Yamato clenched her fists so tightly her nails bit into her palms. It felt as though she were cutting her ties with Kaido once and for all as she shouted, "Fine! I'll marry him! But from this moment on, our father–daughter relationship is over. We go our separate ways!"
Kaido snorted coldly. "Don't flatter yourself. Ogre blood flows through your veins—that's something you can never erase." His eyes gleamed as he continued, "And when you and Ace have children, one of them will return to inherit my Beasts Pirates."
"Like hell they will!" Yamato snapped back. "Who would ever want to inherit your Beasts Pirates?!"
The corners of Kaido's mouth lifted, as if savoring a delightful future. "That," he said calmly, "isn't for you to decide."
Yamato glared at him, fury burning in her eyes. "Hmph. Then can I at least have the key to these handcuffs now?"
Kaido replied indifferently, "You'll get it—after your wedding with Ace tonight."
"Tonight?!" Ace blurted out. "Isn't that way too fast?!"
Though he hadn't rejected Yamato—at his age, caught between youth, impulse, and responsibility, he had reluctantly accepted the marriage alliance—the sudden rush still left him visibly nervous.
Kaido remained unbothered. "We're pirates. There's no need for ceremony. This is an alliance—if you want it stable, the sooner it's sealed, the better."
He then turned his gaze toward Marco. "Marco, you don't have any objections, do you?"
Marco rubbed his temples, exasperated. "Ace already agreed. What objections could I possibly raise?"
Kaido nodded slightly, then continued, "In that case, you shouldn't have a problem with the marriage alliance between Zack and Ulti either, correct?"
Marco's expression grew serious. "I'll discuss that matter with Zack once I return."
At that moment, Ace grew uneasy. While he had accepted marrying Yamato, he didn't want his other friends dragged into something against their will. Yamato was coming from the Beasts Pirates to the Phoenix Pirates—but Zack would be sent away to Kaido. The situations weren't the same.
He pulled Marco aside and whispered urgently, "Marco, do we really have to send Zack to the Beasts Pirates? He's our companion! We can't force him into something he doesn't want."
Kaido heard him anyway and frowned. "Ace, I don't like hearing that. And how do you know he doesn't want to go? Do you think I'd treat him poorly if he joined us?"
Ace fell silent, but Marco stepped forward. "It doesn't necessarily have to be Zack," he said calmly. "Who participates in the marriage alliance is up to them. If Zack doesn't like Ulti or doesn't want to go, I will not force him—or any of my crew."
Marco then looked directly at Kaido. "You don't have an objection to that, do you? Deciding our envoy is my right."
Kaido was clearly displeased, but after a pause, he nodded. "That is your right. However, the one you send must be a core member of the Phoenix Pirates, and their strength can't be much weaker than Yamato's. Only then will it be considered fair." His tone hardened. "In other words—they must be captain-level."
Marco understood immediately and nodded. "I'll make that clear when I speak to them."
Kaido gave a satisfied grunt. "Very well. I'll have Who's Who send you Ulti's photo."
Marco had no real experience with marriage alliances. Unlike him, the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were veterans at such arrangements, and the two sides quickly found common ground.
After settling matters with Kaido, the next step was obvious—Big Mom.
Marco turned toward her, his tone calm yet unmistakably firm. "Big Mom, regarding the marriage alliance, I think this needs careful consideration.
For you, it might be nothing more than a transaction—an exchange of interests.
But for my brothers, this is their first marriage. To them, it's a major life decision and not something that can be handled casually. It must be based on mutual consent.
I won't force them. So this needs to be discussed thoroughly."
Big Mom listened, then burst into laughter, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Mamamama! You make a fair point, Marco.
Your boys are marrying for the first time, and my daughters are all untouched." She leaned forward slightly. "By the way… you're still single, aren't you?
Why not marry one of my daughters yourself?"
Marco's expression sharpened instantly. "Are you suggesting I marry your daughter?"
"Mamamama!" Big Mom laughed again, her voice rolling like waves. "I did think about it. A marriage alliance is just a formality anyway. And if marriages are happening regardless, wouldn't it be better for my precious daughter to marry you, a fellow Yonko, rather than someone else?"
Marco chuckled, but there was a clear refusal beneath his smile. "Haha, I'll pass. I have no interest in letting you take advantage of me in terms of seniority."
Big Mom's laughter turned teasing, laced with temptation. "Mamamama! Don't reject it so quickly! Think about it—if you marry my daughter, your future children would have inheritance rights to the Charlotte Family. How does that sound?"
Marco paused, visibly tempted.
Big Mom pressed on, still laughing. "Besides, Marco, you're not exactly young anymore. Are you really planning to stay single for the rest of your life?"
A playful grin crept onto Marco's lips. "Alright," he said lightly. "Since you've put it that way, I'll reluctantly agree."
Then he added casually, "I choose Smoothie."
Smoothie, standing behind Big Mom, froze.
She hadn't expected Marco to name her so directly. Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. As a strong woman, she had never disliked powerful men—in fact, she admired them.
Big Mom's face, however, darkened instantly.
Her original plan had been to use the marriage alliance to tighten her ties with Marco while strengthening the Big Mom Pirates' overall combat power. But Marco immediately setting his sights on her most outstanding daughter was unacceptable.
"No!" Big Mom snapped. "Smoothie is absolutely out of the question! Choose someone else!"
"I figured you'd say that."
Marco's lips curved upward, a knowing, almost mischievous smile appearing. He had expected this reaction all along.
"Even if we're exchanging special envoys," he continued calmly, "there needs to be balance. Once a special envoy marries into another crew, they're staying there long-term.
If I lose a top-tier fighter from my side and only receive someone who looks impressive but is useless in combat…" He shrugged. "Wouldn't that mean I'm taking a massive loss?"
Instead of taking offense at Marco's words, Big Mom burst into booming laughter.
"Mamamama! It seems you don't just possess the strength of a Yonko anymore—you've started thinking like one too, weighing gains and losses from an Emperor's perspective!"
Her eyes gleamed with approval.
"Impressive. Truly impressive. Just like the man who pulled the Whitebeard Pirates back from the brink of collapse. Well worthy of praise."
At the same time, a quiet thought crossed Big Mom's mind.
'If one day I were to die… would the Charlotte Family truly be able to inherit my legacy without turmoil?'
After all, following Whitebeard's death, the Phoenix Pirates had seamlessly taken over his entire foundation—an accomplishment rare enough to command respect.
Marco chuckled, replying with a teasing humility.
"That's thanks to the solid groundwork my old man left behind. As long as one's strength is sufficient, stabilizing the situation comes naturally."
Big Mom nodded, then smoothly shifted the topic.
"Then tell me—do you already have someone in mind to join the Big Mom Pirates as part of our marriage alliance?"
She smiled widely.
"If not, I'd be more than happy to welcome Jozu or Vista."
Jozu, standing nearby, froze for a moment. He clearly hadn't expected the conversation to suddenly land on him and could only offer an honest, slightly awkward smile.
Marco laughed.
"You really have an eye for talent. Going straight for the core combat power of the Phoenix Pirates, huh?"
Despite that, Marco didn't refuse outright. His smile remained easy as he continued,
"Logically speaking, I should reject that request. The strength of Jozu and Vista speaks for itself. Sending either of them as a long-term envoy through marriage would be a serious blow to our fighting power."
He paused, then shrugged lightly.
"But then again—I can't make that decision for them. My brothers are all still bachelors, after all. If any of them genuinely want to start a family, and you can convince them yourself, I won't stand in the way."
"Oh?"
Big Mom's interest immediately flared. She hadn't expected Marco not only to refrain from refusing, but to leave the door open like this.
'If I can really pull one of their Commanders over…'
The profit would be enormous.
Her eager gaze immediately locked onto Jozu.
Every Commander of the Phoenix Pirates possessed strength on par with a Sweet Commander—and Jozu, the Third Division Commander, was among the very best.
At Marineford, he had directly clashed with Admirals Aokiji and Akainu. Though he ultimately fell short, the fact that he had the courage and power to challenge an Admiral was proof enough of his standing.
Facing Big Mom's expectant stare, Jozu spoke honestly, his voice steady.
"I'm sorry. I prefer fighting alongside my friends. Even if I were to marry and start a family, I wouldn't leave the Phoenix Pirates."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Big Mom's face.
"Is that so? What a pity!"
She had long coveted the Phoenix Pirates' Commanders. Sixteen Commanders were equivalent to sixteen Sweet Commanders—an irresistible force.
She had hoped to use this marriage alliance to claim at least one.
But Marco, it seemed, was far from an easy opponent.
Just then, a sudden thought flashed through Big Mom's mind. Her expression shifted as she said,
"Marco… there's actually a special reason why I refused your proposal about Smoothie earlier."
------------------
AN: Check out my P@treon For +60 extra chapters.
Thank You For your Support!!
[email protected]/noviceauthor777