Michael's conversation with Rocks hadn't taken long.
In fact, it was surprisingly brief.
So when Michael stepped out of the room, Charlotte Linlin was taken aback.
"That fast? Eight hundred years of information gap resolved in just a few sentences?"
"Useful information was never going to be plentiful... but I've obtained the most crucial piece." Michael smiled at her.
"Linlin, unless I'm mistaken, you should still remember where God Valley was located back then, right?
""Mamamamamama! Calling me so affectionately!" Charlotte Linlin lowered her head, sizing up Michael with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Seriously, won't you consider becoming my husband? If it's you, I truly believe you'd be the last one."
"Does your brain have any thoughts besides marrying me?"
"Of course... having a child."
"You mean having an unprecedentedly powerful child, right?" Michael shook his head helplessly.
"Though I'd love to pilot a Gundam, your ulterior motives make it impossible for me to agree..."
"Tch, men who are this dull get scorned by women, you know." Charlotte Linlin clicked her tongue and turned to walk away.
"Fine then... follow me."
Michael shrugged, then glanced back at Perospero and Katakuri guarding the door.
"Don't worry, I won't be your stepdad."
With that, he followed her out.
Leaving Perospero and Katakuri staring at each other in bewilderment.
"So, Katakuri, what do you think?"
"What do I think?" Katakuri gave a bitter smile. "I genuinely feel... Michael might actually have what it takes to be Mom's 43rd and final husband..."
"Great minds think alike."
Perospero sighed, his long tongue lolling out.
As two of the sharpest minds on the seas, they only wanted to cling tightly to Michael's coattails.
Becoming their stepdad would be ideal.
Failing that, they'd still try to get as close as possible...
Charlotte Linlin, of course, had no idea about her two "filial" sons' thoughts.
If she knew, those two would be in for a world of pain.
Her wanting Michael as her 43rd husband was her own business.
But if her own children dared think that way, they'd definitely taste her Ikoku!
...
"After the God Valley Incident, God Valley was erased from the seas by some terrifying power... You know this."
Listening to Charlotte Linlin, Michael nodded in agreement.
He could even guess it was likely Imu who used Uranus—powered by massive energy or Eternal Fire—to sink it completely.
"From that day on, no nautical chart in the world marked God Valley's location. Over time, the name became nothing but a fleeting legend..."
"But as someone who witnessed the God Valley Incident firsthand, I still have the original charts."
Charlotte Linlin retrieved a normal-sized map from her massive room.
Judging by its aged texture... It was clearly decades old.
"You're just giving this to me?"
"Of course there's a condition." Charlotte Linlin grinned. "You should know I spent part of my childhood in Elbaf... until my rampage killed one of the giants' legendary warriors."
"I've heard... It seems you have designs on the giants, but not purely for exploitation. You must still regret what happened back then."
"Just as you said..." A glimmer of hope appeared in Charlotte Linlin's eyes. "I hope you can go to Elbaf and ask the giants there to help excavate the ruins of God Valley located underwater... And my Charlotte Pirates... no, Whole Cake Island will provide you with the greatest assistance in this regard."
"The strength and equipment of the giant race are sufficient to drag the entire God Valley ruins up from the seabed."
Michael blinked.
This deal... seemed acceptable.
Originally, he had planned to have the fish-men and merfolk help him with the underwater problem.
But whether that time-traveling Lunar Technology could be retrieved from the ruins, or whether it would still function after being brought out, was uncertain...
So, Charlotte Linlin's proposal indeed offered Michael a new approach to the problem.
But the issue was...
"Linlin, although the giants have a resort area on Sabaody Archipelago, and there's a giant among my subordinates in the Revolutionary Army... the former is currently a Marine base, and the latter is carrying out an extremely important mission... Other than that, I have no direct reason or... guide to go to Elbaf."
"You don't need to worry about that at all!"
A sly smile appeared on Charlotte Linlin's face.
"A certain friend of yours is quite influential among the giants."
...
Cross Guild Headquarters.
"Achoo!"
A loud sneeze came from outside the door, followed by the door being flung open!
"Oh! My dear colleagues, I'm back from visiting family!"
The one who entered was Gaban, wearing sunglasses.
"You old scoundrel! How dare you smile at us!?" Gloriosa slammed the table so hard it shattered.
"Running away because there was too much work! I feel like kicking your head off with a spinning kick!!"
"Calm down, Gloriosa, calm down." Rayleigh, standing nearby, stopped Gloriosa, then turned around with a cold smile.
"This kind of thing... you'll have to wait your turn behind me!!"
Gaban looked at his two old friends, with whom he had worked seamlessly for many years, and gave an awkward laugh.
"Ahaha, I really didn't mean to!" Gaban scratched the back of his head apologetically. "You know me... I'm a preacher of love! Not visiting my wife and child for the past few years was a bit too much..."
"W-wait!?"
Gloriosa and Rayleigh exchanged glances, instantly extracting the key information from his words.
"Wife!?"
"Child!?"
"When did you get married!?"
Their incredulous shouts could be heard from the window all the way to the sea.
"W-well, it was right after Roger disbanded the crew, around the time Rouge was about to give birth..." Gaban said, giving a thumbs-up.
"My son is already thirteen years old!"
"Thirteen years old..." Rayleigh looked at Gaban with an unprecedented expression of disbelief.
"How old is your wife?"
"This year... seventy-three?" Gaban said with a smile. "Anyway, she's older than me!"
"Giving birth at sixty!? Is she immortal or something!?"
"Huh?"
Gaban said in confusion.
"For giants, sixty is still very young to have children!"