Homies do not just differ in personality; they also have a hierarchy.
Ordinary Homies treat Charlotte Linlin's children with the subservience of servants. However, those like Hermes, created from a fragment of Linlin's own soul, are different. They hold higher status and only obey a select few. For instance, Hermes only listens to Linlin herself, Nanamo, and Logan.
When it came to commanding Homies, Nanamo and Linlin held the highest priority.
Since Nanamo and Katakuri were heading out for revenge, Hermes couldn't easily stop them. He could only send Perospero to notify Charlotte Linlin, hoping to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
Perospero turned to find a Transponder Snail, but the smooth ground suddenly bulged. Caught off guard, Perospero tripped and fell.
"When did a mound of dirt appear here...?"
"Sorry, you're too small, I didn't see you. So Miss Nanamo went that way."
Nodding to himself, Bikapanda dove back underground, resuming his job as a stalking bodyguard.
"I say, Katakuri, why are you covering your face?"
"In the end, Brulee's injury happened because of me. From now on, I will never expose this 'weakness' again."
Because of his mouth and fangs, Katakuri was unpopular on the island. His only playmates were his brothers and sisters. Perospero had once told him that if he wanted to make friends, he should cover his mouth.
At the time, Katakuri had been dismissive, acting as if he didn't care. He simply beat up anyone who laughed at him. That changed today, the moment Brulee was hurt.
"How is that a weakness?" Nanamo countered. "By that logic, do I need to wrap myself up like a mummy whenever I go out?"
"Big Sis, our situations are different. Logan... only has you as a child, but Mama has many. Perospero isn't strong enough, so this responsibility naturally falls to me. I was too naive before. Brulee's injury made me realize that I cannot have any flaws. Only a perfect terror can make enemies feel true fear."
Katakuri hesitated on how to address Logan. After all, Charlotte Linlin practiced a "keep the children, discard the father" philosophy. The concept of a "father" was foreign to Katakuri.
The status of the other siblings' fathers was equally tenuous; they rarely even appeared in his sight. Furthermore, while Linlin had many children, her parenting style was largely "free-range." She ensured they didn't die young, but how they grew up was entirely up to them. It was common practice for the older children to raise the younger ones.
As the strongest son, even at only ten years old, Katakuri matured faster than others. Brulee's injury had simply accelerated the process.
"Suit yourself," Nanamo said. "But I have to say, you aren't strange at all. You're actually quite handsome."
"Thank you."
Nanamo was two years older than Katakuri and a Fish-Man hybrid herself, so she understood his perspective. Her own appearance was striking, possessing an exotic beauty, but discrimination doesn't vanish just because someone is attractive.
Whether it was sub-human races or different skin tones—or even just a mole on someone's face—people would find a reason to mock. Even their mother, Charlotte Linlin, couldn't be perfectly impartial. While her goal was to have children of every race, the appearance of some children still displeased her. For example, she often called Pudding's third eye "disgusting."
On this island, compromise was useless. Silence was merely seen as a sign of weakness. Both Nanamo and Katakuri understood that if they didn't settle the score now, those people would only get bolder.
Nanamo's trident dragged along the ground, the sharp blades kicking up a trail of sparks against the stone pavement. Before long, Katakuri led her to the base of the Fat Bottle Pirates.
"You're here, Katakuri. I've been waiting for you."
The captain of the Fat Bottle Pirates was a morbidly obese man with several missing teeth. Shaking out his heavy coat, he clapped his hands smugly.
"You actually brought a little brat with you? Talk about looking down on people."
Numerous pirates emerged from the shadows, weapons in hand, surrounding Katakuri and Nanamo.
From the sky, Hermes watched with a solemn expression, constantly adjusting his angle to look for hidden reinforcements. The anthropomorphic cloud's face wrinkled in confusion.
The reason was simple: these pirates were too weak.
Though only a Homie, Hermes had seen great battles. By observing human movements and sensing their "aura," he could judge their strength. These men were no match for Katakuri alone, let alone with Nanamo there.
Why would people like this dare to ambush Katakuri? Hermes wondered. Even if they succeeded, they couldn't possibly survive Charlotte Linlin's retaliation.
As a cautious Homie, Hermes assumed the enemy had a trump card. He remained on high alert for unexpected variables but did not interfere yet, as the duo below could handle the current threat.
"Katakuri, what's that stuff on your face? It's hilarious!"
The pirates were still in the mood to mock him, but the tone of their laughter died instantly when Katakuri spoke in a voice dripping with cold fury.
"You dared... to scar my sister's face..."
"Wait, sorry! It was our mistake...!"
The captain suddenly felt a looming sense of death radiating from Katakuri. But the deed was done; apologies were useless now. The only response he received was Katakuri's trident.
The captain watched in horror as his best combatant lasted only two rounds. In the first, his weapon was knocked away; in the second, his heart was pierced. Katakuri didn't stop, charging toward the captain like a god of slaughter.
"Don't just stand there! If you don't want to die, attack together! You lot, grab that little girl!"
Nanamo's delicate appearance seemed like a breakthrough to the captain. As the others swarmed Katakuri, the captain lunged at Nanamo, swinging his long blade to take her hostage.
But before he could reach her, a small, smooth hand reached out and caught the blade bare-handed.
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