"!!!"
Charlotte Linlin's words sent a ripple of gasps through the room.
Although Perospero and Katakuri had expected something, Charlotte Linlin's remark—that it was fine to marry as many as he wanted—still shocked them.
It wasn't unusual for men of the sea to have multiple wives, but this was BIG MOM's daughter—their sister—a treasure beyond measure. And now Mama was casually offering her out, not just one, but several at once. How could they accept that?
"Mama, this isn't necessary!"
Even Katakuri, normally so reserved, widened his eyes and spoke without restraint.
"Shut up, Katakuri!"
Charlotte Linlin's tone left no room for argument. After scolding her son, she turned her gaze to Yemu, waiting for his response.
The Sky Pirates looked at Charlotte Linlin with puzzled expressions.
"Does she really want to recruit the captain that badly?"
Yemu himself was somewhat taken aback. From Charlotte Linlin's eyes, her urgency was palpable. She seemed desperate to bring him under her banner.
"Could it be because of her own status?"
That seemed the only explanation.
Even though BIG MOM's offer was extremely tempting, and several of her daughters were undeniably beautiful, Yemu still shook his head.
"Thank you for your generosity, but I must decline."
Disappointment immediately spread across Charlotte Linlin's massive face, tinged with a flash of anger.
"Why? Are my daughters not beautiful? Or is it that…"
She glanced toward Flare, standing by Yemu.
"You already have someone in your heart!"
Flare froze under Charlotte Linlin's gaze, then realized what had been implied. She instinctively tried to wave off the accusation, but her body betrayed her, frozen by her own mind, and a faint blush colored her cheeks as she looked at Yemu.
Seeing this, Charlotte Linlin turned back to Yemu.
"Well, that doesn't matter. Isn't it normal for a man of the sea to have several wives? As long as you agree, you may choose any of my daughters."
Everyone's shock deepened.
"That's too much!"
Flare instinctively felt anger on behalf of BIG MOM's daughters. If her own father had dared such a thing, she would have revolted on the spot.
Perospero, Katakuri, and Mont-d'Or looked bewildered, unable to understand why Mama was so eager to recruit this man. Yet they dared not speak, instead casting hostile glances at Yemu.
Yemu, unfazed, replied bluntly.
"Charlotte Linlin, you're mistaken. Since I am Lillilu's young master, she is already mine. If you won't return her, then I'll take her myself."
"Take her yourself!"
Repeated refusals had clearly exhausted Charlotte Linlin's patience. Her brows furrowed, and her expression darkened.
"Hey, kid, you don't think that just because you fought that brat Kaidou you're on his level, do you?"
Yemu remained entirely calm.
"We'll see after we fight!"
"Is that so!?"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes locked onto Yemu, her voice trailing into a drawn-out challenge.
"It's been a long time since I last saw a man dare to talk this big in front of me..."
As she spoke, a sinister smile spread across her face, and she looked toward the empty cage in the book.
"Since you're so confident, let's play a game, Perospero..."
Perospero jolted when his name was suddenly called.
"Mama, I'm here!"
"Is the entertainment for the banquet the day after tomorrow ready?"
"It's already been arranged, Mama."
"Add one more act. Make it the finale."
As Charlotte Linlin said this, she turned to Yemu.
"You only have 48 hours, two days. In 48 hours, my wedding will begin. As the final act of the wedding, I'll take all of her lifespan. Since you're so confident, then come and try. Let's see whether you can save her from my hands."
After saying that, she looked at the empty cage again, her face full of sly delight.
"Mamamama... What a shame. She's such a precious Mythical Zoan. I originally planned to keep her as part of my collection, but it can't be helped. Her life is in your hands now. So let's end our chat here. Perospero, Katakuri, my sons, make sure you treat this brat well over the next two days... Mamamama..."
Laughing cheerfully, Charlotte Linlin rose to her feet, turned around, and headed back to her room.
Only then did Perospero let out a breath of relief. He looked at Yemu and the others.
"Captain Yemu, this way, please. We've already arranged a place for you to stay on the island..."
...
Charlotte Linlin's so-called hospitality was naturally nothing more than surveillance.
After Perospero escorted Yemu and the others to the quarters prepared for them in the castle, they could tell they were being watched from all sides without even needing Observation Haki.
Inside the room, following Yemu's instructions, everyone first gathered up every mirror in the room. Only then did they sit together and begin discussing what had happened today.
Ordinarily, after something like this, everyone should have been at least a little rattled.
No matter how one looked at it, the woman named Charlotte Linlin was a terrifying monster, and the strongest enemy the Sky Pirates had faced so far. Yet everyone was unexpectedly calm. The reason was simple. Yemu had always given them confidence.
No matter what situation they ran into, their captain always seemed able to find a way through it.
And Yemu did not disappoint them.
Sitting on the sofa under everyone's gaze, he spoke in a low voice.
"Although I have no desire to be an unruly guest, it seems we have no other choice now. Charlotte Linlin was right. I am very confident. But what she doesn't know is that all of that confidence comes from how well I understand her. You could even say I know her better than she knows herself."
The moment he said that, everyone visibly settled down, and the last trace of unease disappeared.
Using Observation Haki to sense every movement around them, Enel asked with obvious excitement,
"What do we do next? Cause a huge scene?"
"No rush. We still have 48 hours. Before anything begins, we need to confirm two things first."
As Yemu spoke, he began issuing orders directly.
"First, Enel, I need you to use sound to determine the layout of the entire castle, especially the location of the treasury. Don't miss anything, whether it's Lillilu's location or the Poneglyphs."
"As for the second matter, Kuromu, I need you to use the power of the Doa Doa no Mi and see whether you can enter the alternate space created by the Mira Mira no Mi."
"Once we've confirmed those two things, we'll decide on the plan of action..."