"With skills like yours, you dare come after me?"
Meiser frowned as he held a bounty hunter by the collar. "Are you brainless?"
Hadn't these idiots heard how many bounty hunters they'd already beaten to a pulp? Or perhaps... they thought themselves special, believing everyone else was trash and that they alone could defeat him?
"You damn pirate—"
"Spare me the bounty hunter clichés."
With a scowl, Meiser casually flung the man away.
"Whoosh—"
Like a cannonball, the bounty hunter soared across the street before crashing into the outskirts.
"BOOM!!"
The impact left a crater in the ground, the bounty hunter unconscious before he even hit it.
"You bastard pirate, I'll kill you—"
"Hmm?"
Meiser merely glanced at the next bounty hunter charging toward him.
"Guh— AHH!!"
"No! Don't kill me!"
"AAAH!!"
The bounty hunter clutched his throat in terror before collapsing, scared stiff into unconsciousness.
"That guy's terrifying..."
"So that's the Blood-Eyed Ninja of the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"Those bounty hunters had a death wish, picking a fight with someone like him..."
"Money makes the world go round. Just glad he's not coming after us."
The nearby pirates whispered among themselves, eyeing Meiser warily as he stood in the street, praying he wouldn't turn his fists on them.
"Hmm?"
"Eek!"
A single glance from Meiser sent them scrambling, nearly tripping over themselves in panic. Fortunately, he just as quickly looked away.
"Nothing but weaklings," Meiser muttered. "Where are those Supernovas?"
To hone his Haki, he needed opponents worth his time. These small fries weren't even worth using it on.
Shaking his head, he called out to one of the pirates, "Hey, you!"
"Y-yes?!"
"What do you need, sir?"
The man trembled, fearing Meiser might obliterate him on the spot.
"Relax. I've got no interest in bullying the likes of you." Meiser waved dismissively. "Tell me where the other Supernovas are."
"Supernovas?"
The pirate blinked. What the hell was that? With a measly bounty of a few million berries, he'd never even heard the term. Maybe... his captain would know?
"The ones with bounties over a hundred million," Meiser clarified. "Like that Kid guy or whatever."
"Sorry, I don't know..."
Seeing the man wasn't lying, Meiser shrugged. "Don't know? Fine."
Guess those guys weren't making waves either. Probably holed up somewhere, waiting for their ships to get coated.
With another shake of his head, Meiser strode off into the distance.
"We... we lived..."
"Lucky bastard..."
"Let's get out of here. Back to the ship—this place is too dangerous."
"Yeah, good call."
Exchanging nervous glances, the pirates grabbed their belongings and bolted. Within moments, the street was completely deserted.
"It seems finding these guys won't be easy," Meiser mused, stroking his chin. "Then let's see if we can locate that fellow called Katakuri."
Shakky had mentioned the man had a bounty exceeding one billion berries—someone of that caliber would undoubtedly be strong.
If the opportunity arose, crossing blades with him might be an interesting experience.
"Hey!"
"Meiser!!"
"Hmm?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Meiser instinctively turned sideways and immediately spotted his Moss Head.
"Ah!"
"Zoro!"
A grin instantly spread across Meiser's face. "What are you doing here, you bastard?"
As he spoke, Meiser turned and walked toward Zoro.
"Just wandered here while taking a stroll," Zoro said, lifting the bottle in his hand. "Want some?"
"This is good stuff!"
He'd stumbled upon this tavern when entering the commercial district—the liquor here was exceptionally fine. If only he could carry more, he'd have bought extra.
"Not now. Might have to fight later."
"Fight?"
Zoro blinked. Why would they need to fight? Was someone causing trouble for Meiser?
The thought of someone targeting Meiser reminded Zoro of the matter with his supposed fiancée. He immediately pointed behind him. "Oh yeah, Meiser, someone's looking for you."
"Someone?"
"Where?"
Meiser glanced behind Zoro but saw no one.
Zoro: ???
Zoro turned around, baffled, only to realize the two people who had been following him had vanished without a trace.
Zoro stiffened, then scowled. "Were they lying to me?"
Was that woman not Meiser's fiancée after all? But then how did she know about Meiser's eyes being a symbol of his bloodline?
Just then, Galette emerged from a side alley, wearing a gentle smile.
"Hello, Meiser. I'm your fiancée, Galette."
Meiser: ???
Meiser looked at Galette, then back at Zoro. "You mean her?"
"Yeah, her," Zoro confirmed, nodding.
At the same time, Zoro was puzzled—where had she gone earlier?
With that in mind, Zoro stepped forward, eyeing Galette. "Where'd you go just now? And where's that big guy?"
"You ran too fast earlier—I couldn't keep up," Galette explained. "As for my brother... he received some news and left for now."
When they first disembarked, she had discussed this with her brother. Once she met Meiser, she would handle the conversation herself.
So when they encountered Meiser, Katakuri had left Galette's side, choosing to observe from the shadows instead.
As for whether his sister might be attacked by Meiser...
With his future-sensing Observation Haki, Katakuri was confident he could rescue her no matter what happened.
"Is that so?"
Zoro frowned. He had been running pretty fast earlier.
Whatever. Whether this woman was really Meiser's fiancée or not—he could just ask Meiser directly.
With that thought, Zoro turned to Meiser. "She says she's your fiancée. Is that true?"
"Like hell she is," Meiser retorted. "I don't even know her."
"So it was all a lie..."
Zoro's expression instantly turned cold as he looked at Galette and asked, "Who are you? What's your purpose?"
As he spoke, Zoro placed his hand on his sword hilt, watching Galette with wary eyes.
"I told you, my name is Galette, and I'm Meiser's fiancée." Galette paused after speaking, then added, "I know you don't believe me, but I've decided to marry Meiser, so calling myself his fiancée isn't wrong."
Zoro: !!!
Meiser: ???
Zoro glanced between Galette and Meiser, momentarily at a loss for words.
Her claim didn't seem false, but Meiser was his comrade and wouldn't lie to him either... What exactly was going on here?
Meiser patted Zoro's shoulder, signaling that he would handle this matter himself. Then he stepped forward to face Galette and said, "You—"
"Let's get married!!"
Meiser: ...
Cut off mid-sentence, Meiser stared dumbfounded at Galette. How could she propose out of nowhere like this?
They'd only just met for the first time... and she was already proposing?
"This feels oddly familiar..."
Zoro's lips twitched. He felt like he'd seen this scene somewhere before.
Oh, right—that woman named Lola they'd met at Moria's place.
Thinking of this, Zoro remarked, "She's just like Lola."
"Oh?"
"You've met Lola?" Galette's face lit up with excitement. "How is she doing now?"
"You know her?"
Seeing their guarded expressions, Galette explained, "Of course I know her. I'm her older sister."
"I was so worried when she ran away from home."
"Older... sister?!"
Zoro stared at Galette in shock. The two didn't look alike at all.
Their appearances... couldn't be called identical—more like completely unrelated.
Were they... really sisters?
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth." Galette elaborated, "She's Mom's 23rd daughter, and I'm her 18th."
"Your mom sure was... prolific."
"Yeah, Mom really did have a lot of children." Galette sighed.
Because there were so many children, the love each received grew scarce.
One could say that after turning ten, none of them truly experienced maternal affection again.
So... she vowed that when she became a mother, she would make sure her child always felt her love!
Watching Galette's wistful expression, Meiser gradually furrowed his brows.
A pirate with many children... Why did this sound similar to what Shakky had told him about one of the Four Emperors Crews?
Hmm... Was this a coincidence?
Or was she actually from that crew?
"Why did Lola run away from home?"
"Because Mom arranged a marriage for her with someone she didn't like." Galette replied. "To avoid becoming a sacrificial pawn, she fled."
"Though some might call it rebellious... it was also very brave."
After all, in the BIG MOM Pirates, Mom's orders were absolute—no one was allowed to defy them!
Even if you were forced to marry someone you hated, you had no choice but to obey!!
Because of this, many of the sisters ended up marrying men they didn't particularly like—one could say... it was a kind of tragedy.
But the only one who truly went as far as Lola did was her alone.
That's why her sisters still hoped Lola could survive and find happiness.
And that was also the reason she managed to escape from Totto Land so smoothly!
Most of their siblings didn't even bother to seriously stop her!
Otherwise, with that girl's strength, did she really think she could escape from Totto Land?
Absolutely impossible!
"So that's what happened..." Meiser frowned. "Is that why Lola proposes to everyone she meets?"
Was she... trying to marry herself off as soon as possible to escape that fate?
Looking at it that way, he could understand Lola's actions.
"Seems my earlier guess was right—Lola really was running away from an arranged marriage."
"Maybe..." Galette shook her head. "But unlike Lola, I've only ever said such things to you."
She needed to make that clear to Meiser—she wasn't the same as Lola.
Zoro hesitated, unsure what to say. What was this? Another woman forced into marriage by her mother?
What kind of family was this...? Was there really a mother like this in the world?
Zoro didn't understand. Not one bit.
"Could you let the two of us talk alone?" Galette smiled at Zoro. "Don't worry, I won't harm him."
Perhaps afraid Zoro wouldn't trust her, she added, "Besides... I might not even be able to beat him in a fight."
That much was true. If they really fought, she might not win.
After all... her bounty was only a little over 200 million Berries.
Zoro didn't respond, instead glancing at Meiser. Only after seeing Meiser nod did he turn and walk toward a nearby tree.
Once there, he sat cross-legged on the ground, leaning back against the trunk, silently watching the two from a distance.
At this range, he wouldn't hear their conversation, but he could rush over immediately if something unexpected happened.
In the end... Zoro didn't fully trust her words.
If Meiser hadn't nodded, Zoro wouldn't have left at all.
"Before we continue, there's something I need to ask you," Meiser said.
"Go ahead."
"Are you... by any chance, a Charlotte?"
"Yes, I am. I'm from the BIG MOM Pirates," Galette answered frankly. "My full name is Charlotte Galette!"
"Bounty: 235 million Berries."
"Paramecia-type Butter Fruit user, age 29, measurements are—"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Seeing Galette getting increasingly carried away, Meiser quickly cut her off. "Why are you giving so many details?"
The level of detail was ridiculous—now she was listing her measurements? What was this?
"Of course, so you can get to know me better," Galette said with a laugh.
Clearly, Galette didn't mind Meiser knowing about her affairs. On the contrary, she hoped he would learn even more.
This way... wouldn't it bring the two of them closer?
Meiser felt somewhat helpless. This girl seemed completely unguarded—wasn't she afraid he might be a scoundrel?
But this also confirmed for Meiser that she was indeed from one of the Four Emperors Crews, and her landing on this island... was specifically for him.
It really... turned out just as Sister Shakky had guessed.
"Let's sit down first."
As he spoke, Meiser gestured to a nearby seat, indicating they should talk there.
Once seated, Meiser said, "So... you're also marrying me because of your mother?"
"Yes, and no."
Meiser: ???
What did that mean? Why did she also have to speak in such cryptic terms?
Seeing Meiser's exasperated expression, Galette explained, "It's true that Mother ordered me to marry you, but unlike my sister Lola, I don't resist this arrangement."
After a pause, she added with a sigh, "Meiser, do you know? For people like us... being able to marry someone we actually like is already a luxury."
As she spoke, she thought of her older sisters, who had been married off by their mother to pirates who joined their crew—whether they liked it or not.
Even now... she could still remember how one of her sisters had wept before her wedding over a decade ago.
But what could they do?
As their mother's daughters, they had no choice.
Compared to them... her current situation was already incredibly fortunate.
"Absolute authority, huh...?"
"Exactly."
"But even so, it shouldn't—"
"This is our fate, Meiser."
Meiser fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Fate?"
"I don't believe in that."
"You don't understand. In this family, we have no choice."
Not just her—even her sister Smoothie would have to marry if circumstances demanded it.
"So you—"
"As I said earlier," Galette interrupted, "I don't object to marrying you."
"Why?"
"Because I've taken a liking to you."
Meiser: ...
"You've never even met me before," Meiser retorted. "How could you possibly 'like' me?"
He hadn't even been in this world for half a month. If she knew him at all, it would only be from his Wanted Poster.
Under those circumstances... how could she claim to like him?
"I saw you in the newspapers and on your Wanted Poster," Galette said.
Meiser: ???
"That's it?"
"Why not?" Galette shrugged. "Meiser, I'm a pirate. Pirates aren't exactly known for subtlety."
"Mother made the decision, and I think you're not bad, so I have no reason to resist."
After a brief pause, she added seriously, "You might not understand women very well. Whether we like someone or not—we can usually tell at first glance."
"So you saw my Wanted Poster and just... fell for me?"
"Pretty much."
Galette smiled and said, "Of course, after meeting you in person, I like you even more."
"So... come back with me and get married!"
"After marrying into our Charlotte Family, you'll receive unimaginable benefits!"
"If you agree, we can set off for the New World right now. Under Mama's witness, we'll hold a grand wedding!!"
As she spoke these last words, Galette raised her hands animatedly, her eyes sparkling.
Her expression was like... a little girl with dreams, finally about to obtain what she'd longed for.
Clearly, she'd been looking forward to her wedding for a long time.
"Your answer?"
Facing the expectant Galette, Meiser hesitated before replying, "I'm a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. I can't betray my captain to marry into your pirate crew."
"And... when it comes down to it, we've only just met, haven't we?"
Galette's expression froze at these words. Her smile gradually faded, and the light in her eyes dimmed.
"Is that so..."
Crunch
"Hmm?"
Meiser looked around in confusion. Did he just hear a strange sound?
On a rooftop out of his sight, a tall man sat gripping the brick he'd just crushed in his hand.
"He refused..."
Veins bulged on the second brother's forehead.
His little sister had made herself perfectly clear, yet that brat dared to refuse... Did he think people from a Four Emperors Crew were pushovers?
This bastard had no idea how much pressure Galette was under!
If she returned without bringing him back, Galette would surely face Mama's punishment—something he couldn't bear to see.
Thinking this, Katakuri prepared to teach that kid a lesson.
How dare he reject his adorable little sister? He needed to be disciplined!
But before he could act, he seemed to sense something and immediately stopped, letting out a quiet sigh.
"Ah—it's fine!"
Galette suddenly declared loudly, "We still have time anyway! It's not like you have to agree right now!"
Meiser: ???
Watching Galette, Meiser's eyes showed confusion. Why was she speaking so loudly?
Though he didn't understand, his stance remained unchanged.
"Galette, I've already ref—"
Before he could finish, Galette pressed a finger to his lips, forcibly silencing him.
Meiser gave her a strange look and saw her subtly shaking her head, her eyes pleading.
As if saying: Please... don't say it.
Meiser frowned slightly. Suddenly, he sensed this situation might be more complicated than he'd thought.
Was there... something here he didn't know about?