The ship cut through the waves, sailing steadily toward Totto Land.
The deck was piled high with wooden crates — filled with Wano's specialties: Bundles of swords and blades, unprocessed Seastone ore, exquisite lacquerware, and several boxes of rare metals that Kaido had "generously gifted" as compensation.
Kaizer lay on a specially made lounge chair — Longbread had built it just for him, the perfect size with an adjustable backrest.
The sea breeze carried a salty tang. He squinted, whistling a tuneless little melody.
His mood was excellent.
Things in Wano had gone even smoother than he expected. That useless Kurozumi Orochi would wag his tail at the slightest bit of power and wet his pants at the smallest threat.
Kozuki Hiyori was even easier to control — an eight-year-old girl, under the hypnosis of the Ghost-Ghost Fruit, had already become a perfect puppet. Tell her to go east and she wouldn't dare go west. Tell her to smile and she wouldn't dare cry.
The samurai class? Kill some, win over some, and the rest would naturally behave. The common people were even simpler — give them food and work, and they wouldn't care who the shogun was.
"On the surface, it looks like Kozuki Oden's daughter is running things. In reality, Kaido's people are pulling the strings from behind the scenes." Kaizer murmured to himself. "When Roger and Oden eventually return, they'll find a completely changed Wano. Their daughter is a puppet, the samurai class is divided, and the common people are living peacefully… What can they do? Try to seize power by force? That would truly lose the hearts of the people."
He grinned.
This trip had been worth it.
Not only had he secured the desperately needed Seastone and weapons, but he had also strengthened the alliance with Kaido. More importantly, he had gained a clear understanding of Kaido's personality and ambitions — the future Emperor was still not fully grown, but the arrogance and conquest lust in his bones were already obvious. As long as the benefits were sufficient, they could continue cooperating for now.
Kaizer closed his eyes and opened the system panel.
[Host: Kaizer] [Age: 24 (physical) / 28 (mental)] [Bloodline: Demi-human (Fusion: 32.1%)] [Abilities: Ghost-Ghost Fruit (Awakened), Ox Talisman (Fusion: 27%), Armament Haki (Small Success), Observation Haki (Beginner — Soul Perception Specialized)] [Special Traits: Pseudo-Steel Balloon (Physical Resistance: 28.3%), Soul Affinity (Mid-tier)] [Skills: Candy Art (Intermediate), IBM Control (Dual Bodies), Storage Space (50 cubic meters)] [Lifespan: 1020 years (remaining)] [Offspring: Charlotte Perospero (1 year old), Unnamed (Gestating)] [Current Tasks: Totto Land Development (In Progress), Handling CP0 Inspectors (Not Started)]
The panel showed clear improvement since departure. Demi-human bloodline fusion had broken through 30%, Ox Talisman fusion had reached 27%, and both Armament and Observation Haki had progressed. Especially after Soul Affinity reached mid-tier, he could now not only sense others' emotions but also subtly "soothe" or "intensify" them — though the effect was limited on someone of Linlin's level.
But it still wasn't enough.
Kaizer recalled Roger's slash. It wasn't Armament Haki, nor swordsmanship, but something more fundamental — a "severing." That slash carried the oppressive weight of Conqueror's Haki. Just facing it had shaken his soul.
"Conqueror's Haki…" He opened his eyes and looked at his own palm. "I really need to awaken it."
The system had told him that the birth of his eldest son Perospero had granted him the opportunity to awaken Conqueror's Haki. But unlike Armament Haki, which could be trained through getting beaten, or Observation Haki, which could be improved through perception, it required "spirit" — the kingly qualification, the realization that one was born to stand above all others.
Did he have it?
Perhaps, but not strongly enough.
He wanted power, wanted to protect his family, wanted to build a nation that no one could threaten. But these desires still fell short compared to Roger's overwhelming will to "turn the world upside down."
"Take it slow," he sighed. "At least I'm no longer a weakling."
Three days later, in the evening, the ship entered Totto Land's waters.
From afar, they could already see the outline of Cake Island — the castle's spires gleaming like sugar frosting in the sunset. The port was full of fishing boats and merchant ships. Smoke rose from the houses, painting a peaceful scene.
Linlin had been waiting at the dock for a long time. Today she was unusually wearing a formal dress — though still oversized, at least it had no holes or patches. She held Perospero in her arms. The little guy was already over a year old and was currently stuffing his mother's hair into his mouth.
"Mamama! You're back!" Linlin's loud voice could be heard from far away.
The moment the ship docked, she jumped aboard, making the deck creak under her weight. With one hand holding Perospero, she used the other to lift Kaizer straight off the lounge chair — like picking up a kitten.
"Gently… gently…" Kaizer said helplessly.
"Mamama! Let me see if you lost weight!" Linlin held him up in front of her face and looked him up and down. "Hmm! No injuries! Good!"
Kaizer didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If he had been injured, he would have regenerated long ago — there was no way he would still be hurt now.
Longbread also climbed onto the ship. His small figure moved nimbly across the deck as he checked the wooden crates.
"Seastone ore… good quality." He pried open a box and weighed a gray-white piece of ore. "Enough to make a hundred pairs of handcuffs. Weapons… these blades are average quality, but they can be melted and recast."
"And rare metals." Kaizer added. "Kaido's gift. He called it compensation."
"Compensation?" Linlin raised an eyebrow. "That bastard actually knows how to make amends?"
"After all, we saved his life." Kaizer freed himself from Linlin's grip and straightened his clothes. "Plus, Wano is now under our joint control. He doesn't dare offend us."
Linlin nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh right! After you left, people from the World Government came!"
Kaizer's heart tightened. "CP0?"
"Mamama! No, no!" Linlin waved her hand. "It was those… inspectors! Three masked weirdos, saying they're here to stay permanently. Longbread arranged them in the port district, far from the castle."
Kaizer breathed a sigh of relief. The inspectors' arrival meant the World Government's paperwork was complete — Totto Land was now officially a "Legitimate Autonomous Territory." Although they had gained three extra pairs of eyes, at least the Marines wouldn't casually attack them anymore.
"Any movements from them?" he asked Longbread.
"Not yet." Longbread pulled out an exquisite short blade from one of the boxes and played with it. "They just wander around the port district every day, recording incoming and outgoing ships, and occasionally chat with the islanders. Very well-behaved — almost too well-behaved."
Kaizer nodded. If CP0 were truly that well-behaved, they wouldn't be CP0. They were waiting — waiting for Totto Land to show a weakness.
"Let's ignore them for now." he said. "Unload the supplies. Process the Seastone into handcuffs and weapons as quickly as possible. Store the rare metals — they'll be useful later."
"Mamama! I already sent the Homies to move them!" Linlin pointed at the dock — a group of stone and tree Homies were lining up to board the ship and carry the crates down, working with surprising efficiency.
Kaizer watched the scene and suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, I brought back two people."
"People?" Linlin tilted her head.
"Kurozumi Semimaru and Kurozumi Yoru." Kaizer pointed toward the cabin. "Kaido's gift. One is a Barrier Fruit user, the other is an Imitation Fruit user. Both are talents."
Linlin's eyes lit up: "Mamama! Barrier Fruit? The legendary absolute defense fruit?"
"Yes." Kaizer nodded. "Yoru's Imitation Fruit is also very useful — he can turn into anyone. Perfect for gathering intelligence, infiltration, and disguise in the future."
Longbread looked interested too: "Where are they? Let me meet them."
Kaizer called toward the cabin.
The door opened, and the two old men walked out. Semimaru was still hunched over, leaning on his cane with half-closed eyes. Yoru stood straight with sharp eyes, hand resting on his sword hilt.
Both men froze for a moment when they saw Linlin — although they had heard about Charlotte Linlin's size, seeing it in person was still shocking.
"This is Charlotte Linlin, Queen of Totto Land." Kaizer introduced. "This is Longbread, head chef and chief administrator."
Semimaru bowed slightly: "Greetings, my lady."
Yoru knelt on one knee directly: "We are willing to serve."
Linlin waved her massive hand: "Get up, get up! From now on we're family! As long as you behave, there'll be meat to eat! If you don't behave…"
She didn't finish, but the threat was clear.
The two stood up. Yoru secretly observed the surroundings — the Homies carrying cargo, the orderly port, the houses with rising chimney smoke in the distance — and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Totto Land… is better than the rumors." he said quietly.
"Of course!" Linlin puffed out her chest proudly. "My country is naturally the best!"
Kaizer chuckled and turned to Longbread: "Arrange accommodations for them near the castle. Semimaru will be responsible for the castle's defensive structures. Yoru… for now, follow Longbread and learn how Totto Land operates."
"Understood." Longbread nodded and led the two off the ship.
Only Kaizer, Linlin, and Perospero in her arms remained on the deck.
The little guy had already fallen asleep, drooling all over Linlin's arm.
"Mamama! Look!" Linlin proudly lifted her son toward Kaizer. "While you were gone for a month, he gained another five pounds!"
Kaizer took the child — Perospero was now over a meter long, the size of a normal three-year-old human. The metallic sheen under his skin was even more obvious, and his breathing carried a certain rhythm, clearly showing he was born with an instinct for using Haki.
"He's growing so fast." Kaizer sighed.
"Of course!" Linlin grinned. "My children are naturally the strongest!"
She paused, then suddenly lowered her voice: "By the way… I feel this pregnancy is even stronger than the last one."
Kaizer was startled: "Really?"
Linlin pointed at her belly: "Mamama! Of course!"
Kaizer's hand trembled, nearly dropping Perospero.
[System Notification: Pregnancy Detected] [Mother: Charlotte Linlin] [Estimated Gestation Period: 5 months] [Offspring Potential Estimate: S] [Rewards Pending Upon Birth]
The system prompt arrived right on time.
"…Do you think this one is a boy or a girl?" Kaizer asked.
"Mamama! This time I want a daughter! I've even picked the name — Compote!"
Kaizer looked at her smiling face and felt something soft inside him stir.
He set Perospero down, reached out, and gently touched Linlin's belly.
"Thank you for your hard work." he said.
"Mamama! It's not hard at all!" Linlin pulled him into a hug. "Let's have more! Birth an entire army! Then we'll take our children and conquer the New World!"
Kaizer chuckled. This was Linlin — always so direct, so… domineering.
But he liked it.
"Oh right." Linlin suddenly remembered something. "Those inspectors — what do you plan to do about them?"
Kaizer's expression darkened.
"Observe them for now." he said. "As long as they don't cross the line, let them stay. But if they dare reach out…"
He didn't finish, but Linlin understood.
"Mamama! If they reach out, we'll chop their hands off!" She made a chopping gesture.
The sun was setting. Lights gradually lit up across Totto Land.
Kaizer stood at the bow, looking at the nation he had helped build. The port was busy, the fields were orderly, children's voices reading lessons drifted from the schoolhouse, and white smoke rose from the sugar factory's chimney.
Everything was on track.
But he knew the peace was only temporary.
The CP0 inspectors were watching in the shadows.
Roger and Oden would return one day.
The alliance with Kaido was fragile and dangerous.
There was also the World Government, the Marines, and the other Emperors…
The road ahead was still long.
"Kaizer." Linlin suddenly called him.
"Hm?"
"Next time…" She sounded unusually hesitant. "Next time, don't go on dangerous missions alone. Take me with you."
Kaizer turned to look at her. The setting sun cast a golden glow on her long pink hair. On that face that was always madly laughing, there was now a rare seriousness.
"Okay." he said.
Linlin grinned, showing her white teeth.
"Mamama! Then it's a deal!"
With one arm holding Perospero and the other pulling Kaizer, she jumped off the ship and headed toward the castle.
Meanwhile, in one of the buildings in the port district, three people wearing white masks watched the scene through the window.
"That's Kaizer." the one in the middle said. "Former Marine lieutenant, Charlotte Linlin's husband, and the actual manager of Totto Land."
"He looks ordinary." the one on the left commented.
"But he and Kaido took over Wano in just one month." the one on the right added. "And they did it through 'peaceful evolution.' Kozuki Oden's daughter became a puppet, Kurozumi Orochi became the figurehead, the samurai class is divided, and the common people have no complaints… This method is not simple."
The middle one was silent for a moment.
"Continue observing." he finally said. "What the higher-ups want is stability. As long as Totto Land doesn't cause trouble or threaten the World Government, the rest… let them be."
"Should we report Charlotte Linlin's pregnancy?"
"Report it. But add no commentary. Just state the facts."
"Understood."
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