New World · Floater Island.
The island itself wasn't anything special—just a small, remote island on the edge of Kaidou's territory. A modest town stood on it, home to fewer than a thousand people, and it carried an air of quiet desolation.
Now, however, the original residents were long gone. The town had been completely taken over by pirates.
In the central square, the Beast Pirates had set up their main encampment. Kaidou sat in front of the largest tent, holding an open-air banquet. The top officers of the Beast Pirates were all gathered there.
Among them were King and Queen, as well as several powerful pirates who hadn't appeared in the original tale but were now part of the Beast Pirates. It was likely that these individuals either left the crew later or were gradually weeded out during the struggle for the Yonkō throne.
Kaidou sat alone at the table, eating small dishes and drinking sake. Before long, a pirate underling came running from the distant street, his face tense.
"Boss! Boss! Big Mom's here!"
"What's with all the panic? Don't embarrass me here—get lost!" Kaidou barked, clearly irritated, and waved the man away.
Even so, the faces of several officers stiffened, their eyes showing traces of unease.
The name Big Mom was one that no one on the seas could afford to take lightly.
In the heavy, tense silence that followed, about ten minutes passed before the sound of footsteps echoed from the end of the street—steady yet accompanied by the faint murmur of an entourage.
The first figure to come into view was Charlotte Linlin herself.
The moment Kaidou saw her, a flicker of mixed emotion passed through his eyes.
Charlotte Linlin carried the same commanding confidence as ever. Her massive frame somehow managed to look imposing rather than bloated, even carrying a sense of curvaceous power.
She wore a captain's hat and a brown coat draped over her shoulders, a sword hanging at her waist. Her broad smile radiated energy as she strode forward toward Kaidou.
Only Katakuri and Charlotte Amande followed behind her.
Charlotte Amande—Linlin's third daughter and a member of the Snake Tribe—had a cigarette between her lips, her expression cold and distant by nature. A wide-brimmed hat shaded her face, and her figure was sinuous and graceful, befitting her lineage.
"Mamamamama! Kaidou, it's been a while! Looks like you've gotten even stronger since last time!" Linlin bellowed cheerfully as she approached.
Kaidou rose from his seat, a faint grin tugging at his mouth. "Linlin, you're still the same as ever."
"Being the same is the best thing," Linlin replied casually.
As they stepped closer, their eyes met, and in that instant, waves of overwhelming aura began to roll off both of them.
The oppressive pressure spread across the square. Kaidou's officers instinctively reached for their weapons, their gazes hardening as they watched Katakuri and Amande.
Katakuri and Amande, too, tensed, their expressions turning solemn.
The atmosphere felt ready to ignite into battle at any second.
Then Kaidou suddenly broke the silence. "You really screwed me over in that weapons deal, Linlin!"
"Mamamamama..." Linlin let out a booming laugh. "Still holding a grudge over that? That's not very manly of you, Kaidou. I didn't use any dirty tricks, did I?"
Kaidou snorted, his irritation showing, but he couldn't refute her. The arms trade competition had been open and fair—there had been no tricks involved.
Linlin showed no intention of escalating things further. As she reined in her Conqueror's Haki, the air instantly felt lighter.
Seeing her take the initiative, Kaidou also relaxed. He slowly raised his hand, signaling her to sit, while withdrawing his own overwhelming presence.
With both captains easing off, their subordinates finally followed suit, settling down and restoring the uneasy calm to the square.
Charlotte Linlin took a seat beside Kaidou and said, "Let's put that last deal behind us. I'm here to talk about new business, aren't I?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, Linlin," Kaidou replied flatly. "When it comes to Seastone, I've already got the market cornered."
Just as Charlotte Linlin was about to respond, her eyes drifted past Kaidou—and she suddenly noticed a small figure peeking curiously from a nearby tent. The little one's wide-eyed expression was downright adorable.
Charlotte Linlin had always had a soft spot for children. Her attitude toward them was entirely different from how she treated adults—her patience, her tone, even her temper. If an adult irritated her, she'd tear their soul out without hesitation. But with kids? She became warm, gentle, almost motherly.
"What a cute little girl! Is that your daughter?" she asked with genuine curiosity, her attention completely drawn to the child.
Kaidou's mouth twitched as if he'd bitten into something sour. He grumbled awkwardly, "Son! That's my son!"
Charlotte Linlin's cheerful smile immediately turned into a scowl. "If you want a son so badly, have another one! Don't force your will on your daughter—that kind of foolishness doesn't suit you!"
Kaidou looked thoroughly displeased at being scolded like that. He was about to lose his temper when Linlin, clearly done with him, turned away with a soft smile and waved at the child. "Come here, sweetheart. Let me have a look at the one who's so adorable."
The little girl was, of course, Kaidou's daughter—Yamato. And truth be told, she really was adorable. Small and round-faced, with big, bright eyes and a pair of tiny horns like her father's—it was the kind of sight that could melt anyone's heart.
Yamato seemed nervous, but she was brave for her age. After a short hesitation, she slipped out of the tent and ran straight to Kaidou's side, hugging his leg tightly.
Since Kozuki Oden had escaped from Wano, none of that later drama between Yamato and Kaidou had ever happened here. Yamato never became obsessed with Oden, and the father and daughter hadn't fallen out.
Without that influence, Kaidou's attitude toward Yamato was far gentler, and their relationship seemed genuinely good.
Seeing Yamato's timid little face and Charlotte Linlin's warm smile, Kaidou's irritation faded. He sat down cross-legged on the ground, ruffled Yamato's hair, and said, "Go on. She won't hurt you."
Perhaps it was her father's reassurance—or Linlin's natural friendliness toward children—but Yamato soon gathered her courage. After a brief pause, she nodded and stepped forward, speaking in a small, muffled voice. "My name's Yamato! I'm nine years old!"
Charlotte Linlin's grin widened as she gently patted Yamato's head. "My name's Linlin. I'm an old friend of your dad's. Mamamama!"
Before long, Kaidou found himself watching the two laugh and play together. Yamato even climbed right into Linlin's lap, and the two of them were giggling nonstop. The sight of the great Charlotte Linlin so relaxed—openly playing with a child without caring about her image—was almost surreal.
A faint softness flickered in Kaidou's eyes as he watched them. Perhaps this was a scene he had imagined more than once.
Still, in front of his crew, Kaidou wasn't about to show anything unusual. A few minutes later, his patience ran out, and he growled, "When's that bastard Ortoren getting here!?"
"Soon," Charlotte Linlin answered, still holding Yamato in her arms. "We spoke on the way—he'll arrive by tonight at the latest."
Then she paused, turned toward Kaidou with a sly little smile, and said, "Oh, and my dear grandson will be coming too. You'll get to meet him."
"The son of that Ortoren?" Kaidou raised a brow. "I wonder how much of his father's talent he inherited? Yamato awakened Conqueror's Haki at a very young age, you know."
"Really?" Charlotte Linlin's eyes lit up with delight. She looked down at Yamato, clearly pleased, and ran her hand through the girl's hair. "That's wonderful news."
For some reason, Kaidou couldn't shake the feeling that there was something strange about Linlin's smile—as if she knew something he didn't.