When Rhett appeared at the wedding venue holding the newborn Rati, the atmosphere on Whole Cake Island suddenly turned strange.
Charlotte Linlin had been stuffing cake into her mouth with her usual gusto. But when her enormous eyes landed on Rati, her pupils contracted sharply.
"Mamamama!" Her voice suddenly softened, even becoming a little sweet. "Whose adorable little one is this?"
Prometheus floated by her ear and whispered, "Mama, this is Rhett's niece, Gild Rati."
"Oh little Rati" Linlin bent down. Her massive hand carefully reached toward the baby. Her tone was uncharacteristically gentle. "Let Auntie take a look at you~"
Rhett raised an eyebrow. The blood mist stirred slightly, ready to act at any moment. He wasn't sure if Linlin would suddenly lose her mind. Not that it would be a big problem. In an instant, Rhett could plunge her into endless, terrifying illusions.
But contrary to everyone's expectations, Linlin showed no sign of aggression. Instead, like a kind mother, she had her Homies create all kinds of cute dessert toys to entertain Rati.
"Little Rati~ would you like some cotton candy?" Linlin held a small piece of cloud-like cotton candy with the tip of her finger and gently offered it to Rati.
Rati reached out her little hand and grabbed at it curiously.
"Mamamama! So cute!" Linlin smiled so wide her eyes became slits.
The Blood Dawn crew: "..."
Rhett rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "So that's how it is."
The moment Rhett changed his mind about Linlin in One Piece was when she said the line, "Pirates need justice too."
"Shut up, Katakuri, Perospero." Linlin didn't even turn around. She kept her eyes on Rati, a rare, genuine smile on her lips. "This kid... reminds me of Lola when she was little."
The Blood Dawn crew looked at each other.
Perona floated next to Tesoro and whispered, "Is it possible that she's been replaced?"
Moria clicked his tongue. "Kishishishi... Who knew this old hag had this side to her?"
Rhett suddenly smiled. The blood mist swirled around his fingertips. "Looks like our partnership is going to go very smoothly."
Linlin looked up. Her eyes were still soft, but her voice had already returned to its usual forceful tone. "Rhett, leave the hundred-day celebration to me! Mamamama! I'm going to let the entire New World know that this banquet is personally hosted by me, Charlotte Linlin!"
Rhett shrugged. "Fine. You owe me a favor anyway."
Linlin's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned. "Brat, don't push it."
Rati chose that moment to make a sound, breaking the tense atmosphere.
Linlin immediately switched back to her strange "gentle mother" mode. She even pulled an exquisite piece of candy from her pocket and offered it to Rati. "Here, little one. Want to try it?"
Tesoro was about to stop her, but Rhett raised his hand to signal him not to move.
Rati curiously grabbed the candy and put it in her mouth. Her eyes lit up. She waved her little hands happily.
"Mamamama! I'm glad you like it!" Linlin laughed proudly. She turned and shouted at Perospero. "Go! Call all the top pastry chefs! I'm going to personally design the menu for the hundred-day celebration!"
Perospero: "...Yes, Mama."
---
Perospero stood in the corner of the banquet hall, tapping his candy cane lightly against the floor. His eyes thoughtfully scanned the Blood Dawn members.
"A marriage alliance...?" he murmured to himself, a shrewd smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
The Big Mom Pirates had always been skilled at using marriages to strengthen their power. And the Blood Dawn was now at its peak. What better way to win them over than through a marriage alliance? Besides, the Blood Dawn had a good reputation.
He raised his hand. Several of Charlotte's unmarried daughters immediately understood. Carrying exquisite desserts, they walked gracefully toward the Blood Dawn members.
The honey trap was set in motion.
But reality didn't quite go as Perospero had imagined.
Enel was leaning by the window, eating grapes with a disdainful expression. He wanted nothing to do with these women. Until —
"Hmph!" Lena puffed out her cheeks and glared at him angrily.
Enel raised an eyebrow. He was about to snap back, but his body uncontrollably teleported to her side. His tone was still arrogant. "...Don't get so close to me, little one."
"Then why did you come over?!"
"...I was passing by."
Everyone: "..."
With Moria, it was even more direct. One of Charlotte's daughters had just approached him when he let out his signature laugh. "Kishishishi... Little girl, I'm not interested in the living. How about becoming a zombie? Eternal youth guaranteed~"
The girl's face went pale. She turned and ran.
Tesoro had his arm around Stella. The women naturally didn't bother approaching. Everyone on the seas knew that Stella was Tesoro's life.
Laboon was "too young" and was ignored completely.
As for Rhett —
One of Charlotte's more attractive daughters walked up to him with a glass of red wine. Her red lips parted. "Lord Rhett, do you like sweet wine..."
Rhett lazily looked up. Blood mist swirled around his fingertips. He gave a knowing smile. "Sweet wine is fine. But more than that—"
He suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin. His crimson eyes narrowed dangerously. "—I want to know who sent you."
The girl froze. Cold sweat dripped down her back.
---
Katakuri stood not far away, his brow furrowed.
He understood the importance of marriage alliances. But watching his sisters force themselves to smile made him uneasy.
"Enough." His deep voice suddenly rang out. He walked over and pulled the woman away. "You're all too clumsy to entertain Lord Rhett. Step aside. I will personally host Lord Rhett."
Perospero was taken aback. "Katakuri..."
Katakuri shot him a cold look. "Mama said we are cooperating. She didn't say we are selling our sisters."
Rhett watched him with interest, then smiled. "Katakuri, you're more interesting than I thought."
Katakuri didn't reply. He turned to his sisters and said, "Go do what you want to do. Don't force yourselves."
The girls looked relieved. They all breathed sighs of relief.
Perospero clicked his tongue, but didn't push the matter.
Lena glanced at Enel and whispered, "I didn't know that expressionless man could be so considerate..."
Enel snorted. "Not just him. That lisping man is feeling guilty too."