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"This is...?"
The outskirts of Temptation Forest.
Inside Wilhelm's villa, in the spacious hall.
A slightly dizzy Custard was enthusiastically pulled inside by Mies Olive. It was only then that she noticed the strange-looking Devil Fruit in Mies Olive's hand.
The fruit had a blue-white, pineapple-like shape with a cloud-like spiral pattern. Seeing it, Custard couldn't help but be surprised.
"This is the Devil Fruit Master Wilhelm gave me!" Mies Olive said excitedly, holding the Logia-type Cloud-Cloud Fruit, his face full of joy.
"No wonder..."
Custard suddenly understood.
She turned to Wilhelm and exclaimed in disbelief, "The Devil Fruits you and Smoothie brought back this time really opened my eyes!"
"Even Mom told me to pick one, but I still haven't decided on an ability!"
She sighed, spreading her hands helplessly.
Although Wilhelm had brought back many Devil Fruits, half of them were Zoan types.
She naturally disliked Zoan abilities, especially those that made the user look ugly after transformation.
There were a few good Paramecia Fruits, but by the time she returned, she was a step too late—the best ones had already been taken by other members of the Charlotte family.
"Oh?"
Wilhelm raised an eyebrow.
Looking at Custard's youthful and delicate face, he chuckled. "So there's nothing that interests you, Sister Custard?"
Among the Devil Fruits they had obtained, there were only three Logia-types, including the Air-Air Fruit that had been given to Katakuri. There were also several Ancient Zoan Fruits, along with some decent standard Zoan abilities, such as the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Black Eagle, which he had personally taken.
As for the remaining Paramecia-types, the more valuable ones—like the Steel Fruit and the Boil-Boil Fruit—had already been claimed.
What was left were abilities like the Bamboo Fruit, Sickle Fruit, Thorn Fruit, and Needle Fruit.
"How come?"
Custard's pretty face flushed as she quickly shook her head, waving her hands in denial.
Afraid of displeasing Wilhelm, she spoke seriously, "Brother Wilhelm, after all, you went through so much trouble, taking a huge risk to infiltrate the heart of the World Government and bring these back. We're just sitting here, reaping the rewards without lifting a finger. That doesn't feel right!"
The remaining Paramecia-type Devil Fruits weren't bad, but none of them particularly stood out to her.
She hesitated, unsure which one to choose.
"Is that really the case?"
Wilhelm smiled, speaking leisurely, "You do realize that I already picked out the best abilities for myself, right?"
"Huh?"
Custard's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Wilhelm, momentarily speechless.
Their mother—Big Mom—was so powerful and domineering… would she really allow something like that?
"Don't look so surprised." Wilhelm chuckled. "To Mother, family bonds are nothing but a façade... What truly matters is value. Everything else is just a side effect."
The truth about Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin—
Every member of the Charlotte family had long understood what kind of person she was.
Yet, under the overwhelming pressure of her ever-growing strength, none of them dared to resist. Even breathing too loudly in her presence felt like a gamble.
More importantly, most of them didn't even want to resist.
As members of the Charlotte family, they were like royalty within the Totto Land kingdom. They enjoyed power, privileges, and wealth that others could only dream of.
Without Charlotte Linlin, their family would crumble. Sooner or later, ambitious forces—always coveting the Big Mom Pirates—would tear them apart.
At the end of the day, Big Mom was ruthless, but as long as they followed her will, avoided major mistakes, and never got in her way when she was on a rampage, they could survive—perhaps even thrive.
Right now, she was the only one capable of leading the Charlotte family to greater heights.
So, no matter how much they despised it, most of them could only accept their fate. Whether it was being used as tools for political marriages or having their lives dictated by their mother's whims, there was no room for disobedience.
A life of pain and privilege—which one outweighed the other?
Custard stared at Wilhelm in astonishment, unable to argue.
Their mother truly saw her children as nothing more than tools to fulfill her ambitions.
Everything they had experienced only confirmed this fact.
Suddenly—whoosh!
Wilhelm flicked his wrist.
A Devil Fruit appeared in his hand.
With a casual toss, he threw it to Custard. "This is for you."
"A Devil Fruit?"
She caught the fruit midair, her eyes widening in surprise.
It was orange, shaped like a grapefruit, with swirling patterns across its surface. A mixture of excitement and disbelief filled her as she instinctively glanced at Wilhelm's face. His striking features had a charm that was hard to look away from.
She didn't know exactly what ability this fruit held, but she was certain Wilhelm wouldn't joke about something like this or give her a useless power.
"This is the Wave-Wave Fruit, a Paramecia-type ability."
Seeing the joy and disbelief on Custard's face, Wilhelm smiled. "Consider it a welcome gift, Sister Custard."
Though Custard wasn't as naturally gifted as Cracker, one of Big Mom's top fighters, she was still his blood-related younger sister. There was no way she could be weak.
Perhaps due to Wilhelm's influence, the sixth daughter of the Charlotte family had been pushed to sharpen her skills.
Despite her young age, Custard—who was passionate about training—was already one of the stronger members of the Charlotte family, especially in swordsmanship.
Now, with the Wave-Wave Fruit in her possession, she would surely unlock even greater potential.
"The Wave-Wave Fruit..."
Custard murmured, gripping the Devil Fruit tightly.
A look of indescribable excitement spread across her face. After a moment, she couldn't help but ask again, "Are you really giving this to me?"
She had never expected this.
Wilhelm, who had always been cold, distant, and difficult to approach, was now handing her a Devil Fruit as a gift.
The Wave-Wave Fruit...
Just by the name alone, it didn't sound weak at all.