Future chapters (15+) at patreon.com/FFAddict.
Additionally, I have many new works readers may be interested in. Go look, if you wish!
Chapter 13: Talk To Bigmom, Borrow Your Daughter
It was clear that the other party was indeed taken aback. After all, he had never known of any link between BIGMOM and Kaido in his lifetime. "Let Linlin answer the phone," Kaido requested, uninterested in dealing with the underlings' games. "Please wait! I'll get permission immediately!" the operator said. Once it was confirmed that Kaido was on the line, the operator quickly put his feet down from the table, took the phone, and dashed toward the castle hall. His legs moved with the urgency and speed that surpassed his usual sluggishness when dealing with fish, not daring to waste a moment. Such a call from one of the Four Emperors could not be taken lightly.
Amidst muted sounds, a chorus of children's voices filled the air, sounding rather joyful. "La-la-la, la-la~~" "Ding-dong ~ Black tea ~" "It's green tea!" "More cakes~~" The dialogue was filled with childish chatter, mostly naming different desserts, resembling a sweet-filled gathering in a kindergarten. "Mama!! Kaido's on the phone!" the operator exclaimed urgently, lifting the phone worm.
"Eat me quickly ~ eat me fast ~" "The taste of doughnuts~" The childish voices continued to laugh until a harsh, witch-like voice commanded, "Shut up!" The Homies fell silent. The operator cautiously set the telephone worm before the queen of nations, a gargantuan figure with pink hair untamed, big eyes under purple eyeshadow filled with malice, and lips coated in a garish, blood-red lipstick. She grabbed an assortment of desserts from both sides, cramming them into her cavernous mouth, with droplets flying as she chewed. She resembled a monstrous, barbaric creature.
The sight of her instilled fear and trembling, a reaction shared by the many members of the Charlotte family standing by. "Mama~Mama~~ Kaido... I truly didn't expect you to reach out to me," she said. The phone bug mimicked BIGMOM's tone perfectly, as if she were right in front of Kaido, with her eyes slightly narrowed and her mouth incessantly consuming yet curving upwards.
"I haven't seen you in a long while, old woman, but I'm not here to reminisce," Kaido replied, the constant sound of her eating making him eager to cut the conversation short. To the Charlotte family members nearby, the unvarnished manner of speaking was alarming, their boss shouldn't be triggering trouble!
But the subsequent part of their exchange relieved them; it seemed she didn't mind the title. "You seem very anxious. So, what brings you to seek out this old lady?" she inquired. "Before we discuss business, I'm ready to repay a favor I owe you, and it just so happens that I have information pertaining to your life," Kaido offered. "Mom's life?" "How have we not been informed?" "What is the intelligence team doing?" The Charlotte family was visibly rattled by the unforeseen threat looming over their matriarch.
BIGMOM slowly put down her hand, the uneaten sweet treat lying in her palm now forgotten. Looking at the phone worm that resembled Kaido, she scoffed, "Oh? You've started boasting, have you? Who could possibly take the old lady's life? Red-Haired Shanks, Sengoku, Akainu? Or perhaps a Devil Fruit, or some poison." She correctly assumed that internal affairs were at play, and that Kaido was hinting at a traitor within the Charlotte family aimed at her. "What? Who is it?!" "Don't create a panic!" "Are you trying to divide us from our mother?"
Most of the children were agitated, but they weren't focused on identifying the traitor right away. Instead, they quickly denied any accusations to avoid making their Big Mom suspect them and to save themselves. Only a few of the older brothers, like Katakuri, were more concerned about their Big Mom's health.
"Quiet!" Katakuri commanded with a frown of dissatisfaction. His younger siblings were too pampered for his liking. Big Mom grasped what Kaido implied and realized the danger if his words held truth. So she demanded, "Who is it?"
"Your son-in-law, Capone Bege. He's from one of the most notorious mafia families in the West Blue. His method is to infiltrate and behead his enemies. Haven't you checked?"
Kaido's mouth twisted into a slight grin, as if mocking the family's large intelligence network for not being put to good use. Big Mom saw this through the phone bug and felt a surge of anger.
"Katakuri!" she called, turning to her most capable child, the family's pillar.
"Yes, Mom." Katakuri bowed his head and walked out, his expression somber.
A hush fell over the area as Charlotte's children silently celebrated that the threat had been identified, securing their safety for the moment. Homiz fell silent, following his Big Mom's commands.
Kaido's group quietly awaited confirmation. Shortly after, Katakuri returned with news from the phone bug, "It's him, the evidence is conclusive."
In a display of rage, Big Mom crushed the cake's table with one hand, warping the metal with a crunching sound. Her large body's muscles bulged, and her eyes blazed with fury. A chilling, murderous aura blanketed the room, and even her sword, Napoleon, snapped alert, its eyes on the hat brim rotating frantically.
Realizing Kaido was still there, she took a deep breath and asked, "What do you want?"
"Borrow your daughter," Kaido brazenly stated, referring to Charlotte Pudding.
"You bastard!" the family erupted in defense.
"He will never return her if he takes her away!"
Despite their unity, the decision ultimately rested with their Big Mom. She stood up abruptly, her presence domineering. "Impossible! That's my daughter!" she declared.
Her outer ferocity was well-known, especially when it came to her family. Those who knew about her past understood that family matters could drive her to extremes even greater than Whitebeard's.
"It's just your tool," Kaido retorted.
"Say what you will! But I say no!"
"I just helped you solve a problem," Kaido insisted.
"That's your debt, not mine!"
"Nothing to talk about?"
"Kaido, shut your foul mouth!"
"Oh well, don't say I didn't talk to you later."
With a click, Kaido ended the call, leaving Charlotte Linlin seething with even more anger. Her aura made her children tremble.
"Kaido will come and take her?" Katakuri questioned through the phone bug, having overheard the conversation.
"This is my territory! If he dares, I'll make him stay forever!"
"Dare to threaten me? Come and try it!"
"A mere Kaido is nothing to fear!" She was fiercely temperamental and ready to fight.