One Piece: Marine Luffy, Garp regrets it

A heavy silence hung over the banquet hall as the Charlotte family processed Kaido's shocking revelation. Perospero's candy cane stopped its perpetual twirling, and even the ever-composed Katakuri seemed unsettled. The homies that normally chattered incessantly throughout Whole Cake Chateau were eerily quiet, as if they too were contemplating the implications.

The Big Mom Pirates exchanged uneasy glances as they considered the newspaper reports they had previously dismissed. Perhaps the World Economic Journal hadn't been exaggerating after all. Maybe the Marines or World Government had deliberately tried to build momentum for this young sailor, grooming him to become the Marine's next star—a counter to the rising generation of pirates.

After hearing Katakuri's reminder about the newspaper report, Charlotte Linlin and other members of the Charlotte family thought about it carefully. It seemed that the newspaper had indeed reported that a rising star of the Marine had dealt a heavy blow to Kaido. But the protagonist of the story had been a teen at the time.

"It was impossible for anyone to believe that such a young, immature brat could accomplish such a feat," Big Mom thought to herself, her massive fingers drumming on the table with enough force to make the silverware jump. "We all assumed that bird-brain Morgans was exaggerating to sell papers and curry favor with the World Government."

But now, Kaido himself—one of the Four Emperors, supposedly the strongest creature alive—had admitted to being severely injured by Monkey D. Luffy. Something that Iron Fist Garp, Admiral Aokiji, and Kizaru together had not been able to do was accomplished by a young man who had supposedly graduated from the Marine Academy only two or three years prior.

And what Kaido had just described wasn't merely having his defenses breached—he claimed he was almost killed by having his heart nearly ripped out. This went far beyond simply being able to penetrate Kaido's legendary durability.

"What kind of monster possesses the strength comparable to a Yonko at his teen?" Smoothie whispered, her usually calm demeanor shaken.

Big Mom, Katakuri, and the others all shared the same disturbing thought. In their minds, they had elevated Luffy to a level of strength comparable to their own Yonko status. If he possessed that kind of power now, how terrifying would his future be?

At this moment, Big Mom couldn't help but think of her old captain—the man who had dominated the sea with an iron fist and harbored ambitions of becoming the king of the world: Rocks D. Xebec. The similarities were too uncomfortable to ignore. Another D. carrier with monstrous potential, but this time within the ranks of the Marines.

Suddenly, even Charlotte Linlin, who prided herself on being one of the Four Emperors and one of the most powerful beings in the world, felt a twinge of unease. Her expression darkened as she addressed Kaido with uncharacteristic seriousness.

"So what?" she demanded, her voice losing its usual singsong quality. "What do you mean by telling me these things? You didn't share this humiliating story just to entertain me, did you?"

Beneath her disapproving tone, Kaido detected the hidden caution—the same wariness he himself felt about this development. He couldn't help but grin, his fanged teeth gleaming in the candlelight.

"WORORORORO~" His distinctive laugh echoed through the hall. "That little brat is indeed formidable, but he is no match for me at my full strength."

He leaned forward, his massive frame casting a shadow over the table. "Linlin, I just need you to help me hold back Akainu and Kizaru while I return to Wano to deal with that upstart myself!"

As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with cold fury, and his tone carried a hint of both threat and warning. "Think about it, Linlin. That boy has terrifying potential. You don't want a monster like Rocks to appear within the Marine's ranks in the future, do you?"

Hearing this invocation of their former captain's name, Big Mom and the older members of the Charlotte family fell silent. Perospero, Mont-d'Or, and the other children who had heard the stories of Rocks visibly shuddered, expressions of fear and dread flickering across their faces.

As for the younger Charlotte siblings who had never seen or even heard detailed accounts of Rocks D. Xebec, they had more immediate concerns. After hearing Kaido's proposal to engage two Admirals in battle, they paled with shock and looked at their mother with pleading eyes, hoping she wouldn't agree to the madman's request.

"Asking us to deliberately provoke a fight with two Admirals? What's the difference between that and asking us to march to our deaths?" Cracker muttered under his breath, his biscuit armor creaking as he tensed.

Even with their mother's immense strength and Katakuri's advanced abilities, combat was unpredictable. What if they were caught in the crossfire of Akainu's magma or Kizaru's light beams and met an early end? The young masters and ladies of the Charlotte family had no desire to perish before their time!

Big Mom herself was hesitating, weighing her options carefully. Psychologically, she agreed with Kaido's assessment—it would be prudent to eliminate this potential threat before the seedling grew into something unmanageable. Moreover, if Kaido took the lead in this vendetta, the future retribution from the Marine, especially from Garp the Hero, would primarily focus on him rather than her.

At most, she would play a supporting role by holding back Akainu and Kizaru, which wouldn't require her to commit the full might of her forces. The risk-to-reward ratio seemed acceptable.

For a moment, it appeared that the Yonko was ready to agree to Kaido's proposal. Her children recognized the calculating look in her eyes—the same expression she wore when plotting a particularly advantageous alliance or acquisition.

But due to the inherent nature of pirates—particularly one as avaricious as Big Mom—her greed compelled her to reconsider. Why settle for an even exchange when she could extract additional benefits? Her lips curled into a sly smile as she saw an opportunity.

"MAMAMA~~" Her laughter filled the hall once more. "Are you truly so rattled because of one little upstart? A kid who hasn't even grown all his facial hair is worthy of being compared with Rocks?"

She leaned back in her reinforced chair, eyeing Kaido with mock disdain. "How the mighty have fallen! The great Kaido, trembling at the thought of a Marine brat!"

Looking at Linlin laughing and openly mocking him, Kaido showed neither anger nor urgency to defend himself. Again, they had known each other for so long—decades of rivalry, alliance, and shared history under Rocks—that they could read each other all too well.

As soon as Kaido observed the calculating gleam in her eyes, he knew exactly what she was plotting. Most likely, she felt that his initial proposition wasn't lucrative enough and wanted to extract additional concessions. Their relationship was like that of quarrelsome siblings, and Kaido could not hide from Charlotte Linlin's machinations any more than she could hide her thoughts from him.

But Big Mom had no intention of engaging in prolonged negotiations. After making her sarcastic remarks and laying the groundwork for her real demand, she immediately changed tack:

"If you truly wish to seek revenge on that brat," she declared, "then let's dispense with this nonsense. You can have my help if you agree to let your subordinate King marry one of my daughters."

Her eyes shifted to the masked Lunarian, who stiffened imperceptibly at the mention of his name. "I will help you hold off Akainu and Kizaru so that you can be free to go to Wano Country and vent your anger. A fair exchange, wouldn't you say?"

Kaido glanced at King beside him, noting how his most loyal officer's hand had drifted unconsciously toward his sword. The Emperor's face darkened like storm clouds gathering over the sea.

King was his longest-serving and most loyal subordinate—more than that, he was Kaido's brother in all but blood. No matter how desperately he wanted to kill the Marine brat who had humiliated him, he would never trade his brother for revenge.

"You overreach, Linlin," Kaido growled, his voice low and dangerous. "King is not a bargaining chip."

Big Mom's eyes narrowed, her gaze shifting between Kaido and King. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife as the two Yonko stared each other down, neither willing to back down.

"Perhaps I was unclear," Big Mom said after a moment, her tone deceptively sweet. "I'm not asking for King to be handed over as a prisoner or subordinate. I'm proposing a marriage alliance—something that would benefit us both."

She gestured grandly across the table. "King would become my son-in-law. He would retain his position on your crew while strengthening the bonds between our organizations. And most importantly..." her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper that nonetheless carried throughout the hall, "I would finally have a Lunarian in my collection."

The last words caused a visible reaction from King, whose wings bristled beneath his coat. Kaido's expression darkened further, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the edge of the table.