we would come to Pharaohs, they could not possibly seize the opportunity so precisely." Seeing that he had failed to scare his second brother, Mousse laughed as well.

"However, when the sample size is large enough, low-probability events become high-probability events. If we linger here too long, the chances of both bad scenarios occurring will increase greatly."

Katakuri immediately made his decision. "Then let's go! We leave today, overnight!"

Before leaving, however, Katakuri had one more matter on which he needed Mousse's opinion. "Should we bring the relatives here back to Totto Land?"

"Don't!" Mousse answered decisively.

Charlotte Linlin's only remaining biological younger brother had been born after she was abandoned. The two had no connection whatsoever and did not even know of each other's existence, much less share any feelings.

And if they were to care for him out of consideration for their parents, this "uncle" in his thirties had buried his own mother hastily without even holding a funeral. Even considering that people in this world generally lacked filial piety, such behavior was still chilling.

If Charlotte Linlin still cared about her parents, she would not like this cold-hearted biological younger brother. And if she had let go of her feelings for her parents, then what did this younger brother she had never met have to do with her?

If even her biological younger brother was like this, the other relatives were even more distant, and none of them were particularly capable. There was even less reason to bring them back to Totto Land.

In Mousse's view, relatives connected only by blood and entirely lacking emotional ties were the most troublesome. Give them too little, and they would complain. Give them too much, and one still might not receive gratitude or loyalty, because they would think it was only natural.

They might even become easy targets for hostile forces to recruit because their high positions would give them access to more secrets, while they lacked any sense of belonging and were insufficiently loyal. It would also dissatisfy the non-family officers in the pirate crew. No matter how one looked at it, it was a thankless task.

More importantly, Charlotte Linlin's anger over failing to save her mother in time would only be temporary. Given enough time, she would always be able to let it go. But if relatives from her hometown were brought back, Charlotte Linlin might be reminded of it every time she saw them and reopen old grievances.

Would Katakuri, who was responsible for this matter, and Mousse, who had started it, still be able to come out unscathed?

"Mama only told us to find Grandpa and Grandma. She did not even say we had to bring the two elders back, and they themselves never said they had to be brought to Totto Land. As for those other relatives, it is even less their turn. Mama will not blame us if we do not bring them back, but if we do bring them back, she will not think we did well either. She might even think we were being meddlesome. Brother Katakuri, don't be too proactive. Being overly proactive in this matter brings no benefits, only drawbacks, and the drawbacks are enormous!" Mousse laid out the pros and cons clearly. He believed that, given his second brother's rationality, he would not make the wrong choice.

Katakuri did not disappoint his younger brother. He wisely accepted the advice and did not even leave those relatives any contact information.

James Glenn, however, was given the number of his Den Den Mushi. Katakuri told him to contact him once the enormous mirror was ready. Only then would the BIG Pirates formally agree to protect the Faros Kingdom.

And if the Navy arrived before then, James Glenn could decide for himself what to do. The Charlotte Family would be unable to grant him protection at that time, so they would not demand his absolute loyalty.