The members of the BIG MOM Pirates felt a shock run through them, as if their heads were about to explode.

Their mother,

The founder of their family,

The anchor of their hearts,

Had now become Kuke’s subordinate.

What about us, then?

Cracker and the others opened their mouths, trying to say something, yet nothing came out. Their minds were blank, just like their lips that moved without sound.

“But… but…”

“What? Are you planning to take your mother back by force?” Kuke’s eyes narrowed, his aura suddenly intense.

The terrifying pressure of his Conqueror’s Haki bore down on their hearts.

Cracker and Perospero didn’t dare utter another word. Of course, they didn’t want to lose their mother; the family couldn’t do without her. But with the wager and Kuke’s overwhelming power, not to mention the Sun and Moon Pirates standing behind him, they had no choice but to swallow their protests.

They turned their gaze towards their mother, who was being dragged along by Kuke, hoping for her to say something.

Charlotte Linlin hadn’t fainted.

She looked utterly lost, curled up in fear, occasionally twitching. It seemed as though she had lost all sense of the outside world.

Physically, she seemed relatively okay, not covered in blood—though her head had swollen with bumps all over.

She allowed herself to be dragged along like a pet, showing no resistance.

Perospero and the others waited for nearly a minute, watching as Kuke dragged their mother further away. Finally, unable to hold back, they called out, “Mom! Are you really going to join the Sun and Moon Pirates?”

“Mom, you can’t give up on us!”

“Mom, what will we do if you leave us?”

The heartfelt cries of her children finally managed to bring Charlotte Linlin back to reality.

She looked at her crying children, her first instinct being to cover her face—it was just too humiliating.

She reached out, but when she saw the brand-new “Sun and Moon” symbol burned into the back of her hand, she quickly hid her hands.

Then, she looked up cautiously at Kuke, her pupils filled with fear.

Every time Kuke even glanced her way, her eyes darted away immediately, her large body curling in on itself even more.

Perospero and the others waited for her response, but nothing came.

They were at a complete loss.

Just as they were on the verge of losing hope, someone appeared before Kuke.

The figure swayed as if barely able to stand, but still stood firmly before Kuke without fear.

It was Katakuri.

He had only just regained consciousness, his body still covered in injuries, his strength almost depleted.

After waking up, Katakuri had heard about his mother’s wager with Kuke from Brûlée, who had been taking care of him. He was so stunned he almost fainted again.

He hurried over to check on the situation, only to find an eerily silent scene—his mother being dragged by Kuke.

“Was I really unconscious for just under two hours? Not two days… or two weeks?”

Katakuri felt as if years had passed in just those short hours.

He had only been unconscious for a brief time, and yet…

Their home was gone?

Katakuri stood there, stunned, for a few minutes before he saw the scene before him—Kuke about to take his mother away.

Pushing through his exhaustion, he moved to stand in front of Kuke.

“Are you planning to stop me?”

Katakuri lowered his head slightly. “I wouldn’t dare.”

He truly didn’t dare.

Although he hadn’t witnessed the fight, just knowing that his mother had been defeated in under two hours—without even trying to fight back—told him all he needed to know about Kuke’s strength.

Even without Kuke, Katakuri knew that just facing the Sun and Moon Pirates alone, they had no chance.

“Mr. Kuke, my mother is the captain of the BIG MOM Pirates, the ruler of Totto Land. We can’t lose her.” Katakuri suddenly fell to one knee, bowing. “I ask you, please, return our mother to us.”

“Please give us back our mother.”

With Katakuri taking the lead, everyone else immediately knelt down.

Kuke remained expressionless, unmoved.

He didn’t care for such displays.

“We, the BIG MOM Pirates, are willing to become a subordinate crew of the Sun and Moon Pirates. Not only our mother, but all of us will be your subordinates.”

Katakuri offered what he had.

Now, among the Four Emperors of the sea, all but the Sun and Moon Pirates had subordinate crews.

The Whitebeard Pirates had dozens of allied pirate crews, a major part of their strength came from these affiliations.

Subordinate alliances were common in these seas.

But never before had an Emperor crew become a subordinate.

To be a subordinate crew meant being free most of the time but obeying the main crew’s orders in critical moments.

With the wager and Kuke’s power, Katakuri didn’t dare to defy the outcome. But he also couldn’t let his family lose their mother.

So, he proposed an alternative—as a subordinate crew, their mother could remain with the family. It was better than her being forced to fully join the Sun and Moon Pirates.

“What…?”

Perospero and the others hadn’t expected Katakuri to make such a proposal. They opened their mouths, ready to object. Having always been in a position of power, they naturally didn’t want to serve under anyone.

Charlotte Linlin’s eyes flickered.

Her instinct was to feel rage toward Katakuri.

Who gave you the right to make this decision?

Make me a subordinate? What kind of joke is this?

She opened her mouth to scold Katakuri, but as she felt Kuke’s hand still gripping her collar, she quickly shut her mouth.

Silence.

Subordinate or not, at least she would be free and still rule Totto Land.

It was better than being completely at Kuke’s mercy.

Seeing Charlotte Linlin’s silence, it was clear she agreed to Katakuri’s proposal.

“To be a subordinate to the Sun and Moon Pirates?”

Kuke had no interest in that. A mere subordinate status wouldn’t get him Linlin’s strength, nor would it give him the influence he wanted, or bring in the rewards he sought.

“Yes, from now on, we will follow the orders of the Sun and Moon Pirates,” Katakuri affirmed.

He was ready for this—he meant what he said.

Kneeling, he barely lifted his head, showing his sincerity and loyalty.

“Not interested.”

Kuke’s refusal caught everyone, including Katakuri, off guard.

“Why?”

Charlotte Linlin couldn’t help but ask.

This was the entire BIG MOM Pirates pledging their loyalty—essentially giving Kuke control over one of the Four Emperor crews.

Who wouldn’t want that?

“Are you really insisting I join your crew?” Charlotte Linlin gritted her teeth.

One option was just her.

The other was her and the entire family.

Why choose the former?

She couldn’t understand.

“No need to explain to a loser.”

Charlotte Linlin’s eyes widened in fury, her veins bulging in her forehead as she let out a heavy breath. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll cause chaos on your ship? I won’t work, and I’ll make trouble.”

She threatened Kuke.

Are you sure you want me on your ship?

“Would you dare?”

Kuke’s cold gaze swept over Charlotte Linlin.

The throbbing veins on her forehead instantly subsided.

She obediently lowered her head, her ferocious expression replaced by one of helplessness.

No, she wouldn’t dare.

After witnessing the enormous gap in their strength firsthand, Charlotte Linlin knew she was no match for Kuke. There was no strategy or trick that would let her win.

“If there’s anything you want to bring with you, have someone pack it up quickly.”

Kuke finally let her go.

Charlotte Linlin looked at him with a pitiful expression.

Do you really have to be this harsh?

Kuke’s attitude remained unchanged.

Charlotte Linlin cursed inwardly for a while, then turned her anger towards her children. “What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and get my things ready, you useless bunch!”

She vented her fury on Katakuri and the others.

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DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up 40+ chapters at patreon.com/Emik01.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep