Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, was an old acquaintance of Kaidou and a former member of the Rocks Pirates. When Kaidou was just an apprentice, Charlotte Linlin was already a full-fledged crew member.
When Kaidou joined the crew, she warned him that Rocks was unreliable and that he could come to her if he needed help, treating Kaidou like a younger brother. On the day the Rocks Pirates were destroyed, she entrusted the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Type, Dragon Form to him.
It's safe to say that Kaidou's escape from Divine Valley was thanks to the Devil Fruit given by Charlotte Linlin, and thus she always claimed that Kaidou owed her a huge favor.
Now, five years since the fall of the Sea Dominator Rocks, Gol D. Roger has yet to become the Pirate King. The concept of a Pirate King and Sea Emperors doesn't exist, but there are many powerful pirates out there.
They treat some islands as their domains, expanding their influence and becoming local tyrants in their respective regions, with the most notable being the powerful pirates of the New World.
Charlotte Linlin is such a figure. She has already established a territory in the New World and is more knowledgeable about intelligence than Kaidou.
"John? What do you want with him?"
At this time, Charlotte Linlin's pirate crew was on an island full of fruits. Her chefs were busy making fruit and vegetable cakes, while she was rubbing her swollen belly, nurturing her pregnancy.
Looking at the original Four Emperors, Whitebeard gathered adoptive sons, Kaidou ran a daycare, Red Hair roamed the world searching for partners, and Big Mom roamed the world seeking husbands, creating a family for herself.
The main members of the Big Mom Pirates were entirely made up of her sons, daughters, and their spouses, making it the most family-oriented group.
In her belly was her fortieth child.
When her younger brother Kaidou suddenly called, she was delighted, but she didn't expect him to immediately inquire about John's whereabouts.
"It's not your concern. I just need to know where John is."
"Hmm? Kaidou, is that how you talk to someone who did you a great favor?"
"I told you, stop harping on about it. Do you know where John is or not?"
"Mama, mama, Kaidou, you're still so impatient. Rumor has it he has a huge treasure in his possession. Are you eyeing that too? Do you want to team up with me? We can split the treasure, but John is not an easy target."
Big Mom laughed nonchalantly on the other end of the Radio Snail but gestured to Perospero beside her.
"No need. I just want his whereabouts."
"How heartless. You weren't like this before. He appeared on Hachinos Island recently and then headed to Paradise. Many in the New World have their eyes on him, but I don't know anything beyond that."
Looking at the intelligence Perospero brought over, Big Mom spoke to Kaidou.
Just as she finished speaking, Kaidou cut off the Radio Snail. Looking at it in her hand, Charlotte Linlin's face showed displeasure, but the aroma of freshly baked cake quickly made her forget the matter.
She wasn't very interested in Captain John's treasure because the effort and reward were disproportionate. Her territory already provided sufficient income.
John was, after all, a member of the Rocks ship, and there were no weaklings on that ship. Everyone had their special skills.
To deal with John, her children's strength wasn't enough. She would have to take action herself, but she was busy having children.
Plus, John's whereabouts were unpredictable, and she only knew he left the New World for the first half.
If Kaidou found him, and the reward was suitable, she might help, but since Kaidou refused her, there was no need to proactively get involved.
"Alright, now we can confirm John is not in the New World but in Paradise. That woman's words are credible."
Not only the Navy pays attention to the movements of those Great Pirates, but other pirates also keep an eye on them.
Among pirates, some do sail out for adventure or out of necessity, but these are a minority. The Navy may have corruption, but most commoners are more willing to trust them over pirates.
Today, without the Grand Treasure, most pirates sail for wealth, prioritizing their own interests.
Pirating and fleeing is something only the most basic small-time pirates do. Great Pirates have their fixed territories, where they even act as protectors for the residents, albeit for a protection fee. They are like alternative lords.
Few people are foolish enough to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows, so they won't plunder their domain's residents. At least the powerful Great Pirates won't.
Charlotte Linlin belongs to the brutal kind of pirates. Following the normal timeline, in the future, Whole Cake Island would be leased for lifespan, but even so, many ordinary people would be willing to live there.
Ordinary people need protection. The Navy only protects World Government member nations, and those outside such nations lacking enough power must find a suitable protector.
They need safe land to live on, and Great Pirates need these lands to sustain themselves and their subordinates.
To prevent others from seizing their territory, it is necessary to monitor the movements of those powerful pirates.
There are countless strong ones at sea now, and Charlotte Linlin, Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard, Captain John, these former members of the Rocks Pirates, are top-notch among them.
The more famous they are, the more people know about them, including their personalities and preferences. For instance, Captain John loved wealth and spent his life pursuing treasure.
A man's wealth is his enemy. At some point, rumors began circulating that Captain John had vast treasure, attracting more people eyeing his fortune.
Though he isn't invincible, many in the New World can threaten him. So, after careful consideration, he decided to return to the first half of the Grand Line, known as Paradise, to hide the treasure, ensuring its safety.
"Let's enter the Grand Line first, recruit some people, and gradually search for John's whereabouts. Your given range is too broad, so we'll have to search slowly."
Kaidou doesn't want to follow an entirely elite route. He wants high-level combat power, but he also needs a large number of subordinates. In his youth, he was a warrior of the Vodka Kingdom, knowing that wars require numbers.
But the people of the Four Seas are too weak, so he decided to head straight to the Grand Line to recruit subordinates.