Sister Carmel and the Orphanage of Lambs

Sister Carmel was a good person.

Even calling her a "good person" was blasphemous.

She was a saint!

A great woman who dedicated her life to saving homeless children, regardless of their identity or race.

However, that was just on the surface.

Magnus remembered the first time he met the old woman.

Fifty years ago.

He was twenty, only two years into his seafaring journey.

He had saved up a little money working as a pirate hunter and was full of expectations and dreams for the future.

Then, he was scammed.

A female swindler, posing as a ship dealer, tricked him out of a million Belly.

And that was a million Belly fifty years ago!

The female swindler was undoubtedly the old nun Carmel.

Who would have thought?

More than a decade later, the swindler from back then had transformed into the "saint" people spoke of, even becoming a bridge of communication between ordinary people and Giants.

Upon hearing the news, Magnus was so angry he almost went to Elbaf to expose her.

As for Sister Carmel, Magnus was like a piece of stubborn dog-skin plaster that wouldn't come off.

She had only scammed him out of a million Belly when she was young, hadn't she?

She still remembered him chasing her for three years, forcing her to pay him back.

Everyone said she had reformed.

But Magnus didn't believe it and warned her not to collude with the World Government.

Damn it.

If she didn't send those homeless children to the World Government, was she supposed to raise them all her life? Even doing dirty and tiring work was better than becoming a pirate, right?

Not to mention, the World Government would pay her.

So, upon hearing Magnus's words, Carmel replied with a smiling expression.

"How could I? How dare I disappoint the world-renowned great pirate, Lord Magnus? After all, even if the children and I starve to death due to lack of funds, Lord Magnus wouldn't care, would he?"

Hearing Carmel's sarcastic words, Magnus's mouth twitched.

"I remember leaving quite a bit of money."

"That little bit of money isn't enough, is it? You don't think I only have these children to raise, do you?"

Carmel's Orphanage of Lambs wasn't just located in the Giant country; there were many other branches elsewhere. The Orphanage of Lambs was simply to make it easier to care for the most troublesome children.

"Even so, you can't become a dog for the Celestial Dragons!"

"The Celestial Dragons pay the most!"

"You old hag!"

"You old geezer!"

They glared at each other, and it was as if lightning crackled in the air.

"Gulz, is Mother arguing with that old man?"

A chubby little girl asked innocently from the side.

"Probably not?"

A Giant race little girl wearing a headscarf tilted her head.

"My mom and dad argue like this too. This must be a sign of a good relationship."

"Really?"

Hearing the Giant race little girl say that, the chubby little girl's eyes immediately lit up.

"It's Mom and Dad..."

"No!" x2

Magnus and Carmel turned their heads simultaneously and said in unison.

"Huh?"

Both little girls were startled.

It was then that Magnus noticed the chubby girl, who was quite a bit taller than him, almost the same size as a normal Giant race child.

Charlotte Linlin!

Despite being an ordinary human, she possessed the physique of a Giant.

This is true, innate talent.

Unlike Rocks, whose talent required effort to manifest.

Charlotte Linlin.

If she grew according to plan, she was destined to become a future Emperor!

"Tch, you noticed?"

Seeing Magnus's gaze, Sister Carmel lit a cigarette with annoyance and gestured for Magnus to step aside.

"What, you've taken a liking to this child?"

Carmel sneered at Magnus, "This is a true genius, unlike you 'ordinary people' who only reached this position through hard work. If Linlin joins the Marines, she'll be a future Admiral candidate."

Carmel and Magnus had known each other for many years, practically watching Magnus transform from a weak pirate hunter into the great pirate he was today.

Therefore, Carmel knew very well that Magnus had a bit of talent, but at best, he was just an ordinary person.

"Magnus, you've been wandering the seas for so many years, you should know that geniuses exist in this world."

"It's neither you nor me."

"Now that you're this old, are you still planning to pursue your pirate dream?"

If it were two months ago, Carmel's words would have made Magnus fall silent.

But now.

"Why not?"

Magnus snorted, looking towards the sea, his head held high.

"Since the World Government couldn't make me yield, the Marines couldn't bring me down, and the sea couldn't swallow me, why should time be able to?"

"Then you might as well die out there."

Carmel sneered. She had no intention of persuading Magnus. Old men like him were as stubborn as mules. If he died, he died. Their relationship wasn't good, so why would she do something so thankless?

Magnus knew this too, so he spoke his mind directly.

"Give the child to me. You can't take care of her."

"Impossible!"

Carmel refused without a second thought, looking at Magnus with a mocking expression. "If I can't take care of Linlin, do you think you can? Don't forget you're a pirate. Do you want Linlin to follow you as a pirate and live a life where she can't guarantee her next meal?"

"Ten million Belly!"

"Twenty million!"

"Deal!"

It wasn't until Magnus finished speaking that Carmel realized she had habitually bid, and had sold Linlin for twenty million Belly?

"Magnus!!!"

"Shut up. At most, I'll give you thirty million Belly in sponsorship, and another ten million Belly annually thereafter. That's all I have."

The thought of spending one-fifth of his bounty from Farrell before it was even cashed out made Magnus's heart ache. His gaze towards Carmel turned unfriendly.

"You'd better not let me find out you're actually involved with the Celestial Dragons. Do you know how much effort I put in to replace your direct superior back then?"

"Tch, I should have reported you to Kong. He's about to become an Admiral, and you're still a useless pirate."

Carmel exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Don't worry, I keep records of the children sent to the Marines. For ordinary children, I've done my best to find suitable parents, but it's impossible to achieve perfection."

Carmel felt angry just thinking about it. She had initially cooperated with the World Government, hoping for a stable backing, but the World Government turned out to be no good either, forcing her to contact Magnus and bow to him for the first time in her life.

However, it also caused Magnus to transform from a respectable adventurer into the captain of a notorious pirate crew, labeled the most heinous villain by the World Government.

That was when the name "White Wolf" emerged.

Carmel didn't know that if it weren't for Magnus, she would have completely transformed from a fraud into a scumbag who trafficked children for a living.

Now, Carmel was still trading with the World Government, but her trading partner was the Marines, and one of the Admirals of this generation.

There was one thing Carmel didn't say: becoming a Marine was better than becoming a pirate, wasn't it?

"Linlin is yours."

The Orphanage of Lambs was facing financial difficulties recently, and while Magnus was a pirate, Carmel felt her own character wasn't as good as his.

He was a pirate, yet he spent money to send talent to the Marines.

'As long as he doesn't become a dog for the Celestial Dragons.'

That was Magnus's bottom line, simple and clear. Once accustomed to it, it wasn't too bad.

A freak.

That was Carmel's assessment of Magnus.

"Although I've agreed to let you take Linlin, whether she's willing to go with you depends on your ability."

A cunning smile appeared on Carmel's aged face.

"If you don't take her, I'll sell her to the Marines. I'm sure that kid Kong would be more than happy to have another Admiral candidate as his disciple."

"Hmph, don't you underestimate me!"

Magnus sneered, "Don't you forget who cooked for you when our ship capsized and we were stranded on that deserted island."

"Who do you think wrecked my ship?"

Carmel got angry just thinking about it. It was only a million Belly, was it worth it?

Magnus couldn't be bothered with Carmel. They were the type of people who argued the moment they met. If it wasn't necessary, it was better for them to never see each other again.

Charlotte Linlin.

Just as Magnus was walking towards Charlotte Linlin, intending to slowly build a good relationship with her and then lure her onto his ship.

The system appeared as expected.

[Marineford Calendar, Year 1480, June 3rd. This is your 65th day as a Pirate. Unfortunately, not long after debuting as a Pirate, you've encountered a future Four Emperor, Charlotte Linlin.]

[At twenty-five years old, she possesses unparalleled beauty on the seas and is the Pirate Empress praised by all.]

[Winning is impossible. Perhaps you can develop a magnificent romance with her?]

Beauty? Pirate Empress?

Magnus looked at the system's description: a twenty-five-year-old Pirate Empress with beauty that dominated the seas, Charlotte Linlin. Then he looked at the five-year-old, snot-nosed, vacant-staring little fatty in front of him.

System.

You really deserve to die!