After a burst of golden light, a black scarf turned to ash and vanished. Standing in the hall now was a tall, well-built man—Katakuri, whose mouth had just undergone plastic surgery.
Thanks to his earlier experience with Poire, Carl was already much more skilled with this technique. In no time, he transformed Katakuri's mouth, which used to stretch all the way to his ears, into a pair of sleek, sexy lips.
However, this time Carl didn't touch Katakuri's jagged, saw-like teeth. For someone like Katakuri, those rows of teeth weren't a flaw at all—they were a badge of toughness.
Katakuri touched his lips while Brûlée immediately created a mirror and placed it in front of him. Staring at his reflection, even Katakuri couldn't help but be amazed.
Having completed two "plastic surgeries" in a row, Carl clapped his hands and casually asked,
"Since Shanks already disbanded the pirate crew, was he already heading to Mary Geoise when you left?"
Katakuri still wasn't quite used to his new mouth, so Brûlée quickly answered for him.
"Yes, Shanks looked like he was in a hurry at the time. He should already be on the way to Mary Geoise."
"He didn't fly there directly?"
"No. In the end, the only one who returned to Mary Geoise with Shanks was Rockstar. He's the one piloting the ship."
Carl nodded thoughtfully. Even traveling by ship, with the speed of Shanks' vessel, they should reach Mary Geoise very quickly at full throttle.
Carl had assumed Shanks would transform into a dragon and fly there—far faster—but now it seemed Shanks just couldn't part with his pirate ship.
After thinking for a moment, Carl said no more. He simply waved his hand and said,
"Alright, I'm sure you siblings have a lot to catch up on. I'll get out of your way."
And with that, Carl's figure vanished from sight in an instant.
Poire blinked and said blankly,
"Eh? Carl-sama just left like that? I didn't even get a chance to properly thank him!"
Galette glanced at her and said,
"You silly girl. And how exactly would you thank him? Do you think Carl-sama needs anything from you?"
Poire froze for a moment. She had a point. With Carl's status, he could have anything he wanted—what could she possibly offer in return?
...
That night, Galette had a grand dinner prepared to welcome Katakuri and Brûlée back.
Since their return had been rather sudden, Galette hadn't informed the other siblings. She only invited Poire.
Before Katakuri sat a small mountain of donuts. He grabbed one in each hand and stuffed them into his mouth.
At first, he wasn't used to not having his huge, split-open mouth, but that didn't stop his passion for donuts. Although he had plenty aboard Shanks' ship, they just didn't compare to the ones here.
After all, the confections from Totto Land truly were world-class. Now that they'd abandoned their pirate ways, the entire Totto Land had become a legitimate dessert empire—earning money even faster than they had by looting.
Especially now, with an official supply route sending sweets straight to Mary Geoise, it was practically impossible not to make money.
Katakuri alternated between bites of donut and sips of red wine, clearly enjoying himself.
Meanwhile, Brûlée constantly refilled his glass, the perfect picture of a doting younger sister. It was no wonder Katakuri had once risked his life to protect her. They might not be twins, but their bond was easily the closest among the siblings.
Poire, by contrast, ate with striking elegance. Where she once would have grabbed a cake with her hands, now she delicately sliced it with knife and fork, carefully chewing each small bite. Watching this, Galette couldn't help but tease her.
"What's the matter, Poire? Why are you being so stingy with it?"
Poire swallowed her cake and replied solemnly,
"Sis, you don't get it. This is a gift from Carl-sama. Of course I have to treasure it."
"At that speed, how long will it take you to finish? Just look at Katakuri—he's not holding back."
"Well, Katakuri is a man! I can't behave like that, can I?"
Katakuri paused his donut demolition, lifted his head, and looked at Poire.
"Poire, if you find something delicious and don't eat it to your heart's content… then what's the point of having a mouth?"
Poire pouted, straightening her neck defiantly.
"Of course it has a purpose! A mouth isn't just for eating!"
"Oh? Then what else is it for?"
"For lipstick, obviously!"
As she said this, her face turned bright red with excitement. In the past, she couldn't even dream of using lipstick. With that gaping mouth of hers, wearing lipstick would've made her look like a total monster—not just to kids, but to adults too.
Katakuri twitched at the corner of his mouth and muttered,
"...Yeah, I don't need that."
"See? That's the difference. For men and women, mouths have totally different meanings. But even without lipstick, you still look way more handsome than before, Katakuri!"
Katakuri turned to look at Brûlée, who was covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"Brûlée, what do you think? How do I look now?"
Brûlée immediately replied,
"Super handsome, Katakuri! And you seem much more gentle too. Looks like I'll have a sister-in-law soon!"
Katakuri blushed, ducked his head, and shoved another donut into his mouth.
"Mmph... Stop talking nonsense. I don't need something like that!"
Watching him, the three sisters couldn't help but burst into laughter. Galette chimed in,
"Katakuri, you're not getting any younger. Maybe it's time to start thinking about it?"
Just then, Poire suddenly said,
"Hey, speaking of which… How's Chiffon doing? I heard that Teach already..."
As soon as she said that, the light mood in the room vanished.
Katakuri and Brûlée exchanged a glance before Katakuri slowly replied,
"She's still alive. That too… is thanks to Carl-sama."
Back then, Katakuri was the one who sent Chiffon away. He couldn't help but sigh as he remembered the devastated look on her face when she left.
It all went back to that ridiculous political marriage. How laughable that Big Mom and Whitebeard had once tried to form an alliance against the Navy through marriage. Looking back now, it was utterly absurd.
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+120 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg