Hearing that Charlotte Linlin was planning to return to the Grand Line to find that so-called Hell Pirates, Streusen was furious. He imdiately deduced who was behind the Den Den Mushi call—undoubtedly, it had to be those damn pirates!
He wasted no ti gathering information on them. Their captain, Brook, had a re 200 million Belly bounty. How could that possibly compare to Charlotte Linlin's 550 million?
And yet, they had the audacity to invite Linlin to join their crew? It was a miracle he hadn't wiped them out on the spot.
He had personally witnessed Linlin's hunger pangs, saw her devour Mother Carl and those orphans. There was no way Carl could still be alive!
"Linlin, that Brook must be impersonating Mother Carl! Don't be fooled! You're far stronger than him—you don't need to join them!"
Streusen was determined to expose Brook's deception. If he dared show even the slightest flaw, Streusen would utterly destroy him!
...
"What? You dare say Mother is a fake?"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes turned blood-red as she seized Streusen in her massive hand. She wouldn't allow anyone to speak ill of Mother Carl! She had a dream to fulfill—to join the Hell Pirates and create a true family where all races could live in harmony!
"Linlin, Mother Carl is dead. I saw it with my own eyes! That man is lying to you!"
Streusen tried to reason with her, desperate to make her abandon this foolish plan to return to the Grand Line. Yet, he still couldn't bring himself to tell her the full truth—that she had devoured Carl herself.
"You dare curse Mother Carl? Unforgivable!!"
Linlin let out a monstrous shriek. The sound waves rumbled through the ground, making it ripple like an earthquake. Her grip on Streusen tightened as she glared at him.
Panic surged through Streusen. He had miscalculated. He'd been too hasty and ended up touching Linlin's deepest nerve. He had said sothing he absolutely shouldn't have!
He should have guided her to uncover Brook's deception on her own. Now, her inhuman strength and terrifying voice were crushing him. His eyeballs bulged, blood trickled from his nose and mouth.
"L-Linlin... Mother Carl is fine! I—I can help you find them!"
Feeling his bones about to snap, Streusen scrambled to appease her, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.
"You are never to speak badly of Mother again! Next ti, I'll really kill you! Now, make sothing to eat and find a route to the Grand Line!"
Linlin, finally calming down, released Streusen, allowing him to collapse onto the ground, gasping for breath. He was her chef, her navigator—his usefulness had spared him.
"Cough... cough... Alright, alright! I'll cook sothing delicious for you right away!"
Streusen coughed painfully, wiping the blood from his face, and forced a smile. But deep inside, he cursed Charlotte Linlin as an ungrateful beast.
He had raised her for ten years, yet she crushed him over a fraud. He turned away to start cooking, but his expression darkened.
Brook... The pain he suffered today, he would return it to him tenfold. And Charlotte Linlin? She would never escape his grasp. She was a monster, an asset to be used.
...
Streusen chopped down a massive tree and activated his Cook-Cook Fruit ability, transforming the wood into thick, juicy steaks. The slices glead with a rich, tantalizing color, appearing absolutely delicious.
"Streusen! Didn't I tell you not to serve food made from Devil Fruit abilities?! It has no flavor at all! Where's our treasure? Let's go eat a real feast!"
Linlin scowled at the artificial al. She craved true delicacies, not these flavorless imitations!
"We already spent the last haul of treasure, Linlin. All of it went into your als. We need to set sail again if we want more—otherwise, we'll truly be broke!"
Streusen sighed dramatically, as though Linlin's massive appetite was his greatest burden. At first, he used stolen treasure to pay for their als. But later, when the money ran out, he simply had Linlin destroy entire restaurants, eating without paying.
Every island they visited ended in chaos, which was why her bounty had skyrocketed so quickly. And as for the stolen treasure? Streusen always took a 90% cut for himself, leaving Linlin with a asly 10%. She was too naïve to know the difference.
Whenever she asked, he'd show her just a handful of coins, lying that they had already spent everything. It was the perfect con.
"Huh? How does it disappear so fast? Didn't I smash the tavern, too?"
Linlin pouted, counting on her fingers. As long as the topic wasn't Mother Carl or food, she remained as clueless as a child.
"Linlin, do you know how expensive your new clothes and hat were? And that cake from last ti—it was worth a fortune!"
Streusen continued his deception effortlessly. He had done it so many tis, it was second nature to him. Just the thought of the mountain of treasure hidden in his secret stash filled him with glee.
Raising Charlotte Linlin all these years had been an investnt. Her monstrous strength was the perfect tool for securing wealth, power, and status.
And now, so nobody like Brook wanted to take her away? Over his dead body!
"Alright then! Let's head out to plunder again! I need to prepare a gift for Brook when I et him!"
Linlin bead at her own thoughtfulness, dragging Streusen onto their stolen pirate ship and setting course for the nearest island.
Streusen's expression flickered. She was already thinking about that damn Brook?
'Brook... I swear I'll kill you!' Streusen clenched his teeth, hatred burning in his eyes.
...
anwhile, on the other side of the sea, Edward Newgate had been abandoned by the Lion Pirates. Their captain, Laine, had taken so Belly and treasure from him before leaving him on a bustling trade island.
Watching the retreating pirate ship, Newgate felt a tinge of disappointnt toward Laine, but also a strange sense of anticipation. Was there really such a thing as a pirate crew that treated each other like family?
The towering young man adjusted the black bandana wrapped around his golden hair, his chest exposed beneath a rough linen vest. A gray sash secured his black pants, and a small pack was slung over his shoulder as he strode into town.
As a pirate, he had rarely lingered on islands unless it was to plunder, drink, or feast.
Now, he wandered through the bustling streets, asking about ships heading toward the first half of the Grand Line. He planned to hitch a ride on a rchant vessel and make his way closer to the Grand Line's entrance.
His ho lay in the New World. Ever since joining a pirate crew, he had never ventured beyond its treacherous waters.
Co to think of it, he had never even visited the legendary Fish-Man Island, hidden ten thousand ters beneath the sea.
If that so-called Golden Ship truly existed, then perhaps the future held more excitent than he had ever imagined.
-----------
100 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
User Comments
0 comments from readers