**Throne Room, Whole Cake Chateau, Totto Land**
The air in Big Mom's throne room was thick with the cloying scent of burnt sugar and simmering rage. Charlotte Smoothie stood before her mother, ramrod straight, her expression carefully neutral despite the monumental, and frankly insulting, news she had just received via Den Den Mushi.
Big Mom, a mountain of maternal fury, paced her throne room, her footsteps shaking the very foundations of the chateau. Her flaming hair, "Napoleon," crackled and spat, while "Zeus" and "Prometheus" hovered nervously, sensing their mistress's volatile mood.
"**Marry him?!**" Big Mom roared, slamming a fist onto a nearby table laden with sweets, sending pastries flying. "**That… that child?! Whitebeard's runt?! And I'm supposed to send you, Smoothie, one of my Sweet Commanders, to live on that floating scrapheap he calls a ship?! The audacity! The sheer, unmitigated gall of that dying old whale! MAMAMAMAMA!**"
Smoothie waited, her gaze unwavering. She knew better than to interrupt her mother in such a state.
"He thinks he can play me?" Big Mom continued, her voice dripping venom. "He thinks he can dictate terms? Welcoming my daughter into his family? Preposterous! Unthinkable!" She grabbed a towering croquembouche and took a savage bite, chomping down with enough force to shatter the caramelized sugar.
After a moment of furious chewing, she swallowed, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "But…" she mused, a cunning glint replacing some of the rage, "…a blood son. His only blood son, it seems. That… that is a prize worth a little… inconvenience."
She turned to Smoothie, her gaze piercing. "You understand your mission, daughter?"
"Perfectly, Mama," Smoothie replied, her voice calm and even, a stark contrast to her mother's volcanic emotions. "I am to marry this… Gunnar. Reside with the Whitebeard Pirates. And ensure his loyalty, and more importantly, the loyalty of our future offspring, to the Charlotte family."
"Ensure it?" Big Mom's voice rose again. "You will guarantee it, Smoothie! That boy, Whitebeard's last pathetic flicker of a legacy, will become a tool for my ambition! His children will be my grandchildren, raised here, in Totto Land, as true Charlottes! They will inherit his father's potential, but my will!" She leaned closer, her massive face inches from Smoothie's. "When your first child is born, you bring it to me. No excuses. No delays. That child is the true prize of this… alliance. Whitebeard thinks he's clever, trying to turn this around on me. But he underestimates Charlotte Linlin! I always get what I want!"
Smoothie met her mother's intense gaze without flinching. "It will be done, Mama. I will not fail you." There was a steely resolve in her voice. She was a warrior, a commander. This was a campaign, albeit one fought with vows and cradles instead of swords and cannons. She would adapt. She would conquer.
"Good," Big Mom grunted, a sliver of satisfaction finally appearing on her face. "Go. Prepare yourself. And Smoothie…" her voice dropped to a low, conspiratorial whisper, "…if the opportunity arises to… hasten Whitebeard's departure from this world, or to subtly weaken his ridiculous 'family' from within… Mama wouldn't be… displeased. MAMAMAMAMA!"
Smoothie simply nodded, her expression unreadable. Her duty was clear.
---
**Gunnar, Alone on the Moby Dick's Prow**
The salty spray kissed Gunnar's face as he stared out at the endless, churning ocean. The celebrations, the arguments, the impossible pronouncements – it all felt like a distant, chaotic dream. Marriage. To a woman he'd never met, a Sweet Commander, a daughter of the terrifying Big Mom. His life, which had just begun to feel like his own, was once again being steered by forces far beyond his control.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," he whispered to the wind, his voice barely audible above the creak of the ship. He'd read those tattered storybooks Marco had given him, tales of gentle princesses and brave knights, of quiet affection and shared adventures. This… this felt like being thrown to the krakens.
He touched his chest, where a dull ache resonated. He thought of his father, Whitebeard, his immense strength now visibly failing, his laughter strained, the IV drip dripping.
If Father has to fight Big Mom now… Gunnar's small hands clenched. With his health… and with Teach still here… That chilling, fragmented vision of betrayal, of his father falling, flashed behind his eyes, sharp and agonizing. No. Not now. It can't happen now.
This marriage, this sacrifice… it was a shield."I… I have to protect him," he murmured, his gaze fixed on the distant, setting sun. "This is the only way… to buy him time. To keep him safe."
"I won't let her," he vowed, his voice no longer a whisper, but a low, determined growl. "I won't let Big Mom take my child. I won't let Teach destroy my family." He looked down at his hands, still so small, still struggling with the simplest tasks. "I have to get stronger. Strong enough to control this… this power inside me. Strong enough to protect Father. Strong enough to protect… my wife." The word felt alien on his tongue. "And strong enough to protect my child."
***
The news, when it finally broke, hit the world like one of Whitebeard's own quake punches. It didn't just ripple; it detonated, sending shockwaves of disbelief, fear, and frenzied speculation across the Four Blues and into the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and the New World.
**Marineford: The Halls of Justice Hum with Unease**
Fleet Admiral Sengoku choked on his rice cracker, scattering crumbs across the meticulously organized stacks of paperwork on his desk. Vice-Admiral Garp, who had been attempting to sneak a nap nearby, jolted awake, nearly falling off his chair.
"A blood son?!" Sengoku spluttered, his face turning an alarming shade of purple. "Whitebeard has a direct heir? All these years, and we knew nothing?!" The implications were staggering. An adopted family was one thing; a true bloodline to inherit the Gura Gura no Mi and the loyalty of the Whitebeard Pirates was a nightmare scenario.
"And an alliance with Big Mom?!" Garp bellowed, his initial shock giving way to a frustrated roar. "Those two old sea monsters are actually going to try and play nice? Bwahahaha! This is going to be a disaster! Or hilarious! Probably both!" He then sobered slightly. "But a blood son… that changes the game, Sengoku. Significantly."
The Five Elders, when the news reached their hallowed chambers in Mary Geoise, reacted with icy, controlled fury. The balance of power, so carefully, precariously maintained, was threatening to shatter. A united front of Whitebeard and Big Mom, bolstered by a legitimate heir to Whitebeard's terrifying power, was a direct threat to the World Government's authority. Orders were dispatched, intelligence networks activated, and contingency plans, dusty from disuse, were hastily re-examined. The world was on a knife's edge.
Admiral Akainu, upon hearing the news, merely clenched his fists, magma bubbling faintly around his knuckles. "More pirates breeding filth," he growled. "This 'alliance' is an abomination. It will be purged."
Kuzan, still recovering from the Ikki Island debacle and now stationed at a remote G-branch, sighed, a plume of frosty air escaping his lips. "Arara… so the old man had a secret ace up his sleeve. And now he's playing it with Linlin. This just keeps getting more troublesome." He thought of the small boy, Gunnar, and the monstrous power he'd witnessed. A shiver, not entirely from the cold, ran down his spine.
**The World Reacts: Whispers and Roars**
The news, carried by the ever-diligent News Coo, spread like wildfire. Morgans, of the World Economic Journal, was having a field day, his headlines screaming of impending doom and dynastic drama.
"WHITEBEARD'S SECRET SON REVEALED! SHOCK ALLIANCE WITH BIG MOM! IS THIS THE DAWN OF A NEW PIRATE ERA?!"
Across the seas, pirate crews reacted with a mixture of awe, terror, and opportunistic glee.
**On an unknown island in the New World, the Red Hair Pirates:**
Shanks, lounging on the deck of the Red Force, read the newspaper with a thoughtful expression, a faint smile playing on his lips. Benn Beckman stood beside him, taking a long drag from his cigarette.
"A blood son, huh?" Shanks mused, tapping the paper. "The old man was always full of surprises. And now he's roped Linlin into his mess. This… is going to be quite the show."
"An alliance between those two is unstable at best, Captain," Beckman commented, exhaling a stream of smoke. "And throwing a child, his supposed heir, into the mix with Smoothie… it's a dangerous gamble, even for Whitebeard."
"Gurarara… or a brilliant one," Shanks chuckled, mimicking his old rival. "He's always been one to play for the highest stakes. This Gunnar… I wonder what kind of man he'll become, caught between those two storms." He looked out at the horizon, a familiar glint in his eye. "The waves are certainly getting bigger."
**Wano Country, Onigashima:**
Kaido, the King of the Beasts, in his dragon form, let out a deafening roar that shook the very mountains when King, his lead performer, brought him the news.
"WORORORO! WHITEBEARD?! A SNIVELING HEIR?! AND HE'S COZYING UP WITH THAT OLD HAG LINLIN?!" Kaido transformed back into his human form, grabbing his massive kanabo. "He thinks he can secure his pathetic legacy with a whelp and a wedding?! Pathetic! A true pirate carves his legend in battle, in death! This changes nothing! When the time comes, I'll crush them all – Whitebeard, Linlin, and this so-called son!" He took a massive swig of sake, his eyes burning with a destructive glee. "This just makes the final war more interesting!"
[A/N: Guys, I am having semester assignments due dates getting near me. I am unable to be consistent. I would like to drop two chapters per day. It's hard to manage even one. It's just a week or two, then I will be consistent. Hope you enjoyed today's chapter.]