Chapter 263: What Do You Mean, Attend Your Funeral?
"Perospero, how could you make such an amateur mistake?"
Although he wasn't the eldest son, when facing Perospero, Katakuri certainly didn't act like a younger brother.
The age gap between them wasn't massive, but the disparity in their sheer combat strength was astronomical. Even Perospero himself didn't dare challenge Katakuri's authority on this matter.
Perospero knew full well that the only person in this family capable of making Katakuri willingly and respectfully call them "Big Sister" was the eldest daughter—the one who wasn't even in the family anymore: Nanamo.
"Mama's upcoming Tea Party is about to start, and one of the invitees actually had the nerve to refuse!" Perospero defended himself nervously, licking his massive candy cane. "I was too busy focusing on that incident; I didn't pay any attention to the minor entertainment columns!
"I figured if Big Sister made the papers, she'd definitely be on the front page! This is absolutely my fault."
Perospero had hurriedly produced a massive pile of candy to coax the terrified Praline and Prim away. This disastrous atmosphere was the last thing he wanted to see.
"Just be more careful from now on," Katakuri sighed, crossing his arms. "Still... I never realized it before, but Big Sister's singing is actually quite good."
"That's just because you never paid attention to that sort of thing," Perospero muttered. "I saw they're even starting to produce audio tapes of the concert..."
Before Katakuri could finish his sentence, a terrifying realization simultaneously struck both brothers.
The concert was merely the beginning. Immediately following its conclusion was the mass production and global distribution of audio tapes, merchandise, and assorted promotional materials.
If any of those products ever made their way into Totto Land...
The Big Mom Pirates were inherently the pirate crew most deeply entwined with the Underworld, maintaining massive, global commercial networks.
To prevent Charlotte Linlin from spiraling into an uncontrollable, berserk frenzy, Perospero and Katakuri were forced to issue an absolute, top-secret directive to all border patrols: immediately intercept, confiscate, and incinerate any and all concert merchandise. Under no circumstances could Mama ever lay eyes on them.
In stark contrast to the martial law atmosphere blanketing the waters of Totto Land, the surface port of Fish-Man Island looked as though it were hosting a massive festival, with newly erected merchandise stalls popping up everywhere.
Compared to external global sales, the merchandise sold exceptionally well internally. Even citizens of the Ryugu Kingdom who had zero interest in music eagerly bought a copy simply because of Nanamo's status.
Unlike the aloof Royal Families of other nations, the throne Nereus sat upon was built by a family that fought on the absolute front lines. Their prestige among the populace was astronomically high. When a family member hosted an event like this, the citizens naturally wanted to support them in their own way.
The successful conclusion of the concert also allowed the Marines to breathe a massive sigh of relief. At the very least, they no longer had to worry about Nereus suddenly going berserk and triggering an apocalyptic geopolitical crisis.
However, while the vast majority of the Marines relaxed, a specific individual suddenly grew incredibly tense.
Because they lacked prior experience, the entire process—from the initial planning stages to the final curtain call—consumed a considerable amount of time. Adding up all the scattered, trivial delays, the entire endeavor took several months.
By the time the concert officially concluded and the dust settled, the calendar had already turned to the year 1522.
And it was in this exact year that Garp received a highly secure Den Den Mushi call from Dragon.
"You damn brat! How dare you call my personal line?! I am a Marine Vice Admiral!"
"I'm using a White Den Den Mushi. The signal can't be intercepted," Dragon's calm voice echoed through the receiver. "You have a grandson now."
"Huh?!"
"I don't have the time or energy to raise him right now. I'm having the child sent back to our hometown. I'm leaving him in your care."
"Wait! Dragon! You bastard—!"
Dragon had absolutely no intention of catching up with his father, nor did he care about Garp's emotional state. He merely delivered his message unilaterally.
By the time Garp's brain finally processed the information, Dragon had already hung up.
After all, on this chaotic sea, entrusting a child to Garp was still the safest option. Although Dragon knew perfectly well that his father was often highly unreliable, a child raised by him would undoubtedly possess the monstrous strength needed to secure a foothold in this world.
Furthermore, Garp carried the illustrious titles of "Marine Hero" and "Legendary Vice Admiral." Those titles alone provided an absolute umbrella of protection against the World Government's endless troubles. Even if Cipher Pol ever tried to trace Dragon's bloodline, they would never dare lay a finger on a child under Garp's direct protection.
The infant named Monkey D. Luffy remained entirely blissfully unaware that while he was still in swaddling clothes, his father had already casually outsourced his upbringing, officially condemning his childhood to a living nightmare known as "Grandpa."
Receiving the news, Garp couldn't just sit still. He quickly fabricated a flimsy excuse and immediately set sail for the East Blue under the guise of an official mission.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the sea, Nanamo was conducting a final audit of the concert's total revenue. Overall, she was extremely satisfied.
Tesoro was heavily promoted and entrusted with major responsibilities following the concert's success. The same applied to Pappag. However, unlike Tesoro—who was currently feverishly researching how to expand the kingdom's external insurance business—Pappag had fully embraced a life of absolute "luxury."
An endless, unlimited supply of fresh clams and premium Sea Beast meat left the starfish overwhelmingly satisfied.
Nanamo was equally satisfied with this incredibly "cheap labor." For an ordinary starfish, hunting a Sea Beast was an impossible task, and even scavenging for deep-sea clams carried significant risks.
But for Nanamo, it was the easiest thing in the world. She merely had to casually mention it to a class of Fish-Man kids going on a spring field trip, and they would happily haul back mountains of clams for her.
As the primary staple food of the Merfolk, various shellfish were incredibly common and virtually worthless on Fish-Man Island.
The sound of Berries flowing into the treasury always brought a sense of profound joy. However, that joy was abruptly shattered a short time later by a frantic Den Den Mushi call.
"Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth right now?!" Nanamo yelled into the receiver.
"Who was the one begging me to go teach him a lesson just two years ago?!"
"What do you mean you're 'in love' now?!"
"Wait, it's not just love? You're getting married?! And you want me to attend your funeral?! Hold on—are you absolutely sure you mean a funeral?!"
The person on the other end of the line was Scarlett. For a brief, terrifying moment, Nanamo genuinely thought Scarlett had been kidnapped by a psychotic cult. If they hadn't established a safe word beforehand, Nanamo would have already mobilized an emergency rescue strike team.
To put it simply: over the past two years, Scarlett had stopped harboring intense hatred toward Kyros.
During a sudden pirate raid on the capital, Kyros had selflessly thrown himself into danger to save Scarlett's life. Following that incident, feelings had rapidly blossomed between the two.
A short time later, Nanamo arrived in Dressrosa. This time, she didn't just bring Chloe; she also brought Yamato along.
Over the past few months, it had been incredibly difficult to find anyone on Fish-Man Island in the same age group capable of sparing with Chloe—let alone just playing normally.
Chloe's physical constitution was fundamentally different from ordinary children; one careless swing could easily shatter a playmate's bones. Only the thick-skinned, insanely durable Jack could take her hits without flinching, but Chloe found Jack far too dense and boring to play with.
Yamato's arrival had finally provided Chloe with a perfect, age-appropriate playmate who could actually take a punch.
"My deepest condolences, King Riku," Nanamo said softly, suppressing the violent urge to laugh as she put on a mask of profound sorrow. She respectfully offered her condolences to the King at Scarlett's funeral.
As for Scarlett herself...
She was currently hiding in the bushes a short distance away, happily watching her own funeral unfold.
Even though Kyros had risen to the rank of Army Commander, his fundamental social status remained that of a commoner. From King Riku's perspective, it was absolutely unacceptable for a member of the Royal Family to marry a commoner.
But Scarlett had adamantly chosen Kyros. Ultimately, King Riku was forced into a bizarre compromise: he orchestrated a fake death, claiming Scarlett had succumbed to a sudden, terminal illness, allowing her to officially fade from the public eye and live the life of a normal citizen.
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