"Katakuri, what do you think the Straw Hats should do?" Big Mom asked, her mood clearly sour.
"Mom, the leader of Germa 66 in the North Blue contacted us. He claims that 'Black Leg' Sanji is his third son whom he left in the East Blue. He says he can decide Sanji's marriage and wants to arrange a union with our family ." Katakuri reported the latest news carefully.
"Well, so that is the case," Big Mom mused. "However, Germa 66 has a bold plan. They want to rely on the protection of two Emperors at once!"
"Should I tell them no?" Katakuri asked.
"No, I agree to it. I was worried about how to form an alliance with the Straw Hats. While it isn't Luffy, this Sanji is a strong candidate, especially since his Goro Goro no Mi powers are very formidable."
"Understood, Mom. I will handle this matter personally," Katakuri replied. He was cautious where the Straw Hats were concerned; the Big Mom Pirates had suffered enough setbacks against them and could not afford another failure.
On Beehive Island, the base of the Blackbeard Pirates, Marshall D. Teach let out his signature laugh.
"Thief hahahaha! That fellow Aokiji... is he really joining the Straw Hats, or is this just a show?" Blackbeard doubted the news.
"Captain, the Straw Hats are incredibly famous now. Is it so strange that Aokiji would join them?" Burgess asked, puzzled.
Blackbeard turned to Shiryu, the former Marine who was covered in bandages and smoking a cigar. "Shiryu, what do you think of your former Marine colleague?"
"If it were me, I would also choose the Straw Hats," Shiryu stated bluntly.
Blackbeard didn't get angry; he simply laughed. The Straw Hats' reputation had reached a peak after the Dressrosa incident. Even the fearless Kaido had been forced to retreat, and Blackbeard himself wasn't ready to face them.
Luffy was not even 18 years old yet and had a bright future, while the other Emperors were aging. "Keep investigating," Blackbeard ordered. "If this is true, we will keep a low profile for a while. The Straw Hats are too terrifying, thief hahaha!"
On the Moby Dick, Marco shared the news with the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Aokiji is joining Luffy's crew? You're joking!" Ace shouted, shocked. "In that case, the Straw Hats will dominate the New World!"
"Ace's younger brother is truly amazing," Vista and Jozu agreed. "He can even recruit a Marine Admiral!"
Whitebeard, however, burst into laughter. "My silly sons, you are overthinking this. Aokiji just left the Marines. A man of his talent is valued everywhere, but he went to the Straw Hats in such a public way. It feels wrong. He is trying to cover his true tracks by making a scene."
"So he's using them as a distraction for his real plans?" Marco asked.
"Whether it is true or not, we will see soon," Whitebeard said confidently. "I'll bet my wine on it! Ku la la la!"
Over at the Red-Haired Pirates' camp, Shanks held another banquet. Whether the news was true or not didn't matter; it was simply a great excuse to party.
The next morning, Aokiji woke up in a guest room on the Sunny, rubbing his head. "Really... young people today don't know how to be restrained. I was practically hurt listening to them last night. Being too knowledgeable is a curse." He put on his sunglasses to hide the dark circles under his eyes.
Outside the room, he saw Marie leaving the infirmary while Chopper gave her a warning.
"Marie, you've had too many nosebleeds lately. You are lacking energy. I'll ask Sanji to make you something nourishing. Stop eating so many biscuits!"
"Okay, okay," Marie muttered. "I won't watch at night... I mean, I won't eat biscuits anymore."
She bumped into Carl and Robin, who were leaving their room together.
"What's wrong with Marie?" Carl asked quietly.
"I'm not sure," Robin replied. "Maybe she just needs more rest. I'll have Chopper look after her."
Aokiji, watching from a distance, just sighed at the sky. He felt like a victim of the couple's late-night activities as much as the little girl was.
After breakfast, Sabo called to confirm a meeting place with Aokiji. He hung up quickly, seemingly afraid to talk to Luffy after the "second sister-in-law" teasing from the day before.
"It's time for me to go," Aokiji announced. "My thanks to the Straw Hats."
"Hold on, Uncle Kuzan," Carl said coolly. "You used us to create a distraction. A simple thank you isn't enough."
"You should owe us a favor," Zoro added. "Or give us 100 million Berry."
"100 million Berry!" Luffy and Nami shouted in unison, their eyes lighting up at the thought of the money.
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