Although she did not explicitly agree, Baron Tamago discerned the meaning behind Charlotte Linlin’s words. Usually, she would have rejected it outright.
Now, by leaving the decision to him, it was evident that Charlotte Linlin was already tempted.
Baron Tamago wasn’t sure what Big Mom had in mind, but he weighed the options himself.
An eye for an eye, a Road Poneglyph for another Road Poneglyph, and the Beasts Pirates’ reputation smoothing over the issue of intrusion—this matter is likely going to be settled with this.
“Baron Tamago, Mama is waiting for your answer,” Katakuri prodded when Baron Tamago remained silent. Eventually, he gave his affirmative response.
“I can accept it. The rest is up to you, Mama.”
With Baron Tamago agreeing, Charlotte Linlin did not press the matter further. However, Katakuri raised a new condition: he didn’t want rubbings of the text.
“We’re all pirates here. Some things don’t need to be spelled out. A recording proves nothing. You should make your own rubbings of our Poneglyph, and we’ll send someone with you. Then, we’ll make rubbings of your Poneglyph. That way, it’s fair for everyone.”
Kaido’s earlier concerns were precisely about this. While Charlotte Linlin herself might be easy to fool, many of her children were shrewd. Zeraora and Setsuna did not refuse but insisted on taking Pedro with them first.
Having lost an eye, his blood loss was severe and required immediate attention. Meanwhile, Zepo remained behind as a hostage and would later bring the rubbings of their Poneglyph.
…
“I’m sorry, Duchess. I troubled you to make this trip…”
On Zepo and Pedro’s small boat, Pedro appeared somewhat dejected.
“Don’t be so down. It’s just an apology; I didn’t lose anything. So, you don’t need to worry either. We’ll keep our word. Once this is over, we’ll make sure he comes back in one piece.”
“After all, he’s Bepo’s older brother. If Bepo finds out his brother has died, he’ll surely be heartbroken.”
“But you two need to be more careful in the future. Don’t pull such risky stunts again. This time, it’s been quite troublesome.”
“Yes, I’ll be more careful from now on…”
While Pedro was reflecting, Setsuna approached Zeraora.
“Uh, can his eye be treated?”
“More or less, but let him learn a lesson first. If it were the enemy, he would have died. He needs to pay more attention to his limits.”
When they returned to Onigashima, Zeraora took the representatives from the Big Mom Pirates to make rubbings of the Poneglyph. Although they had agreed to this arrangement, they couldn’t just let the other party wander around Wano Country freely—there were too many secrets here.
Meanwhile, Setsuna took Pedro to the base of Mt. Fuji.
“Duchess, why did you bring me here?”
“To climb the mountain. Once you reach the summit, you’ll understand why. Oh, and take this with you. Remember to take a good look at it while climbing.
This is a sacred mountain. If you can reach the top, you’ll have passed Lord’s test.”
Pedro sacrificed one of his eyes, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be healed—it just required him to undergo a test.
Given Pedro’s physique, climbing the mountain wasn’t particularly difficult. Even with the loss of an eye, it wouldn’t hinder him in this endeavor.
However, Mt. Fuji was now unique. Due to the influence of Arceus’ power, ordinary people could climb without issue. But those with greater strength would feel a unique pressure as they approached the summit. The stronger the individual, the greater the pressure.
Once someone passed the test, this pressure would vanish permanently. Now Pedro has such an opportunity.
Though Setsuna hadn’t explicitly explained the purpose, Pedro chose to obey Duchess’ orders and began his climb.
Some time passed. While Pedro was still undergoing his test, the exchange of the Road Poneglyph rubbings between the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates was completed, and Zepo was safely returned.
Later, a white bear clung to Setsuna’s leg, repeatedly apologizing and expressing gratitude. It wasn’t Zepo but Bepo, who was overwhelmed with gratitude toward her and Zeraora for saving his brother.
Zepo didn’t linger long. Instead, he joined the group climbing Mt. Fuji, mainly to check on Pedro’s condition.
Meanwhile, Kaido had also returned to Wano Country, but prior to his arrival, the World Economy News Paper had already reported some news in advance.
…
“Kaido, do you have anything to say about this?”
【Pirates attack Punk Hazard, resulting in numerous casualties.】
“Morgans and those Marines… they’re really good at making things up. You know me—if I had done it, there wouldn’t be anything left standing,” Kaido grumbled, his face twitching as he stared at the newspaper in front of him. Punk Hazard wasn’t really his doing.
If it had been him, no Marines would have survived, and the entire island would have been flattened.
While he had nothing to do with the incident, his bad timing had him leisurely riding Hydrachton and accidentally appearing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
To ensure that others would see him, he had opted for low-altitude flying, which unfortunately landed him right in someone’s photograph. That was all the Marines needed to shift the blame onto him.
Punk Hazard, as Marine’s research base, has a large number of research projects, including some that were based on projects which were supposedly Queen’s.
Spurred on by Queen, Caesar Clown had been desperately trying to prove himself, hastily starting various projects in advance.
However, his efforts were fruitless. Frustrated, he refocused on weapon development to demonstrate his capabilities.
Eventually, Caesar developed a special weapon code-named “Shinokuni,” but the Marines suddenly halted his experiment.
Because according to his records, this weapon was indiscriminate, posing a significant threat to both friend and foe. Even in experimental stages, it could have catastrophic consequences. Given this, the Marine’s research team could not afford to be associated with such a scandal.
However, in Caesar’s eyes, this was his masterpiece. Only fools and idiots would be accidentally injured. To be able to die during his weapon’s experiment, in a way, was like giving their lives some purpose.
Because of his unauthorized actions, Caesar was stripped of his position within the SSG and arrested by the Marines to face trial.
Caesar couldn’t accept it and detonated the special weapon.
The facilities on the island were severely damaged, and there were even casualties among the SSG. Just when the Marines didn’t know how to handle the situation, Kaido, who happened to pass by, helped them a great deal.
Kaido has a reputation as a madman on the seas. Blowing up a research base seemed just like something he would do.
At this moment, Kaido finally understood Queen’s plight as he got a taste of what it felt like to take the fall for something he hadn’t done.
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