"With strength like yours, you still dare come looking for trouble with me?"
Jin held a bounty hunter in one hand and frowned.
"Didn't grow a brain?"
They had already beaten down so many bounty hunters before this—had these idiots really learned nothing?
Or had they simply convinced themselves that everyone else was trash, and that if they personally stepped in, they could definitely beat him?
"You damned pirate…"
"If you're a bounty hunter, don't waste my time with nonsense."
Jin frowned and casually flung the man away.
"Whoosh—"
Like a cannonball, the man flew right out of the street and into the outskirts beyond.
"Boom!!"
He smashed a crater into the ground, rolled his eyes back, and lost consciousness.
"Damn pirate, go die—"
"Hm?"
As for the bounty hunter who still dared charge at him, Jin merely gave him a look.
"Urgh…"
"AHHH!!"
"No, don't kill me!"
"AHHH!!"
The bounty hunter clutched his own throat in terror, then fainted on the spot from sheer fear and collapsed to the ground.
"What a terrifying guy…"
"So that's the Blood-Eyed Ninja of the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"These bounty hunters were asking for death, trying to pick a fight with someone like him…"
"Well, money makes ghosts grind the mill. As long as he doesn't attack us, I'm fine with it."
Even as those pirates whispered among themselves, they kept sneaking nervous glances at Jin, afraid he might suddenly come over and punch them.
"Hm?"
"Eek!"
One glance from Jin made them jolt so hard they nearly dropped to the ground.
Fortunately, Jin only looked at them once and then lost interest.
"Why are they all this weak?" Jin muttered. "Where are those Supernovas?"
If he wanted to hone his Haki, he at least needed opponents with actual strength.
These trash mobs…
Weren't even worth using Haki on.
Shaking his head, he looked at one of the pirates and called out,
"Hey! You over there!"
"Yes!"
"What can I do for you, sir?"
The man looked at Jin nervously, clearly terrified that he might get erased on the spot.
"Relax. I'm not interested in bullying you." Jin waved a hand. "Tell me where the other Supernovas are."
"Supernovas?"
The pirate froze.
What was that?
As a lowly nobody with a bounty in the mere millions, he had no idea what a Supernova was.
Maybe…
Maybe his captain would know?
"The guys with bounties over a hundred million," Jin clarified after a moment. "Like that Kid guy, for example."
"Sorry… I don't know…"
Seeing that the man wasn't lying, Jin said,
"Don't know, huh? Fine."
Looks like those guys weren't the flashy type either.
They were probably hiding somewhere, waiting to get their ships coated.
Shaking his head, Jin started walking off into the distance.
"I-I survived…"
"You're lucky…"
"Let's get out of here. Back to the ship. This place is too dangerous."
"Agreed."
The pirates looked at each other, grabbed their things, and ran off without hesitation.
Soon the entire street was empty.
Instantly cleared out.
"Seems finding those guys won't be easy…" Jin muttered, stroking his chin. "Then maybe I'll see if I can find that Katakuri guy."
Shakky had said the man had a bounty over a billion.
Someone like that had to be seriously strong.
If the chance came, crossing hands with him might be interesting.
"Hey!"
"Jin!!"
"Hm?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Jin turned instinctively to the side and immediately spotted his family's green-haired idiot.
"Ah!"
"Zoro!"
A smile instantly spread across Jin's face.
"What are you doing here?"
As he spoke, he turned and walked toward Zoro.
"Just wandered here while taking a walk." Zoro raised the bottle in his hand. "Want some?"
"This is good stuff."
He'd stumbled across a tavern in the commercial district, and the alcohol there had been excellent.
If he could have carried more, he would've bought more.
"Not now. There might be a fight later."
"A fight?"
Zoro paused.
Why would there be a fight?
Had someone come looking for trouble with Jin?
The thought instantly reminded him of that so-called fiancée situation, and he pointed behind himself.
"Oh right, Jin. Someone was looking for you."
"Someone?"
"Where?"
Jin looked behind Zoro, but didn't see anyone.
Zoro: ???
He turned around in confusion and immediately noticed that the two people who had been following him had vanished at some point.
Zoro froze, then his face darkened.
"So they were tricking me?"
That woman wasn't Jin's fiancée after all?
Then why had she known that his eyes were a symbol of his bloodline?
Just then, Galette stepped out of an alleyway, still wearing a warm smile.
"Hello, Jin. I'm your fiancée, Galette."
Jin: ???
Jin looked at Galette, then at Zoro.
"This is who you meant?"
"Yeah. Her." Zoro nodded.
At the same time, he was a little puzzled.
Where had she just gone?
Taking a step forward, Zoro fixed Galette with a sharp stare.
"Where did you go just now? And where's that big guy?"
"You were running too fast earlier. I couldn't keep up," Galette explained. "As for my brother… he received some news and left for the time being."
The moment they disembarked, she'd already told her brother that once she found Jin, she wanted to speak to him herself.
So when she finally saw him, Katakuri had withdrawn into the shadows and chosen to observe from a distance instead.
As for whether his sister might be attacked by Jin…
With his future-seeing Observation Haki, Katakuri was fully confident that if anything happened, he could save her instantly.
"I see…"
Zoro frowned.
Maybe he really had been running too fast.
Forget it.
Whether she was really Jin's fiancée or not, he could just ask Jin directly.
Thinking that, he looked at Jin and said,
"She says she's your fiancée. Is that true?"
"As if." Jin deadpanned. "I don't even know her."
"So it really was a lie…"
Zoro's expression immediately turned cold. He looked at Galette and said,
"Who are you? What do you want?"
As he spoke, he put a hand on his sword hilt, his gaze turning wary.
"I already told you—my name is Galette, and I'm Jin's fiancée." She paused, then added, "I know you don't believe me, but I've already decided I'm going to marry Jin. So saying I'm his fiancée isn't wrong."
Zoro: !!!
Jin: ???
Zoro looked at Galette, then at Jin, and for a moment had no idea what to say.
She didn't sound like she was lying.
But Jin was his crewmate—there was no way Jin would lie to him either.
What the hell was going on?
Jin patted Zoro on the shoulder, signaling that he'd handle it, then stepped in front of Galette.
"You—"
"Let's get married!!"
Jin: …
Interrupted mid-sentence, Jin stared blankly at Galette.
How was this becoming a proposal out of nowhere?
They had literally just met for the first time.
And she was proposing already?
"That… feels weirdly familiar," Zoro muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He could swear he'd seen this kind of scene before.
Oh, right.
That woman named Lola back at Moria's place.
Thinking of that, he said,
"She's kind of like Lola."
"Oh?"
"You've met Lola?" Galette's face lit up with delight. "How is she doing now?"
"You know her?"
Seeing the two of them turn more alert, Galette explained,
"Of course I know her. I'm her sister."
"When she ran away from home, I was worried about her for a very long time."
"S-Sister?!"
Zoro stared at her in shock.
These two didn't look alike at all.
You couldn't even say they vaguely resembled each other.
Was that really possible?
"I know you don't believe it, but it's true." Galette explained, "She's Mother's twenty-third daughter. I'm Mother's eighteenth daughter."
"Your mother sure had a lot of kids…"
"Yes. Mother really does have many children," Galette said with a sigh.
Because there were so many children, the affection each one received was naturally much less.
You could say that after the age of ten, most of them barely experienced any motherly love at all.
So…
She had always hoped that if she ever became a mother, her own child would never lack that love.
Looking at Galette's wistful expression, Jin gradually frowned.
A lot of children…
Why did that sound suspiciously similar to what Shakky had mentioned about one of the Four Emperors' crews?
Hmm…
Coincidence?
Or was she actually from that Emperor's crew?
"Why did Lola run away from home?"
"Because Mother found her a husband she didn't like," Galette said. "To avoid becoming a sacrifice, she ran."
"It may have been rebellious, but… it was also very brave."
Inside the BIG MOM Pirates, Mother's will was absolute.
No one could disobey it.
If she told you to marry someone you hated, then you married them.
Because of that, many of Galette's sisters had ended up wed to men they didn't love.
It could only be called a tragedy.
But among all her siblings, only Lola had dared go as far as running.
So in truth, many of the sisters secretly hoped Lola could survive and find happiness.
That was also why Lola had been able to escape Totto Land so smoothly.
Their brothers and sisters hadn't truly tried to stop her.
Otherwise, with Lola's strength, escaping Totto Land would have been absolutely impossible.
"So something like that really happened…" Jin frowned. "Is that why Lola proposed to everyone she met?"
Was she trying to marry herself off as quickly as possible and completely escape that fate?
Seen that way, he really could understand why Lola acted as she did.
'So my guess back then wasn't wrong… Lola really was running away from an arranged marriage.'
"Maybe…" Galette shook her head. "But I'm different from Lola. I've only said this to you."
She felt that was something she needed to make clear.
She and Lola were not the same.
Zoro looked like he wanted to say something and didn't.
So what was this now—
Another woman being forced into marriage by her mother?
What kind of family was this?
Did mothers like that really exist in this world?
Zoro absolutely could not understand it.
"Could you let the two of us talk alone?" Galette looked at Zoro with a smile. "Don't worry. I won't do anything to harm him."
Perhaps afraid he still wouldn't be convinced, she added,
"Besides… I'm not even sure I could beat him."
That was true.
If the two of them really fought, she wasn't certain she would win.
After all…
Her bounty was only a little over 200 million.
Zoro said nothing. He just glanced at Jin.
Only after Jin nodded did he turn and walk toward the shade of a nearby tree.
There, he sat cross-legged with his back against the trunk, silently watching the two from a distance.
From that position, he couldn't hear what they were saying—
But if anything happened, he could rush over instantly.
At the end of the day… Zoro still hadn't fully trusted her.
If Jin hadn't nodded, he wouldn't have moved at all.
"Before we continue, there's something I need to ask you," Jin said.
"Go ahead."
"You… are you a Charlotte?"
"Yes. My surname is Charlotte. I'm from the BIG MOM Pirates," Galette answered openly. "My full name is Charlotte Galette."
"Bounty: 235 million Berries."
"Paramecia-type, Butter Fruit user, twenty-nine years old, and my measurements are—"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Seeing her get increasingly outrageous, Jin hurriedly cut her off.
"Why are you giving me details like that?"
She was seriously listing her measurements?
What was this, exactly?
"So you can understand me better, of course," Galette said with a smile.
Clearly, she didn't mind Jin learning about her.
On the contrary—
She wanted him to know more.
That way, wouldn't the distance between them become smaller?
Jin felt helpless.
This girl didn't seem guarded at all.
Wasn't she worried he might be some kind of scumbag?
Still, one thing was now certain:
She really was from a Four Emperor crew.
And she had come to this island specifically for him.
Shakky really had guessed it right.
"Sit down first."
As he spoke, Jin gestured toward a nearby bench, signaling for them both to sit.
Once they were seated, he said,
"So… you're saying you also want to marry me because of your mother?"
"Yes and no."
Jin: ???
No, really—what was that supposed to mean?
Why did she also like talking in riddles?
Seeing the urge to complain on his face, Galette said,
"It's true that Mother is the one who wants me to marry you. But unlike Lola, I don't reject the idea."
After a short pause, she looked a little wistful.
"Jin, do you know something?"
"For people like us… being able to marry someone we actually like is already a luxury."
As she spoke, she thought of several of her older sisters.
They had all been married off to pirate men who married into the family.
Whether they liked them or not, they had no choice.
Even now, she still remembered the sight of one of her sisters crying before her wedding more than ten years ago.
But what could anyone do?
As Mother's daughters, they had no freedom.
Compared to that…
Galette was already incredibly fortunate.
"Absolute authority, huh…"
"Yes."
"But even so, it shouldn't mean—"
"That's our fate, Jin."
Jin fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"Fate?"
"I don't believe in that."
"You don't understand. Inside that family, we don't get to choose."
Even someone like Smoothie would be married off if the circumstances called for it.
"So you…"
"I already told you." Galette interrupted him. "I don't mind marrying you."
"Why?"
"Because I like you."
Jin: …
"We've never even met," Jin deadpanned. "How exactly did you decide you like me?"
He had only been in this world for less than half a month.
Even if she knew of him, it would've been from his wanted poster at best.
Under those circumstances…
How could she possibly have decided that?
"I saw you in the newspaper and on your wanted poster," Galette said.
Jin: ???
"Just because of that?"
"What else would it be?" Galette spread her hands. "Jin, I'm a pirate. Pirates do things boldly."
"Mother made the decision, and I happened to think you looked good, so I naturally didn't resist it."
Then she paused, her expression turning serious.
"You may not understand women very well, but whether we like someone or not… we can usually feel it from the first glance."
"So you saw my wanted poster and liked me?"
"More or less."
Galette smiled.
"And after seeing you in person, I liked you even more."
"So…"
"Come back with me and marry me!"
"If you marry into the Charlotte Family, you'll receive benefits you can't even imagine!"
"If you agree, we can leave for the New World right now, and under Mother's witness, we can hold a grand wedding!"
By the time she finished, Galette was gesturing with both hands, her eyes sparkling brightly.
She looked exactly like…
A little girl with a cherished dream finally on the verge of touching it.
Clearly, she had always longed for her wedding.
"So?" she asked. "What's your answer?"
Looking at the anticipation in her eyes, Jin was silent for a moment before answering,
"I'm a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. I'm not going to betray my captain and marry into your pirate crew."
"And besides…"
"This is still our first meeting, isn't it?"
Galette's expression stiffened.
Her smile faded.
So did the light in her eyes.
"I see…"
Crack—
"Hm?"
Jin glanced around in confusion.
Hadn't he just heard some strange sound?
On the rooftop of a nearby building, a tall man was sitting silently, a brick crushed to powder in his hand.
"…So he refused."
Big Brother's forehead was bulging with veins.
His sister had explained herself that clearly, and that brat still dared refuse?
Did he think people from a Four Emperor crew were all that easy to deal with?
That fool had no idea how much pressure Galette was under.
If she met him in person and still failed to bring him back, Mother would absolutely punish her.
That was something Katakuri could never allow.
With that thought, he was just about to reveal himself and teach that brat a lesson.
Rejecting his adorable little sister?
That deserved punishment!
Yet before he could move, it was as if he sensed something. He froze, then let out a quiet sigh.
"…Sigh."
"It's fine!"
Galette suddenly raised her voice.
"Anyway, we still have time. It's not like you have to agree right now!"
Jin: ???
Jin looked at her in confusion.
Why was she suddenly speaking so loudly?
Even if he didn't understand, his answer wasn't going to change.
Thinking that, he said,
"Galette, I already reje—"
Before he could finish, Galette lifted a finger and gently pressed it against his lips, forcing the rest of the words back down.
Jin looked at her, startled.
She gave a tiny shake of her head.
There was even a trace of pleading in her eyes.
As if she were saying:
Please… don't say it.
Jin's brows slowly drew together.
He suddenly had the feeling that things were not as simple as he'd first thought.
Was there something here…
That he didn't know?
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