Katakuri had been stationed under Shanks by Carl—that much Galette knew.
So even when news came that Shanks had become the Pirate King, she never once worried about Katakuri or Brûlée. With Carl watching over them, there was no one in this world who could pose a threat to Shanks.
However, what she truly hadn't expected… was that Shanks would disband his pirate crew right after becoming Pirate King.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was the title of Pirate King so worthless in the eyes of the Figarland family that they could just toss it aside?
Thinking back to how domineering Carl had been back on the Totto Land Islands, Galette figured it was most likely Carl himself who pressured Shanks into it.
Poire, on the other hand, wasn't thinking so deeply. She was simply overjoyed at her brother and sister returning home.
(T/N: I checked and instead of Bavarois it should be Poire, I fixed the previous chapter)
After all, among the Charlotte siblings, Katakuri and Brûlée had always been well-liked—especially Katakuri, who was undeniably the most respected in the family.
Poire grabbed Galette, who was still pacing back and forth, and shouted,
"Galette! Quick, have the kitchen make more donuts—Katakuri loves those the most!"
Galette snapped back to her senses and hurriedly said,
"Right, right! I'll have someone prepare them right away. Oh, did Brûlée say how long it'll take them to get back?"
"She just said soon. Probably less than a week."
"Alright..."
Galette nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly asked,
"Poire, do you think I should contact the World Government now and return the throne to Katakuri?"
Poire blinked in confusion and said,
"What are you talking about, Galette? Why would you think that?"
Galette explained,
"In terms of prestige or strength, I'm nowhere near Katakuri. That throne was always meant to be his."
Poire tilted her head and said,
"But I think you're the one who should be king of the Totto Land Islands. Everyone's seen how capable you've been all this time. Compared to how things were when Mama was around, people actually prefer life now. Besides, we don't have to go around fighting and killing anymore."
She said it with total sincerity. Galette was moved, but she still shook her head.
"I still think—"
Before she could finish, a deep male voice suddenly echoed through the hall.
"Stop thinking. Sit your ass back down."
Both Povar and Galette jolted in shock, eyes wide as they looked around, but they couldn't find the source of the voice anywhere.
A yellow liquid dripped from Galette's hand.
She shouted,
"Who's there!?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the space behind Galette twisted, and a figure slowly emerged, now seated on her throne.
It was Carl.
Sensing the anomaly behind her, Galette spun around. Before she could see who it was, she had already flung a glob of butter forward, forming a yellow ring aimed at the intruder.
But the ring vanished into nothingness before it could even touch Carl.
Galette and Povar froze when they realized who it was.
"C-Carl-sama…"
As Carl sat, the once ordinary throne beneath him began to transform under a strange force, expanding into a massive chair of authority. At its center gleamed the mark of the Empty.
A suffocating pressure swept through the room. Galette and Povar's knees buckled and they collapsed to the floor with a thud, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads as they couldn't even lift their heads.
And it wasn't just them—everyone across the entire Totto Land Islands dropped to their knees, all facing the Cake Castle. None of them knew what was happening, but not a single soul had the urge to flee.
Even Carl was stunned by what was going on. He turned to look at the throne behind him. The mark was glowing with a blinding golden light, radiating across the entire archipelago like a wave of Supreme Haki.
This was the rule of the Empty Mark—also known as the Sovereign's Majesty.
In the pirate world, all kingdoms fell under Carl's dominion. The moment he descended upon a nation, he could fully control everything within it.
But Carl had no idea this was even possible. In fact, not even Lily, the previous holder of the Empty Throne for over 800 years, had discovered this. She had never been fully acknowledged by the throne.
So Carl would have to explore these powers slowly, just as he was doing now.
He tapped his finger on the golden armrest of the Empty Throne, then looked at the two kneeling women.
Though Galette couldn't lift her head, she could clearly feel a burning gaze locked onto her.
She trembled.
She thought perhaps Carl was angry about her earlier thoughts of abdicating, and as soon as that idea surfaced, her body reacted on its own—dropping into a full prostration with a loud thud.
Carl was dumbfounded.
Before he could react, Galette knocked her head against the floor again—this time even harder, causing a dent in the stone.
Poire watched anxiously from the side, but the pressure was so intense that she couldn't even speak up to plead.
Carl still didn't fully understand what was going on, but he wasn't about to let Galette keep smashing her head like that. Even if she was Big Mom's daughter, at this rate she'd crack her skull open.
He raised a hand and used a burst of suction force to pull Galette off the ground.
Her face was pale, her forehead swollen red, and she trembled in his grip, her arms and legs still flailing as if she were trying to kneel again.
Carl frowned and said,
"Galette, what the hell are you doing? You didn't do anything wrong—what are you so afraid of?"
Strangely, the moment he spoke, Galette froze. She looked up at him in a daze, unable to utter a single word.
Carl quickly realized this had to be another effect of the Empty Mark.
He calmed his mind and said,
"Alright. You can both stand and speak now."
As his voice rang out, the golden glow of the Empty Mark slowly faded.
The pressure on Galette and Poire eased considerably. Weakly, they stood before Carl.
But perhaps because of how hard she had bowed earlier, Galette felt dizzy. Her legs gave way, and she slumped forward, falling into Carl's lap.
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+140 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg