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[M.F.S] Ch 180: The Shy Perospero
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 13:27:26 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
After the three brats left.
Perospero asked, "Big bro, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi might be simple, but they're not idiots. Are you sure this straightforward approach is really gonna work?"
Joey replied calmly, "Perospero, you need different methods for different people. Precisely because they're simple, we don't need to overcomplicate things."
"Just let them see what Totto Land is really like. Let them feel how peaceful it is. And at the same time… have some guys stir up trouble in Zou."
Perospero nodded in thought. "I get it now, big bro. So we let them experience how safe and calm Totto Land is, while sending other pirates to mess with Zou. That contrast will do the trick."
Joey smiled, "Exactly. Once that contrast hits, those naïve Mink Tribe folks will be easy to win over. Just remember, the guys we send to Zou should only harass, not kill. Injuries are fine, but no deaths. That said… even if they wanted a fight, they might not be able to take them."
Perospero twitched.
He grumbled, "C'mon, big bro! I know I'm sending in cannon fodder, but don't make it sound that bad."
Joey chuckled, "Hey, I'm not looking down on your 'elite squad' or anything, but let's be real—Zou's location right now is in a pretty special sea zone. Practically a full moon every day for the next three months. You really think your cannon fodder has a chance?"
Instantly, Perospero's face scrunched up.
No kidding…
The Mink Tribe in their Sulong form? Straight-up broken. Their power spikes are insane. And if they're getting a full moon almost every night?
It's game over.
If a fight actually breaks out, with tens of thousands of Minks who are born ready for battle, their combat power would be downright terrifying.
Compared to races like the Three-Eyed Tribe or the Snake-neck Tribe who've always been hunted or discriminated against, the Minks have maintained a much larger and more stable population."
They haven't been through as many hardships either, so they're thriving.
Looking at Perospero's face, Joey laughed.
"So, you get it now?"
Perospero nodded, defeated. "Okay, okay, big bro, you win! The Sulong Minks are basically walking cheat codes."
"Hehehe…"
The two brothers kept chatting as they strolled toward the castle.
— — —
Five Days Later
The Queen Mama Chanter finally returned from its voyage.
After four long years…
The Big Mom Pirates had made a serious name for themselves.
Now…They were finally home.
Everyone stood on deck, smiling as they saw Cake Island growing closer.
As soon as they docked, people couldn't wait—they jumped off the ship, excited.
"Big bro!"
"Mom!"
"Second bro!"
Everyone was shouting joyfully.
Linlin, Joey, Perospero… All stood there, waiting for them.
Linlin grinned. "Katakuri! Did you guys end up clashing with that old man Whitebeard? How'd it go, huh?"
Katakuri shook his head. "Mom, I'd say it was a draw. But yeah… I'm not his match. That said—! We did get the Devil Fruit!"
As he spoke, Katakuri pulled out the Copy-Copy Fruit from his family crest.
"Whoa…"
"So this is the Copy Fruit?"
"Damn! A legendary Devil Fruit, right?!"
"Yep!"
A bunch of the younger ones swarmed around, super excited.
They stared in awe at the Devil Fruit.
Paramecia-type—Copy Fruit!
This was basically the stuff of legend.
You didn't even need to say how crazy it was. Just imagine the kind of power and possibilities it offered.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa…"
Everyone was buzzing with excitement.
Joey ignored the hype and looked at Katakuri. "So? Four years out there… how was it, kid?"
Katakuri smiled, "I've gotten stronger. But I also failed to find your devil fruit."
Joey answered gently, "So what? Failure's just part of the process. You didn't find that legendary fruit—big deal."
Katakuri shook his head. "Big bro, I used to wonder… are legendary Devil Fruits really just legends? But now—after getting the Copy Fruit—I know. Legends are real."
"If the Copy Fruit exists, then I will find that one special fruit for you, big bro!"
Joey smiled, "Alright then."
While everyone was catching up and chatting, happy to be together again after four years…
Cracker sneakily walked up beside Perospero.
"Hm?"
Perospero looked at him. "Cracker? What is it?"
Cracker leaned in, grinning. "Second bro! I heard you've got your eye on some girl from Wano? And you even brought her back?"
"Some chick named Shizu or something? Oh yeah, and didn't you also kidnap a princess not too long ago? What was her name again? Oh, oh! And then there was—"
...
"..."
The air at the port suddenly turned dead silent.
Perospero's face turned black.
Sure, Cracker tried to whisper…
But like—c'mon now.
Who here isn't a monster-level fighter? You think these guys can't hear you?
What a joke.
And just like that… After a moment of silence—
Everyone started whispering and gossiping.
But if you listened closely—
The stuff they were saying made no sense whatsoever.
Everyone was just spouting nonsense to mess around.
Like seriously, Compote and Mondee even started debating what 1 + 1 equals while looking at Perospero.
Perospero's face turned green as he shouted, "You little brat! Don't go spouting nonsense—I'm not like that!"
"Tch," Cracker scoffed. "Come on, Second Bro, who are you trying to fool? You might be able to bluff the others, but don't forget—those biscuit soldiers? I made them. Whatever they know, I know. So don't even try to hide it."
Welp.
The moment those words dropped, everyone instantly got it.
Busted. Caught red-handed, no escape.
Right then, Perospero looked like he wanted to die from embarrassment.
Joey walked over calmly.
"Big Bro—uh…" Perospero started awkwardly.
But Joey just smiled kindly and said, "Perospero, if you've found a girl you like, why are you hiding it? Just bring her home."
Perospero scratched his head, clearly uncomfortable. "It's just that… well… um…"
"Hm?" Joey tilted his head slightly, encouraging.
"Don't worry about what it is," he said warmly. "Just say it. I don't care what kind of person she is."
"…Well…" Perospero finally admitted, "I actually brought two girls back. It's just that…"
"Man, this is such a pain," Cracker cut in, shaking his head. "Big Bro, the two girls Second Bro brought back—one's named Mai, she's a princess from a destroyed country, a fallen royal. The other one, Shizu, is a female singer from Wano. That's why Second Bro didn't dare say anything!"
Perospero wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He wanted to dig a three-bedroom apartment in the floor and hide in it forever.
This was peak social death.
"Pfffft…"
But Joey just chuckled.
"You little punk," he said fondly. "What were you so worried about? I told you, if you hadn't found someone you liked by the time you turned 18, I'd get you a princess myself. You know why I said a princess?"
Perospero mumbled, "Because of the Charlotte family's status…"
Joey nodded. "Exactly. The Charlotte family are the new world nobles now. Sure, it's just a title, but even so—our wives can't be ordinary people."
Then he smiled gently and added, "But I've never cared what kind of person my sister-in-law is. The only thing that matters is that you like her. That's it. So bring them both back tomorrow—I want to see what kind of girls you've chosen."
He paused, then said coolly with pride, "A singer? A fallen princess? I don't care. Because if I want to, I can make sure they're treated with proper dignity and status. That's all there is to it."
Perospero looked up as his big brother turned and walked away.
Then scratched his head and let out a nervous laugh.
— — —
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA…"
Once Joey was out of sight, the others couldn't hold it in any longer—they burst out laughing and swarmed over.
Everyone was suddenly super curious.
"What do they look like, huh?"
"Yeah, tell us, Second Bro!"
"You brats! Shut your mouths! Shut up, all of you!"
"AAAAHHH!" In the end, Perospero just bolted out of there in total panic.
Even though—
Perospero held the title of "Underground Emperor" in the underworld…
Still—
He was only 18 years old.
At that age, it's only natural to feel shy about this stuff.
After the short round of teasing and chaos, nobody pressed further.
After all…
He was bringing them back tomorrow anyway.
So what was the rush?
...
Meanwhile.
Joey returned to his study, chuckling to himself.
"Ahhh… this is what I love the most. Watching the family grow stronger and bigger. It's amazing."
He had a huge grin on his face.
He was genuinely happy.
Back when this all started… He'd thought about this issue a lot.
Because no matter how many kids their mother gave birth to, eventually, she'd stop.
Linlin wasn't a factory for making children.
And when that happened, the family needed to keep growing, right?
So spreading the family line would fall on the rest of the siblings.
And as the second son, Perospero had to step up eventually.
The funny thing?
In the original timeline, Perospero was already 50 and still didn't have a single kid.
How messed up is that?
But now—great! He didn't even have to pressure these brats to contribute to the family's future—they were doing it on their own.
"Hehehe…"
He looked down at his book and smiled to himself. "Yeah, this is great. Really great."
Joey's expression was gentle and satisfied.
For any family, growth and expansion are the most important things.
Because—Across all the worlds and all the realms…
Forget armies. Forget fancy powers. Even retainers don't matter much.
At the core of it all—It's the bloodline. The family.
That's what truly matters when it comes to building lasting strength.
That's also— Why those other races sell for such cheap prices.
Even if they serve as loyal retainers, they can't help the family rise.
That's why they're seen as disposable and cheap.
In the beginning, sure—they might seem like high-level assets.
But over time, as the family grows stronger?
Those races become less and less useful.
They're like early-game gold gear: super valuable at first.
But once you hit max level?
They're just outdated junk.
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