Originally, Valthior had expected things to erupt into a fierce clash right from the start.
But the situation turned out to be somewhat unexpected.
At this point in time, Charlotte Linlin wasn't as volatile as he remembered. The Roger Pirates were able to land on Whole Cake Island without incident, and were even personally invited into the castle by the young Katakuri.
Now, inside the castle, Valthior and the others sat across from Charlotte Linlin at a massive dining table.
Clearly, Linlin still observed a degree of etiquette—she had prepared a lavish feast to "welcome" Roger and his crew.
That, in turn, made Roger feel a bit awkward.
"Don't you have a smaller table? I can barely even see the surface from here…" Roger complained from his oversized chair.
"The fact I even let you sit at my table is the last bit of courtesy you're getting. Stop being picky, you bastard!" Linlin snapped, her towering figure seated across from him.
Valthior didn't join the banter. Instead, he curiously picked up a dessert from the table and took a bite. His eyes lit up.
"Delicious—truly delicious. I have to admit, when it comes to sweets, I recognize your taste. This is top-tier craftsmanship, even by Mary Geoise standards."
Hearing that, a smile crept onto Linlin's face. Compliments about her taste in sweets clearly pleased her more than praise in other areas.
"Not bad, brat. You're far more interesting than these vulgar fools like Roger," she said, before suddenly catching something. "Wait—what do you mean by Mary Geoise? You've been there?"
Before Valthior could respond, Roger couldn't hold back and jumped in, sounding almost like he was bragging:
"Come to think of it, you didn't know, right? Valthior's a Celestial Dragon. Honestly, I don't even know what kind of charm I've got that made him insist on joining my crew. Hahaha—can you believe it?"
Linlin froze for a moment, clearly surprised.
"A Celestial Dragon?"
She had always known the Roger Pirates were a mixed bunch from all over the world, unlike her own family. But she hadn't expected it to be this outrageous—even a Celestial Dragon among them?
"Now that I think about it, I haven't properly introduced myself. We've actually met before—back at God Valley. Though I doubt you'd remember me. I was just a nobody back then. In any case, I'm Jaygarcia Valthior, currently a member of the Roger Pirates," Valthior said with an easy smile.
"God Valley…" A trace of nostalgia flickered in Linlin's eyes, though she didn't elaborate. She simply nodded. "I'll remember you."
A moment later, something clicked.
Jaygarcia?
Wasn't that one of the Five Elders' families?
Her gaze toward Valthior shifted subtly.
A descendant of the Twenty Kings. Bloodline of the Five Elders. A member of the Roger Pirates… and on top of that, handsome and well-built—very much her type.
Interesting.
Valthior, however, didn't notice the change in her expression. He continued happily sampling the high-end desserts.
At that moment, Rayleigh spoke up:
"We've already been straightforward about our purpose over the Den Den Mushi. So—what will it take for you to let us make a copy of that Poneglyph?"
"First, tell me—what exactly is the significance of these Poneglyphs?" Linlin's tone turned serious. "Are they what the World Government calls the Ancient Weapons? Are you searching for them?"
Roger waved his hand.
"We're not looking for Ancient Weapons. It's just like the World Government says—the Poneglyphs contain information about them."
"Is that so…" Linlin murmured, picking up her teacup and taking a sip. Then she said, "If you want the Poneglyph I have, then trade it for information on the Ancient Weapons."
"That's impossible," Gaban immediately refused. "Those weapons have the power to destroy the world. If they fall into the hands of people like you, I don't even want to imagine what would happen…"
"You're a pirate worrying about the world now? Get your priorities straight, idiot!" Linlin shot back.
At that point, Roger looked at her seriously.
"Linlin, I won't tell you anything about the Ancient Weapons. And I promise you—even if you knew, it wouldn't matter."
Poseidon hadn't been born yet. Uranus was most likely in the hands of the World Government. As for Pluton, it was said to be in Wano—but they hadn't found it at all.
From that perspective, the so-called "Ancient Weapons information" recorded on the Poneglyphs was practically useless.
Seeing the seriousness in Roger's expression, Linlin knew there was no room for negotiation. And while Roger could be reckless, he wasn't the type to lie about something like this.
She accepted his claim—for now.
Of course, accepting it didn't mean she'd stop investigating. As a pirate, there was no way she'd just let something like this go unchecked.
Originally, the Poneglyph had just been one item among her many collections—nothing particularly important. But now, she realized she needed to reassess its value.
The problem was… she couldn't read the ancient script at all.
Setting that aside, Linlin's gaze once again fell on Valthior.
"In that case… I'll take this brat as the price."
The moment she said that, everyone looked confused.
Roger was the first to react. His expression hardened.
"Are you trying to provoke me, Linlin? You know damn well I'd never trade my crewmates!!!"
Back in the day, Rocks had once suggested playing a Davy Back Fight with him. Roger had flipped the table on the spot and fought him over it—though he got beaten badly afterward. Still, Rocks never brought it up again.
As one of Rocks' veterans, Linlin naturally knew this.
"Calm down," she said with a grin. "What I mean is… how about he marries me?"
She curled her lips into a wide smile.
"My looks and figure are top-tier on these seas, aren't they? The number of men chasing me could stretch all the way to the Red Line. And I just happen to be single right now. A bloodline from one of the Twenty Kings is worth my attention. If he's willing to marry me and give me a child, you can copy the Poneglyph all you want."
The moment those words fell, Roger and the others all turned to look at Valthior.
Not only that—their expressions were filled with amusement and anticipation. They clearly wouldn't mind seeing how this played out.
"What a bunch of heartless bastards," Valthior muttered, shooting them an annoyed glance.
Then he looked back at Linlin, sizing her up before saying:
"I have to admit—you really are a rare beauty on these seas. Definitely my type."
"So, you agree?" Linlin raised an eyebrow.
Having grown up in Mary Geoise alongside people like Saint Saturn, Valthior had developed a certain political mindset. Gaban had once even described him as "half a politician."
From a purely pragmatic standpoint, he didn't reject the idea.
After thinking for a moment, he said:
"Two conditions. First—what's done is done. The past stays in the past, but from now on, you don't take any other men. Second—I won't stay on Whole Cake Island, and you won't use any excuse to restrict my freedom."
Linlin sighed softly upon hearing that.
"You're asking a pirate to give up her dreams and ambitions? That's not something I can do."
Her dream was to create a nation where all races of the world could live together as equals—where every intelligent species would become her family, and even grow to her size so they could sit together around the same table.
That was why she constantly married and had children of different bloodlines.
If she agreed to Valthior's terms, that dream would become impossible.
She shook her head.
"Looks like our views on marriage don't quite match."
"Hahaha! Then pick someone else—how about Gaban? I'm sure he wouldn't mind!" Roger laughed, slapping Gaban on the shoulder.
Gaban paused, glanced at Linlin… then shook his head.
"No. Not big enough."
The moment he said that, Valthior, Rayleigh, and the others all stared at him in disbelief.
…Wait, weren't we joking? You actually considered it!?
...
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