Should he cut Big Mom down right here?
The thought had barely surfaced before Rosinante dismissed it.
Even if he could kill Charlotte Linlin now, what good would it do him?
Some might argue—removing a rival emperor from the seas, eliminating a bloodthirsty pirate who preyed on the innocent.
But was it really that simple?
If Charlotte Linlin were gone, what would happen to the people of Cake Island and the rest of Totto Land?
Yes, to nations outside Totto Land, Charlotte Linlin was a vicious, ruthless pirate. But to her own people, she was their guardian deity. They would rather give up a few years of life than live anywhere else—because in a New World ravaged by pirates, Totto Land was a paradise.
If Linlin died, the Big Mom Pirates would collapse. The surrounding emperors, ambitious pirate crews, and rookie supernovas flooding into the New World would descend on Totto Land like vultures. For the ordinary citizens, it would be a catastrophe beyond measure.
This wasn't about Rosinante playing the saint. The fate of Totto Land wasn't his concern—unless it affected his own lands and vassal states.
If it wasn't his territory under attack, he wouldn't bother… and truth be told, he didn't have the capacity to care. Killing Charlotte Linlin simply brought him no real benefit.
Because if she died, another powerhouse would rise to take her place.
The sea was never short of strong contenders—it was only short of opportunity. The moment that opportunity appeared, a new predator would emerge.
Countless people coveted the throne of an emperor, but Linlin's overwhelming strength had kept them in check.
Even if no one could truly replace her, was it really a good thing to remove one of the New World's emperors?
Let's not forget—Totto Land was still a pirate nation, still marked by the World Government and the Marines.
For the Grey Kingdom, its greatest enemies were never other pirate crews, but the World Government and the Marines themselves.
Without the Big Mom Pirates, could Whitebeard alone hold the Marines at bay?
Maybe he could—after all, he was the world's strongest man and still in his prime. You could imagine the devastation if he unleashed his Tremor-Tremor power in rapid succession… even the Marines would be helpless.
But with his personality, Whitebeard wouldn't go out of his way to fight the Marines—so long as they didn't violate his code.
Red-Haired Shanks was still roaming the Four Seas, gathering crew. Kaido might have formed his pirate crew, but in the New World he still had nothing more than "two or three kittens." His future three Calamities hadn't even been assembled yet—and without Jack, who knew if he could even form the trio at all?
With the New World's current lineup, could they really stand against the Marines?
The truth was, the New World couldn't afford to lose the Big Mom Pirates right now. Otherwise, when the Grey Kingdom expanded into the New World, it would face the full force of the World Government and Marines alone.
Without someone else to share that pressure, the burden on Rosinante would be far heavier than he could imagine.
Alright—those were future concerns. Who could predict them anyway? But right now, there was one immediate factor—Katakuri.
Katakuri might already be leaning toward joining the Grey Kingdom… but if Rosinante killed his mother, who could say what would happen next?
If he finally managed to recruit Katakuri, there was no way he'd just let him walk away.
The Grey Kingdom didn't have many true masters—and a single Katakuri could raise its power level by an entire tier.
And at this very moment, every member of the Big Mom Pirates was watching Rosinante with razor-sharp vigilance. If he so much as twitched suspiciously, they would throw themselves in his path without hesitation.
Under these circumstances, even Rosinante would have trouble seriously injuring Charlotte Linlin.
"Time to go. While we still can, let's leave before your Big Mom snaps again—it'll be a real mess if she does." Rosinante jerked his thumb toward the door as he spoke to Katakuri.
Katakuri frowned when he saw Rosinante speaking—he hadn't heard the words, but he understood the meaning. He nodded.
No matter what, it wasn't wise for him to stay here now.
But just then—
"Nun… Nun… Nun!"
"Give me back the nun—don't think you can run!" Charlotte Linlin's roar abruptly stopped. Her blood-red eyes locked onto Rosinante as she spoke.
She could feel he was about to escape.
"Looks like I've been targeted," Rosinante muttered.
Even though her voice didn't penetrate his soundproof barrier, he could see her will burning in those eyes.
The instant her crimson gaze fell on him, Rosinante felt a suffocating killing intent crash down on him.
It pierced straight into his soul, locking onto him like the fangs of a predator.
"Mama!" the Charlotte children cried out in relief when they realized she'd stopped her monstrous wailing.
Those terrifying howls had been dangerous—but in truth, they were self-harming, draining her own vitality.
Now, even though she was still frenzied, the fact that she'd stopped meant there was no longer fear for her life.
"Out of my way!" Charlotte Linlin roared, swinging her fist forward.
Her children knew all too well how dangerous she was in this state.
The moment she moved, they scattered. Her fist smashed into the ground, shattering it in a deafening quake—but no one was harmed.
Perhaps somewhere deep inside, Linlin still held on to a shred of consciousness, still had some feeling for her children.
If she had swung her sword instead of her fist just now, many wouldn't have escaped so easily.
Linlin drew back her fist and kept walking toward Rosinante.
"Die!" she snarled, eyes fixed on him, those blood-red pupils burning like those of a wounded beast.
Right now, Charlotte Linlin was at her most dangerous—and Rosinante's instincts screamed in warning.