A hungry gleam flickered in Charlotte Linlin's eyes. Over the past year she'd borne three children; one of the boys had decent talent, and she'd named him Cracker.
She didn't even know if he was Kaido's. What she did know was that the infant was robust solid as an ox.
Kaido froze where he stood, lead-heavy and stiff. His face darkened, his gaze skittering away from Linlin's unblinking stare. Inside, he was a knot of hesitation and dread.
"Kaido, are you telling me you'd refuse Mama?" Linlin's voice curdled with spite. The very air seemed to seize.
A terrifying aura poured off her. Brown pupils flashed a blood-tinged scarlet, and everyone nearby felt a chill drill straight through their souls.
She was pressing his spirit wielding her Paramecia-type Soul–Soul Fruit. The fruit did far more than create "homies"; it could snatch away life itself, and cow the living with raw spiritual terror.
Tengetsu Ares frowned. He leaned toward Kaido and spoke low. "If you don't want this, say no. No one gets to force you."
He clapped a hand on Kaido's shoulder and grinned. "You've got me."
Relief bled into Kaido's features. He drew in a breath, squared himself to Linlin, and declared, clear and hard, "I refuse! From today on, I Kaido will follow big bro Ares for the rest of my life!"
Resolve changed him. Confidence, ease, and iron will rolled off him enough to make bystanders look twice.
"You refuse Mama?" Linlin's temper spiked. Flames licked up in her eyes as she glared at Kaido, forcing each word between her teeth. "Say. That. Again."
The ones she feared were Ares' mentors Shiki and Newgate. A rookie like Kaido daring to defy her? Unforgivable.
A year ago he'd been her… plaything, pliant and available at a whim.
And now?
Now his wings had hardened, and he'd dared to go against her will.
Wang Zhi stepped forward to play peacemaker. "If Kaido won't, then find someone else," he said with an easy smile. "If this blows up, it's bad for all of us."
In the same breath shing! he drew his greatsword. His gaze went razor-cold as he swept the onlookers. "What are you gaping at? Clear out!"
The crowd scattered like minnows. A Rocks officer's bark carried weight here. Law and justice? There were only three characters that mattered on this island: R-O-C-K-S.
"Wang Zhi, move," Linlin snapped, not even sparing him a glance. She had eyes only for Kaido, perched on the edge of a rampage. She was volatile by nature; reasoning with her was like reasoning with a storm.
The gaggle of little ones trailing her shuffled backward to a corner. Tiny heads peeked out one after another like a string of candied hawthorns on a skewer.
Perospero, her eldest five or six at most whispered, face tense, "Looks like Mama's going to blow. That Kaido's got guts… turning her down. This is bad."
Katakuri, two years younger, kept his eyes on Ares, voice bright with envy. "I think that guy Ares gave Kaido courage. He's the monster on Rocks' ship and he stole Mama's Devil Fruit, too. If only I had eaten that fruit…"
Ares' name had burned into the boy's mind despite the year of absence the Rocks Pirates' undisputed top rookie, growing faster than anyone, favored by several officers.
Perospero sniffed. "Katakuri, your training plan is to copy him now? You want to turn yourself into that?"
"I do," Katakuri said proudly. His voice was still a child's, but the edges of steel were there.
The "monster" in question strode forward, placing himself between Kaido and Linlin blocking part of her line of sight (Kaido was still the taller of the two).
"Linlin, Kaido has refused. He's not going with you. Planning to take him by force?" Ares' eyes were flint, his presence a prowling beast. Faced with her towering frame, he didn't flinch if anything, he looked eager. "If you want a fight, let's see who's stronger."
He hadn't feared her a year ago. He certainly didn't now.
"Bastard Ares!" Linlin's dam broke; fury geysered up. "You're butting into Kaido's business now? A year ago you snatched my Devil Fruit and I let it slide. You think with Newgate and Shiki backing you, you can run wild?"
"I won't kill you. But today, Mama's going to teach you a lesson!"
Her eyes blazed with feral red light as she tipped into a full rage.
"Napoleon!"
At her cry, the sword-homie perched on her hat cackled and leapt to her hand. "Mama, at your service!"
She gripped Napoleon and slashed for Ares without preamble.
A golden blur streaked in. Wang Zhi vaulted up, both hands braced on his greatsword, and caught the blow mid-air. "Linlin! This is Skull Castle don't do this!"
Even through his gold armor, the shock smashed into his arms. His tiger's maw thumb and forefinger throbbed. Her brute strength was monstrous. Even with two hands against her one, he was barely holding.
Rocks officers weren't created equal.
Linlin didn't seem to hear him. Her left hand dipped, and an orange blob of cloud popped into existence on her palm.
The Fire Homie Prometheus.
Like a pocket sun, Prometheus chortled, turning its molten gaze on Wang Zhi.
Cold sweat beaded down Wang Zhi's spine.
This is bad.
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