I'd known for a long time that the Big Mom Pirates were built around a family of dozens of blood-related members.
I also knew that "political marriages" were heavily used to expand their influence. By marrying off daughters to captains and executives of subordinate pirate crews, or welcoming brides for their sons, they forged blood ties to strengthen those connections even further.
I just never expected I'd become a target of that myself, so... I was completely caught off guard.
I couldn't hide the surprise on my face, but Big Mom didn't seem to mind and continued her explanation.
To summarize what she said, her objective was, unsurprisingly, not so much me personally but rather the position and other benefits she'd gain by making me part of the family.
The Big Mom Pirates' intelligence-gathering capabilities were second to none in the underworld. And Big Mom herself possessed knowledge worthy of that reputation.
She knew I was on good terms with Tesoro, the owner of Gran Tesoro, and with his executives, Stella chief among them.
She knew I had connections with Hancock, Empress of Amazon Lily and one of the Shichibukai.
She knew I was business partners with Morgans, one of the guests invited to this Tea Party.
And she knew about my connections with Rayleigh and Shakky on Sabaody Archipelago.
All of it. She knew every bit of it.
But...
'...She doesn't know about Papa, at least. He doesn't show himself publicly, and our connection... or rather, our relationship, he keeps limited to a very small circle.'
My own Bounty was 76 million. To marry me off to one of her sons, an Executive-class member of a Four Emperors crew, and welcome me into the family? A bit lacking in impact. Frankly, it was too low.
But the benefits more than made up for it.
On top of gaining powerful connections with everyone I just mentioned, my position as the "Pirate Literary Master" had put me on the World Government's radar, and the Revolutionary Army, which had been making a lot of noise lately, was also interested in me. As a powerful influencer capable of serving as a hub for information, capable of "incitement" and "shaping public consciousness." Both the position itself and the Books I created were significant weapons, she said.
...The moment I heard that, just like with Papa, I felt my expression, or maybe my aura, shift to something displeased before I could stop it.
I thought 'Oh crap' and reined it in immediately, but a few people had already noticed. The first to react was the second son, Katakuri. Actually, hadn't he twitched even before that? A beat behind him, Big Mom herself noticed, along with Perospero, and Custard and Smoothie, who were seated nearby.
None of them seemed particularly angry or bothered, but what's done was done.
...Either way, my answer was already decided.
"I appreciate the generous offer, but I must decline."
"...Oh? You're saying that fully understanding that this is a request from me?"
The moment I spoke, Oven, Daifuku, and the others took on slightly displeased expressions. But apparently they hadn't entirely failed to anticipate this response, because no one pressed further or ratcheted up the pressure. Big Mom included.
Then again, it was possible they weren't being cautious so much as simply not taking me seriously. Just some little girl who hadn't even cracked the hundred-million mark, after all.
...No, wait. They might actually know something about my real capabilities. I'd trained under Rayleigh and Shakky and was traveling back and forth through the New World without breaking a sweat, so they'd probably figured out I could at least use Haki. I should assume that much. Excessive modesty, the kind that's obviously an attempt to hide something, would only work against me.
Keeping my tone as polite as I could manage, I explained myself properly.
That using my honor and standing as a writer for anything beyond writing went against my principles. That I could only write what I wanted to write, and if forced to write something I didn't want to, I'd either abandon it halfway or be unable to maintain the quality. That I still wanted to travel the seas and see all sorts of things, so I couldn't marry into anyone's family.
These three points formed the core of my explanation, and I declined as politely as I could.
Big Mom, surprisingly, listened to all of it without showing any irritation.
...Whether she was actually convinced was another story.
"Ha~ hahahamamama! Being able to speak your mind to me of all people, that's actually a good impression... You really aren't just any little girl. Makes me want you even more."
...See?
"Don't be so cold about it. Won't you think it over more carefully? This isn't a bad deal for you either... In fact, I'd say it's a very good one, Perorin."
"That's right. It's not every day our Mama approaches someone like this. You should feel more honored to be valued this highly, and properly understand what this marriage truly means."
"And... the situation you're currently in."
Perospero, Oven, and Daifuku spoke up in turn. Just as I thought. These people had never intended to hear any answer from me other than "yes."
Custard, Smoothie, and Mont-d'Or were the same. They showed some consideration toward me, sure, but ultimately they prioritized their mother Big Mom's wishes above all else. Fans they might be, but they wouldn't go so far as to take my side. Given their position, that was only natural.
In fact, they were saying things like, "As someone who always reads your Books, it would make me very happy if you became family," while their eyes said, "Take our advice and just do what Mama says."
...It looked like they were meeting me halfway, but really, they were just lending a hand with the encirclement. Maybe they genuinely thought they were being conciliatory. That might have made it even worse.
"Well, it is sudden, so I didn't expect an answer right away today. It would've been nice if I could get one, sure... but I'll give you proper time, so think it over carefully. I'll invite you to another Tea Party."
...Meaning I'd better have my answer ready by then.
I hadn't put things on hold. I'd declined. But from their perspective, they had no intention of accepting any answer other than "yes."
...Still, the iron rule of surviving in the New World was said to be: don't defy a Four Emperors. If you didn't like that, your only options were to flee back to Paradise or keep resisting. ...In the latter case, you'd usually hit your limit partway through and get ground to dust.
"Oh, and just for your reference, your marriage partner would be Mont-d'Or."
"Huh, really, Mama!?"
See, she was fully planning to go through with the marriage... Wait, huh? Mont-d'Or was surprised too? He hadn't been told?
Custard and Smoothie and some of the other siblings had "Wait, really?" expressions too.
By contrast, Perospero and Katakuri showed no reaction. Either they'd been told in advance, or it simply wasn't something they felt warranted one.
Actually, if this wasn't an act and Mont-d'Or really hadn't been told... that meant she'd arranged a political marriage without even consulting the son who'd be part of it. How little did this mother care about her own children?
"What, you got a problem with it, Mont-d'Or?"
"N-no, it's not that I have a problem, Mama. It's just, this is so sudden, I couldn't help being surprised..."
"Ah, right, I guess I hadn't mentioned it... Sorry about that. But I think you two would be pretty compatible. You're getting to be about that age, aren't you?"
According to her, our ages, heights, and Bounty amounts were all close, and since we were both "intellectual types," we'd have plenty to talk about. Mont-d'Or apparently didn't match the Monster-class fighters like Katakuri in combat ability, but he still had a Bounty over a hundred million, and when the situation called for it, he served as a commander or coordinator for his siblings. The brains of the operation, maybe?
Also, apparently he was two years older than me. His face, or rather his makeup, was so distinctive that it was hard to guess his age from his appearance. But yeah, now that she mentioned it, our ages were indeed close. Whether that was a selling point was another matter entirely.
As for Mont-d'Or himself, Custard and Smoothie were teasing him with "You really don't look it" and "Sue looks so young, and you look old for your age," to which he fired back, "Mind your own business!" In the heat of the moment he started saying, "Big Sis Custard, you're the one who looks like that even though you're already thi..." He got punched before he could finish. ...I wonder how old she is.
"Also, if you become Mont-d'Or's Wife, you'd live on Cheese Island, where he serves as Minister. You'd have all sorts of sweets, of course, but also all-you-can-eat cheese from all over the world."
"..."
Crap. That made me waver a little.
S-so that's how it was... I'd heard that Big Mom's children who served as Ministers held various positions related to confectionery and such, but... this guy was in charge of cheese?
Unbidden, the memory of that magnificent cheesecake from today's Tea Party surfaced in my mind. That was so good...
"We served some at the Tea Party, but that was just a small sample. Cheese, and sweets made from cheese... Cheese Island has more than you could ever eat, more than you could ever count. You'd get to enjoy different flavors every day. Hopefully you'd manage to taste them all in one lifetime."
"..."
'Hey, is she wavering?'
'She's wavering a little.'
'Over cheese...'
'Come to think of it, she was eating the cheesecake and Tart especially happily at today's Tea Party.'
"...While we're at it, Mama, when she heads home tomorrow, why not give her some long-lasting cheesecake and Tart as a parting gift?"
The first time Katakuri opened his mouth, and he hit me with a follow-up so precise it was like he'd read my mind...! I'd genuinely been thinking during the Tea Party that I wanted to take some home, so this was thrilling... but considering it was the enemy's strategy, whether I should be happy about it was complicated. Aaargh...!
"Ha~ haha mamama, that's a great idea. Mont-d'Or, have it arranged."
"Sure thing, Mama."
"Come to think of it, your favorite food is cheese too, isn't it? If you liked it that much, you should've told me. I would've had them serve it as dessert at this dinner. Well, I'll make sure you get something good at tomorrow's breakfast."
"? Tomorrow's... breakfast?"
"Stay the night here in the Whole Cake Castle. I'll have a guest room prepared. The more chances to interact, the better you'll get to know us and Mont-d'Or. After breakfast tomorrow, I'll have a Pig-Cart take you back."
...I felt my cheese-induced excitement settling back down, thanks to the blatant co-opting on display here.
Even if things ended with my answer on hold until the next Tea Party, the situation wasn't going to improve. In fact, I figured it was more likely to get worse, with them investigating more and pulling more strings in the meantime.
If that was the case, then...
"Actually, there's something I should tell you..."
***
A little over ten minutes later, a single Den Den Mushi sat on the table where the meal had been cleared away.
Big Mom and her children, seated around the table, watched the Den Den Mushi and me with amused grins. Like they were thinking, "This should be good."
What was this situation about? Well, it goes back to what I said after that. What I'd told Big Mom was this:
There was someone who'd been looking after me, someone who served as my guardian, my Patron, and I'd been told to consult with them whenever I was faced with a difficult decision.
When Big Mom and the others heard that, what they showed was... bitter smiles and scoffing. Obviously. No matter who this "Patron" was, against a Four Emperors who ruled these seas, it was as good as meaningless.
After confirming that this "Patron" wasn't Rayleigh or anyone like that, Big Mom said, "Then I'll just convince them myself," and it was decided that a call would be placed right then and there. Using the Den Den Mushi that had been prepared, the connection was made to the other party...
"Ha~ hahahamamama... Now then, so you're this girl's so-called Patron. You already know who I am... Why don't we start with who you are?"
Imagining that my "Patron" on the other end of the Den Den Mushi must be trembling right about now, Big Mom and her children waited for the next words to come through. Maybe they thought fear had struck the person speechless. Their mother was an Empress of the Sea. There were precious few who could hold a proper conversation with her. They probably figured it wouldn't be unreasonable for this to be too much for whoever was on the line.
But that expectation, Big Mom's included, was about to be shattered. What came through the Den Den Mushi was...
"Jihahahahahaha!! You haven't changed a bit, Linlin! How many decades has it been since I heard your voice!"
"...!? You... is that Shiki?"
She recognized who was on the other end the instant she heard the voice. Even she was caught off guard, eyes widening slightly as she asked to confirm.
"Shiki...? You don't mean... Shiki the Golden Lion...!?"
"The Golden Lion!? No way, a big shot like that is...!?"
"A survivor from Gold Roger's era... a man once spoken of as Mama's equal."
"He was the Pirate Literary Master's Patron!? What kind of relationship do they..."
While the children reeled in shock, Big Mom quickly regained her composure and continued speaking through the Den Den Mushi.
"Well, this is a surprise... I figured you weren't dead, but you're this little girl's 'Patron'?"
"Yeah... 'Patron' isn't quite right, but close enough. I heard about all this beforehand, but... don't go bullying my daughter too much, will ya, Linlin?"
"...! Daughter?"
"Not in the way Newgate uses the word, either. The little girl sitting there is my genuine, flesh-and-blood daughter."
"...Well, I didn't know that. I'll admit I'm surprised."
Big Mom was shocked, of course, but so were all of the children. Even Katakuri, who had barely shown any sign of being shaken through this entire exchange, was surprised. They all looked at my face with startled expressions. Were they thinking "She doesn't look like him" while trying to recall Papa's face?
Well, it was about the reaction I'd expected, so all I did was offer an awkward smile, as if to say, "Sorry for keeping quiet about it."
Naturally, I'd informed Papa about this Tea Party beforehand. And he'd told me, "If things start going sideways, worst case, drop my name or call me on the Den Den Mushi. If it's Linlin, I'll handle it."
I hadn't expected them to push a political marriage on me, but... in the end, I'd had to be rescued again.
"I see... If she's your daughter, then I suppose there's nothing for it. Fine, I'll give up on this for today."
"Jihahahaha... Glad you understand."
While I was still processing, the matter had been settled. Everything wrapped up smoothly, and... I managed to avoid being married into the Charlotte Family.
I'd have to thank Papa properly and buy him some souvenirs on the way home.
...Though, the thing that bothered me a little was that Big Mom, even while saying she'd give up, hadn't dropped that knowing grin of hers...
...She did say "for today," after all...
To be continued...