Luffy raised his hand — casual, yet commanding — a gesture that told everyone to relax.
"As the captain of a great pirate crew, you should know," he said, flashing that usual grin of his — the kind that always blurred the line between innocence and provocation, "failing to keep a promise usually comes with interest. But hey, you can stay in the red if you want."
Big Mom huffed, her eyes flaring with a mix of irritation and intrigue.
"Of course I'll keep my word!" she barked, her booming voice echoing like thunder through the hall.
Perospero, wearing his crooked smile and letting his sugary tongue glide over his lips, carefully placed the remaining text of the Road Poneglyph on the table.
"Hehehe... The Big Mom Pirates don't do anything half-baked," he said sweetly — and yet with venom in every word.
The papers were handed to Robin.
She received them with the delicate reverence of a scholar touching a sacred treasure. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation — the fire of academic curiosity and fascination for ancient mysteries burning within her.
The room fell silent as Robin read each symbol, each carved trace of that piece of history.
After a few moments, she lifted her gaze and gave Luffy a soft, confident smile.
"It's authentic, Luffy," she said firmly. "No one could forge something like this without knowing how to read Poneglyphs."
Perospero licked his lips again, eyes half-lidded.
"Nico Robin…" he murmured, clearly savoring the name. "The orphan of Ohara. We know who you are — but not what's written there."
He lifted his chin and looked directly at Luffy. "Now that the first transaction is complete, I have a new proposal."
He cast a knowing glance toward his mother.
"We want her to translate the content. In exchange, the Big Mom Pirates will form an alliance with the Straw Hats."
"An alliance?" Luffy repeated, frowning. He looked straight at Big Mom, curious but cautious.
Linlin smiled — a wide, sinister grin, equal parts madness and charm.
"Straw Hat, you're a brave man — and I like that about you," she said. "You want to be Pirate King too, don't you?" Her tone deepened. "It's not easy to gather all four Road Poneglyphs. I got this piece over twenty years ago… and haven't found another since."
Luffy scratched his chin, thinking.
"So you wanna team up just because Robin can read the stones?"
"Exactly." She clasped her massive hands on the table. "And to strengthen the alliance, I can marry off one of my daughters to one of your men. That way, our crews will be bound by family."
Luffy grinned mischievously, saying nothing for a moment.
He already knew where three of the stones were — only the fourth was missing. If it came down to it, he could just ask Rayleigh.
An alliance with Big Mom? To him, that sounded more like a shackle than an advantage.
Marriage, though? Not a chance.
"The marriage doesn't have to be with you, Straw Hat," Linlin pressed, narrowing her eyes. "You've got plenty of subordinates, don't you? Choose one."
Luffy raised his brows, amused by the woman's obsession with marriage. He turned and scanned the room, eyeing his male crewmates one by one:
Zoro. Sanji. Usopp. Johnny. Yosaku. Bartolomeo. Chopper. Franky. Brook.
Each of them shrank under that carefree yet mischievous gaze.
"Luffy, you know me," Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. "I'm a womanizer. Marriage would be... a betrayal of my very nature."
"Luffy! My dream is to become a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp shouted, voice trembling. "Until then, marriage is off the table!"
"Aniki…" Bartolomeo muttered, sweating bullets.
"I'm a reindeer!" Chopper cried out, panicking.
"Yohohoho!" Brook raised a hand, cheerful as ever. "Can a skeleton even get married?"
Big Mom looked at the ridiculous group, her face darkening. Veins throbbed across her forehead.
"These pirates... are rejecting my daughters?" she thought, fuming.
In her youth, she had been a feared and desired beauty across the seven seas. Now, seeing those men recoil as if her daughters were burdens stung her pride like a dagger.
Luffy, meanwhile, was laughing openly.
"Shishishishishi!" His laughter echoed through the hall.
His gaze finally stopped on Jinbei, who had been quiet the whole time.
"Hm? Me?" Jinbei blinked, startled. "I'm a fish-man, Luffy…"
"Exactly!" Luffy said, laughing. "And your vice-captain, Aladdin — if I remember right, one of Big Mom's daughters is a mermaid, isn't she?"
Charlotte Praline… Luffy thought. In the original world, she's Aladdin's wife, right?
Perospero smirked.
"Mother's twenty-first daughter, Charlotte Praline. Twenty-seven years old — and quite the beautiful mermaid, I must admit. A fitting match."
"MERMAID!?" Sanji practically leapt from his chair, eyes turning into hearts instantly.
Luffy turned to him with a teasing grin.
"What's wrong, Sanji? Wanna take Aladdin's place? If so, be my guest."
Sanji froze — his cigarette falling from his mouth. He looked at Big Mom, then at the floor, and said nothing.
Considering the matriarch's appearance… dying single might be the better option.
At the table, Nami, Robin, and Uta all sighed, exchanging weary glances.
Deep down, they even felt a bit sorry for Big Mom.
Linlin, however, burst into triumphant laughter.
"Mamamamama! Straw Hat, since you've agreed, prepare yourself! We'll arrange the wedding at once!"
Her satisfaction was almost tangible.
A deal that benefited her in every way — marrying off a "useless" daughter and securing an alliance with one of the most unpredictable and powerful pirate crews on the seas.
With the Straw Hats' strength and Nico Robin's skill, even attacking Marine Headquarters didn't seem impossible.
"So, Straw Hat…" she asked, smiling broadly. "When will the wedding be?"
Luffy crossed his arms, chuckling.
"Oh, about that — you can discuss the details directly with Aladdin." He turned toward Uta. "But before that, to celebrate our new alliance… my diva will sing for everyone."
He grinned. "Uta, something festive, please."
"Yes, Luffy!" she replied brightly, standing with a spark in her eyes.
The Charlotte family members exchanged glances, surprised.
"Diva?" some of them murmured.
Only Katakuri frowned. A strange unease settled over him — a bad premonition.
Uta cleared her throat and began to sing.
The melody was soft, mesmerizing. An old sea shanty — one every pirate knew.
When the chorus began, the unmistakable "Yohohoho~" echoed through the hall, pulling everyone under its spell.
Katakuri tried to resist, but the sound slipped straight into his mind. His eyes grew heavy.
"No… it can't be…"
Before he could react, Uta's power took full effect.
In seconds, Big Mom and several members of her family began collapsing one by one — as if sleep itself had devoured them.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
The hall fell silent.
Uta stopped singing and let out a victorious giggle.
"Too easy," she said, turning to Luffy with a mischievous smile. "Pirates really are idiots."
Luffy crossed his arms, rolling his eyes.
"You forget you're a pirate now too, Uta," he said with amused disapproval.
Then he turned toward Law, who had been watching the scene calmly, and said quietly but firmly:
"Law, take all of their hearts."
---
(End of Chapter)