Pedro looked a little confused but then remembered the advice he was given years ago. "I am doing well. I returned without any major injuries and my crew returned along with me, it is good that I never took such a big risk… now I can be more certain about that now that I have got to witness your growth. Perhaps it may be possible to achieve what I desire if I have others reliable enough to help me."
Alyssia shrugged. "It depends whether such a thing would be beneficial. If it would only bring trouble to me and my companions then you can forget it. I am not willing to risk everything just for a piece of paper with some Poneglyph prints on it."
Pedro grit his teeth and answered. "But we already have one… the others should be easy to find too since I already know where two of them are located. All that is needed will be the final road Poneglyph."
Alyssia shook her head and replied coldly. "Your problem is that you are in a hurry to leap towards your own death to achieve your dream or ideals but think about this for a second. What about those left behind once you are gone? They will be left to mourn you and pick up the pieces.
Even if you can get a copy of the other two, you would have to risk offending Big Mom and Kaido which would put a target on Zou and many of my companions connected to me. That kind of power is something that my companions are not yet ready for and I do not wish to provoke those two just so we can gain an incomplete part of the puzzle."
She then continued. "Unless we are guaranteed to get the whole thing then the Poneglyphs are not worth the risks that come with it because there are no benefits from having an incomplete set. It will only put more of a target on our backs from all sides. The world has been progressing… White Beard has fallen.. Blackbeard and Marco are fighting over the leftover territories. The tools and weapons are advancing more and more as time passes and this is not a good thing for the Minks who are left behind."
Pedro stood still and then spoke. "Is this why you have returned? Do you fear what is to come? Have the humans truly advanced that much that they may no longer fear us?"
Alyssia answered in a grim tone. "I do not fear what they have created or what disasters they can release on the world but never underestimate our enemies. There are always ways to defend and counter against our Electro and other natural advantages. I have been developing many things of my own to counter them but Zou as a whole is very far behind which is very dangerous."
While Zou did have some advancements in some areas, it was not not to the level that could help weaponise what they had or use it to protect themselves.
Too many Minks rely too much on their natural abilities so they forget to train their bodies and their combat or defensive techniques so the addition of technology that could be used to suppress them was not a good sign for their future survival.
The World Government and other groups did not have access to Zou so they could not attack the Minks as they pleased but there were always methods to launch an attack once they were able to find their way there just as they had formed ways to enter the Calm Belt.
If the Minks were recognised as a threat then Vegapunk's research direction would be turned from his Pacifista project and would then be turned to create all kinds of things that could be used to counter the Minks and one of them could be a Mink proof Pacifista.
All it took was for one Mink to be captured along with the Vivre Card in their possession then an army could be assembled and sent to Zou so the threat was not just a slight possibility.
Hearing the frightful information from Alyssia, Pedro then spoke with a voice full of worry. "Is this why you have come back with what you have created and wanted the three dukes to cooperate with you?"
Alyssia nodded. "Zou is our home but the future is uncertain. We could remain here forever but there is also the chance that we may have to find a new home somewhere in the world. Wherever that may be, we may be vulnerable to attacks still just like how we could on Zou. I have been preparing many things in case of emergencies and it has cost me a lot to do so but you will see for yourself later."
Pedro knocked on the door and two Minks appeared at the door. "Hello Mr and Mrs Lucine."
Standing at the door was a male and female but the female had a bump so Alyssia noticed it right away. "Mom.. you are pregnant?"
The female Mink revealed a look of confusion and asked. "Pedro.. who is this? Wait did you just say mom? You are Alyssia? My Alyssia?! What happened to you?"
Alyssia rolled her eyes and said. "Calm down first. We can talk inside but we will have to talk over everything slowly so you do not affect the baby."
Her father understood and helped his wife inside while signalling for the others to enter their home. "Kid, you had better have a good explanation for this."
As they got reacquainted with each other, many things were discussed and Alyssia was able to understand many things that had happened after the return of Pedro and when she had left.
It had turned out that her mother and father had more free time to themselves and their home was a lot quieter after Alyssia left Zou so they had started trying for another child and were successful.
It was estimated that the baby was around four to five months into the pregnancy and they were all very joyful about the new addition to their family that was on its way.
Meanwhile her mother and father looked at the two children that were playing inside the room.
Her mother asked. "Who are these children? They look very different to our Mink tribe… did you adopt them?"
Alyssia rolled her eyes and explained. "They are mine but I did not birth them. I used a method that allows another woman to give birth to my offspring but my children are more like variants of the Mink tribe as they carry similarities but are also quite different. It is not that I did not think about birthing them myself and naturally but it is far too dangerous to give birth in the outside world. This is Yao and Xena, they are your grandchildren."
Her mother frowned and then shrugged. "I will pretend that I understand most of what you have explained but what made you want to have a kid so early in your life? You are still young and do not yet have a partner. What about Pedro? He is still single, although he is older… he is quite the gentleman. If not him then what about one of the boys that you left with?"
Pedro sat there in silence but he had a layer of sweat that formed on his back as he listened to those words. 'What have I got myself into?'
Alyssia sighed. "I do not really have an interest in having a relationship right now but to answer you about the children.. part of the reasons are that I needed them for my own selfish reasons but there was also that the world is becoming even more chaotic and would be thrown into war more often. I would at least want my children to experience a time of peace during their earlier years so they can adjust to what is going on around them.'
Unlike the Big Mom pirates children, she did not wish for her children to be under constant threats and alienation during their earlier years which would later develop into deep traumas but there was also the future wars and everything else that would get in the way.
Alyssia could either choose to have them born when she did or she would have to delay until the right time did come but she was uncertain when that would be.
Rather than wait and delay getting clearer results for her own research, she pushed it forward and it helped her gain many much heeded insights that had allowed her current progress so she did not feel any regret towards her actions and she loved her two children very much.
She then went on to explain. "Archie and Clifford are just friends.."
Her mother did not give up and asked. "Then what about Carrot? Tristan? Nica? Or what about those you have met outside? Is there anyone that you like?"
Alyssia let out a long sigh. "If I had to decide my own preference then I like men.. so Carrot, Tristan and Nica are considered my best friends. As for the others that I have met outside.. there has been little room for considering those things with everything that has been going on."
The images of her crew members passed through her head slowly ranging from the cute looking but handsome face of Jester, the simple and ordinary looking face of Liushi, the young and expressionless face of Ashwin and then the serious and slightly tanned face of Zhihaojin. 'Nope. No attraction.. I think? Nah. Definately not.'
She then added. "I see them all as friends or subordinates."
Her mother then rolled her eyes and winked as she asked. "Then how about a partner for fun? You do not need to have a serious relationship right?"
Alyssia's father suddenly spat out his drink while the room became silent.
Suddenly Alyssia's stress levels shot up and she became very embarrassed. "Lets.. stop talking about this okay."
Alyssia and Pedro both became even more uncomfortable under her mothers verbal assault while the three dukes came together to discuss what Alyssia had proposed.