As dusk settled, bonfires flickered to life across the square campgrounds. Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin weren't just idly waiting for Ortoren—they had long since started eating, drinking, and chatting away.
Charlotte Linlin didn't go out of her way to provoke Kaidou, and Kaidou himself held a peculiar fondness for her. The two drank and reminisced about old times, laughing together with a nostalgic warmth that spoke of their stormy past.
"If it hadn't been for Roger back then…" Kaidou was in the middle of speaking when a younger subordinate came running toward them from afar.
"Boss! Boss! A Marine warship's coming!" the man reported nervously.
Kaidou immediately stopped talking. He turned to Charlotte Linlin and muttered, "Ortoren's here…"
"I can hear you just fine," Charlotte Linlin replied casually, reaching out to gently pat Yamato, who had fallen asleep in her arms. "If you're not drunk, don't lose your temper later."
"I'd sure love another fight with him, but I know tonight's for business," Kaidou said dismissively with a wave of his hand.
A few minutes later, footsteps echoed from the end of the street. Through the glow of the bonfire and the shadows of night, Ortoren and his group gradually came into view.
He wore a black suit, his Justice Cloak draped over his shoulders, and his signature warhammer strapped to his back. A relaxed smile curved his lips as he walked openly toward the firelight.
Following him was Gion, cradling a sleeping Ace in her arms. The sight of them together gave the impression of a small family out on an evening stroll.
Kaidou tilted his head slightly. "That woman—she Ortoren's woman?"
"Can't see straight after a few drinks? That's Gion from the Marines," Charlotte Linlin shot back, but soon a sly smile tugged at her mouth. "Though… you might not be entirely wrong. Mamamama."
As the two whispered to each other, Ortoren approached and raised a hand with an easy smile. "Sorry to keep you both waiting. I'm the one who's late."
Before his words had even faded, Charlotte Linlin stood, still holding Yamato, and strode over to face Ortoren and Gion.
Her towering presence made Gion instinctively tense, her movements a touch stiff. But before she could react further, Charlotte Linlin's gaze softened as it fell upon the sleeping Ace in Gion's arms.
"This is Ace, isn't it?" she asked gently.
Before Ortoren could answer, Gion nodded lightly. "Yes, that's Ace."
Still holding Yamato in one arm, Charlotte Linlin extended her free hand. "Let me hold this little one for a moment…"
Gion glanced at Ortoren, who gave a small nod, showing no objection. With care, she handed Ace over.
To her surprise, she saw an unmistakable tenderness and affection on Charlotte Linlin's face.
In Gion's mind, Charlotte Linlin had always been a ruthless, overwhelmingly powerful pirate—someone she could never imagine showing softness. The most Gion had ever felt toward her was a complicated sense of emotion, knowing she was Ortoren's mother.
She never expected to see that expression on her face now.
Charlotte Linlin cradled Yamato in one arm and Ace in the other, her features gentle and full of warmth. Yet the corners of her eyes shimmered with delight, as if—were it not for fear of waking the two sleeping children—she might have laughed aloud in pure joy.
"Quick, Amande!" Charlotte Linlin hugged the two little ones close and whispered urgently.
No sooner had she spoken than a figure appeared at lightning speed between Ortoren and Charlotte Linlin, colliding with Ortoren and sending him flying backward.
This figure was none other than Charlotte Amande—the third daughter of the Charlotte family and Ortoren's older sister.
Truth be told, this was only the second time Ortoren had met his sister. The first had been at the tea party, but back then, she'd seemed rather aloof. They hadn't exchanged much, so they weren't particularly close.
This time, however, things felt decidedly strange. As Ortoren was knocked aside, he could sense that his sister was incredibly excited.
Turning back, he saw Amande's previously cold and distant expression completely replaced by one of breathless excitement. Camera in hand, she was frantically swaying left and right, searching for the perfect angles to photograph Charlotte Linlin and the two little ones in her arms.
"This angle! Perfect, absolutely perfect!"
"Mama, tilt your head down just a bit more. Yes, give little Ace a kiss on the head~"
"Oh oh! That's the look! Hold on, I need to capture this!"
And so, under the incredulous and astonished gazes of the crowd, Charlotte Linlin, cradling the two little ones, struck pose after pose—flamboyant and carefree—completely oblivious to the stares around her.
"Mamamama! Take more! Take more!" Charlotte Linlin chuckled, lowering her voice as she called out.
Gion was utterly stunned. She turned to Ortoren with a puzzled look. "Is she always like this in private?"
Ortoren scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. "Don't ask me. I don't really hang out with her much…"
Just then, as if she still wasn't satisfied, Amande stopped and glanced around. Spotting Katakuri, she waved eagerly. "Come over here! Take some photos of us together! My adorable little nephew is just the best!!!"
After roping Katakuri in as her photographer, Amande quickly joined Charlotte Linlin, posing wildly beside her mother. The two were grinning ear to ear, completely absorbed in their photo session.
After waiting a while, Kaidou finally grew impatient. He stood up abruptly, muttering curses as he strode toward Charlotte Linlin. "Hey, what do you think this place is? This isn't what we came here to do, is it? Cut it out already…"
But before Kaidou could finish, Charlotte Linlin suddenly wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him into the frame with a hearty laugh. "Come to think of it, we've never taken a photo together, have we, Kaidou~"
Caught off guard by her sudden embrace, Kaidou's face flushed crimson despite his earlier grumbling. His eyes darted nervously, yet he didn't resist. He fell silent and quietly played along.
Thus, Ortoren, Gion, and the surrounding pirates stood helplessly around them, watching as the group went wild taking photo after photo.
"Before coming here, I imagined many possible scenarios for our meeting," Gion murmured beside Ortoren, "but I never expected it to turn out like this…"
Ortoren sighed with a touch of resignation. "Well, pirates are pirates. They do things on a whim. It's understandable…"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Katakuri called out, "Toren, come help us take a picture! I want to be in the group shot too!"
Ortoren grimaced in exasperation but promptly replied, "Got it, coming right up…"
After a flurry of clicks and flashes, Ortoren and Gion were swept up in the infectious mood and ended up joining the photo session themselves. By then, the camera had been passed to the ever-enthusiastic, chubby Queen, who was more than happy to take over.
It took everyone over half an hour of fussing and laughing before the photo frenzy finally died down.
When it was over, Kaidou specifically instructed Queen, "Make sure to print extra copies of these photos—I want a set for myself!"
Charlotte Linlin had planned to spend more time bonding with Ace and Yamato, but seeing the two little ones fast asleep, she decided not to disturb them. She asked Amande to take them back to the camp tents to rest.
Only after the two children were led away did the atmosphere around the bonfire gradually return to normal, no longer as lively as before.
...
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