"Conditions?" York frowned slightly, leaning back in his chair. He looked at Charlotte Linlin with a hint of suspicion. "You're not trying to force me to have children with you, are you?"
"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!!"
Charlotte Linlin threw her head back and laughed heartily, her immense, towering stature swaying so much that York's gaze couldn't help but be momentarily drawn to her dangerous curves.
"If you were willing, I'd be more than happy to!" Charlotte Linlin said with a predatory smile. "But I know you well enough, York. I know you definitely wouldn't agree to that condition."
On this point, the Queen of Totto Land had very clear self-awareness. If York had been genuinely interested in her in that way, they would have already shared a bed back on Pirate Island Hachinosu. It wouldn't have been possible for them to sail under Rocks for years without a single intimate encounter.
As she spoke, Charlotte Linlin clapped her massive hands. Immediately, the side doors of the banquet hall opened. Streusen, the Head Chef and co-founder of the crew, walked in, leading a line of young girls into the room.
York watched the group of girls with a deepening frown; he had already guessed exactly what Charlotte Linlin's condition was.
Sure enough, Charlotte Linlin laughed, gesturing grandly to the line. "My condition is simple! I want you to marry one of my daughters!"
"Heh." York sneered, crossing his arms. "You have quite the plan, Linlin. Trying to take advantage of me and gain seniority over me as my mother-in-law?"
"Ma-ma-ma! If you insist on thinking of it that way, there's nothing I can do." Charlotte Linlin's smile faded, her expression turning ice-cold and utterly pragmatic. "Considering the massive favor I owe you from God Valley, I will still help you this once. But in return, our debts will be completely settled. We will go our separate ways from now on."
She leaned forward, her shadow falling over the table.
"However... if you are willing to marry a daughter of mine, we will be bound by blood. We will be permanent allies in the New World. No matter which side the World Government tries to concentrate its naval forces against, we can watch out for each other and assist one another!"
Charlotte Linlin's words not only revealed her true, ambitious intentions, but also exposed the reality of her current geopolitical anxiety.
Although York and Linlin had each gotten what they wanted from the apocalyptic battle of God Valley, the terrifying, god-like power displayed by Rocks and the mysterious Imu had deeply rattled her. With her own utopian empire currently in its fragile nascent stages, she was equally worried about the World Government's impending military pressure.
Therefore, at this exact moment, when York needed an external Emperor to help protect his territory, she desperately wanted York's absolute guarantee that he would lend his monstrous strength if she encountered a similar Buster Call in the future.
York narrowed his eyes in thought, carefully weighing the tactical value of this transaction and Charlotte Linlin's long-term credibility.
Judging from the storyline revealed in the Wano Country arc of his previous life, Charlotte Linlin's promises regarding family and alliances were actually relatively trustworthy. Although there were instances of her acting erratically—intentionally holding back against Nami and Otama, or backstabbing Ulti and Page One due to her peculiar moral code—she still went all out when facing legitimate threats like Law and Kid. It was just a pity her combat intelligence wasn't absolute top-tier, ultimately leading to her defeat by two rookies.
But as an ally to hold the line? She was an indestructible iron wall.
"Alright," York finally said. "If you want to form a long-term alliance with me through blood, it's not entirely unacceptable. It's just..."
York looked at the young girls lined up under Streusen's guidance, and he couldn't help but grimace slightly.
It wasn't that he disliked beautiful women; it was just that the girls standing in front of him were far too young. Charlotte Linlin's eldest daughter, Compote, was only twelve years old this year, barely pushing thirteen. The ages of the other girls in the line were obviously even younger.
"Check back in a few years, Linlin. They are all way too young right now."
"That won't do!!" Charlotte Linlin's tone sank, her gaze becoming razor-sharp. "If you don't give me a definite name right here and now, I can't trust your promise!"
"You still need to doubt my credibility?!" York glared back.
"Of course I do!! You haven't given me a single, formal, binding promise until now!" Charlotte Linlin sneered. "No matter how good your words sound today, what if you renege later when the Marines show up at my doorstep? We are no longer crewmates on the same ship, York!!"
York's expression froze. From an Emperor's perspective, he completely understood her paranoia.
His eyes became serious, and he stood up, walking down the line to carefully select from among the young girls brought by Streusen.
After some tactical deliberation, he finally stopped and pointed to a pair of twin sisters.
Charlotte Custard, with her deep purple hair, and Charlotte Angel, with her lighter purple hair.
In his transmigrator memory, York recalled that these two young girls grew up to be quite stunning. Although York's actual favorites from the Charlotte Family were Galette and Pudding, they simply hadn't been born yet. York didn't even know who their respective fathers were at this point in the timeline. So, he settled for the next best thing and chose this pair of twins.
"These two, then," York declared. "How old are they this year?"
"Eight years old. They'll be nine after the New Year," Charlotte Linlin smiled triumphantly, waving at the timid twin sisters. "Custard, Angel. Come here."
The two little girls obediently walked up to the towering Queen.
Charlotte Linlin bent down, effortlessly lifting both of them onto the massive dining table with her hands. She pointed a massive, jewel-encrusted finger at York.
"Look closely, my sweetings! This powerful man will be your husband from now on!"
Custard and Angel nodded, their big eyes blinking in absolute confusion. Being eight years old, they vaguely understood the dictionary definition of the word 'husband,' but anything beyond that was entirely lost on them.
York felt quite helpless about the sheer absurdity of the situation, but there was nothing he could do. This was the New World; Charlotte Linlin insisted on binding their empires this way.
"Are you satisfied now?" York asked, returning to his seat.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma!" Charlotte Linlin smiled contentedly. "There's just one more thing!"
York's eyes immediately grew cold. "Don't push your luck, Linlin!!"
Hearing the lethal warning in his voice, Charlotte Linlin snorted unhappily.
"Are you the only one allowed to worry about your base being ambushed by the World Government?!" she snapped. "When you sail to Hachinosu to go to war with Ochoku, I demand that Stussy comes here and brings all of my children into the Mirror World for absolute safekeeping!"
Linlin slammed her hand on the table. "If you're unwilling to accept this, then everything we just discussed is off!"
Upon hearing this, York's hostile expression gradually softened.
"So it's just a VIP escort mission," York exhaled, waving his hand dismissively. "That is a small matter. No problem."
With that, York stood up from his seat, and Charlotte Linlin extended her massive hand. The two Emperors clashed palms, the sheer force of their handshake generating a crisp shockwave that rattled the teacups.
York and Charlotte Linlin spoke in perfect, deadly unison:
"The agreement is established!! Whoever betrays it... will sink to the bottom of the sea forever!!"
Emerging from the sugary gates of Whole Cake Chateau, York couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
His geopolitical worries were now entirely resolved. He had secured his base, and in the future, a long-term, highly stable cooperative relationship would be established with the Big Mom Pirates.
The military and territorial benefits were astronomical.
'But... the price was that I actually had to sell my body to secure an alliance...'
Thinking of this, York couldn't help but chuckle inwardly as he walked down the frosted path to the docks. Shouldn't it always be the beautiful female spies who have to use honey traps to secure borders? How did it turn into an Emperor of the Sea doing it?!
However, he honestly wasn't too averse to it. After all, before his transmigration in his previous life, he had often admired several of Charlotte Linlin's beautiful daughters. Especially Galette and Pudding. The former's aesthetic was particularly alluring, and York genuinely liked the latter's complex, tsundere personality. Custard and Angel would undoubtedly grow into exceptional queens of the Crimson Empire.
Walking from the Chateau to the pristine dock, York swung his leg over his red jet ski. Just before twisting the throttle and blasting away, he looked back over his shoulder at the towering, cake-shaped castle piercing the sky.
'In the future, who will swallow whose Empire...' York smirked, his eyes flashing with raw ambition. 'It's hard to say, Linlin!!'
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