Within the borders of Totto Land, the members of the Charlotte Family, who had been closely following the live broadcast, fell into a stunned silence after witnessing Kazha's beheading and the subsequent submission of the remaining Seven Warlords of the Sea to Fleet Admiral Xayuki.
Standing at the forefront, Charlotte Katakuri wore an expression of deep concern.
"War... is about to begin," he muttered gravely.
After a brief silence, Katakuri slowly raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed on the screen showing the Warlords bowing to Xayuki. In a steady voice, he declared, "Kazha's death will undoubtedly provoke Kaido into a frenzy. If Kaido declares war on the Marines, Mama will inevitably be dragged into it as well."
"Damn it! How did things escalate so quickly?"
"Brother Katakuri, what's going on? Why does Kazha's death have anything to do with Kaido?"
"You idiot! Kazha used to be one of Kaido's All-Stars under the Beasts Pirates. Although he left the crew later, he never severed ties with Kaido. In fact, he maintained an alliance with him and has been using his status as a Warlord to search for Devil Fruits for Kaido all these years!"
"Even so, what does this have to do with us, the Charlotte Family?"
"It has everything to do with us! Mama and Kaido were both members of the Rocks Pirates back in the day. It's said that Kaido was even—"
"Enough!" Katakuri interrupted sharply. "You're too young to know about such things. What you need to understand is this: if Kaido truly declares war, it's highly likely he'll come to Mama for support."
As the younger siblings chattered amongst themselves, Charlotte Smoothie, who had been silent until now, furrowed her brows and turned to Katakuri. "What about the Tea Party invitations? What should we do about them?"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Before Katakuri could respond, a sudden tremor shook the castle.
Moments later, Charlotte Linlin's thunderous voice echoed from within the castle walls: "Kaido! Don't be rash! Declaring war on the Marines at this time is not a wise move. Under that young Fleet Admiral's leadership, the Marines are more united than ever before..."
"Oi, Kaido! That's enough!"
"I understand that Kazha's death has deeply upset you, but crying like this won't get us anywhere!"
"Calm yourself first, then contact me again!"
With that, Linlin's voice grew louder, her tone commanding: "Katakuri! Smoothie! Cracker! Snack! Get in here now!"
Hearing Linlin's booming orders, Katakuri and the others didn't dare delay. They quickly rose and rushed toward the castle.
Inside the Castle Hall
Charlotte Linlin sat solemnly on her massive chair, her expression grim. She had just ended her call with Kaido, and her aura radiated a sense of impending chaos.
As Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker, and Snack entered the hall, they instinctively kept quiet, sensing that Linlin was teetering on the edge of madness.
"That damned Kazha!" Linlin growled, slamming her fist against the armrest of her chair. The force of the blow caused the massive chair to tremble.
"He's dead now, and good riddance. But his death has brought nothing but trouble for me!"
After a brief pause, Linlin abruptly lifted her head and locked eyes with Katakuri. "Kaido wants to declare war to avenge Kazha and is seeking my support! Katakuri, what do you think?"
Stepping forward with a calm demeanor, Katakuri replied, "Mama, didn't you once hope for Galette to marry Xayuki and form an alliance with him? If the Charlotte Family chooses to ally with Kaido now, your dream may be shattered by this war."
"Xayuki first staged a mutiny to rise to the position of Fleet Admiral, then forced the World Government to compromise and sign the Marijoa Treaty. He publicly executed Edward Weevil, beheaded Kazha, and forced the remaining Warlords to submit."
"Each of these events alone would be enough to shake the world, yet he accomplished all of them in just a few days, leaving no room for the world to recover."
"The Navy, which was once relatively conservative and sought balance and stability, has completely transformed under Xayuki's leadership."
"In Xayuki's hands, the Navy—the largest war machine in the Grand Line—is now operating at full speed."
"Whoever stands against them now will undoubtedly become their primary target."
"In my opinion, we should avoid provoking them for the time being."
After finishing his analysis, Katakuri glanced at Linlin's expression before stepping back to stand beside Smoothie.
As the second son of the Charlotte Family, and the eldest of Linlin's three Sweet Commanders, Katakuri had always been regarded as the family's greatest masterpiece. His primary responsibility was to protect every member of the family.
From his perspective, allying with Kaido—a warmonger with insatiable ambition—would only bring endless trouble to the Charlotte Family, which had enjoyed relative peace in recent years.
However, this was merely his personal opinion. Ultimately, the decision rested with Linlin. As her son, Katakuri would unwaveringly execute whatever decision she made.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters—
The seagull-emblazoned flag of Marineford fluttered proudly in the wind, its sound echoing across the silent plaza.
Over ten thousand Marines stood at attention, their hands clasped behind their backs, their postures straight and disciplined. Not a single sound was heard from the ranks.
On the high platform, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, and Gion stood in perfect formation, their eyes following Xayuki's every movement.
The Seven Warlords, with the exception of the deceased Kazha, all stood with their heads bowed toward Xayuki. None dared to move or change their posture without his permission.
After scanning the six remaining Warlords, Xayuki silently returned to his seat at the head of the table. Removing Konpira from his waist, he handed it to Gion, who stood beside him.
As Gion accepted the blade, Xayuki's gaze swept over the Warlords once more. His previously domineering demeanor softened into a calm, almost amicable smile. "What's the matter? Does bowing to me make you feel humiliated? Are you upset?"
"Take your seats," he said, gesturing for them to sit.
Then, with a faint smile, he added: "When you became Warlords under the World Government, was it any different from submitting to me now?"
"Especially you, Donquixote Doflamingo—"
Xayuki's gaze lingered on Doflamingo, his tone indifferent yet piercing. "I won't deny that using the Celestial Dragons and their Heavenly Tribute as leverage to become a Warlord was a clever move. But that's all there is to it."
"The World Government didn't grant you the title of Warlord because of some trivial tribute or a few worthless Celestial Dragons. It was because of your origins as a former Celestial Dragon and your knowledge of Mary Geoise's secrets."
"But even with all that, you groveled before Kaido, acting like a child in front of him."
"So, Doflamingo—"
"You're nothing special."
"Bowing to me isn't humiliating; it's the wisest decision you've ever made in your life. The same goes for the rest of you."
"In the past, Fleet Admiral Sengoku tolerated you to maintain balance and stability on the seas. But don't think for a second that the Marines couldn't have crushed your arrogance if they wanted to."
"That era is over."
"Because from this moment forward—"
"The tides of the Grand Line have turned!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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