"A key!?"
This was an answer Katakuri had never considered.
He thought back to Yemu, whom he had met earlier that day, and couldn't connect him to anything resembling a key. He had even less of an idea how such a key might be used.
Then, as a thought struck him, he spoke up.
"But didn't Roger already reach Laugh Tale? Does he have the key you mentioned, Mama?"
"Hmph..."
Charlotte Linlin clearly disliked that name, but she spoke anyway.
"If that guy had really gotten his hands on that treasure, he wouldn't be the Pirate King now, and he wouldn't have turned himself in to the Marines!"
"What!?"
Katakuri was startled, then quickly realized what she meant.
"Mama, you mean Roger turned himself in, not that he was captured by the Marines?"
"Of course."
Charlotte Linlin's tone carried a hint of disdain.
"With the Marines and the World Government, there's no way they could have caught him. And judging by his dying words in Loguetown, he'd planned this all along. Even though I truly dislike that man, I have to admit he's remarkable."
Katakuri was stunned.
He had seen Roger before. Five years ago, Roger came to Whole Cake Island and secretly copied the Poneglyphs from Mama's collection, which had left Katakuri furious for quite some time.
Now, after hearing Mama's account, he couldn't help but feel admiration for a man who could face death so calmly.
"So, Mama, what exactly is the treasure of Laugh Tale?"
Katakuri had assumed his Mama knew, but as he asked, he saw Charlotte Linlin shake her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
"I'm afraid I don't know either. All I know is that the man said Laugh Tale holds the answers to every problem in this world."
"The answers to every problem!!!"
"Ah… Mamama, that man is utterly terrifying. If I hadn't been involved in the creation of this key, he probably wouldn't have told me any of this. Even so, all I know is this kid's background. But that's enough. If I, Mama, want to rule these seas, we absolutely must get our hands on this kid."
"I see!"
At that moment, Katakuri fully understood his Mama's actions and seemed to have figured out something as he looked at the giant book before him.
"So, Mama, you never actually intended to kill that fox?"
"Of course not! After all, we used to be allies, and besides..."
Charlotte Linlin now wore a wicked smile as she gazed at the giant book and spoke slowly.
"That fox knows quite a few secrets, doesn't she?"
"But what if that kid still refuses to join Mama's ranks!?"
Charlotte Linlin's expression instantly hardened, her face darkening.
"Then there's no choice. If I can't have him, no one else can get that key either!"
"Now, Katakuri, you know how important that kid is to Mama, don't you?"
Katakuri's expression tightened, and he said seriously,
"Don't worry, Mama. What happened with Roger won't happen again!"
"Mamamama, I hope you don't let me down, Katakuri!"
After speaking, Charlotte Linlin glanced at her son, then lifted her massive body and happily left the room, leaving only Katakuri behind to guard it.
Meanwhile, in a room somewhere in the castle, the members of the Sky Pirates sat together, each wearing a different expression.
Just moments ago, Enel had recounted, word for word, the conversation between Charlotte Linlin and Katakuri.
From the beginning, this game between Yemu and Big Mom had been unfair.
Enel's Observation Haki was uniquely terrifying—even within the entire pirate world.
In Yemu's view, this ability to eavesdrop over such a vast area was far more useful than predicting the future or hearing the voices of all things.
After Charlotte Linlin and Katakuri finished speaking, it took some time for everyone to process the information they had received.
"We've certainly heard some incredible things, Captain!"
As the most mature man in the Sky Pirates, Tiger was like a patriarch to the crew.
The Sky Pirates were relatively young. Aside from Tiger, who was in his thirties, Yemu and the others were generally under twenty. Not to mention the two young girls, Ayala and BABY-5. Though the Kuro Brothers had lived for a long time, mentally they were clearly no match for the two girls.
Therefore, Tiger naturally gave the most thought to the crew's future path—even Yemu couldn't match him in that regard.
Now, hearing such a massive secret about their captain, how could he not be shocked?
"So, does that mean as long as Yemu is here, we'll be able to get our hands on that so-called great treasure!?"
Enel's thinking was simple.
"That's not entirely wrong. At least, if Big Mom is telling the truth, then we, the Sky Pirates, have an advantage over other pirates on the path to Laugh Tale."
"Is that so?!"
Enel looked as if he understood, though whether he fully grasped the implications was unclear.
Flare, standing nearby, asked,
"But what does Big Mom mean by 'the key'? Is there something special about your body, Yemu, that serves as the key to unlocking the treasure?"
"Special!?"
Yemu thought for a moment.
"My body is indeed a bit special, but for now, it just makes me stronger. As for its relation to Laugh Tale, perhaps we'll only find out once we get there. It really does make me look forward to it."
Saying this, Yemu grew a bit excited.
Tiger asked curiously,
"Captain, don't you feel a sense of loss?"
"Loss? What loss?"
Tiger hesitated, then said tactfully,
"Well… Captain, what if you were created for a specific purpose?"
"Why would I feel lost? Shouldn't I be happy?"
Tiger was completely taken aback.
Yemu recalled something and said,
"Rayleigh-san once asked me if I thought I was the one destiny was waiting for in this era."
Combined with what Charlotte Linlin had said today, everyone felt a mysterious sense of resonance.
"Back then, I told him I wasn't the one destiny was waiting for—it definitely wasn't me. But I also told Rayleigh-san that as long as the answer is correct, having more correct answers is better for the world."
"Back then, I couldn't be sure if I was that right answer!"
"But now, at least judging by what Charlotte Linlin has said, whatever my existence signifies, I should be at least one of the right answers."
"So, everyone, don't hesitate or waver. Follow closely behind me, and let's turn this world upside down!"