"You've grown quite a bit stronger, Katakuri. It looks like you could have handled this situation on your own."
Nanamo shook out her arms and grabbed a pirate flag from the pile of corpses to wipe her hands. Her battle had ended almost simultaneously with Katakuri's; as of this moment, the Fat Bottle Pirates had been completely erased from the sea.
"No, Big Sis. Your help saved a lot of trouble... What are you looking for?" Katakuri stepped forward to retrieve his trident, turning to see Nanamo rummaging through a pile of stacked supplies.
"The treasure, obviously. What else? Isn't this their base?"
"Uh..."
Katakuri had momentarily forgotten his sister's personality during the heat of battle. His "Big Sis" was actually a bit of a money-grubber with a deep obsession for war trophies.
Though they were siblings, Nanamo was very different from the rest of the Charlotte family. Logan and Charlotte Linlin had separated very early, and their relationship hadn't lasted long. Nanamo spent most of her time with Logan; although she played with the Charlotte siblings, she felt more like a "neighbor's kid." Katakuri was familiar with her, but his understanding of her only went so far.
"Relax, relax! We'll just split it fifty-fifty, don't worry. Hermes! Stop watching from the sky! Get down here and help!"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Ignoring Katakuri, Nanamo sifted through the loot and found several treasure chests. She didn't even check the contents, simply picking half of them like she was opening "blind boxes" and tossing them toward the descending Hermes.
Seeing the chests flying his way, Hermes opened his mouth and swallowed them one by one. His cloud-like body expanded by two sizes. His physical structure was complex—a fusion of various Sky Island clouds, containing a specialized "stomach" made of Ball Clouds and Swamp Clouds.
Ball Clouds could hold objects, while Swamp Clouds acted like a quagmire; both were excellent for storage. Though he lacked a specialized "spatial storage" ability, Hermes often functioned as a living pocket.
"Princess Nanamo, please be careful. These guys were too weak—abnormally so. For people of this level to dare ambush Mama's children... I suspect the mastermind hasn't shown their hand yet."
As an elemental lifeform, Hermes had no fixed shape. His eyes drifted across his body as he carefully scanned the surroundings. While Homies possessed intelligence, Hermes was made of clouds. If he were an animal, he might have been able to train his Haki like the Kung Fu Dugongs, but for a cloud, such a feat was nearly impossible. This was why Homies usually only served as auxiliary attackers. Lacking Observation Haki, Hermes had to rely on his eyes.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Hermes, you're as timid as ever. Don't worry, there are no enemies left nearby."
A familiar voice drifted over, instantly easing Hermes' guard. It was his creator, Charlotte Linlin.
Still, Hermes piped up in self-defense: "Mama, that's not timidity, it's 'prudence'! I must ensure Princess Nanamo's safety!"
"Then your 'prudence' is a bit excessive. I thought there was a real opponent since Perospero contacted me in such a rush, but it turned out to be just a school of small fry."
Charlotte Linlin had come because Perospero had followed Hermes' suggestion and called her. However, the scene before her made her feel like she had made the trip for nothing.
Zeus, wearing his flat cap, floated over to Hermes. Though they were different types of clouds, their essences were similar.
"Hermes, what tasty things did you eat? Share some with me~" Zeus's voice was lazy. Being a glutton, he immediately noticed Hermes' rounded belly, assuming it was full of food.
Hermes remained silent, drifting away toward the distance. He clearly found his senior embarrassing—always thinking about eating, no matter the time. Zeus, undeterred, chased after him, and the two clouds began circling one another in mid-air.
Linlin ignored the Homies; she was long used to their eccentricities.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Katakuri, you truly are my most outstanding son. You've improved again."
"Mama, about Brulee..."
"She won't die. It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about."
After getting his revenge, Katakuri was still worried about Brulee, but Linlin was utterly indifferent. Since she wasn't dead, a wound meant nothing to Linlin. Moreover, compared to a daughter weak enough to be targeted for revenge, she far preferred the powerful daughter standing before her.
"Nanamo... how is life with that guy Logan? Isn't it time you moved back to Mama's side? Your brothers and sisters are all here. This is your true home."
Linlin placed great importance on the custody of her children. To be precise, in her case, it was a pure desire for control. She had a specific obsession: she didn't necessarily "love" her children, but their actions had to fall within her dictates. They could not defy her; they had to execute her orders perfectly or face punishment—much like how the "Four Sweet Commanders" were reduced to three after a single failure.
The current Linlin was still young, so it wasn't as extreme yet. In her old age, this philosophy would reach its peak. Normally, she would never yield custody to anyone, but Nanamo was an exception.
Of course, she had wanted to take the child back then. The fundamental reason she hadn't was simple: she couldn't beat Logan.
In a normal world, people go to court to settle such disputes; for these two, the breakup was settled with a fight.
Hearing the question, Nanamo's movements stiffened. She blinked and gave a tactful reply:
"Um... actually, living with Dad is quite nice. I think things are fine the way they are."
The inquiry made Nanamo awkward. This wasn't the first time Linlin had asked; it happened almost every time they met. She had no intention of following Linlin's wishes, yet she had to face the frequent questioning. Since the woman was her mother, she couldn't simply ignore her.
"...Ma-ma-ma-ma. I see. Then let it be for now."
Linlin's expression darkened for a split second at the rejection, but the gloom vanished instantly. She quickly regained her smile, looking like a kind mother.
However, to Katakuri's eyes, this "compromise" was a very different story.
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