Chapter 13: If Apologies Were Useful...
Not only did Homies have different personalities, but their statuses also varied greatly.
Ordinary Homies behaved like servants in front of Charlotte Linlin's children.
However, Homies like Hermes, created by splitting Charlotte Linlin's own soul, were different. Not only did they hold higher status, but they also obeyed only a select few.
For instance, Hermes would only listen to orders from Charlotte Linlin herself, Nanamo, and Nereus.
When it came to commanding Homies, Nanamo and Charlotte Linlin held the highest priority.
Hermes couldn't easily stop Nanamo and Katakuri from seeking revenge. The only option was to send Perospero to notify Charlotte Linlin, preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.
Perospero turned to go find a Den Den Mushi, but the previously flat ground suddenly bulged upward. Caught off guard, Perospero tripped and fell flat on his face.
"Since when was there a mound here..."
"Sorry, you're too small; I didn't see you. So Miss Nanamo went that way."
Nodding to himself, Big Pan dived back underground, resuming his stalker-bodyguard duties.
"Say, Katakuri, why are you covering your face?"
"Ultimately, Brulee's injury happened because of me. From now on, I will never expose this 'weakness' again."
Because of his mouth and sharp teeth, Katakuri wasn't popular on the island. His only playmates were his siblings.
Perospero had once told him that if he wanted to make friends, he should hide his mouth.
At the time, Katakuri dismissed it with disdain, acting like he didn't care. Whoever laughed at him, he would just beat them up.
Until today, when Brulee got hurt.
"What kind of weakness is that? By your logic, should I wrap myself up like a mummy whenever I go out?"
"Big Sis, our situations are different. Nereus... Mr. Nereus only has you as his child, but Mama has many children.
Perospero isn't strong enough, so this responsibility naturally falls to me.
I was too naive before. Brulee's injury made me realize I can't have any flaws. Only perfect terror can make enemies fear me."
Katakuri hesitated on how to address Nereus. Since Charlotte Linlin always practiced "keep the child, ditch the father," Katakuri was very unfamiliar with the role of a father.
The fathers of his other siblings held very weak positions and rarely appeared in his sight.
And as Katakuri said, although Charlotte Linlin had many children, her parenting style bordered on free-range.
She would ensure the children didn't die prematurely, but how they grew up was entirely up to them. It was customary for the older children to raise the younger ones for her.
As the strongest son, even at ten years old, Katakuri matured faster than most. Brulee's injury only accelerated this process.
"Suit yourself. But I have to say one thing: you don't look strange at all. You look incredibly cool."
"Thanks."
Nanamo was two years older than Katakuri and a Fish-man hybrid herself, so she understood Katakuri's feelings well.
Her appearance was considered outstanding, possessing an exotic beauty, but discrimination wouldn't disappear because of that.
Never mind demi-human races or different skin colors—even within the same race, a single mole on a face could become a target for group mockery if led by someone.
Even Charlotte Linlin, their mother, couldn't be completely impartial. Having children of every race was her goal, but the appearance of some children displeased her.
For example, Pudding of the Three-Eye Tribe. Her third eye often drew disgusted comments from Charlotte Linlin.
On this island, compromise was useless. Staying silent would only mark you as an easy target.
Both Nanamo and Katakuri understood that if they didn't reclaim their dignity this time, those people would dare to do even worse things later.
The trident dragged along the ground, its sharp blades carving a trail of sparks on the stone pavement.
Before long, led by Katakuri, Nanamo arrived at the base of the Fat Bottle Pirates.
"You're here, Katakuri. We've been waiting for you."
The captain of the Fat Bottle Pirates was an obese pirate missing several teeth. He shook his coat and clapped his hands triumphantly.
"You even brought a little girl? You really look down on us."
From the shadows around them, numerous pirates emerged one after another, each armed with weapons, surrounding Katakuri and Nanamo.
Hermes in the sky naturally saw all this. It watched the scene below with a solemn expression, occasionally adjusting its angle to check if anyone else was hiding.
The anthropomorphic face on the cloud frowned, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening below.
The reason was simple: these pirates were too weak.
Although just a Homie, Hermes had seen plenty of big scenes. By observing human movements and sensing their auras, it could make a rough judgment of their strength.
If it was just these guys down below, they couldn't even handle Katakuri alone, let alone Nanamo and Katakuri together.
So why did such people dare to ambush Katakuri? Even if they succeeded, they couldn't possibly withstand Charlotte Linlin's retaliation afterward.
As a cautious Homie, Hermes assumed the enemy must have a trump card. Thus, it remained on guard against potential surprises, choosing not to interfere in a situation Nanamo and Katakuri could handle.
"Katakuri, what's that thing on your face? That's hilarious."
The Fat Bottle Pirates still had the mood to mock Katakuri. But as Katakuri spoke in a dark, ominous tone, that mockery quickly turned into unspeakable terror.
"You dared... to scar my little sister's face..."
"Sorry, we were wrong..."
The captain of the Fat Bottle Pirates sensed a deathly crisis emanating from Katakuri.
But the deed was done. Apologies were useless now. The only response he got was Katakuri's trident.
The captain watched with his own eyes as his best combatant lasted only two rounds against Katakuri.
Round one: weapon knocked away by the trident.
Round two: heart pierced by the blade.
Katakuri's movements didn't stop. Like a god of death, he continued charging toward the captain.
"Don't... don't just stand there! If you don't want to die, attack together! You guys, grab that little girl over there!"
Nanamo's delicate appearance seemed like a breakthrough point in the captain's eyes.
While the rest of the crew swarmed Katakuri, the captain charged toward Nanamo first, swinging his long sword to take her hostage.
Before he could achieve his goal, a small, smooth hand grabbed the blade directly.