Marco had never dealt with a marriage alliance before, but both the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were experienced in such matters, and the two sides quickly reached a basic consensus.
After finishing the discussion with Kaido, the next step was to speak with Big Mom about formalizing the marriage alliance.
Marco turned to Big Mom and spoke in a firm yet polite tone, "Big Mom, regarding this marriage alliance, I think it needs careful consideration. To you it might be an exchange of interests, but for my brothers this is their first time facing something like this. Marriage is a big event and cannot be taken lightly. It should be based on mutual consent. I will never force them, so we need to discuss the details."
Big Mom's grin widened and her eyes sparkled with excitement. She laughed heartily, "Mamamama Marco, you make a good point. Your crew is inexperienced with marriage, and my daughters are all unwed. By the way, you are still single, aren't you? Why not consider marrying one of my daughters yourself?"
Marco immediately grew alert and asked, "Are you suggesting I marry your daughter directly?"
Big Mom laughed like an incoming tide, "Mamamama, this old lady has indeed thought about it. The form of a marriage alliance is secondary. Since marriage is happening anyway, it is much more valuable for one of my precious daughters to marry you, a Four Emperors, than someone else."
Marco smiled, though with a hint of polite refusal, "Haha, I'd rather not. I don't want to be taken advantage of based on seniority."
Big Mom's laughter was mixed with temptation, "Mamamama, don't refuse so quickly. Think about it, if you marry my daughter, your future children will have inheritance rights in the Charlotte Family. How does that sound?"
Marco felt a small stir of interest, and Big Mom continued enthusiastically, "Moreover, Marco, you are not getting any younger. Are you planning to stay single your whole life?"
Marco allowed a playful smile to tug at the corners of his mouth, "Alright. Since you put it that way, I will reluctantly agree. However, I choose Smoothie."
Smoothie, standing just behind Big Mom, was taken completely by surprise to hear her name called. She never expected Marco to choose her so directly, and her heart thudded wildly in her chest. As a powerful woman and a Sweet Commander in her own right, she admired strong men, and hearing her name made her pulse quicken.
Big Mom's face instantly darkened. Her original plan had been to use the marriage alliance to strengthen her ties with Marco and enhance the Big Mom Pirates' combat strength. But Marco had just tried to take away her most capable daughter, which she could not accept.
"No! Smoothie is absolutely out of the question. Choose another daughter."
Marco showed a knowing look with a teasing smile, as if he had anticipated this reaction. "I knew you wouldn't agree. Even in a special envoy exchange, there must be a balance in strength. Once a special envoy joins another pirate crew through marriage, they remain there long term. If I lost a key fighter while only gaining someone who looked imposing but was ineffective, it would be a huge disadvantage for my crew."
Big Mom, instead of getting angry, burst into laughter, "Mamamama! So it seems you not only possess the strength of an Emperors but also think from an Emperors' point of view. Truly remarkable, worthy of the man who saved the Whitebeard Pirates from the edge of collapse."
At the same time, Big Mom pondered a serious question: if she were to die someday, would the Charlotte Family's children be able to inherit the Big Mom Pirates smoothly? After all, the legacy of the Whitebeard Pirates had essentially passed to the Phoenix Pirates after Whitebeard's death, a remarkable achievement.
Marco responded with a light, teasing tone, "That was also due to the solid family foundation left by my old man. When strength is sufficient, stabilizing the situation is simply the natural progression."
Big Mom changed topics and asked, "Then do you have a candidate in mind to send to the Big Mom Pirates for a marriage alliance? If not, I would very much hope that Jozu or Vista would be suitable."
Jozu, standing nearby, was stunned. He had not expected the topic to shift so suddenly to him and could only offer an honest but awkward smile.
Marco grinned, "You certainly know how to pick people. Immediately you are eyeing the main combat forces of the Phoenix Pirates."
He didn't reject outright, instead replying with a thoughtful smile, "Logically, I should refuse your request, because both Jozu and Vista are unquestionably strong. Having them serve as special envoys in a marriage alliance would weaken the Phoenix Pirates' combat power significantly."
Marco paused, then continued with a more relaxed tone, "But I can't make decisions for them directly. My brothers are all still bachelors. If any of them truly wish to start a family, and you manage to convince them, then naturally I have no objection."
Big Mom's eyes lit up upon hearing this. She had not expected Marco to leave the door open, and not only that but to suggest the possibility of her gaining a captain or more. If she could truly secure even one captain from the Phoenix Pirates, it would be an enormous gain.
Her eager gaze fell on Jozu. Every captain of the Phoenix Pirates possessed strength at least equal to a Sweet Commander. Jozu, Commander of the Third Division, was among the best, having once directly confronted powerful enemies in battle.
Faced with Big Mom's hopeful anticipation, Jozu politely declined, "Sorry, I would rather fight alongside my companions. Even if I were to marry and start a family, I would not leave the Phoenix Pirates."
Big Mom could not hide her disappointment, "Is that so? That is truly a shame!"
She had hoped to use this alliance to recruit a Phoenix Pirates captain to her own crew. But Marco was proving to be a more thoughtful and difficult negotiator than she had expected.
Suddenly, a new thought crossed Big Mom's mind, and she said, "Marco, actually there's a special reason I didn't agree when you first proposed marrying Smoothie."
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