Whole Cake Island might sound a bit silly, but it's actually a massive island. As the famous headquarters of the Big Mom Pirates in the New World, it boasts an excellent location and abundant resources.
The moment Ortoren stepped off the ship, he noticed numerous coastal cannons built along the shore near the port. Despite being a pirate stronghold, the port was far from deserted. On the contrary, it was bustling with activity, with all kinds of transport ships and merchant caravans coming and going.
Maintaining order here were a few of the Big Mom Pirates' underlings, but more striking were the Homies—soul-infused beings Ortoren had heard about but was seeing for the first time. These living creations were born from the terrifying and powerful abilities of Charlotte Linlin's Soru Soru no Mi!
A Homies-drawn carriage had been arranged to pick them up. Katakuri swiftly brought Ortoren aboard, and they left the port, following a straight road deeper into the island.
They hadn't gone far into the forest when the trees parted, revealing a towering castle in the heart of Whole Cake Island that looked like a gigantic cake straight out of a fairy tale.
This was the residence of the great pirate, Big Mom—Charlotte Linlin.
The carriage stopped in front of the castle, and a servant placed down the steps. Katakuri and Ortoren got out together.
Waiting for them was Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte family. As soon as he saw them, he walked over and said, "Mama has been waiting inside the castle for quite a while."
After that, he gave Ortoren a good look, smacked his lips, and teased, "So this is our dear... new little brother? He's really only eighteen? Looks older than me, hehehe~~"
Although Perospero's tone was a little odd, Ortoren could strangely sense a bit of friendliness behind his words.
So he smiled, nodded, and replied, "Nice to meet you. My name is Benn Ortoren."
Perospero didn't say anything about the name "Benn." He simply patted Ortoren on the shoulder with a grin and said, "Come on, Mama's waiting. Oh, and... want to try one of my lollipops?"
Do members of the Charlotte family always pitch their signature sweets the moment they meet someone?
After politely declining Perospero's offer, they quickly entered the grand and imposing castle.
They made their way through the entrance hall and a maze of corridors, which twisted and turned so much it nearly made Ortoren dizzy. Eventually, they arrived before a massive door. Perospero stepped forward and knocked on it.
To Ortoren's surprise, the door's two knockers suddenly turned into eyes. Then, as if just waking up, the Homies infused in the door glanced outside, chuckled, and greeted Perospero and Katakuri before creaking open by themselves.
As the door opened, a rush of air swept out from the room, and Ortoren was hit with a wave of overwhelming sweetness.
It felt like... the inside was a storage room packed with every kind of dessert imaginable!
But it wasn't. The room was brightly lit, not dark at all. At its center stood an enormous throne, and in front of it sat a spiral-shaped round table piled high with pastries and sweets. Seated on the throne was a figure who was shamelessly grabbing desserts by hand and stuffing them into her mouth.
There was no mistaking her—Charlotte Linlin, the woman who aimed to rule the seas.
Ortoren had always pictured Charlotte Linlin as a grotesque mix of "an old hag, a bloated pig, and a manic lunatic."
Though he'd heard she was once a stunning beauty in her youth, enough to enchant his pathetic father to the grave, he'd never really understood the obsession—until now.
By age, she shouldn't have been young anymore. If Ortoren remembered correctly, Charlotte Linlin was forty-one this year—solidly middle-aged.
But maybe it was her unnatural talent or something else entirely. Right now, Charlotte Linlin didn't look a day over thirty. Her once bloated figure was now full of curves, with a fiery, seductive shape—voluptuous, tight-waisted, and impossible to ignore.
Even sitting on her throne, her posture was wild and provocative. One long leg, clad only in shorts and high heels, was propped right up on the table littered with dessert crumbs.
Overall, Ortoren's first impression of her completely shattered the crude image he'd always had.
As if she'd heard the noise at the door, Charlotte Linlin shoved a chunk of cake into her mouth, wiped the cream off her lips with a hand, and looked toward the entrance.
Then, a grin slowly stretched across her face, filled with pride and amusement.
Before Katakuri or Perospero could say a word, Charlotte Linlin spoke first.
"I had completely forgotten what your father looked like, but the moment I saw you, his face popped right into my head. For a mink, he really was quite handsome. Mamamama... you've grown up, kid!"
She burst into laughter, eyes fixed on Ortoren.
Pathetic. His father had pined for her all his life, and she couldn't even remember what he looked like?
Then again, considering Charlotte Linlin's status, wild personality, and life experience, it wasn't exactly surprising.
"Thanks to him, I managed to survive," Ortoren replied evenly.
Charlotte Linlin chuckled as she stuffed another handful of sweets into her mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, she nodded and said, "If that guy had one thing going for him more than me... it'd be his patience and eye for potential in you."
She glanced back at Ortoren.
"Sorry, kid. Because of my short-sightedness back then, you've had to suffer all these years."
Ortoren didn't answer. Instead, he unfastened the sword at his waist and weighed it in his hand.
"It doesn't matter. This sea is full of people who've been abandoned. My story's nothing special. This sword was my old man's. Before he died, he told me that if I ever got the chance... I should bring it to you."
As soon as he finished, Charlotte Linlin picked up a warm towel from the table and wiped her hands.
"Give it to me."
Ortoren stepped forward. The closer he got, the more he could feel the sheer power radiating from her.
As if noticing, Charlotte Linlin quickly suppressed the aura she was unconsciously exuding, then reached out and took the sword from his hands.
"Memory really is a strange thing. Before seeing this sword, I couldn't recall a thing. But now, just holding its sheath... it's like I can feel him again—him and the sword."
She gently stroked the hilt, then looked up and asked, "So, kid... do you want to come back to your mother's embrace?"
It was an invitation—she was asking if Ortoren wanted to become a "Charlotte" again and rejoin the Big Mom Pirates.
Before he could respond, Charlotte Linlin added, "Say the word, and I'll make you the lead Sweet Commander right now!"
There was no doubt—Charlotte Linlin ruled the Big Mom Pirates. Beneath her, the top-ranking officers were known as the Sweet Commanders. The number wasn't strictly fixed, but usually sat at four, and all had to be of her bloodline.
At present, the Big Mom Pirates had four Sweet Commanders. Katakuri and his two brothers took up three of those spots, and the last belonged to the eldest son, Perospero.
Still, the title of Sweet Commanders wasn't permanent. If one lost a battle, their status would be revoked immediately.
In the original story, only Katakuri was considered undefeated, maintaining his position. The other three had changed many times over.
As for Katakuri's defeat at the hands of a rampaging Ortoren... Charlotte Linlin didn't see that as a real loss. After all, Ortoren carried her blood too.
In short, the position of Sweet Commanders carried immense weight within the Big Mom Pirates. And to be the lead among them—that was second only to Charlotte Linlin herself.