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In attendance, besides those already mentioned, were two other heavyweights: the "Godfather" of the mortician world, Drug Peclo, and the "Shipping King," Umit.
They, along with Stussy, Morgans, Giberson and Du Feld were known as the "Six Kings of the Underworld," the rulers of the pirate black market.
Peclo, for example, was supposedly in the mortician business, but his real trade was collecting bodies and selling organs. He had also been one of Big Mom's childhood friends, taken in by Mother Carmel.
Stussy, Morgans, and Du Feld needed no introduction.
Giberson controlled the underworld's logistics hub. His warehouses were filled with all manner of contraband, from Poneglyph rubbings to weapons blueprints to wanted criminals.
"Deep Ocean Current" Umit's business was vast, ranging from civilian shipping to transport contracts with the World Government, as well as some black-market smuggling. He was the one who handled the transport for arms deals like the one between Doflamingo and Kaido.
To run a shipping business in the world of One Piece, his strength aside, his connections had to be top-notch.
These two were interested in Jin, but they kept their distance, wary of getting involved in something they didn't understand.
Doflamingo was nowhere to be seen. He had either left or was hiding, keeping a low profile. Jin had no plans to deal with him for now. Doflamingo's status was a complication. It was better to leave him for Law to level up on.
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Big Mom, while stuffing her face with cake, shared stories of her childhood, even mentioning Mother Carmel.
Jin listened patiently.
Big Mom's acquisition of the Soul-Soul Fruit was similar to the demonic carrier's: she had "eaten" the previous user.
But the demonic carrier, having been altered by temporal energy, had had the accumulated wills of all the Munch-Munch Fruit's past users erased.
Big Mom had not. A fragment of Carmel's soul still lingered within her, subtly influencing her.
As he listened, Jin's mind was on another matter: what to do with Gran Tesoro.
This wasn't part of the plan. But plans change. Who could have known that Tesoro would show up and, for some reason, make a move on Uta?
He'd brought it on himself. He had to die.
Taking over his business was a given.
The question was, who would run it?
A place like Gran Tesoro attracted all sorts of people, from Celestial Dragons to common pirates. It needed someone who could command respect and was smart enough to handle it. Besides himself, the only person under his command who fit the bill was Crocodile.
Law was too young. He couldn't command that kind of respect. And his Op-Op Fruit was too dangerous to have around the Celestial Dragons.
Reiju? She was smart, a skilled diplomat, and not weak. But she was a woman. She lacked the intimidating presence needed for the role. In other words, she wasn't strong enough. If she had the power of Big Mom, Jin wouldn't have to worry.
Kuma was out of the question. He was on the World Government's and the Marines' shit list. The moment he showed his face, he'd be a dead man.
The others—Robin, Maya, Wilson, Wyper—they weren't strong enough, and they all had their own roles to play.
He was short on talent. Expanding too fast was a problem. If he couldn't keep up with the training and management, it would all fall apart.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. He was short on talent... so he could just poach it.
With the right leverage, he could even poach a Marine Admiral.
With that thought, a plan began to form. And he had the perfect person in mind.
Jin's gaze shifted to Katakuri, who was wrapped in bandages. As if sensing his stare, Katakuri looked over.
Jin gave him a small smile.
Katakuri was confused, and a little creeped out. Then he remembered. Was this about the three Devil Fruits? He scoffed. The Big Mom Pirates didn't welsh on their debts. The three fruits were ready. They just hadn't had a chance to say so.
Jin, focusing on Katakuri, had inadvertently read his thoughts. He chuckled. He'd almost forgotten about that.
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By the time the Tea Party ended, it was evening. None of the guests had left.
The regulars knew that the real business happened after the meal.
The people here were all giants in their respective fields. This was where they exchanged information, where they made their backroom deals.
Doflamingo, for example, had a private meeting with Big Mom to discuss his plans for Punk Hazard.
Katakuri was the first to approach Jin, delivering the three Devil Fruits and declaring their debt settled.
Stussy, under the pretext of discussing business, hinted that she had obtained a portion of the information he wanted and had left it on a certain island. With so many intelligence agents around, she obviously couldn't carry it on her person.
Umit and Peclo also came to greet Jin, but they didn't stay long, just long enough to exchange contact information.
Finally, there was Ace.
He said he had an urgent matter to discuss and requested a private meeting. Whitebeard's health was a serious issue. He had to be cautious.
After Jin had dismissed his attendants, Ace took a deep breath, dropped to his knees, and pressed his forehead to the deck in a deep bow.
He explained his reason for coming.
Jin sat, his fingers tapping on the arm of his chair. He didn't answer immediately.
The silence was heavy.
Ace could hear his own heart pounding.
Just as he was starting to think it was a lost cause, Jin spoke. "My fee is one Devil Fruit. And Law has to agree to go. And his safety must be guaranteed."
"Alright! Thank you!" Ace said, overjoyed.
"Don't thank me," Jin said. "If Whitebeard were to die now, the world would be a hundred times less interesting."
Ace didn't understand. He thought it was a matter of respect between two powerful men.
"Go," Jin said. "Ask Law."
Ace thanked him again. He was confident he could persuade Law.
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Doflamingo left with a smile on his face. The meeting had gone well. Big Mom had agreed to invest in his plan, on the condition that it was successful.
After he had left, Stussy emerged from around a corner. Introduced by Smoothie, she and Big Mom were old friends.
She brought a gift, and they reminisced for a while. Then, she casually asked why Big Mom had let the events of the day go so easily.
"He's strong," Big Mom said with a smile.
"Is that all?"
"Yes," Big Mom nodded. "Anyone who can fight off Whitebeard and go head-to-head with me deserves special treatment. Besides, it's not like it was a life-or-death battle. And he didn't kill Katakuri or Oven. And one more thing... Tesoro is dead. Gran Tesoro is now a city without a master. That's a big cake."
She stuck out her tongue and licked her lips. "I'm going to have a talk with him. About how to divide that city. He can't eat it all by himself. Are you interested, Stussy?"
Gran Tesoro was indeed a sweet cake. It was no surprise that Big Mom was eyeing it.
"Divide it? Of course," Jin said. "I'm not one to eat alone. In fact, the next ruler of Gran Tesoro could be Katakuri. But... he would have to leave the Big Mom Pirates. He would have to 'defect' and join my crew."
"Why?"
"Gran Tesoro is a high-class establishment. On the surface, it can't have any ties to a Yonko. That's the only way to make real money. If Katakuri joins my crew, I can use my Warlord privileges to freeze his bounty, and then I can put him in charge. Procedurally, there would be no problem. Then we get Morgans to spin the story in the news. Not exactly a whitewash, but not a black mark either. As for a reason to 'defect'? We can come up with a dozen," Jin said dismissively. "He can 'take responsibility' for what happened today, be 'punished' for it... we'll invent something."
Big Mom hesitated. Jin's proposal challenged her dreams, her ideals. It crossed a line.
"Linlin, he's right," Stussy said. "Gran Tesoro absolutely cannot be associated with a Yonko. Its success is dependent on the backing of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. If it's tied to a Yonko, it's doomed."
Big Mom frowned, thinking it over. It was true. The title of Yonko was both an honor and a set of invisible shackles.
"It's not a real defection," Jin said. "It's just a show. Like a game. And arguments are part of the game. Real family doesn't have to be together. And being together doesn't make you family. If you're not interested, I won't share. And if you try to take it... I'll just destroy it. As if it never existed."
An entertainment city... Jin didn't really care about it.
Big Mom glared at him, annoyed, but she knew she was beaten. "I'll think about it," she said.
"Think fast," Jin replied. "With Tesoro dead, we're not the only ones who will be after his legacy. I'm heading out now, to take Gran Tesoro."
He stood up and left.
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